Sixfold Adventures (Osomatsu-san One-Shot Collection)

Karamatsu and Brother!Reader

Karamatsu's expression lightened, a smile creeping across his lips.

"--but she had to leave, forced to run because her parents are pieces of shit."

His face completely fell into realization, his hands resting on my shoulders, "Oh, (y/n)...do you think that's the reason?"

"I know it's the reason!" The verbal vitriol spat from my lips as I wrenched myself out of his grasp, leveling a glare at him, "I saw the signs of it happening but didn't do anything about it! Do you hear me? Nothing!"

"Hey--"

"Don't you fucking 'hey' me, Karamatsu!" I took another step back, moving out of his arm's reach, "I thought that it would be enough to offer her some form of escape while she went to school, bending backwards to ensure that she was happy! Instead, I...couldn't do anything."

Silence flooded the room between us while I caught my breath. I couldn't read Karamatsu's expression, my older brother standing tall with his face encapsulated by darkness.

"That feeling...I know it very well."

Before I could question him, he wheeled around and sent out a vicious heel kick into the punching bag, a tearing sound echoing through the room as the sand-filled lining flew across the length of my room. A heavy silence followed the meaty 'thud' as it slammed into the opposing wall.

"I'm terrified that our brothers will suffer from my inaction," Karamatsu rolled his shoulders, lifting the leg he had used for the kick a few inches from the ground and shaking out his foot, "Scared that no matter how hard I fight, it'll all be for nothing."

My gaze fell to the floor after staring at the slumped bag, closing my mouth while relaxing my fists.

"There is something that you are able to do, (y/n)," His words held some kindness, drawing my attention as he moved towards me with his arms out, taking me into his hold in a gentle hug, "Be brave. Take everything thrown at you with a smile. Don't let your enemy see that you're faltering, but remember to cry when you feel small."

"I'm...not weak," I froze at his words, frowning at the actions he spoke of.

"Even the strongest man has a sad day."

"I'm not weak!" I shoved Karamatsu away from me, anger fueling my words, "Everyone else can be weak, but not me!"

"Being human isn't weakness," The tone Karamatsu used warned me to not press him further, irritation growing in my gut as I backed away from him.

"Then I'd rather not be human!" I slammed my bedroom door behind me as I stormed out, pushing past my dad as he walked towards the kitchen.

My name died in a distant shout as I shut the front door.

----

I grunted as I bore the brunt of the assault, holding up my arms over my face for as long as I could before one of my classmates snuck in a gut punch, forcing me to bowl over in pain. Clenching my jaw in frustration, I took a few more kicks before the gang was waved off by the ringleader -- the very same student that Himiko had stood up to for trying to force another student to be a gopher.

"Hey, faggot," He laughed out, "You're really going to let us hit you for fifteen minutes?"

From the ground, I couldn't see the guy they were originally harassing for money. Hopefully he fled.

My thoughts were interrupted as a knee collided with my gut, sucking in a breath as soon as I could breath before coughing out spittle and blood.

A small respite from the beating. A few uninterrupted breaths as the pain began to fade from my body.