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It’s almost like asthma. Every breath like you’re breathing through a straw. Of course, it’s all you’ve ever known. How could you even tell? But then, you meet the one you’re destined for. Your literal first deep breath of fresh air.
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Ichimatsu was not an athlete. You could tell just by looking at him. He wasn’t thin, he didn’t have muscle. He looked as if simply being awake exhausted him. He trudged when he walked, he slouched like straightening his spine took too much effort.
It was a stark contrast to his brothers. Karamatsu: on both the basketball team and in drama club, who worked out on his days off; Jyushimatsu: kicked off the baseball team for playing too aggressively (so many homeruns, they were constantly buying more balls, hitting so hard he’d dent the bats), joined the swim team and had two Phys. Ed. classes, gym and weight training.
Karamatsu did it despite his hard breathing so he’d look and feel good. Jyushimatsu did it because he had far too much energy and needed a good outlet. And Ichimatsu…
He just didn’t care.
Why use up more energy than he had to? Besides, he was already trash. What’s a few aspects of appearance going to help? His soulmate was doomed the moment Ichimatsu became destined to them at his birth. Might as well let them know what they were in for at a glance.
He was sitting in an alley behind school, watching the cats play and petting the ones who came up to him. He looked up as someone new entered the alley.
“Ichimacchan! Thought I’d find you here!”
“Hi, Nii-san.”
They weren’t actually brothers, but Osomatsu had some weird complex. He’d always wanted to be an older brother, and growing up next door to the triplets and being a couple days older than them, he’d decided they should all refer to him as their big brother. Jyushimatsu did easily, and Karamatsu did for a while, then switched to calling him Aniki rather than Nii-san.
“We’re going somewhere today!”
“Eh? Where? No.”
Osomatsu pouted, “Oh, come on! That nag from my school I told you about wants to start tutoring me. Your dark presence is needed to scare him away!”
“...fine.”
Scaring people was something he got a kick out of. Might as well use his powers for good(?).
With a cheer from Osomatsu, they were off, to a cafe near Osomatsu’s school. They all used to go to the same school, but Osomatsu’s hijinks got him kicked out. Now, he went to the next nearest school that accepted him, where he was seated next to some honour student who was constantly nagging Osomatsu about his appearance, grades, habits, behaviour, everything. Ichimatsu had a feeling it was a boke and tsukkomi friendship.
The walk there was, frankly, exhausting. Ichimatsu was, as mentioned, not an athlete. To the point even walking was a bit of a challenge. By the time they arrived, he was panting. Osomatsu, also not having found his soulmate, may have been a bit winded, but even he was in better shape than Ichimatsu.
“You good?” he asked, already recovering his breath.
“Sure,” he gasped out when he could. “Let’s go.” As much as he enjoyed scaring people, he was tired and just wanted a damn nap.
“Alright, alright,” Osomatsu grinned, obviously excited to see events unfold.
They entered the cafe and Osomatsu led them to a table in the back.
“Oi, Cherrymatsu!”
“Don’t call me that! A boy in a green shirt stood up and turned to face Osomatsu, red-faced and furious.
“Hey, now, don’t wanna show off your ugly side in front of new company~” he sing-songed, nudging Ichimatsu to indicate he was up. Time to be the doll of darkness.
He let out his aura and felt his sharp-toothed grin break, eyes lazily trailing from Osomatsu to-
As his eyes met this new person’s, they both let out a gasp.
A deep one.
Ichimatsu felt air fill his lungs, and his heart started to race. He knew what this must be. He’d heard of it. Karamatsu-niisan wouldn’t shut up about what it was supposed to feel like.
But even Karamatsu’s words couldn’t describe it. He could finally breathe. And this boy in front of him, clutching his own chest, was the reason.
All hint of darkness was dissipating from his aura, replaced with something light as air.
Who knows how long they stood there staring at each other before Osomatsu stepped between them, looking from one to the other.
“Oh, no way, no way! For real? Haha! Well, how ‘bout that!” He put an arm around each of their shoulders. “Well, this is Ichimatsu, my pseudo little brother, and this is Choromatsu, my nag! There, now you two sit down here…” he sat them across the table from one another. “And get to know each other! Bye!”
And he walked away.
The two simply looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
Talk about awkward beginnings.