It had been hard to find a new job after your recent loss of employment. The company had found someone who was “better qualified for the position”, suddenly leaving you with no money to pay for rent or food. You would’ve been homeless if it wasn’t for the ever-selfless Matsuyo Matsuno. Mrs. Matsuno heard of your plight and immediately offered (unrelentingly of course) a place in her packed house for you. So, with no other options, the Matsunos gained another member. You crashed on their couch, applying for job after job with little success. Mrs. Matsuno sympathized with you—as the friend of her son, Ichimatsu, you were like her own flesh and blood. She demanded nothing of you, and you felt unworthy. You did all you could to lighten the load on her. You often didn’t leave, remaining curled up on the couch. You barely moved, and spent most of the day sleeping. Your loss of stability took a major toll on you. Ichimatsu was always with you at this point, often sleeping on the floor beside the couch with just a pillow and a light blanket, sometimes curling up on the couch with you, face pressed to your thigh. Tonight was no different—one of the nights he spent pressed against you on the couch, drooling against the fabric of your plush sleep pants.