Didn't think I'd write another one so soon, but I am really, really interested in figuring Ichimatsu out. So here's another attempt at that! This one's set in high school. I know the time line of this show is really weird, and I understand why, it's an illogical cartoon that's been around forever... but for pieces where I'm not interested in shattering the fourth wall, I'm likely to set "20 in the 2010's" as the truth and write all time periods accordingly. So this is still in the 21st century. If it matters.

"Hey, Jyushimatsu! Can I get your help with something?"

"Sure, Daichi! What's up?"

Ichimatsu had been heading toward homeroom, but he paused and turned to watch the scene unfolding in the same hallway. A rather plain looking boy was staring Ichimatsu's younger brother down, a toothy grin plastered on his face, while Jyushimatsu held his usual beaming smile. Ichimatsu didn't have much of a presence, and the current situation only proved that further, for neither boy acknowledged that he stood there watching.

"Look, I feel so stupid for doing this, but... I left my lunch money at home again," Daichi said, gently punching himself on the forehead as he spoke.

"Again?" Jyushimatsu said with a laugh. "You really need to be more careful!"

"I know, I know!" Daichi said, returning Jysuhimatsu's laugh. "I don't have a single coin on me. Sad, right? Listen, think you could lend me some cash for lunch? I've got a huge test in the afternoon, and it'd suck if I was hungry for that, ya know?"

"But I lent you money yesterday, and you haven't paid me back yet," Jyushimatsu said. "Monday, too. I don't have much left..."

"I spent it. You've got five brothers you can ask for help, don't you? I'm an only child and don't know where else to turn. We're friends, right?"

"Of course we're friends!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, suddenly worried about the idea of someone not considering him a friend. "But if I give you enough for lunch, I won't have any left, and I don't know how much my brothers have..."

Daichi sighed heavily. "Fine, I understand," he said. "Shame I'm gonna be so hungry during that test... I need to pass that class, or my parents are gonna kill me... but I get it, there's nothing you can do to help a friend out..."

"Wait!" Jyushimatsu said. "You're right, I can ask my brothers... I can't just let you go hungry. Promise you'll pay me back soon?"

"Tell ya what, you help me out, I'll take you out for lunch on the weekend! Maybe sushi?"

"Sushi?" Jyushimatsu replied, his eyes wide, his mouth salivating.

"Yeah! As thanks for you being such a good friend!" Daichi held his hand out and grinned. "So you'll help?"

"Sure, I'll help!" Jyushimatsu replied, his hand quickly going into his pocket and withdrawing a handful of coins. "I know it's not much," he said as he deposited the pile into Daichi's waiting hand, "but it's all I have! There should be enough there to get yourself something to eat!"

"Thanks, Jyushimatsu! You're the best!" Daichi said as he pocketed the money. "I'll see you on Saturday for sushi!"

"Can't wait!" Jyushimatsu said. "See you then!" With a final wave, Jyushimatsu turned and walked away. After the distance between the pair was increased somewhat, Daichi's facial expression shifted from friendliness to condescension.

"What a sucker..."

Ichimatsu's eyes followed as Daichi walked away in the opposite direction of Jyushimatsu. This wasn't the direction Ichimatsu had to go in for homeroom, but he followed behind anyway, wondering when or if Daichi would acknowledge that was being stalked. They made it all the way to the other end of the hall without Daichi catching on; it took Ichimatsu grabbing his shoulder right outside Daichi's homeroom to make the teen jolt.

"Hey! Who-" he cried out as he whipped around, knocking Ichimatsu's hand off his shoulder. "Oh, it's Creepymatsu. Did you want something?"

Ichimatsu stood silently, attempting to stare a hole through Daichi's skull by the sheer force of his half-lidded gaze.

"Um..." Daichi said. "If you don't need anything, I should really get to homeroom-"

"You just stole from my brother," Ichimatsu said in his usual monotone.

"Excuse me?"

"You stole from my brother," Ichimatsu repeated. "Give it back."

"Wait, you mean the money? No way, he gave this to me fairly," Daichi said. "I just asked, not like I beat him up or anything. If you're so worried about him having money, you go help him out."

Ichimatsu peered past Daichi to get a good look at the homeroom they stood outside of; only a few students occupied the room, with no teacher in sight. Good, that would make things easier if this went south.

"Give it back," Ichimatsu said, holding his hand out. "Now."

Daichi didn't need a moment to think about his response. "No."

Ichimatsu's outstretched palm instantly became a fist, and he swung with all his might directly at Daichi's face. Daichi's pained scream immediately drew the attention of everyone in the classroom and a few students still milling about in the halls, who then turned their attention to the concerning amount of blood now gushing from the boy's mouth. Instantly after delivering the punch, Ichimatsu grabbed Daichi by his shirt and slammed him against a nearby wall, paying no attention to the blood that now stained the hand he punched with.

"Give my brother's money back!" he snarled, surprising some onlookers with the idea that Ichimatsu was actually capable of displaying emotion.

"Woah! Come on, man, I don't want any trouble-"

"Then give the damn money back!" Ichimatsu's voice became even more hysterical. He showed no reaction to the growing crowd around him, nor to the various whispers; his mind had become completely one-track.

"Fine! Fine!" Daichi stammered, his body trembling. "I'm sorry! Tell Jyushimatsu I said sorry!" Daichi withdrew a handful of coins from his pocket, and Ichimatsu dropped him so he could take them. The second he had his freedom, Daichi quickly walked away as Ichimatsu counted out the coins Daichi handed him.

"You're short!" Ichimatsu screamed as he rushed toward Daichi. He grabbed the boy and pinned him against the wall again, one hand gripping his hair and pressing his face against the wall while the other hand held his wrists in place. "You think I don't know how much we get?! I want Jyushimatsu's money back! All of it!" The crowd kept growing, and the commotion got louder; words like "creepy", "delinquent", and "overreacting" were commonly used in the students' mutterings. Ichimatsu normally cared quite a lot about those words, but at that moment, he had better things to worry about.

"Why are you freaking out about a couple hundred yen?!" Daichi asked. "It's not a big deal, you weirdo!"

"Big brother!" A familiar voice rang out through the crowd. "Stop it! It's okay, I can go a day without lunch!"

"You stay away from my brother! Don't even look at him again!" Ichimatsu's face has twisted into a horrid grin; mercifully, Daichi's position spared him from seeing it very well, for the pure sadism in that smile may have killed him on the spot.

"You don't have to do this, big brother!" Jyushimatsu cried out. "Please stop it! I don't want you hurting people or getting in trouble again! Not for me!"

Ignoring his brother's pleas, both of Ichimatsu's hands wrapped around one of Daichi's arms and pulled it to the side, in the opposite direction of where it could normally go.

"No! Don't!" Jyushimatsu reached out to grab Ichimatsu in an effort to pull him off.

He didn't make it before the sickening crack of bone rang out through the hallway. Daichi's shriek of pain sent the crowd into a furor, with everyone shouting at once.

"Someone get him to the nurse!"

"What is that guy's problem? His brothers are normal, so what the hell happened to him?"

"Normal? The Matsuno brothers? Really?"

"At least the others aren't violent!"

"He's so creepy... if we were in America, he'd be one of those kids who blows schools up..."

Ichimatsu's face fell as he finally released Daichi and let him fall to the floor, crying, "He broke my arm! He broke my damn arm!" all the way down. Two girls immediately helped Daichi to his feet and led him away. The crowd, seemingly as one unit, all gave Ichimatsu derisive glares, some of them shaking their heads in disapproval. Ichimatsu's body language gave no indication that he cared about anything that happened around him in that moment. With a few more muttered insults, the crowd then dispersed, some going back to their classrooms while others followed Daichi to make sure he was all right. The only one who didn't leave was Jyushimatsu.

"...big brother..." he said quietly, his eyes wide in fear. Ichimatsu approached him, and without much expression, held out the money Daichi gave him.

"Here," he said, back to his voice's usual lack of expression. "Sorry I couldn't get all of it back."

"...thanks," Jyushimatsu said as he accepted and pocketed the money. "But he was gonna pay me back. We were gonna go get sushi."

"He was lying," Ichimatsu said. "He never would have given you anything."

"How do you know that?" Jyushimatsu asked.

"People like that lie," Ichimatsu said. "Don't trust him. He's just using you."

"I wanted to be nice..." Jyushimatsu said.

"I know," Ichimatsu said, giving his brother an affectionate pat on the head. "But you can't be nice to people like that. They'll hurt you."

"Ichimatsu!"

"Are you two all right?!"

"What just happened?!"

"What are you doing?!"

Four very similar young men came rushing down the hall. Ichimatsu took his attention off Jyushimatsu for a moment to greet the rest of his family.

"Hey," he said with a small, unenthusiastic wave. "Someone took Jyushimatsu's money. I got some of it back."

"Is that all? I heard someone's arm got broken," Choromatsu said with a forced laugh. "Weird what rumors get spread, right?"

Ichimatsu stared at his brother without a word.

"Er..." Jyushimatsu said. "Actually... there was a fight, and..."

"Wait, really?" Choromatsu's eyes caught the blood staining Ichimatsu's hand and jumped back in shock. "Ichimatsu! Are you okay?! You're bleeding!"

"It's not mine," Ichimatsu said simply.

Oddly enough, this didn't exactly ease Choromatsu's worries. "Ichimatsu!"

"I'm just glad to see you two are okay," Osomatsu said with a relieved sigh. "What about you, Jyushimatsu? You were robbed? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"I wasn't robbed, I swear," Jyushimatsu said. "Daichi needed money, so I lent him some."

"Again?" Todomatsu asked. "I thought you knew by now, that guy never pays you back!"

"That's what Ichimatsu said, but I felt like he really meant it this time. After what Ichimatsu did, I don't think he'll ever talk to me again. I really wanted that sushi, too..."

Todomatsu crossed his arms and frowned. "Honestly, if he never talks to you again, it's probably for the best. I don't like that guy."

"Thanks for looking after our brother," Karamatsu said with his usual flair. "Without you, who knows what state our Jyushimatsu would be in?"

"Yeah... thanks, big brother," Jyushimatsu said, smiling again. "Maybe you're right, maybe he did trick me. Thanks for helping me out."

"Are you really complimenting him for breaking someone's arm?" Choromatsu asked. "What's gonna happen now? Once a teacher gets here, he's gonna be in big trouble!"

"Sometimes you've got to get in trouble to do the right thing," Karamatsu said. He rested his hand on Ichimatsu's shoulder as he continued to speak. "We're lucky to have such a great, devoted brother in our family-"

"No, I'm not," Ichimatsu said as he swatted Karamatsu's hand away. "Don't touch me." He buried his hands in his pockets as he walked away, still going in the wrong direction from his homeroom.

"Ichimatsu!" Osomatsu called after him. "Where are you going?"

"Leaving," Ichimatsu answered without turning back.

"After all this?" Choromatsu called. "You're just gonna be in even more trouble when you come back!"

"I'm leaving," Ichimatsu repeated. "I don't feel well."

"Wanna go to the nurse?" Jyushimatsu asked, but Ichimatsu ignored him. Nothing his brothers yelled after him convinced him to return. He had no worry that they'd come running after him; they had their own classes to worry about, and class was much more important than he was. He made it outside the building and to a side wall, where he could sit and be alone with his own head for a moment. As best as he tried to hide it, adrenaline still pulsed through him from that encounter with Daichi. Not just from Daichi, but from the words he overheard during it.

"Creepy." "Weirdo." "Blows schools up." "Not like his brothers", "not normal".

After that stunt, he probably deserved all that. He tried telling himself it was worth it; anything was worth it to look after Jyushimatsu and prevent the human equivalents of trash that roamed the school from taking advantage of his caring nature. He needed that caring nature, the whole family needed it, and there was no way in hell he could let anyone jade the pure Jyushimatsu and take that kindness away from him. He did what he had to do. He protected his brother. He did the right thing.

But the words still echoed in his mind until he clutched his head and screamed.