Chapter 1

"Nakai!!!"

Sayuri jerked awake from her sleep. She had only moved in five days ago, but she had learnt something about her new neighbours -- they were a noisy batch. She got out of bed and wandered slowly across the room. Placing her small fingers on the walls of the bedroom, she worked her way out of the apartment. She was blind.

27 years ago, Sayuri was born and abandoned by her parents, due to her blindness. She grew up as an orphan in a small orphanage, until seven years ago, Sayuri had decided to be independent. She got a job at a bookstore, but was recently transferred to a new branch.

So she landed up here, where she was close to her workplace. And noisy neighbours.

Knock knock. The door swung open violently. A man with hair dyed in two tones faced Sayuri. Sayuri stood rooted, startled by the gust of wind that embraced her. When she recalled why she was there, she said in a timid voice, "I'm sorry, but er....you're being too loud. Could you lower your volume?"

To her surprise, instead of a fierce and rough voice, a cheerful and young voice answered her. "I'm terribly sorry! The boys are always so noisy!" Nakai apologised.

"It's you who's always screaming the loudest!" A voice from within the apartment argued. Laughter ensued.

"Ah...Anyway, I apologise. We'll try to lower our volume." Nakai continued.

"Thanks." Sayuri said, and felt her way back to her apartment.

Nakai stared after Sayuri. "Newcomer?" Takuya asked from behind. He had not cut his hair, and it was now lazily tied back.

"Yup." Nakai replied. "Didn't know that apartment was already sold to another."

"She'll be having a tough time, with our noise. That's why the previous neighbour left." Takuya commented, almost laughing, as though it were a joke.

"And the one before the previous!" Shingo added. He remembered when he always shouted out to the apartment opposite. His best friend lived there, and instead of using the phone, he prefered to release his extra energy by shouting across messages to him. The neighbours did try to stop him, but it did not turn out well. In the end, after failing to persuade him to stop, they left in frustration.

"You can't totally blame us." Goro said, drinking up his coffee while scribbling on a notebook. "Especially when we are so busy, and on top of that, there's the five of us under one roof. We can't be sealing our mouths all the time."

"Actually, I think you're wrong." Tsuyoshi replied. "I think Nakai can represent all our shouting on his own." He received a joking smack on the head by Nakai for this, while the rest laughed.

"Aren't you going to cut your hair, oni-chan?" Goro asked Nakai, changing the subject.

"Yeah I will." Nakai absent-mindedly answered.

"You've been saying that for weeks, brother!" Takuya exclaimed.

"Oh, have I?" Nakai asked, a surprised look on his face. "I've been busy," he lied. "and...besides my hair looks nice this way. Takuya, I think you should be the one having a haircut..."

"What are you busy with? Staring out the window?" Takuya joked.

But to Nakai, it was not a joke -- that was exactly what he had been doing. His face turned pale suddenly, as though guilty. He looked away from the rest, who had stopped what they doing and now staring at their eldest brother.

"You don't mean that you've really been doing that?!" Takuya asked in surprise. "What's wrong?" he then asked, concerned.

"Nothing." Nakai quickly answered, not ready to tell the rest yet.

"But we're always telling you what's on our minds!" Shingo argued. "Surely our big brother will allow the four of us to lend you a listening ear?"

"It's FOUR listening ears, Shingo." Goro corrected.

"I aprreciate your concern," Nakai explained, looking at each of them slowly, "but I am not yet ready to tell you my troubles." He then quietly entered his room, locking the door behind him.

He sat at his desk, slouching, and watched as the rain poured down, harder than the day before. He could hear the voices of his brother outside, and the pitter-patter of the rain. "I'm off!" he heard Tsuyoshi and Goro announce in unision, then they left the apartment. Shingo was humming a soft tune, while Takuya whistled and washed the morning dishes. No one disturbed Nakai, since they knew from over the years that when he locked himself in, he wanted peace, and no one was to disturb.

One voice, however, drowned out the outside world. "Nakai...Nakai...I'm sorry..."

Nakai dosed off.