"Agh! Where is it?" You thought aloud.

You dug your hands though the dirt, leaves, and bushes in hopes to find your backpack. People liked to tease you 24/7 (specifically a group of sextuplets) and today they decided to hide your backpack in the woods. College was hard enough on its own, but with people constantly messing up your day, it was even worse. It had been the same guys messing with you since high school and you were done.

With scrapes on your hands, you fell to your knees and began to cry. Crying out of fear, pain, and sorrow. Crying because of all the crap those sextuplets had given you.

There was a rustle.

You paused, your eyes darting around you. A gulp went down your throat.

It was them again.

"I'm done with your stupid games! Just give me my stuff and leave me alone already!" You said as you wiped your tears.

You heard another rustle.

Paranoia set in.

"Please.... Just leave me alone!"

Next thing you know, you were pressed onto the ground and being teased by a man in purple and his brothers. But....

The man in blue wasn't there..... You knew his name..... Karamatsu, you thought it was?

"Get off of me!" You choked out, trying to push them off of you.

"Look at her.... Such a baby....."

The purple man lifted you up by your collar and spit in your face before slamming you back down. Tears began flooding out of your eyes and some blood came out of your nose.

"You think you are so perfect, don't you?" The one in red spat before throwing a punch at you.

The others joined in.

What did you do to deserve this? You didn't know.

Why they targeted you?
Again, you didn't know.

But, at least the blue man wasn't there. Less pain for you.

"Where is Shittymatsu?" One of them asked.

You couldn't tell who.

"Crap. Guys. We gotta go...."

You vision was fading.

Blood flowed out of the corners of your mouth; bruises and marks covered your body.

You were done for.

Black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"-ello....?"

"Miss.....?"

"What did they do to you....?"

"Can you hear me?"

You rubbed your eyes and opened them only to see one of the sextuplets.

The one in blue.

Karamatsu.....

"Y-you! Get away from me!" You screamed as you tried to stand up, losing your balance from attempting to do so.

The man grabbed your hand before you could hit the ground.

'How cliché....' You thought to yourself.

He pulled you up and into a tight embrace, crying into your shoulder.

"I'm so sorry....." He said against your neck.

You were taken aback.

"You don't deserve to be treated like that and I have been helping them torment you for years. I'm so sorry......"

A bead of sweat ran down your temple and you pulled away from the man. He looked you in the eyes, but you quickly looked down.

"They didn't do anything..... Too extreme to me..... Did they? After I passed out?" Your voice was barely above a whisper.

His eyes widened and he shook his head, realizing what you meant by "extreme".

"N-no! They just ran off and I have been sitting here waiting for you to wake up.

You scoffed.

"Why didn't you just call for help?" A snappy tone was ejected when you asked.

He flinched and combed his fingers through his hair.

"I-I didn't want them to think I was the one who hurt you...."

"You've been tormenting me for the past 5 years! Don't act like you haven't hurt me!" Tears were falling put of your eyes like a waterfall.

"I'm honestly tired of it! I can't deal with it anymore!" You continued. "You and your brothers have put me through so much pain and at one point, I tried killing myself because it hurt so much. It isn't a good feeling to be mocked and hurt by people who have no specific reason to do so. You made me feel like garbage. I hurt myself over you idiots. And you know why? Because of the endless torment and emotional damage you have been giving me for all the years. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Year..... After.... Year....."

"(Y/n) I-"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP. I don't even know why I am wasting my time talking to you."

You shoved him aside and left the woods the two of you were in, returning home.

Eventually, you arrived and immediately began to shower.

-------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Karamatsu was still in the woods, gathering your belongings back in your backpack for you.

A sigh left the man's lips as he started towards your house. Not living far away, he arrived at your house rather quickly. He rang the doorbell and left your backpack on the porch along with a note.

He grunted and stomped back down the street to his house, forcing the door open once he arrived.

"Yo.... What's wrong with you?" Osomatsu asked, looking at his younger brother.

"5 years...... I am done. You guys need to stop hurting her. It isn't right....." Karamatsu responded through gritted teeth.

"Woah..... Is Painfulmatsu going.... Soft?" Todomatsu asked with a low chuckle.

"Shut up, Todomatsu......" Karamatsu mumbled.

"What was tha-"

"I SAID SHUT UP! JUST STOP! STOP! YOU ALL NEED TO GROW UP AND STOP TREATING HER LIKE CRAP! DO YOU EVEN HAVE A REASON AS TO WHY WE HAVE BEEN TREATING HER LIKE THIS?"

"Well yeah. She's annoying....." Osomatsu laughed.

Karamatsu pinned his brother against the wall, getting in his face.

"W-woah! Calm down there!"

Osomatsu was met with a fist to his jaw, falling to the side from the blow.

The fight continued on for a while.

-----------------------------------------------

You stepped out of the shower, drying your hair with a towel before wrapping it around yourself.

The doorbell had gone off whilst you were bathing, but you had to shave. And everyone knows how long that takes. So, once you had changed, you opened your door.

The backpack.

You looked at it in shock and quickly pulled it inside, slamming the door and locking it in case those sextuplets were watching.

The backpack made a 'zip' noise as you opened it. Upon it, you found a note and sighed, knowing what to expect.

"My dearest (y/n),

             Nobody deserves to be treated the way my brothers and I have treated you. I am genuinely sorry and beg of your forgiveness. Please meet me at Chibita's Oden Stand at 7:30 tonight. Just me. No brothers. I'll see you there, my love!

                      -Matsuno Karamatsu "

You looked at your clock. 7:00.

'Might as well go..... Just to see what he has to say.....' You thought as you slipped on your flip-flops.

You arrived at the oden stand 15 minutes early. Karamatsu hadn't arrived yet, so it was just you and the vendor.

"Hey! I have the best oden in the world! Would you like some?" The short man behind the counter asked.

"Maybe in a minute. I have to wait for someone to get here first. It is rude to eat before your guest arrives....." You replied, scratching your neck.

"Oh... I see SOMEONE in this town has manners..... So.... Who are you meeting?"

"His name is Karamatsu....." You cringed upon saying his name.

"Ohhh! He comes by often! Why don't you seem happy to see him?"

You sighed and looked at your lap.

"He and his brothers have been bullying me since high school and all of a sudden, he apologized and said he wanted to meet me here. I feel like it is some trick to hurt me again...."

Chibita gulped and handed you a glass of water when he noticed you hiccuping. You sipped slowly.

"Y'know.... They did the same thing to me when we were little..... Around elementary to middle school. But, I fought back. You just have to stay strong. Don't let those idjits get to you....."

"I wish it was that simple, Chibita...." You said after reading his name tag.

"It will get better. I promise. What's your nam-"

"(Y/n)! My dearest Karamatsu-Girl!"

You facepalmed which Chibita chuckled at.

Karamatsu sat down beside you and handed you a bouquet of various flowers. Chibita looked triggered.

"You can buy her flowers, but you can't pay your damn tab?" Chibita squealed as he flailed his arms around.

"Pretty much...."

You snickered.

Chibita rolled his eyes and handed the two of you each a bowl of oden. You both ate in silence and Chibita awkwardly stood there before breaking the odd atmosphere.

"So.... How'd you meet?"

You visibly closed yourself in and began to shift your weight. Karamatsu noticed this and a blush spread on his face. He scratched his neck.

"Well umm.... Actually..... My brothers and I first saw her in school....."

"I said MET, you idjit......"

You stayed quiet.

"We never properly met her....."

"Then, how do you know her.....?"

"We bullied her, okay?"

"And why would you do a thing like that to such a sweet and innocent lady like her?" Chibita gestured to you.

"Because I had a crush on her..... My brothers didn't want me to ask her out because they didn't want me to get a girlfriend before them. So, instead of beating me up, they resorted to hurting her and forcing me into it..... During the times in which I would have to partake in those things, I would get so angry with them, but I took it out on her...."

Your face flushed. Chibita spoke up.

"So you're saying that you hurt the person you didn't want to hurt..... REPEATEDLY..... and ON PURPOSE?"

Karamatsu nodded.

"Th-they said that if I didn't help them out with beating her up, they would do something far worse to her...... So I beat her up...."

"So you hurt her to avoid her getting hurt?"

He nodded again. "I have hated myself ever since I first did it.... She didn't deserve it....."

You looked up from your bowl and stared at Karamatsu.

"I'm sorry......C'mon.... Follow me!" Karamatsu grasped your hand and pulled you away from Chibita who was screaming about the tab.

Karamatsu held your hand and took you to the bridge.

"I've tried too....." He said as his eyes stared at the water below.

"Hmm?"

"Y'know.... Suicide..... But I couldn't leave. I wouldn't know what would happen to you...... I had to save you."

You hugged him and buried your face into his neck.

"I'm so sorry, (y/n)...." He started crying.

"It's okay.... Please don't cry....."

You rubbed his back.

"Do you.... Want to start over?" He asked.

Your eyes met his.

"No...."

"What? Why not?"

"Because if none of that had happened, we wouldn't be here now and I probably wouldn't know you....."

He chuckled. "Silly.... I just meant a proper greeting."

Your face flushed. You felt stupid and especially since you said that sappy crap.

"RIGHT! Okay. Hello there!  I'm (L/n) (Y/n)!" You held out your hand.

He gently lifted it to meet his lips and bowed.

"Matsuno Karamatsu. Pleasure to meet you, my lady....." He stood straight up and calmly smiled at you.

He blushed suddenly and cupped the side of your head, lightly running his thumb over the bruises and cuts on your face. A tear went down his cheek.

"Gosh dang it.... I'm so sorry..... This is all my fault....."

"No.... It isn't.... Don't talk like that....."

He started bawling and you began to freak out. So, you pulled him towards you.

"Kara...." You whispered.

He looked up only to have his lips met with yours.

He stopped crying.

It was short yet sweet. Gentle yet emotional. It didn't last long before you pulled away.

"I love you so much... I'm sorry...."
"Stop apologizing! I said it was okay!" You giggled.

He kissed your cheek and hugged you again.

"I love you too, Karamatsu....."