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So, there’s this new magical girl that’s been hanging around Neo Akatsuka lately. She has a mature and elegant grace to her that’s already won her a decent sized fanclub. She’s got silky short hair and a laugh like wind chimes. For a beginner, and a solo magical girl at that, her technique is nearly flawless and her rate of property damage is surprisingly low.
Anyway, that’s not entirely why Todomatsu wants to pour bleach on her head, but it definitely doesn’t help.
…
Someone came into Sutaba with a handmade shirt of Magical Girl Sato striking a pose; crafted carefully in a thick brown vinyl outline against the white fabric so as to highlight the form rather than the smaller details, yet still so clearly a labor of love that Todomatsu only barely kept herself from ‘accidentally’ spilling their order all over it. Instead, she purposely wrote their name wrong and slammed it a little harder on the counter than needed when she was done adding the three extra caramel shots to the sugary monstrosity. It sloshed a bit dangerously and Todomatsu grit her teeth in a smile even though she felt some whipped cream slide down the back of her hand before the customer could pick up their order and scurry away.
Sacchi looked at her warily from across the counter where he’d been restocking the cakepops, but didnt say anything. Good. She wasn’t in the mood today, and her shift had barely started.
First, she’d woke up late, which meant her breakfast was cold and portioned smaller than she would have liked it to be (though she was just lucky Choromatsu had thought to set anything aside for her, honestly, before Jyushimatsu and Karamatsu had reached the table). After that, she had to skip her morning yoga to get ready, and ended up having to redo her eye makeup twice because Karamatsu, the only other sextuplet that actually wore makeup, refused to budge from in front of the bathroom mirror herself, resulting in elbows digging into sides as they fought for their work space.
(“I have work, Karamatsu-neesan!” Todomatsu had snapped, throwing her used makeup wipe into the small trash can with vigor.
“I,” Karamatsu countered immediately, puffing her chest out in pride. “Have a date!”
“Where, to the living room? The closest cheap love hotel?” Todomatsu shot back scathingly. “I’m sure your reservation will hold.”
Karamatsu pouted at her, and she could tell she’d hurt her twin's feelings, which she might have felt minutely bad about if it hadn’t taken all of three seconds before Karamatsu’s face lit back up as she tutted at Todomatsu admonishingly.
“Non, non, the aquarium. Then a café. Lady Luck bequeathed a generous boon upon your eldest sisters last night, so—”
Todomatsu cut her off by spritzing her setting spray near her face in warning. “Still not as pressing as keeping my job, you useless NEET.”)
So, her morning had been harried. She could at least escape her household at Sutaba, but now she had to deal with weirdo fans of her rival popping up here, too?
Well. ‘Rival’ was kind of a generous label for their dynamic. Kind of not accurate at all, really, but it soothed Todomatsu’s pride a bit to call them that; it put them on the same level competitively, even though Todomatsu knew for sure that all of her merch was only being made by her own sister, which was more gross than it was flattering.
If she could get through this short shift without getting fired or developing a migraine then she could transform in a park bathroom and get back to her self-imposed mission. She just had to be patient.
…
Magical Girl Sato had only popped up about a month ago. In Neo Akatsuka, atleast, but Todomatsu hadn’t been able to find any older information about her online, so it was safe to say that it had been her genuine debut into the magical scene. She looked a bit old for a debut, honestly. Most magical girls started as teens before bowing out of the scene around 25. Still, rumor had it she’d already been approached by a scouting agency, though there was no word online on whether she accepted the offer or not.
It was all very frustrating, honestly.
Todomatsu readjusted her stance. She was squatting on a roof near the pachinko parlor, facing towards the alleyway. People milled about obliviously and noisily below, but they weren’t her main focus. Her attention was trained on the alleyway. They were always the easiest place to pop into and transform in a hurry, while also being a general hotspot for suspect activity.
Her recon (read: forum snooping) had shown Sato appearing in uniform near this pachinko parlor three times already. She’d shown up around Sutaba, as well, but after a week of patrolling around her own workplace Todomatsu still hadn’t tracked her back down. She only appeared long enough to intervene in a fight before disappearing again.
Which was weird, kind of. The first time they had met, Sato seemed eager to introduce herself. She’d even asked if she could walk with Todomatsu (Magical Girl Matsuno: Pink Justice) after stealing her kill-shot that had been aimed at some small grotesque monster that had been corralling children away from a park with magic bubbles. Todomatsu had merely stomped her heel in frustration and left, leaving Sato surrounded by a gaggle of confused seven year olds right before a news reporter had shown up. A picture of Sato holding a little boy carefully to her chest and wiping his tear-streaked red cheeks circulated online that night, boosting her popularity instantly. The Latest Magical Girl Debut: A Motherly Maiden Appears! Ugh.
That could have been Todomatsu’s impromptu heart-warming, status-boosting photoshoot, but no. That kill-stealing bitch had swooped in for the glory after Todomatsu had already done the hard part of separating it from the dumb kids! After that, she’d started popping up occasionally and inserting herself into Todomatsu’s previously solo fights. Todomatsu decided she needed to give the other woman a piece of her mind.
Adjusting her position on the roof again, Todomatsu tried not to fume. She needed to stay focused and alert. She turned a little to look out over the main street and other shop fronts.
Still nothing. She manifested her phone so she could check the time. She’d arrived at the parlor around 3:30pm, and it was only 4pm now. She huffed, moving her thumb to open LINE, when a scream cut through the air.
Todomatsu whipped her head back around to the crowd below. Most of the civilians had come to a stop, crowding onto the sidewalk and against the shop walls. They were facing down the street that led to a residential neighborhood, all talking so fast that their words clamored together into an unintelligible sea of noise, but Todomatsu didn’t need someone to tell her what was happening. Her eyes followed theirs and landed quickly on a somewhat lion-shaped pastel purple creature, dashing through the street with a purpose. It wasn’t stopping to bite at or even really chasing people at all. There was something shiny in its mouth.
Todomatsu leapt from the building and onto the wire stretching between telephone poles. With her enhanced agility and magical abilities, balancing was easy enough, so she ran forward, closely following the villainous creature below.
She chased it all the way to a nearby children’s park, where Todomatsu was forced to jump down from the wires. As she did so, she manifested her weapon—an overly large, ostentatiously golden and pink spear—and hurled it towards the creature. It stabbed the ground in front of the pseudo-feline, causing it to rear up on its hind legs and come to an abrupt stop in the middle of the sandy area.
“Hah!” She jeered, stopping near the entrance of the park and leaning forward slightly as she caught her breath. “Got you now.”
The creature whirled around to face her. It looked furious, and the pretty bundle of jewelry in its mouth didn’t take away from the vicious gleam of sharp canines. Todomatsu let her weapon disappear in a flash of light and reappear in her hand as she straightened up. She rolled her shoulders.
Sometimes, the monsters could speak, but a lot of the time they couldn’t, and you could never really tell from their form alone. So she held back for a moment, watching, curious to see if it would say something first.
The creature gnashed its teeth before opening its mouth too-wide, tossing its head back and swallowing the glittering jewelry whole. Todomatsu saw at least three diamond necklaces, a few ruby earrings, and some gold chains quickly disappear into its maw. It fell right back onto all fours, licking its jowls and staring defiantly at the magical girl across from it.
“Okay, ew.” Probably not one that could talk, then. Is that all it needed the jewelry for? Food? Then it was probably one of Dekapan’s rogue experiments, rather than some kind of villain’s familiar on a money-making mission. Todomatsu readied her spear. “Well, whatever. I’ll put you out of your misery.”
The creature growled and tensed its muscles like it was going to lunge forward. Todomatsu squared her shoulders and pulled her arm back, but before she could launch her spear, the creature interrupted her by opening its mouth and spitting acid at her. Thanks to her quick reflexes, she managed to back up in time, letting it hit the ground in front of her and splash up onto parts of her boots and skirt.
“Oh, you—fuck—nasty!” She shrieked, watching in dismay as parts of her skirt and shoes sizzled away, leaving ugly holes in the fabric and ruining the side of her left boot. The puddle just inches from her feet smoked ominously, eating away what sparse grass had managed to grow there.
Todomatsu gripped her spear tighter and glared at the creature. “Are you serious!” She pushed one foot back so she could retain her balance, hefting her weapon. Though before she could actually throw her spear she was, again, interrupted—an arrow streaked by with a trail of light, hitting the creature squarely between the eyes. It lurched backwards and screamed in a way that sounded more like a gurgling hiss, before the pseudo-lion’s form popped into a spray of acid that soaked the ground where it had been standing. The arrow dropped to the ground with it and dissolved in the acid as well.
“Need a hand?” A soothingly low, feminine voice called. Magical Girl Sato descended from a tree. The hood to her cloak was down and her weapon, a monochrome yet nature-themed bow, was drawn. She had a domino mask on her face, as if that would do anything to prevent someone from truly recognizing her as a civilian. How stupid. That kind of thing never worked in real life.
Todomatsu ground her teeth to keep from saying something too impulsive. Kill-shot stealing bitch, she thought viciously, but also, a bit triumphantly: finally. She dropped her arms and let her spear dematerialize.
“What gives?”
“Hm?” Sato tilted her head, unphased. “I’m helping.”
“Well, thanks,” she replied sarcastically. Still, Sato’s pleasantly civil expression didn’t waver. “But I didn’t need any help and I certainly didn’t ask for it.” Finally, she could lay into this. She took a breath as Sato’s gaze shifted to over her shoulder. “In fact—”
Before she could say anything else, though, Sato moved forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as if they were school friends, pulling her in close and turning her around. Todomatsu got as far as protesting with a yelp when a camera flashed, momentarily clouding her vision.
I am so tired of getting interrupted! Todomatsu thought angrily, but outwardly her face morphed into something sweet. There were two people in front of them, one wielding an old camera and the other an equally practiced, overly happy expression.
“Sato-san!” The reporter opened with. Todomatsu bit the inside of her cheek. “Amazing, we saw you take that monster out in one shot. Do you have time for a brief interview? You’re an up-and-comer, after all, we’d love to be the first to help boost your voice!”
And boost their own ratings, getting someone like Sato on the front page. Todomatsu wanted to grind her teeth and stomp off, already feeling the sting of being dismissed so easily by the reporter—whose name badge declared her a member of some only vaguely-recognizable magazine, hardly even someone worth Todomatsu’s time, but—
Sato squeezed Todomatsu’s shoulder. “Well, Matsuno-san here played a role as well. She fearlessly distracted the jewel-thief, so that I had an opening.”
“Ah,” and the two seemed to acknowledge Todomatsu for the first time, despite the fact that Sato had been practically hanging off her for the entire exchange. Todomatsu felt her skin crawl under the continued contact. “Of course! How proficient, allowing a temporary partnership.”
“Temporary?” Sato repeated. “Yes, I suppose it could be. However,” and the camera flashed a second time, “I don’t really have time for an interview today. Perhaps another time.”
“Wait, but—“
“Thank you for your interest.” Sato said, in a voice both polite and strong, allowing no argument. She bowed her head slightly and pivoted both her own and Todomatsu’s bodies away from the small-time reporters, walking forward. The conversation had happened so fast, Todomatsu hadn’t even been able to get a word in.
They’d only gone as far as the edge of the swings before Todomatsu dug her heels into the sand and refused to move any further.
Sato paused, too, and looked at her. “I—“
“Look.” Todomatsu slapped the other woman’s hand away from her shoulders, finally. Her hands had been firm yet soft, and it was revolting. “I don’t know what game you’re playing,” she hissed. “But I have enough partners as is. Why don’t you just stay out of my way and stop jumping into fights you aren’t needed in, you spotlight stealing—“ Todomatsu faltered only a second to think of a decent parting shot, “hag.”
With that she turned sharply towards the exit, grinding the sand underneath the heels of her acid-wrecked boots, and jogged off from the children’s park without looking back.
…
The café was more crowded than expected. Todomatsu took one step inside before pausing, reaching for her phone in a nervous habit meant to occupy her hands. She brought it up to her chest and casted her gaze down at the screen and back up quickly, aiming for an air of I know what I’m doing, I’m just so busy, and, oh, there she is.
“Oh, Totty,” Atsushi waved her hand in one short, efficient gesture from across the floor. Nothing theatrical or over-eager. She dropped her arm almost as soon as she’d lifted it to curl her fingers back around her drink. “Here, I saved you a spot.”
“Thanks,” Todomatsu said, slipping into the chair across from her friend. She groaned as the action reminded her of the ache in her lower back.
“Tough morning?”
“You have no idea,” she whined. Atsushi smiled at her.
“What drink do you want? Then you can tell me about it,” Atsushi offered, already rising from her seat. Todomatsu relaxed further into her chair, satisfied.
“A latte, extra espresso. And,” she pushed some of her hair behind her ear, faux-shy. “A panini, too?”
Atsushi just nodded. “Chicken?”
Todomatsu beamed. “Yes, thanks so much!”
When Atsushi left to get back in line at the counter, Todomatsu pulled out a compact mirror and went to work checking and preening her hair. She’d fixed it on the way over, too, but it never hurt to check occasionally, especially with how much hair she had; all bubblegum pink, and what wasn't falling down her back was tied up in twin tails. She smoothed out the hair falling over her shoulder and tilted her head slightly to the side.
Then, in the mirror she saw a too-familiar face. Her expression fell immediately.
“No.”
“Hey, that’s Totty!”
“No.” Todomatsu slammed the mirror shut and hunched forward. It was, obviously, too late.
Osomatsu dropped into the seat beside Todomatsu heavily, making the chair scoot with an extremely grating scratching sound. People looked over briefly before turning back to their own tables. She placed a small plush octopus onto the table in front of her and flipped her long side tail over her shoulder.
“Hey, Totty! Fancy seeing you here, huh? Mind if we sit?”
Todomatsu glared at her. “Go away, Osomatsu-neesan.”
Osomatsu bulldozed onwards, ignoring her. “Of course you don’t! You’re such a good little sister. All the other tables are full, too.”
“Since when do you go to cafés?”
“Kara-chan has been wanting to go to one,” Osomatsu replied easily, waving over Todomatsu’s shoulder by holding up the octopus and using one of its plush tentacles to sway around. She didn’t want to look, because she already knew what she would see, but. Ugh. This day just kept getting worse, didn’t it. What were the odds of her sisters choosing this café to end one of their weird dates in?
Twisting in her chair, Todomatsu saw Karamatsu waving back from her spot beside Atsushi in line before the two went back to talking about something. Nothing good, she’s sure. Karamatsu was moving her hands too exuberantly, and Atsushi looked just slightly more than politely invested. Atsushi never really looked bothered when any of the Matsuno’s approached her, the opposite in fact, but that didn’t mean Todomatsu was willing to let her sisters keep pushing until they found a hard line and stomped all over it. It’s what they—and she was self aware enough to include herself in that—did best.
“I’m going to kill you,” she said in a monotone voice, as if she was just making a statement on the weather, twisting back around in her seat.
Osomatsu blinked at her, one hand already reaching for Atsushi’s unattended drink. “Uh, harsh?”
Todomatsu slapped her sister’s wrist and smirked when Osomatsu whined, leaving the drink alone and wrapping her arms around the octopus plush instead.
“I haven’t even done anything yet!”
“Yet,” Todomatsu repeated. “Aren’t you two supposed to be on a date? Why don’t you find your own table?”
“I told you, it’s way too crowded. Besides,” Osomatsu grinned. “We can make it a double date!”
“I’m not dating Atsushi-chan.”
“Huh,” Osomatsu tilted her head. “You aren’t girlfriends? I thought that’s why you’ve been trying to keep her away from us.”
“It’s not like that, okay? It’s not...serious.” Todomatsu made a snorting noise, looking away from her sister and crossing her arms over her chest. “‘Girlfriends.’ As if. You sound like a teenager.”
“Hey,” Osomatsu protested, “What’s wrong with ‘girlfriend’? You know, I don’t really want to hear that from a virgin, anyway. You’re still a virgin, right? Your face is getting pretty red, so probably, haha! Your sugar mommy sure works slow, then. She offered to pay for our food too, you know. You should probably seal the deal soon so she doesn’t get bored.”
Before she could stand up to jab her thumbs in Osomatsu’s eyes, a mug is placed carefully in front of her along with her sandwich, Atsushi leaning around her. “Here, Totty.”
Todomatsu is really, really getting tired of people interrupting her. But in this instance, maybe it was for the best.
“Ahh, thanks again, Atsushi-chan,” she said, ignoring Karamatsu slipping into the seat beside Atsushi’s empty one and laying more cups and plates out.
“It’s no problem,” Atsushi replied, taking her own seat back. She’d bought two croissants for herself, too. “How funny, I ran into your sisters in line!”
“So funny,” Todomatsu agreed, internally seething.
“It must be fate!” Karamatsu added, handing Osomatsu a steaming mug and a neatly stacked plate of eclairs. Her own order matched Todomatsu’s, only doubled.
“Sure,” Osomatsu agreed easily and shoved a pastry in her face. Atsushi looked amused while Todomatsu glowered.
The impromptu double lunch date went on like that for the next hour. Atsushi asked questions, which set Karamatsu off into happy chatter, occasionally interjected with remarks by Osomatsu, and overall effectively moving Todomatsu away from the spotlight. It gave her an ugly feeling just like the one she got when someone else captivated Atsushi during a mixer. Maybe she didn’t really have the right to be so stung by the sudden shift from having Atsushi’s undivided attention to only being one wheel in the conversation; maybe someone else, someone more normal with a normal family, would even like that their…friend was so willing to get along with their siblings, but Todomatsu never once thought of any of them as normal.
They had considered each other extensions of themselves for so long that developing their own personalities as they grew older hit harder than anything else. Todomatsu didn’t see five sisters, or five friends, but more like five clinging parasites, ready to strip her down of all the progress she had made in forcibly cutting herself out of the hivemind and becoming an individual. It was so easy to fall back on that too, the feeling of being a collective, holding each other down. So she liked to keep her two lives separate; it made it easier to slip into roles, keep everything clean, and didn’t force her to share.
“Man, I’m stuffed!” Osomatsu leaned back heavily in her seat. She patted her stomach with her free hand to emphasize her words, looking content.
“Mm, I think it’s about time to go, then?” Karamatsu prompted, openly rubbing Osomatsu’s other palm with her thumb. Atsushi hadn’t even blinked at the way the two had been trading light touches and finger-feeding each other for half the meal.
“More plans?” Atsushi asked, sounding sincere in her interest.
“Just one more stop on today’s quest of love.” Karamatsu replied, popping up out of her seat and extending a hand to Osomatsu. She looked at Todomatsu and added, “We won’t monopolize your own precious quest any longer, dear sister!”
Todomatsu couldn’t help the fierce and ugly expression her face twisted into, the one she tried to avoid in public and particularly around her friends. Go be gross somewhere else, she thought, as Atsushi laughed easily.
“Have fun then,” Atsushi said in parting, and before Osomatsu could get any farther than opening her mouth Karamatsu hastily shoved a none-too-gentle elbow into her stomach. She grabbed the eldest Matsuno by the shoulder and flashed a smile at them.
“Of course, ditto,” she called back to them in English as she pushed a pouting Osomatsu away from the table. She still got some hand gestures in over the blue-haired woman’s back, though.
Todomatsu slumped forward in her chair, grabbing her forehead when they disappeared out the café door. “I’m so sorry, Atsushi-chan.”
Atsushi laughed, leaning over to place a soft hand on Todomatsu’s shoulder. It felt comforting, so she leaned into it. “Why? Your family is fun.”
“You’re an only child, right? So you probably wouldn’t get it. I never feel like I have enough space. It’s like we’re always stepping all over each other.” Sometimes literally. “It’s hard to breathe, sometimes. Not physically, but….you know?”
“Mmm.” Atsushi tucked a short flyaway hair back behind her ear. “Maybe I can’t really get it. I always wanted siblings. The closeness always seemed so nice...something exclusive, like a club.”
“A club you can’t escape from,” Todomatsu mumbled and shook her head.
“You know, if you ever feel like it, you could move in with me.” Atsushi grinned, lopsided and charming. The kind Todomatsu had seen her use on men and women at mixers. It sent a weird feeling up her spine and down her legs. “I have plenty of space to offer.”
Todomatsu blinked at the table before whipping her head up to gape at Atsushi, processing the words slowly.
Atsushi set about stacking the empty plates left behind by Todomatsu’s sisters. “Just think about it. I don’t want to push you into something you aren’t ready for, of course. I just wanted to extend the option so that you knew it was there, if you want it. It’s something I wanted to talk about today, anyway, but I figured you wouldn’t want me to bring it up in front of your sisters.”
“That’s…” Todomatsu shook herself, sitting up straighter. Focus. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask,” Atsushi said breezily and smiled at Todomatsu again. “Now, to the park?”
…
After walking through the park together for another hour and stopping to idle around at a bookstore, Todomatsu turned down a ride home from Atsushi. She wandered slowly back along the street of the shopping district before heading home, lost in thought. The sun wouldn’t set for a while, so she wasn’t worried about how fast she went. She could be truly alone with her thoughts, for once, which kept gravitating to Atsushi and their unconventional relationship.
It wouldn’t help to ask for clarification on what exactly they were to each other. She’s thought about it before, obviously, but putting it to words would...what, ruin the game? Atsushi always had the upper hand, anyway, even when Todomatsu felt like she’d won something by getting Atsushi to buy her clothes and food and tickets to local events. Atsushi liked buying her things, and Todomatsu liked being showered in both material items and focused attention. Sometimes she leaned into Atsushi, or looped their arms together; they’d even held hands through the park today. But they didn’t do anything that couldn’t be waved away as an intense friendship.
Which was frustrating at times and fine at others, because Todomatsu tended to run ahead into things when she shouldn’t, unprepared for the reality of facing consequences for her actions. You don’t talk out casual relationships. That moved them sharply away from casual. That’s how all the stories went.
If she moved in with Atsushi, what would change? Would they be like roommates, or something else? Would Atsushi go home with her, and her alone, from mixers? Would she expect Todomatsu to seal the deal ? Was Todomatsu even ready for that? It’s not like she’s been avoiding it, but, she hadn’t pushed for it either. Despite her loud frustration at being a twenty-something virgin, the idea of the act itself was still…intimidating.
What if it ruined what they had? Could she really just brush that off?
Todomatsu called out, “I’m home,” softly as she finally stepped into the house, frowning thoughtfully.
“Todomatsu, what the hell?” Choromatsu demanded immediately as if she’d been laying in wait, showing up in front of the genkan before Todomatsu could even pull her shoes off. She was holding the shared family laptop carefully with both hands, flipped around so the screen pointed out towards Todomatsu.
“What now, Choromatsu-neesan?” She grumbled, petulant. She slipped her flats off and set them in their place at the very end of the line of shoes. “If it’s another virus, you know it wasn’t me, ask Ichimatsu-neesan. Or Osomatsu-neesan. Or...”
“No, this,” Choromatsu gestured strongly with the laptop. Todomatsu squinted, and as the screen came into focus she could see what must have been one of the photos taken earlier that day, of Sato curling her arm around Todomatsu’s shoulder and both smiling serenely at the camera. They looked like true comrades, as if they were comfortable in the position. Todomatsu took in every personal flaw present, from her acid-frayed skirt to the way her hair had been slightly escaping one of her high twin tails. “A ‘Potential New Duo: Rising Star and Infamous Matsuno’! What did you do? You can’t just decide on things like that without asking us! What if we had got interviewed before we’d all seen it, we’d be caught off guard and look so fractured to the public! Our PR is already crap lately! Since when did you want to be in a duo anyway? Is this your shitty way of breaking us all up? You can’t just—”
“Shut up, Choromatsu-neesan!” Todomatsu clenched her fists, grinding her teeth under the storm of admonishments. All day she had felt talked over by people and she was over it. “Will you let me speak? I didn’t do any of that!”
From the open living room door, Jyushimatsu poked her head out. “Totty! What happened?”
“If any of you would let me talk…”
“Come on, then,” Osomatsu called from further in the living room. Todomatsu took a step up out of the genkan and Choromatsu took a step back, frowning severely and still clutching the laptop. Todomatsu made a face at her before they both moved into the main room. All her sisters were waiting there. Jyushimatsu moved back to the table where Osomatsu and Karamatsu sat, their arms crossed, and looked nervously between them all. Ichimatsu sat on the floor near the window, petting one of her stray cats, but even she looked up at Todomatsu as she entered the room. Choromatsu set the laptop onto the table and sat cross legged by Osomatsu.
“So,” Osomatsu began. “What the hell, Totty? You didn’t mention any of this when we saw you earlier.”
“That’s because it’s not real, Osomatsu-neesan,” she said, exasperated. Today had been exhausting in every way for her, and she crumpled to a sitting position at the table across from her eldest sisters. “I didn’t make a new partner, I certainly didn’t tell a reporter that I did…” Todomatsu frowned.
“This is the new magical girl you’ve been trying to track down, is it not?” Karamatsu tilted her head.
“It is,” Todomatsu replied at the same time as Choromatsu. She glowered at the third sister.
“Yes, and right after that picture I told her off for butting in all the time, okay? She just caught me off guard when the reporters showed up.”
“See!” Jyushimatsu waved her arm. “Totty wouldn’t just leave us like that.”
“It wouldn’t be out of character for her, Jyushimatsu,” Ichimatsu chimed in from across the room. She didn’t look up from the cat in her lap.
“But she’d tell us first!” Jyushimatsu insisted. Todomatsu felt simultaneously touched and guilty at the defense from her immediate older sister.
“It doesn’t matter,” she interjected before the conversation could devolve any further. She stood up, putting her hands on her hips and surveying her siblings critically. “We’re the same group as always, and the new chick knows to back off. Now. Is anyone else going to the baths? I definitely need one today.”
…
Todomatsu had given up on sleeping that night. Her brain wouldn’t let her; she couldn’t stop running Atsushi’s offer through her head. Tucked into the futon, surrounded by her softly snoring sisters, she couldn’t actually imagine falling asleep without them. As immature and clingy as it sounded; as unlike her as it sounded, too. She wouldn’t say it aloud, but. It was comforting, knowing everyone was within reaching distance in the dark. That she could roll over and any of them would pet her head without question.
She wormed her way out of the futon, careful not to kick Osomatsu or Karamatsu, and went out onto the balcony and then up to the roof. It was a little chilly outside, and her pajamas weren’t the best at insulating her, but she just curled her arms around her knees and tucked her toes into the hem of her pants as best she could. She needed the sharp cold to clear her head, probably.
She almost didn’t notice Osomatsu coming outside, at first. She’d opened the balcony door far more silently than Todomatsu knew her to be capable of. It was when her red head poked up over the roof that Todomatsu saw her, an unlit cigarette hanging out her mouth as steady hands hoisted herself up to the spot beside Todomatsu.
“Can’t sleep, Totty?”
“Guess not,” she mumbled back. Osomatsu crossed her legs and adjusted herself until she seemed more comfortable, pulling a lighter out from where it was wedged between her hip and the waistband of her own pajama pants. Osomatsu lit the cigarette with a quick flick, taking a large drag and blowing the smoke away from them. After two more drags she silently offered the cigarette to Todomatsu who merely shook her head. Usually, she would at least scrunch her nose and stick her tongue out, but she wasn’t feeling the energy. They sat in silence for a while, staring out at the stars and buildings across the street.
“Osomatsu-neesan,” she started, breaking the silence. “What do you even see in Karamatsu-neesan?”
Osomatsu made a surprised chuckle around her cigarette. “Why, are you jealous?”
Todomatsu shot her an unimpressed look. “As if.”
“Heh,” Osomatsu scratched at the side of her nose, looking strangely contemplative. The expression didn’t suit her, in Todomatsu’s opinion. “I guess it’s just...she’s genuine.”
Todomatsu snorted. “Whatever. She’s as fake as I am and you know it.”
Osomatsu grinned and shrugged. “Not with me, though.”
Todomatsu rested her head against her knees again. “...Yeah, I guess you’re right. She doesn’t coddle your feelings at all. You’re more her equal than the rest of us.”
Osomatsu nodded enthusiastically, removing the remainder of her cigarette from her mouth and stubbing it out on the tile of the roof. She’d get in trouble if their mom saw it, but Matusuyo didn’t bother coming out the roof much anymore. “Right! Besides, she’s genuine where it counts. She just likes acting.” Osomatsu shrugged again. “It’s not like she’s malicious about it.”
“Unlike me, I guess.” Todomatsu sighed into her knees.
“Well…” Osomatsu rubbed the back of her neck, unwilling to challenge that. Todomatsu shook her head; she didn’t say it for a chance of getting consoled.
“Mm...Osomatsu-neesan?”
“Yeah?”
Todomatsu moved her eyes away from her sister and focused on the dark window across the street from them. “What would you do if she wanted to leave?”
Osomatsu stayed quiet for a moment before asking, “...what do you mean?”
“Well, I guess,” Todomatsu wormed a hand between her cheek and her knee. “What if she wanted a real job? Her own house? A baby?”
“Without me?” Todomatsu heard her oldest sister shift beside her. Her voice was confident and breezy as she answered: “I wouldn’t let her do that, duh.”
Todomatsu felt an unwilling smile crack across her face. “That’s not how you’re supposed to answer that, you know? You sound like a total creep.”
“Well, I wouldn’t lie about it!”
“What about if she wanted to go with you, then?” Todomatsu chanced a glance at Osomatsu from the corner of her eye, but Osomatsu was laying on her back, staring straight up at the sky. “Would you leave us?”
“That’s…” Osomatsu bit her lip. “Geez, what’s with these questions? Did Karamatsu ask you to do this?”
“No, I was just...thinking about things.”
“Well, you should probably stop. Why would she want anything to change? We’ve got a good home, and good food, and a good routine. Why mess it up scrambling to prepare for a,” Osomatsu stumbled a bit over her words. “An uncertain future.”
“I guess,” Todomatsu replied and they lapsed back to silence. She flexed her cold toes against the fabric of her pajama pants. Osomatsu was the easiest to get along with, usually; laidback and surprisingly perceptive at times, unnaturally dense at others.
After a while, Osomatsu sighed heavily. “Man, you got me all worked up for nothing, Totty.”
Todomatsu turned her head fully towards her, smiling weakly. Osomatsu was sitting up, stretching her arms. “Sorry, neesan.”
Osomatsu shuffled herself to the edge of the roof before looking over at Todomatsu. “...don’t stay out here all night, alright? It’s cold.”
“Of course. Goodnight, Osomatsu-neesan.”
“Goodnight, Totty.”
When Todomatsu did make it back inside, using her phone to light what the moon didn’t reach, Osomatsu and Karamatsu were missing from the futon. She slipped back into her spot anyway, trying to get warm without the usual heat of her eldest sisters boxing her in. It was difficult, but she managed to fall asleep before they came back.