"Hey..., are you okay?" they both asked. Since he was moving his hand, they assumed he had to be conscious.

"Ugh..." the boy moaned slightly before gradually sitting up. He opened his eyes, meeting the redhead's eyes. “Huh?"

"You look like you fell out from the tree," Daiki said as he looked into his sky blue eyes.

The unknown boy looked at Daiki for a few seconds before looking at Mitsuru, smiling somewhat guiltily shortly after.

“Oh, yes... I was actually trying to return this little guy to his nest but I slipped and fell" he explained. He examined the tree, realizing that the branch he had used to climb up was on the ground. "Although it looks like it will be difficult now that I broke the branch..."

"At least it wasn't the branch with the nest on it" Daiki said as he looked at the top of the tree "But yeah it's going to be tricky for you to climb back up."

"Well, at least that explains why you're okay" said Mitsuru "You didn't fall from so high up."

"Yes..., although I'm worried I won't be able to get the chick back to its nest now that there's no way up" he said.

"Actually it is possible" said Mitsuru. The boy looked at him expectantly.

“It is? Do you know how to climb trees?"

"No..., but my brother can," said Mitsuru. The boy looked at Daiki immediately after.

"Uh..., actually, he meant that one of our brothers is able to" Daiki explained as he looked at Mitsuru. "Masaru or Daitaro should be able to make it."

"I doubt Masaru would agree without you doing the dishes, but Daitaro sure would" said Mitsuru "Why don't you ask him?"

"That's..." Daiki averted his gaze in discomfort. Mitsuru was silent at this. He sighed. He knew that his pride wouldn’t let him go back so soon.

"Alright..., I'll go ask him for help then. Stay with him, I'll be right back." 

“Huh?"

"Besides I'm the one who runs the fastest, I won't be long" saying this, Mitsuru took off back to the apartment.

"So you live near here?" 

"Yes... In some apartments around here" said Daiki not wanting to be so specific. The boy nodded.

"I see, I live around the area as well"

"..." Faced with the shared silence, Daiki decided to break it in order to make the wait less awkward.

"So you decided to climb the tree because..."

"Well, I was actually walking around here when I heard a chick chirping. It was chirping so much that I was compelled to look for the source" he explained. "That's when I saw it on the ground and decided to return it to its nest."

"So you haven't been here long..."

"The truth is, this is the second time I've fallen, but the branch broke this time. I'd try again, but I'm afraid I might hurt the chick, so I appreciate the help."

"I see...” the redhead muttered as he thought he seemed like a good person. "Daiki."

"Hm?"

"My name is Daiki" The redhead watched the boy stand up.

"I'm Eita, thanks for the help, Daiki" he replied as he now looked in the direction the blond had taken. "Do you think your brother can make it to the top of the tree then?"

"Sure, any of my brothers can make it..., except Mitsuru, he can only run fast."

"I guess Mitsuru was the one who was here?"

"Right."

"And you don't know how to get to the top of the tree?"

"No..., if anything I can climb about halfway up the tree. I'd rather bring someone who can make it than make a fool of myself trying to get there."

"Oh..." Eita chuckled briefly. Daiki arched an eyebrow in response. "Sorry, it's just funny how honest you are. I understand though, I imagine you wouldn’t want the chick to fall off, I was afraid of the same thing when I tried to climb up."

"That's not...” Since Daiki didn't how to finish the sentence, he stared at Hachi at a loss for words. 

"Woof!"

"Shh..." Daiki blushed slightly, he felt that the puppy knew exactly what he was thinking, so it was unavoidable for him to ask him not to say anything..., as silly as it was to believe that this one could expose him.

Eita found the exchange amusing but decided not to say anything. Daiki gave him a sidelong glance for a moment before averting his gaze and linger in thought... How much longer would it take for his brother to return?

After they were both silent for a couple of minutes, Eita finally spoke.

"Come to think of it..., doesn't your brother have a cell phone?"

"Yes.”

"Then why did he run back home?”

"Because he probably didn't remember, that, or he felt like running some more" Daiki answered as he thought about his brother being hopeless.

Though, he wouldn't say it, but... It was better that he ran, since Daitaro usually had his cell phone on vibrate and many times he wouldn't realize that he was being dialed or texted. As it was, Masaru was the one who was more attentive to the calls, but there was no point in dialing him when Mitsuru had already gone looking for Daitaro.

"Hm? He had been running?"

"Yes..., because he likes to run..." Daiki didn't want to explain the real reason, as he feared it would result in Mitsuru throwing him out headfirst.

"Ah, he didn't want to do the dishes either?” Eita suggested with a mischievous grin. Daiki frowned not understanding how he knew that.

"Eh...?"

"Your brother mentioned it before he left." 

"..."

"He said he didn't think 'Masaru' would want to help unless you washed the dishes..., and if you say your brother was running and you just happened to be with him... doesn't that mean the two of you ran away from home since you didn't want to do the dishes?"

Daiki gradually blushed as he listened to him. He really hadn't had any trouble putting things together.

"That's not true" the redhead felt like hitting him even though he was a stranger, but, he knew that was very childish. He had no problem hitting Mitsuru because he many times earned it, but he wouldn't do the same to a boy he had just met.

"Hm? Weren’t you ashamed of asking your brother for the favor since you ran away?"

He wouldn't hit someone he had just met, he wouldn't hit someone he had just met, he wouldn't hit...

"That's..."

“Oh, I see... I'm sorry, I guess I was too straightforward, right? Hehe..." Eita offered him an apologetic smile; however, the comment had been too much for Daiki. He had lost control of himself and had ended up smacking him on the head.

"..." Daiki froze as he realized what he had done.

"Ow..." Eita rubbed his head with one of his hands, letting out a chuckle shortly after. "Okay, I deserved it."

"Uh..., this... I... I'm sor..."

"Wow," Daitaro blurted out suddenly.

"I see it and I don't believe it..." The red-haired looked towards the other voice, realizing that Daitaro was looking at him in surprise, while Mitsuru was pointing accusingly at him.

"Uhm... Uh..." Daiki wanted to ask if they had seen that, but, knowing that his words would only sink him further, he ended up not really saying anything.

Daitaro looked at his brother mischievously. Sometimes his brother lent himself to being teased and he was making a very big effort not to say anything.

"I leave for a moment and when I come back you're already flirting with strangers?” Mitsuru asked in an exaggeratedly dramatic way, he then turned to look at Eita, clasped his hands together and lowered his head slightly. "No offense."

"Don't worry” the boy replied smilingly. He glanced sideways at Daiki, who was averting his gaze not knowing what to say.

"..."

"Why aren't you denying it?” Mitsuru inquired. Daiki sighed in annoyance.

"I don't need to deny something like that, it just happened because he started to tease me and I couldn't hold back."

"You couldn't help but flirt because he was teasing you?..." Daitaro arched an eyebrow not thinking he understood. "Does that make sense to you?"

"Nope" the blond simply said.

"Hey, shut up already and help Eita!" Daiki rolled his eyes, while the others shared an evil chuckle among themselves.

"Woof, woof!" At the excited barking, Daitaro walked over to Hachi and stood there petting him. 

"Okay, okay... Daitaro, help Eita," said Mitsuru. Daiki looked at him in disbelief.

"You sound pretty useless giving orders like that, you know?” Daiki remarked to Mitsuru, who just shrugged.

“You guys seem to get along very well," said Eita to Daitaro, who nodded happily. "So you're the most agile of your brothers?"

"I wouldn't say the most agile, but I'm confident I can help you. Mitsuru told me what happened” Daitaro explained as he examined the tree.

"Thank you very much for coming" said Eita.

"You're welcome” the redhead replied. “Oh, I think I know what we can do."

"What thing?" Mitsuru questioned as he saw Daitaro promptly climb the tree. Eita looked surprised at how quickly he had climbed.

"They sure weren't lying about him being able to get there...” Eita commented. "Though how... Oh."

"Don't tell me..." Mitsuru looked somewhat listless all of a sudden.

"That's right! Since it would be difficult to climb up with the chick, I think it's better if you make a human ladder and pass it to me."

"Huh?... Well, I guess that makes sense" Daiki replied. "I don't mind being the one to carry you guys, at least I know I'm stronger than Mitsuru."

"Daiki, you might be stronger than me but you wouldn't be able to handle the weight of the two of us" said the blond. Eita looked curious at the statement.

"Daitaro is stronger than you too?" the boy asked not wanting to tease as such. Daiki looked at Daitaro for a moment before shaking his head.

"He's just more agile than me, not stronger" he replied as he now crossed his arms.

"Masaru is the strongest of us, but since we required the most agile then I didn't wake him up" Mitsuru explained. Daiki looked interested in that. Masaru had fallen asleep?

"Hey! I understand you guys want to chat but do the ladder before the bird mom returns!” 

Daitaro shouted as he looked at the nest that was on a branch a little higher up; however, he could reach it if he stood up. 

"Hmm... It would be interesting to see if it pecks at you!" Mitsuru shouted back as he gave him a wicked grin. Daitaro looked at him with boredom.

"Mitsuru, just move it!"

"Haha, don't worry, I'll carry you two" said Eita “You're helping me so it's the least I can do."

“You can handle our weight?" asked Daiki.

"Sure, no problem, but which one of you will pass the birdie to him?"

"I'll do it, it's more comfortable to be carried than to carry Daiki” Mitsuru replied without hesitation. 

The red-haired boy walked over to the tree and placed Hachi on the ground, asking him as a favor not to go anywhere. 

After reaching an agreement, Eita carried Daiki on his shoulders and Daiki carried Mitsuru. Eita then passed the birdie to the redhead, who passed it to his brother and subsequently to Daitaro. As soon as he had it in his hands, Daitaro carefully stood up and placed the chick back in the nest. The other three looked pleased by this, whereupon they exchanged a smile before parting and looking at the red-headed boy on the tree.