The Disappearance of Osomatsu-san

Chapter 3: The First Step

Matsuyo set down the plate of snacks on Osomatsu's desk as she watched her only son rummage through the closet to pull out a red backpack meant for travelling. He didn't use it much, but it seemed he was going to put it to use now. Though she didn't bother to ask the contents of the package, she watched worriedly as Osomatsu take out some clothes and stuff it into his backpack. "Are you planning to go somewhere, Osomatsu?" She decided to ask. Osomatsu couldn't have possibly used that week of sulking to think about leaving and getting a job. Sure, Osomatsu was in his twenties, but with his lax attitude and his unreadable mind, he wasn't going to survive all on his own. He might as well live in his parent's house as long as he could, and still get a job. It was possible.

Osomatsu nodded distractedly. "I'll come back, mom. Don't worry. I'm just gonna go look for something important to me. And it's not gonna be a job or a wife, sorry to disappoint." He was confused why his mom sighed in relief as soon as he spoke. Huh. In this dimension, being an only child must have made Matsuyo so worried about Osomatsu. In the dimension where he's from, she was probably tired of twenty-years of raising six identical brats that eventually grew to be their own individual and really hard to control. "I might be away for a few days. A week. Dunno. Depends, and I'm gonna come back."

"When are you planning on leaving?" Matsuyo asked.

Osomatsu pulled a box next to him, and Matsuyo guessed it was the package earlier. "As soon as possible. I have no time to waste. Sulking was a good way to recharge myself. Just got to eat the snacks, take a bath, and I'm all set." He told her, before turning to face his own mother. "I swear I'll be okay. Uh, but you don't mind lending me some money? I might need to grab a few shampoo bottles and boxes of soap from the bathroom too, so you might need to shop for yourself and for dad. The first aid kit and the sewing kit too.. and let me rummage through the fridge for some snacks-"

He flinched when his mother slammed her hands against his desk, causing the plate of snack cake and the mug of tea to clatter against the desk. "Of course I don't mind!" Matsuyo nearly cried. "You're my son, Osomatsu! If you're going on a journey of self-discovery, it's alright with me! I'm your mother, I will support your decisions even if you decide to be a mass-murdering cross-dresser, and I won't mind lending you some cash if it helps you! If what you need is in this house, then take it with you! Your father would say the same!"

Osomatsu blinked for a moment, making sure to hide the pink phone from her view so she didn't question it. Grinning for the first time in a week, he rubbed his nose with his index finger. He was confused on why his mom would think he'd commit genocide while wearing a pretty skirt though. That was probably Todomatsu's job, not his. "Thanks a ton, mom. I guess you could call it a journey of self-discovery."

Though it was actually a journey of finding his brothers scattered across Japan, Choromatsu assured him they wouldn't be outside of the country at all. Except for the other Osomatsu. Choromatsu assured him that Professor Dekapan was working on finding the other Osomatsu while he gathered the brothers. Osomatsu only texted with Choromatsu for thirty minutes before Choromatsu told him to pack up and start finding the brothers so he would be able to get home. Osomatsu also told Choromatsu to get some sleep for once, in which the green-wearing Matsuno brother declined. He needed to stay awake until Todomatsu went back to work and Karamatsu went back to the lab. He'd then hand the phone to the second eldest brother and head home himself to take care of the sick Jyushimatsu and the sleep-deprived Ichimatsu while Todomatsu continued his work at Sutabaa. Socializing might help Todomatsu become less moody and stressed, Choromatsu had said.

"I got the clothes. Three of my red hoodies, two of my gray sweatshirts, four pairs of pants, my jumpsuit, three shirts, two pairs of shoes, a pair of winter boots, a pair of rain boots, four pairs of socks, and my formal attire." He counted. He'd bring his blue blazer and pants just in case he needed to wear it. Choromatsu told him anything could happen in another dimension. It was best to be prepared just in case.