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He sees the letter when he’s skipping math during second period. It’s sticking out of Karamatsu’s locker, the exposed corner slightly crumpled like the owner couldn’t get that last part through the gap and gave up.
Osomatsu is of course curious as to what someone could be shoving in Karamatsu’s locker and decides to open it. He’s seen Karamatsu enter the code enough times despite how much he tried to hide it. Karamatsu was really too careless at times.
‘8709 aaaand got it.’
Karamatsu’s locker was probably only slightly more organized than Osomatsu’s, the only major difference being the mirror attached to the inside of the locker door and less crumpled papers strewn around messily. He grabs the letter and pockets it to read somewhere more inconspicuous. He’s about to close the locker before he decides to swipe Karamatsu’s biology textbook. He’s lost his a month ago and he might feel like attending class today, who knows.
The letter is, if it wasn’t already obvious by the girlish handwriting and little heart drawn next to 'Karamatsu’ on the envelope, a love letter. One that’s confessing love to Osomatsu’s fashion disaster, over-the-top, and airheaded younger brother. Osomatsu hums thoughtfully while skimming the contents of the letter. He’s gotten one before, back in junior high before girls realized the kind of person he was. It’s kinda amusing reading this girl’s thoughts. He really can’t understand why she finds Karamatsu 'incredibly charming and hilarious’ and 'someone who lights up the room he’s in’ (he laughs) but it’s still an interesting read. He wonders if any other girls think of Karamatsu like this, maybe his dedication to the theatre department finally paid enough for him to actually act the way he always wanted to be. Osomatsu might actually bother attending his next play after that disaster from first year.
None of that really matters though. The only important part of the letter is the girl asking Karamatsu to meet her on the roof at lunch and give her a reply to her confession. It’s the exactly the kind of cheesy setting that Karamatsu would love, he’s gotta give her credit.
Lunch is only an hour away but Osomatsu thinks he can get ready on time.
It’s not too hard to imitate Karamatsu. Appearance-wise all he has to do is pencil in his eyebrows a few times and he’s set. Pretty much the spitting image of, well, himself.
Karamatsu’s personality isn’t too hard to get down either. He knows that Karamatsu loves attention, loves anything that simulates what he thinks feeling loved is. He craves it so badly and his brothers can see the desperation behind his actions, his voice, the way he’ll move his hands in a way he’s practiced and polished in hopes that people will notice and simultaneously won’t. His brothers can see his desperation clearly - and so they use it against him.
Osomatsu knows his brothers - knows how they think, how they act, understands the why’s possibly better than they do themselves. He watches them, he always has and always will.
The bell for lunch rings a few minutes after Osomatsu reaches the roof of the school. He hasn’t really bothered checking to see if anyone else was up there but if someone’s hiding it might just end up being beneficial to him either way.
It’s just 10 minutes past the bell when she arrives.
Average height, bright eyes and way of walking that says she wants to collapse into herself. It’s easy with this kind of person and Osomatsu would feel bad if he didn’t have the letter held in his hand as a steady reminder.
“Karamatsu-kun,” she sighs out the name like a relief, like there was ever a chance Karamatsu would ever reject her.
“I got your letter,” is all Osomatsu says. Lunch break has only 40 minutes left and he would rather get this over with quickly so he could go back this morning’s original plan of sleeping.
She lights up at the acknowledgement of both their purposes here though, taking a step closer to him, stronger and more confident in a way Osomatsu bets Karamatsu wishes he could match. She’s so close to him now, only a foot away and her gaze is on him, hopeful and happy. “Do you have an answer for me?”
Osomatsu does. He always does.
The shock registers comically slow on her face as he rips the letter in front of her face. It’s a bit corny as a response if you ask him, but it’s perfect for the role of Karamatsu he’s playing.
He lets the papers drop and smiles up at her. “Regretfully for you, I’m not interested in your romantic advances but,” and Osomatsu has to prepare himself not to cringe for the next line, “if you wish to combine our bodies under the moonlight, I’m sure a girl like you would be grateful to do so with someone like me.”
The response is instantaneous this time. A hand flies at his face, stinging it red and then both come up to push at him like she wants to do more damage but she’s already teary-eyed and running off before anything else can be said between them.
Not his best work, but at least he’s finished with enough time to maybe steal some of Choromatsu’s lunch before the next period.
It’s not until he’s picked up the torn letter that he notices Ichimatsu coming out behind the rooftop’s entrance structure. Ichimatsu doesn’t look at him as he makes his way towards the stairs but Osomatsu knows what he was probably thinking during that display and can guess he probably rolled his eyes at least ten times. “Next time,” Ichimatsu says and Osomatsu turns around to meet his eyes. “Be more subtle about it, you idiot,” he hisses out critically before he finally descends the staircase.
He sees Karamatsu last period for biology. He looks more distressed than usual, body tense and eyes tired. He’s complete shit at hiding his emotions and it makes Osomatsu smile fondly.
He plops down in the seat behind him, waiting for Karamatsu to turn around to greet him like usual.
“Ah, brother!” He smiles genuinely and asks him about how his lunch period was. “I didn’t see you with Choromatsu today, did something happen?”
He lets out a low whistle. “Nah, I just ended up oversleeping during lunch. Sucks because his bento looked really good this morning.” He lets out a loud yawn, not really trying to prove a point but he really wishes he did have time to take a nap.
“Ah, I see! Well, I hung around my theatre group today. For reasons I don’t know it appears that Aiko seems rather upset at me. I hope to work it out soon though, I don’t want to cause the club any trouble.” He looks at Osomatsu like his brother would have any advice to give on how to restore their friendship.
Osomatsu yawns again, for emphasis this time and pulls out Karamatsu’s textbook from his bag. “Hope you don’t mind that I swiped this,” he says, flipping to the page written on the board.
Karamatsu frowns. “You went into my locker again? I asked you to stop doing that.”
He waves a dismissive hand. “It was an emergency! You know I lost mine.”
“Yes, but -”
“You’ll let me borrow it, right?”
And he says yes, the way Osomatsu knew he would, because his brother’s are his, and they’re each others.