Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Yoshiki is handsome, y’know? He has the vibe of a Tokyo boy. I wonder why he doesn't have a girlfriend yet," Maki said in a half-drunk tone while hugging his friend with one arm.

Yoshiki had already stopped following the conversation. Though he didn't understand why his friend brought him up, Maki's words wouldn't be logical anyway; alcohol made him blur out nonsense.

Maki, one of his childhood friends from school in the Kibogayama area, and now a college acquaintance in Tokyo, invited him to a party that one of his friends was throwing at his penthouse in Roppongi. Such luxury, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the village boys, meant the beginning of their new life in the capital, where everything was unlike the countryside.

Taking that as the perfect excuse, and because Yoshiki hardly makes friends, Maki invited him, trying his best to integrate him into his own circle of colleagues. Besides, there were girls at the party, which was another pretext Maki used to convince him to go. Yoshiki agreed due to Maki's persistence, not the girls or the luxury.

I'll go, blend with the group, do as I'm told, and perhaps I'll make a new friend, Yoshiki thought.

However, it was hard to get along with guys who found fun in alcohol. In his attempt to fit in but not to lose his composure, Yoshiki joined in with non-alcoholic beer. The taste wasn't to his liking, but it worked to blend in with the group without falling into the alcohol trap. With everyone else being so drunk, they didn't even realize that he was faking his way to survive the night.

And yet, being the only sober male right now, he lost track of the discussion, baffled by the sudden interest in his romantic relationships. Maybe because he spaced out and snapped back when he heard his name. Still, he preferred to remain silent, taking another sip of his beer, and listened a little more before jumping to conclusions.

“None of us has girlfriends, you idiot,” said another guy, also drunk and chuckling. Everyone followed him, laughing in unison, and the topic drifted to how pathetic they felt about not having any girlfriends, and that one of the social goals in college is to have a partner.

Yet here you all are, drinking and complaining with each other instead of approaching the girls. Pathetic.

Yoshiki couldn’t care less. He continued drinking his beer, hoping some of them would muster the courage to approach the girls who were waiting for a guy to make a move. If the groups started merging, he would take the opportunity and sneak home.

“Yeaaah, but Yoshiki is a better catch than any of us. We should get him a girlfriend, and when he gets one, maybe we'll get a little of his luck, don't ya think?” Maki suggested enthusiastically, lifting his can of beer into the air and letting part of the drink spill to the ground.

Yoshiki's eyes opened a little wider, revealing his pupils more clearly, even though his fringe was blocking part of his view. Panicked, his gaze strayed to the group of girls on the other side of the room, still chatting amongst themselves with no idea about the plans on the male side. It made the most sense to believe that the guys were going to bring Yoshiki closer to the girls, in their foolish attempt to use him as bait to get him a girlfriend, something they were all agreeing on with enthusiastic screams and nodding heads.

His hands began sweating profusely, his heart was beating rapidly because of his nerves, and his mind was already planning various ways to escape from there. Why him? Why aren’t they trying for themselves first? Who would have thought he was the one getting a girlfriend? He really didn't want to be in that position, so exposed in front of a bunch of strangers.

This wouldn’t have been happening if you were normal.

Life is easier that way.

Why do you have to be like that?

“I know what we're going to do: let's get him a girlfriend through Kokkuri-san!”

Eh? Did he hear that right? Kokkuri-san? The Japanese version of a Ouija board game?

Of course, that was the first option for a bunch of drunks. Maki had suggested the game as an avid fan of mysticism, horror games, and paranormal creatures. Naturally, he attracted friends with similar interests. Yoshiki was the exception, as he didn't believe in such things; therefore, it was no surprise that the rest of the boys accepted his idea as if it were the most brilliant one ever.

Yoshiki put his can aside and laughed. He felt his nerves gradually disappear, fading away with his chuckles. “Are you all really going to play that? Well, let's play.”

He agreed to go along with their plan. The absurdity of it was hilarious. How were they going to get a girlfriend through that game? Asking paranormal entities about his failed love life was pointless.

None of them were in their right minds, so to save himself from the issue and to ensure that this would not come up again, either drunk or sober, he would let them be.

Just like that, Yoshiki, Maki, and two more boys decided to play, and they retired to another room to do so.

—

Everything was ready for the game. They went over the instructions one last time, or rather, Yoshiki was the one who explained to a trio of drunks how they could play without screwing it up.

The sheet of paper was placed horizontally on the flat surface of a table. At the top center of the paper was a torii, the gate found at the entrance to Shinto shrines, drawn with a red pen. On either side of the torii, the words “YES” and “NO” were written in black pen. Below, also in black ink, the letters of the hiragana alphabet were arranged in a grid. Finally, in a line at the bottom of the paper, were the numbers zero through nine.

“Okay, let’s start,” Yoshiki said while opening the only window in the room. When he came back to the center of the room, gathered around the table with the paper on it and the guys by his side, Yoshiki suddenly felt how the rest were concentrating seriously on the game, leaving the drunken laughter behind.

Maybe this was necessary to sober them up, thought Yoshiki.

The four of them placed their index fingers on the 10-yen coin that stayed on top of the torii. In unison, they recited aloud: “Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, please come out. If you’re here, please move this coin.”

An omnipresent silence settled in the room. The four remained motionless with their fingers on the coin, waiting expectantly to see what would happen. The seconds seemed to last forever, and while the rest appeared nervous about the outcome of their call, Yoshiki remembered the instructions: if the coin did not move, they should not continue.

Abruptly, the coin moved to "yes.”

“Who moved it!?” Maki shouted, visibly afraid of what he saw.

“I didn’t,” the remaining three said at the same time. Everyone looked up to see each other. The atmosphere became tense and, in the silence of the night, their breathing sounded equally heavy. The following moments were crucial.

"We must proceed," said Yoshiki, who remained calmer and clearer-minded to follow instructions. What a bummer to have ended up in this sort of thing with three drunks, he thought. “We have to ask questions, at least one each. Address Kokkuri-san twice by name at the beginning, then the question.”

“Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, are you really here with us?” Sakamoto asked in a burst of courage. Yoshiki’s heart skipped a beat. Was that a valid question? He had found no examples like that on the internet.

Their attention was back on the coin. They waited a few seconds, and it didn’t move. Whether it moved or not, it could be interpreted as a response. Was that a yes? Was that a no? It didn’t want to answer?

They glanced at each other again. Watamote, the guy beside Sakamoto, cleared his throat. It was his turn. “Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, do you think I have a chance with Yamagishi Asako?”

Yoshiki peeked at him in surprise, discovering that he knew Asako, another childhood friend of his from school. He recalled that she now attended the same university as them, but in a different faculty. As he thought about it, the coin began to move. The four fingers remained on it, afraid to remove them, as they could not do so under any circumstances. Their eyes followed the path traced by the coin, spelling out “never in your life.”

Maki burst out laughing. “So this is real! See? I told you it would never happen!” He teased, implying that this was a familiar topic among the three of them, but not for Yoshiki, since it was new to him. What a way to fit in.

“Okay, my turn,” Maki said eagerly. “Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, will Yoshiki ever get a girlfriend?" He focused on the key question that led them into that room, sacrificing his own love life inquiries for the sake of the game. He didn't want to ask about the girl he liked, knowing he didn't stand a chance with her.

The coin moved, revealing a vague answer. “Kind of.”

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, even Yoshiki's, but for him it only lasted a second.

"It’s your turn! We have to clarify this," Maki insisted.

However, Yoshiki wasn’t interested in a girlfriend at all. At that moment, he thought his disinterest was evident from the way his eyelids were closing and his facial expression was harder than a rock. To end the game and stop the teasing about his life, he continued. "Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, would you give me a sign?"

The coin indicated, "I will."

Fine, so I can ignore it.

To finish the game, aloud and together, they said: “Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, please return home.” The coin moved to “yes” and then returned to the torii. After saying “thank you” and “goodbye”, they removed their fingers and closed the window.

“Are we sure that was real? Any of you could have moved the coin.” Watamote complained, apparently not very convinced with the session.

“I didn’t move the coin at all, I swear! I think it was real, it felt authentic,” Maki protested while destroying the piece of paper they had used. “Don’t you think, Yoshiki? It convinced me you are the one who is going to benefit from this, I knew it.”

Yoshiki shrugged, uninterested in the game's predictions. "I don't believe in these things," he said calmly.

—

The next day, Yoshiki was walking down the street on his way to the university. The coins clinking together in his right pocket were a loud reminder of the coin they used in the game the night before. It was in his possession only because Maki had insisted that he should keep it. The rules stated the coin had to be used within 24 hours, but there was no intention of complying. Of the entire group, Yoshiki was the only one not convinced about the game. Everyone claimed they hadn’t moved the coin, and he was sure he hadn't done it, but he couldn't trust three drunks who probably didn't even realize they were cheating. And on top of all that, he didn't want, need, or care about having a girlfriend. So why bother following the rules?

A boyfriend, though, only if I find the right person.

Even so, he decided to use the money for his own benefit and buy himself a drink. He stopped in front of a vending machine, took the coins out of his pocket, and began to insert them into the slot. The last 10-yen coin slipped from his fingers and ended up falling on the floor.

"Oh! You dropped this!" A sweet, melodious voice alerted him. For a moment, judging by the softness of the voice, Yoshiki thought his gaze would meet a girl, but his surprise was greater when a white-haired guy reached up from the ground and passed him the coin he had dropped.

Yoshiki stared at him, stunned. His pupils scanned the boy's face, trying to identify him, and when he couldn't find anything he recognized, his mind quickly started to memorize every inch of his features, but it was his friendly, flirtatious smile that made Yoshiki's chest suddenly flutter.

"Ah... thank you," he whispered, barely audible, and sure the warmth on his cheeks wasn’t because of the weather. He lowered his head to avoid the stranger's gaze and, with clumsy movements, leaned toward the machine, finished inserting the coin into the slot, pressed the buttons in front of him to form the drink code, and waited for it to eject the can.

"Oh, this is a good drink! Going to get this one too!" said the boy enthusiastically, taking the can from the machine and handing it to Yoshiki, who received it shyly. He stepped back ‌a couple of steps, leaving room for the white-haired boy to get his own drink.

Meanwhile, an intense ringing echoed in Yoshiki's ears, and ‌his chest and head trembled with the force of a thousand drums.

Who was that guy? Were there boys that good-looking in Tokyo? So close to his university?

He had never felt this way before, so dazed and unable to control ‌his own body, as if the other's presence prevented him from saying anything or moving.

Regardless, he thought this was a golden opportunity. Yoshiki knew he should ask for his contact details, that this interaction couldn’t end there, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. He stood there, staring at a random spot on the ground, hollow, the can trembling in his hands.

"See you later!" The boy's cheerful voice snapped Yoshiki out of his trance.

He looked up and barely glimpsed him waving goodbye, flashing a bright smile. As quickly as he had arrived, he was gone. Yoshiki breathed deeply, his gaze fixed on the stranger’s back as he watched him take the only path leading to the university. At least he confirmed they were going to the same place.

Then his eyes lay on his own drink, with the intention of opening the can, but he sighed heavily as he realized an important detail. “I don't even like this drink," he whispered to himself, disappointed in the choice. Because of his nerves, he made a mistake.

As he looked down, a sparkling spot on the ground caught his attention. He bent down to pick it up, and his hands held an object that could belong to the boy who was there.

It was a keyring, and the strangest thing was its shape, which caught his attention the most. On a normal day, it wouldn't have mattered much, but after the events of the previous night, it was an unsettling coincidence.

“A torii?”

Chapter Text

Following that brief exchange, Yoshiki couldn't focus in class. He watched the professor's mouth move, but no sounds got into his brain. His mind was stuck remembering that young man's face repeatedly, and that kind smile that made his chest shake.

No matter how much Yoshiki searched with his eyes in every corner of the university to see if he could find the boy, there wasn’t anyone like him, much less him. No one in that sea of people stood out like he did.

That wasn't typical of Yoshiki. He had long since given up on love, having tried a couple of times in the past to have a meaningful romantic experience, benefiting of his move from the countryside to the city, where he hoped to meet open-minded people and, more importantly, people like him. In the end, Yoshiki realized that he was the problem, so he gave up for the time being. The final decision was to focus on his career and let fate do its work.

Apparently, that time had come. Or, in his optimistic imagination, he thought it was time. 

At least a week has passed since the first and only encounter. Yoshiki arrives early at the university and wanders around different faculties in the hope of meeting him again. Instead, every day he returned to his classes feeling disappointed, and projected his frustration and longing in sketches of what he remembered of the mysterious boy on the pages of his notebook.

He didn't want to forget his eyes or his smile. And even if he didn't know if he could have a chance with him, getting to know him a little more would be enough.

And, to add to his disappointments, after class and during his walk to another location at the university, Maki wrote him a message that he did not expect to receive and hoped would never come up again: "Have a girlfriend yet?"

Yoshiki didn't know how to answer without sounding annoyed, or how he could get out of it without having to explain that he wasn't interested in a girlfriend. He sighed heavily, and as he walked, he began writing a response. Still, he failed to press the ‘send’ button when he felt his shoulder collide with someone else.

"Ah, sorry," he managed to say quickly, bringing his gaze from the screen to the person he had unfortunately disturbed. His black irises met green ones, almost at the same height as his. He continued to observe the person: short light brown hair, soft features, a girl for sure. And not just any girl, but someone he knew. "Asako?" he asked to confirm, although he was sure it was her.

The girl, who kept her balance after the collision and fortunately did not fall, stared closely at the young man with black hair and bangs that covered his eyes, which were embellished with dark circles and multiple moles on his face and neck. The girl smiled broadly; it was obvious that she had recognized him. "Yoshiki! It's been a long time!" she exclaimed excitedly, and with the confidence they once had, she dared to approach him for a quick hug, which Yoshiki barely had time to reciprocate. "I knew you studied here, but we had never met before; it must be that we chose completely different careers," she continued after breaking the hug and standing in front of him.

Yoshiki looked at her with a friendly smile. He had known Asako since they lived in Kibogayama. They attended the same school, the only one in the area, and were in the same class. As a result, he naturally got along well with Asako, Maki, and Yuuki, the latter being the only one in the group who studied at another university in the capital.

Yoshiki recalled the adventures the four of them had experienced together, as well as the moment when they began to drift apart. Their friendship never ended, but there were times during their teenage years when the four of them had fairly sporadic interactions. Asako, in particular, was more absent, but when she returned, it seemed their friendship remained intact. At least on Yoshiki's behalf, he preferred not to judge or inquire. He didn't know if anything else was going on in her life or with her family, so he got used to that dynamic.

"Yes, I think that's a reason," Yoshiki replied, also acknowledging that his and his friends' academic decisions had led them down different paths. It was fortunate that at least three out of four were under the same house of studies.

"Do you have classes now? We can go to the cafeteria for a while to catch up," Asako suggested, excited to reconnect with an old friend.

Yoshiki thought about it for a few seconds. His forte was never conversation, but meeting Asako like this seemed like a curious coincidence, so he wouldn't pass up the opportunity. "I have time, let's go."

At the cafeteria, they both got drinks to refresh themselves as they chatted. Asako chose a melon soda, and Yoshiki had Mugicha, a tea made from roasted barley with a nutty and slightly bitter taste. They went to sit at a table for two, a little away from the rest of the people present.

"Don't you love Tōkyō?" Asako started after taking a long sip of her cold drink. "Sometimes I miss Kibogayama, but I get over it soon with all the activities to do here. How has your life been?"

Yoshiki was taking small sips of his drink, and before his turn to speak, he took a few seconds to swallow his drink and clear his throat. "I don't really have much news. I've been focused on my career," he admitted, a little embarrassed to sound pathetic. After some years, that’s everything he got? However, he didn't think Asako would be the type to judge so harshly. "I've kept in touch with Maki more. We now live together in a student apartment near here," he explained, as he caught Asako's curious eyes widen upon hearing such a tidbit of news. "He has invited me to parties, but they end up in nonsense, you know how he is."

That stole a laugh from Asako. "I'm glad to hear that. I haven't heard from Maki in a while. We should go out sometime, the three of us, don’t you think?"

Yoshiki merely nodded, like the man of few words that he is. It sounded like a good idea. He took another sip of his drink before proceeding. There was another question roaming around his head. "And Yuuki? Are you still talking?" he asked in a slightly lower tone, as he wasn't sure if it was a topic he could touch on.

Asako's expression softened a little more. She was still smiling, but it seemed to him that it was a nostalgic and melancholic smile. "We still talk occasionally, we haven't lost touch," she added with a hopeful tone, although Yoshiki could sense that it was not a situation that would please her friend at all.

Still, he dared to ask, "Do you think about inviting her when we all go out together? She'd like it?"

Asako's eyes and smile widened a little more. "Yes, I think it wouldn't be bad, I'll ask her!" She added with more enthusiasm. 

“That would be great, if there’s no problem,” Yoshiki said, also not wanting to commit her to something she didn't want.

During the silence, he sipped more of his drink. It was evident that he was somewhat nervous by how quickly he was drinking the tea.

"Hey... do you know a guy with white hair and gray eyes?" he started in his pathetic attempt to find that mysterious boy; if he couldn't find him on his own, maybe by asking, he could get a clue. Yoshiki's hand went to his pants pocket, and from there he extracted the perfect excuse for the topic. "I found this keychain on the ground in front of a vending machine outside the uni, about a week ago. I'm sure it must belong to that boy," he explained.

Asako carefully picked up the keychain to inspect and examine it. "This keychain..." she mumbled, trying to identify if she had seen it before. Suddenly, her face lit up with a surprised expression. "Ah! It looks like it's Hikaru's!"

Hikaru , Yoshiki thought, repeating the name in his mind to engrave it. "That Hikaru meets the description? White hair and gray eyes?" he inquired again as a method of confirmation. He got it on the first try? 

Asako nodded, with a mischievous smile on her face. "Yes, he's my cousin, and this is his keychain."

Yoshiki's eyes broadened in surprise at the unexpected response. Ah, what a coincidence, what a small world , he thought. "Wow, I didn't expect that," he finally externalized, surprised that he had the answers so close. Definitely, having met Asako was fate.

However, Yoshiki was not one of those people who would work adamantly to the end until he got what he wanted. He usually started well, with a will that mobilized him relentlessly, but he usually sabotaged himself when he reached an important point, and that was the end of it. "Could you pass him the keychain?" He asked, leaving it up to his friend to take the keychain to Hikaru, rather than him.

However, not even a second passed before Asako handed the keychain to Yoshiki. "You can give it to him, I'll give you his contact," she said without hesitation, and still showing that mischievous smile.

Yoshiki's cheeks flushed slightly at the thought that he was one step away from being in contact with Hikaru, the boy who would not leave his mind even in the most critical moments. "Are you sure? You don't think I'm going to annoy him?" he inquired, distrustful of himself, or rather, with a latent fear of rejection.

Asako chuckles and pushes the keychain further towards Yoshiki again, leaving it in his range and out of Asako's reach. "I'm pretty sure. Come on, hand me your phone," she insisted, and didn't even wait for him to pass the phone. She took advantage of the fact that Yoshiki had it unlocked on the table, so she cunningly reached out and took it in her hand. Asako quickly registered his cousin's contact and handed the phone back to its owner. "Ready!" she exclaimed in a tone of satisfaction and complicity. 

She knew him. With that simple interaction, she realized how interested Yoshiki was in Hikaru. She was quite perceptive, plus Yoshiki is not usually someone who would be this attentive towards someone else, especially if it was a stranger.

Yoshiki received his phone, looking stunned. He confirmed that he had Hikaru’s ID on his phone, one step away from having him close after several days with no signal at all. At such a kind gesture, Yoshiki didn't know what to say or how to react, so in his shyness, he only replied, "Thank you."

—

Later, arriving home in the evening after a long day, Yoshiki went straight to his room. Although Maki had not yet arrived, he felt the need of privacy and peace that the four walls of his room could afford, to gather the courage that was required. The backpack slid from his shoulder to the floor carelessly, and his body dropped onto the bed as he held his phone in his hand.

Hikaru's contact on LINE was on the screen. Yoshiki was just a few steps away from texting him and trying to make the meeting official. However, nerves made his hands shake, and his eyesight could barely focus on the letters on the screen. He didn't understand why he was so nervous if he was only going to return a keychain. Of course, he would try to get something more, but deep inside him, he had that little voice that always speaks to him at important moments, or rather to protect himself: he should not get his hopes up.

After hesitating for several minutes and mentally rehearsing repeatedly what he was going to say and how to organize his sentences, a burst of courage led him to write on the message board.

"Hi Indou-san, this is Tsujinaka Yoshiki, the guy you ran into in front of the vending machine about a week ago. Asako gave me your username, she's a very good friend of mine, and she told me she's your cousin. I have a torii keychain that fell off that day. Luckily, she recognized that it was yours, and that's why she gave me your ID. Where can we meet so I can return it to you? I remain very attentive."

God, it was awful. But he no longer knew how to fix it, what he could say, and what he could leave out, so he pressed 'send' without further thought.

He then hid the phone under the pillow. He didn't want to look at it, afraid of seeing the screen light up with a new notification and encountering the worst-case scenario, such as taunts or outright rejection. Maybe the keychain wasn't even Hikaru’s, and Asako was confused.

Yoshiki lay on his side in a fetal position. So many catastrophic thoughts went through his mind, and combined with the tiredness of the day, he fell asleep without even realizing it.

He returned to a room similar to the one where he had played Kokkuri-san a few days earlier. The difference was that now he was alone in the dark and could barely see what was around him, hardly distinguishing the game pieces in front of him. The atmosphere seemed denser and colder than he remembered, and there was an unsettling silence. All he could hear was his heavy breathing, but if he concentrated hard enough, his ears picked up another distant sound that seemed to be small objects falling from above and hitting the wood. Small stones? Rice? He couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it was definitely something related.

Abruptly, a small orange flame appeared suspended a few meters above the table, right in the direction where Kokkuri-san was. Yoshiki watched it, curious to know where it had come from, what caused it, and why it was in that position. When he looked down to concentrate on the game again, his eyes caught sight of a white mask with red details across the table. The light from the flame illuminated it enough to know it was a mask, but not enough to appreciate it as a whole. At the moment, it had a feline or wild animal look to it.

"Your turn," a deep voice came from the mask, referring to the game in front of them both. When Yoshiki finally looked down at the paper, he noticed that the coin had moved. It was no longer on the torii, but on the big "yes."

He swallowed hard, knowing what the next step was. "Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, can you give me context?"

"Wrong," the mask answered immediately, not even leaving room for the coin to move or not. "Try again," it demanded.

Yoshiki pressed his lips together, feeling nerves invade him from within. His gaze remained fixed on the coin, afraid to look at the mask or anywhere else. Sweat began to form on the back of his neck, and his right foot moved up and down in short, rapid movements. He had to try again; there was no other option.

“Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, who is this person?”

“Wrong!” the voice shouted, making an echo all around the room. "Can't ask that. Try again." It demanded more fiercely than before.

The bead of sweat on Yoshiki's neck was now trickling down his back. He clenched his hands against his thighs; he could barely blink because of fear, and his mind went blank. The sound of pebbles or rice in the distance was now more noticeable, and that, combined with the frantic beating of his heart in his ears, was driving him crazy. He had to try again, but his mind was blank. What could he ask that would be valid? What question would get him out of there?

“Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san… would you give me a sign?” he mumbled.

The flame went out, and the sound in the distance also ceased. The cold intensified, and with what brief vision he had left, he saw the coin moving at the same time as the voice of the mask recited: “I will.”

Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation in his right forearm. Unconsciously, he brought his hand to that area and, with the only sense he had left, felt that he had been scratched.

Yoshiki opened his eyes. He fixed his gaze on a random spot in the room, remaining motionless in the same position while breathing rapidly. His whole body was sweaty, clearly affected by that strange, yet vivid dream. He looked suspiciously at his arms, and finding nothing there, sighed with relief.

“Weird,” he whispered to himself, remembering fragments of the dream. However, he didn't want to dwell on it too much, so he attributed it to the stress of college and the lack of sleep he had had in recent days.

Unaware of how long he had slept, his hand fumbled under the pillow for his phone to check the time. Instead of looking at that, however, his heart skipped a beat when he saw several notifications all over the screen.

"Hi, Yoshiki-san!"

"I can call you Yoshiki, right? You can call me Hikaru, no need for such formality~~"

"aaaah my torii keychain!!!!! How nice that you have it, I was so worrieeed"

"It's very special to me."

"Let's meet! How about tomorrow at this place?"

"-location sent-"

"See you there, Yoshiki~~"

Yoshiki's heart was beating fast. He read the messages repeatedly, making sure that they were real and not a joke, a dream or a cruel prank of his imagination. When he realized that Hikaru had responded so warmly and confidently, a smile spread across his face.

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

Send.

Chapter Text

Seconds passed by on Yoshiki’s phone screen. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, Saturday. The night before, he had arranged to meet Hikaru ‌in front of the entrance to a well-known place in Shinjuku, for its arcade games and several food stalls. It was a central location, easily accessible, and quite busy; ideal for meeting someone you don't know.

Yoshiki had been extremely punctual; his anxiousness made him arrive twenty minutes early. His only option was waiting on the sidewalk, body leaning against the wall of the store, and although he tried to calm himself down by looking at different things on his phone, from social media to the essay he was reading for his classes, his eyes were frequently moving from the screen to his surroundings, trying to identify the white hair among the crowd of people passing by.

The onset of summer was already evident with rising temperatures and a high influx of people. Shinjuku is undoubtedly one of the busiest neighborhoods with a myriad of activities, but as summer break approaches, the crowds increase. And despite being in the shade, Yoshiki could feel the humidity condensing in the air. He fanned himself with his hands, tried not to think so much about the heat, and once again searched for Hikaru with his eyes. It was difficult to spot anyone in particular when there were so many people walking en masse on that sidewalk and the surrounding ones. 

It wasn't until a few minutes later that a cheerful voice caught his attention first.

"Yoshiki!!!" shouted the voice, steps away from him, in the middle of so many people, and not caring that the rest watched him strangely. Yoshiki looked up, and there he saw Hikaru coming to his left: white, spiky hair that stands out in the crowd, delicate but marked features as a product of the changes that the male body goes through in the beginnings of youth, and a wide smile where prominent fangs stand out that, instead of looking threatening, cause a strange sensation of tenderness.

Yoshiki saw him, stunned, unable to believe that he was seeing him once again in person, except this time it would be more than a chance encounter. He stared at him for a bit, in a sort of trance, from which he came out ‌once he had Hikaru close by. Yoshiki blinked twice and gave him a soft, friendly smile. "Hi, Hikaru," he said, calling him by name and forgetting about honorifics since Hikaru himself had permitted him. It felt strange to talk so casually, as if they had known each other all their lives. That’s why he didn't want to sound too strict or closed-minded, because ever since he arrived in Tokyo, Yoshiki has done his best to go with the flow of city people, learning from them on how to socialize the way they do.

"Sorry I'm late. I was busy with something else before I came, but I'm glad we can meet again," expressed Hikaru with overflowing emotion, marking the difference between his explosive personality and Yoshiki's calmer and serene one. "Were ya waiting for me for a long time?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"Ah, don't worry, I arrived recently," Yoshiki brushed off, blatantly lying because he would rather do that than admit he had been nervous all this time about the encounter. He was making superhuman efforts not to make it noticeable how his hands were sweating and shaking, now hidden in the pockets of his Bermuda shorts.

"Phew, what a relief. I was in a hurry because I didn't want to keep ya waiting."

"It's okay," said Yoshiki who, suddenly driven by a rush of panic, ended up pulling Hikaru's key ring out of his left pocket, the main and only reason they were there. Yoshiki had kept the key ring in a small cloth bag and was glad he had, because otherwise he would have returned the precious item soaked in sweat. "Your keychain," he muttered as he handed the bag, staring at the print on Hikaru's t-shirt, clearly avoiding looking him directly in the eye.

Hikaru laughed softly, taking the sachet. "Thank you very much. Truly, this keychain is very precious. I'm glad you found it and took care of it."

God, that sounded so tender and caring in Yoshiki's ears. Warmth settled quickly on his cheeks. "You're welcome," he whispered, barely audible because of the surrounding noise.

"Besides, you're Asako's friend, which makes it even more meaningful. Please take care of her," Hikaru requested, leaning forward slightly in a small bow that made Yoshiki even more embarrassed. He took the opportunity of the moment when the other wasn't looking directly at him to briefly bring his hands on his cheeks, and sure enough, Yoshiki discovered that they were slightly warm.. "Asako has told me about you. She told me ya don't have many friends," Hikaru continued as he returned to his previous position with his back straight.

At least that helped cool Yoshiki down. He just chuckled nervously, feeling a little pathetic because, of all the things Asako could have said, that was what had occurred to her? He could perfectly imagine his friend saying that.

"Anyone who is friends with my cousin is a great candidate to be my friend, wanna go inside?"

The invitation caught Yoshiki off guard. He didn't have high hopes for this meeting, only that it would be a little longer than the brief minute they had spent in front of the vending machine. Maybe that's what Hikaru was thinking? Was that why he had chosen that place as the meeting point? Yoshiki didn't want to dwell on it too much and was grateful for the opportunities that came his way. He hadn't felt this excited since he had arrived in Tokyo, even though his face and body language didn't overtly show it.

"I'd love to."

—

Bonding over playing games would make the situation less tense for Yoshiki.

Upon entering, they hit it big, finding a Street Fighter machine available for the two of them, which Hikaru quickly and excitedly approached. "We're lucky this one's available!" he said, turning his gaze at Yoshiki. "You like Street Fighter?"

Yoshiki followed him more calmly, approaching with a broad smile. “I do. I hope you're ready for this. I like good competition,” he said as he took out his wallet and inserted the 100-yen coin required by the machine. In a matter of seconds, the music from the arcade ignited excitement in the two young men.

Even though they didn't know each other at all, they both agreed that the healthy competitive vibe was not going to overwhelm their egos. Each took his position in front of the controls, and without half a word, they were already choosing characters for the first round.

“Wanna bet something before starting?” Hikaru suggested in a bratty tone, showing his fangs in a sly smile while peeking at Yoshiki sideways.

Yoshiki didn't even return his gaze, being focused and serious about the battle that was about to begin. "Let me see your skills first. You're already willing to bet on something, after all.”

Hikaru grinned, and his body language mimicked Yoshiki’s. It was serious business. “Smart.”

Not even a second passed when both began to control the joysticks to move their characters, and to press the buttons hard to hit the right blows. In between, they let out shouts of excitement when they slammed the other character, and also vented their frustration at a failed move or hit. It was an intense first round, full of adrenaline and tension. At the end, it was Hikaru who raised his arms in victory.

“I did it!” He shouted while doing a little dance in his place.

“You were lucky this time!” Carried away by the adrenaline rush of his first loss, Yoshiki inserted another coin. Round two began a few seconds later. They went on like this for quite a while, alternating victories between the two until they were down to three wins each. Seeing this as a fair number, they stopped.

Inside the place, there weren’t only rows of arcade games. Other establishments surrounded the playground, most of them of food and drinks. A themed cafe caught Hikaru’s curiosity. "Wanna grab something to drink and eat?” he asked.

With the adrenaline subsiding and feeling calmer, Yoshiki realized he needed to eat and drink something, so he accepted the idea. “Let’s go.”

They went to an 8-bit themed cafe, which matched the various arcade games outside. They both walked to the back of the place to sit at a table located in a corner. The table, with two diner booth-like seats, easily fit four people, but they had more than enough space since there were only two people. Immediately, they looked at the menu, where most of the drinks were themed and sweet-flavored, which was not so much to Yoshiki's taste. On the other hand, Hikaru seemed undecided among so many sweet options. Having decided on the drinks and food, the waitress came over to take their orders.

“I’d like the tofu-based strawberry flavor drink and the pork shogayaki don.” Hikaru went with one of those fancy drinks that catches anyone’s attention on the menu, alongside stir-fried pork slices with ginger sauce and rice.

Yoshiki got worried about the combination of extravagant flavors in both choices. “I’d like a Yuzu lemonade and an omurice.” Instead, he went with a simpler option.

In the following moment of silence, multiple thoughts flooded Yoshiki's mind. During that brief instant, he took the time to think about what was happening.

I definitely didn’t expect this to go on for so long.

We barely know each other‌, then he suggested playing, and now we are here?

What’s going on? Is he… interested?

No way, he said that anyone who’s friends with Asako is his friend.

He definitely is looking for a friend. This is just a friendly gathering.

Don’t get your hopes up, Yoshiki. He, like most people in your life, is looking to stay as a friend.

This is just friendship.

Take it easy, just go with the flow.

"So..." Hikaru's voice took Yoshiki out of his mind, who observed him wide-eyed, turning his attention to his companion. Yoshiki was sitting with his back slightly curved forward, in a body language denoting nervousness and self-doubt, while Hikaru showed himself with a straight back and his chin up, confident but not cocky. That was a revelation to Yoshiki, who improved his posture in the chair. “I’d like to know more about you, and of course, you’d know about me,” Hikaru suggested, leaning toward the table and to Yoshiki, showing interest.

That also surprised Yoshiki. He quickly recalled the train of thought he had just now, but soon dismissed it all. He shouldn't think so much and just flow. “Alright, sounds good,” he accepted. 

At that moment, the waitress came in with their drinks, and Yoshiki thanked he would have something to focus on and to leverage the anxiety. Hikaru was amazed at the cotton candy at the top of the drink, and did not hesitate to take it with two fingers to bring it to his mouth, letting the candy melt in his tongue until it disappeared.

“I have some questions prepared,” Hikaru continued, and received a raised eyebrow as the first reaction, which made him chortle. “They are simple questions, I promise! Just to get to know the basics: I’d ask you, you’ll answer, and then I’d answer the same questions. Also, feel free to ask me anything.”

Yoshiki drank a bit of his lemonade, using it to clear his throat. “Alright, shoot.”

“Okay, I’d start with the more obvious ones: your age? What do you study? And I don’t wanna sound invasive, but I know ya are from the same town of Asako, so why Tokyo?”

Yoshiki blinked, gathering the answers in his head. “Okay, so I’m 20 years old, and I’m studying Biological Sciences at the University of Tokyo,” he paused, thinking about the next answer. 

Instead, Hikaru spoke first. “Ah, that’s interesting. I don’t know anyone who studies that.” 

Yoshiki’s cheeks flushed. Was he weird?

“Why did you choose it?”

“I've always liked insects, arachnids, and invertebrates. I chose it because I want to be an entomologist,” he explained, afraid that Hikaru would think he seemed even weirder and crazier.

Except Hikaru giggled in surprise. “That’s crazy, I like it,” he added positively, making Yoshiki’s blush stay on his cheeks for longer.

“About why I wanted to come to Tokyo is because I hated the town life. I actually was born here, but my family moved to the countryside when I was little because of my dad’s job in the agricultural field. I know I could have gone to any other big city, but I wanted this big city life, something completely different,” finally, he finished giving his responses.

“I get it. It’s completely different, right? How’s the city treating you?”

Yoshiki pondered a bit before talking. He remembered ‌his experiences which, even though they weren’t many, were somehow significant. “It’s been weird. I like it better than the countryside, definitely. There are more things to do, many interesting people to meet, but I still don't feel that anything big or shocking has happened, as one innocently believes when one leaves town fresh out of adolescence." He pursed his lips, hesitating for a second, and at the end, decided to say it. "Being honest, this is the most random thing that's happened to me since I got here."

Hikaru laughed, pleased with his confession. “I feel honored.”

Yoshiki’s heart skipped a beat. Luckily, the food didn’t take long to arrive. After both took a first bite of their respective meals, the conversation continued. 

“Now, my turn: I’m 19 years old, and I’m studying Japanese Literature at the University of Tokyo. Maybe that’s why we have never seen each other, we’re on very different faculties.”

The unexpected response astounded Yoshiki. “I would have never guessed that,” he said with honesty. “Japanese literature… why’s that? I also don’t know anyone in that field.”

Hikaru got more pork and rice with the chopsticks while thinking about how to explain it. "This might sound weird, but I'm really interested in Japanese culture, religion, mythology, and classical texts. My father introduced me to literature at a very young age, with ancient stories and a lot of classical Japanese cultural symbolism.” And then he ate the food, taking the chance to think before swallowing. "I still don't know what I want to be: a writer, a teacher, or an academic researcher; I'm barely starting my second year."

Yoshiki listened attentively, ‌captivated by that response. He would have never thought Hikaru would prefer the classical and cultural area. He never really thought anything concrete about him, never made assumptions, but it was an intriguing surprise.

"I can't help but feel fascinated by your name, Yoshiki."

Yoshiki almost chokes with his bite. He started coughing, and on the third one, he reached for his drink, which helped to calm the raspiness in his throat.

Hikaru just smiled widely. “I know it sounded weird all of a sudden, I’m sorry.” Then he reached for a pen he had on him, and grabbed a napkin of the table to start writing there. “Let me explain,” he whispered, and when he finished, turned the napkin to Yoshiki.

“So, when you introduced yourself over text, you wrote your name like that: Tsujinaka Yoshiki (辻中佳紀).” With the tip of the pen, Hikaru pointed to the written kanji as he was explaining with all seriousness in his voice. “ ‘Tsuji’ (辻) as ‘crossroad’, and ‘naka’ (中) as ‘inside’ or ‘middle of’. So this could be ‘at the middle of the crossroad’ or ‘inside of the crossroad’. And your given name with ‘Yoshi’ (佳) as ‘excellent, beautiful’ and ‘ki’ (紀) as ‘chronicle, narrative’. So it could be ‘beautiful narrative’, ‘excellent chronicle’, you name it.

“Of course, ‘cause of my major, this seemed very interesting. I like finding the meanings within people's names and the way they are written. I think that has a great weight on us. When I saw your name, I read it as ‘beautiful narrative at the middle of the crossroad’. That’s such an outstanding name, and as a fan of literature, of course, I looked for a meaning. For me, it meant that we were destined to meet at this crossroad called life; this is fate.”

Yoshiki remained completely still in his seat, forgetting his normal breathing pattern and that he had to blink. How could he respond to that? He never imagined he would receive a detailed explanation of his name, let alone that it would sound so poetic coming from the boy who had kept him bewitched for several days, all thanks to his smile and captivating energy. Now that he was getting to know him better, Yoshiki didn't even know how to act anymore.

“I—” he started and stopped immediately when nothing came to his mind, just a phrase that was better left as a thought, only his nervousness betrayed him once again. “You should become a poet.”

Hikaru snickered. “I’m serious! We were destined to meet. This ain’t a coincidence.”

Yoshiki felt panic rushing through his veins. He quietly set his chopsticks on the side to rub his sweaty hands on his pants, thankful that the other couldn't see them. His mind was foggy, and when he most needed to form coherent sentences, his mouth was faster than his brain. “You do this with every person you meet? This is like your party trick?”

Hikaru kept laughing. “I didn’t expect you to be so funny! We’re definitely hanging out more,” and as his laughter faded, he took a large sip of his drink.

Oh God, what’s going on? Yoshiki thought.

He counted to three in his mind. Took a deep breath with the counts, and only then he continue. “You think? It would be good,” at least he secured a second meeting. “Maybe it's because we kind of share the same sense of humor. You have a Kansai accent, am I right? You have quite mastered Tokyo’s pronunciation, but as you know, I grew up in the Mie Prefecture, so I caught some things you’ve said and your pitch. Specifically, I think you’re from Mie.”

That sudden comment took Hikaru by surprise, causing him to relax both his facial expression and body language. “You got me, I’m not from Tokyo. I’m also from Kansai and the Mie Prefecture. My family and I used to move a lot: we lived in Ise, Tsu, and other bigger cities by the bay. We also were in the countryside in the prefecture, and ‘cause of my father, I used to travel a lot inside the Kansai region, until I moved to Tokyo,” he explained. Instead of sticking to standard Japanese pronunciation, he allowed himself to let some words slip in with the Kansai dialect, where the pitch and intonation in syllables were different, showing more emphasis than Tokyo citizens usually do.

Yoshiki continued eating and drinking while processing the information Hikaru had given him. “So I understand your interest in literature and mythology. Mie Prefecture and Kansai are perfect places to learn about Shinto religion, mythology, and culture.”

That's why it's so interesting that they met in Tokyo. In Kansai, there are large cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe, all of which have excellent universities. In Tokyo, admissions are usually more difficult, and more importantly, it's an immense city. The fact that they bumped into each other in front of the vending machine, the key ring that fell, and then Yoshiki meeting Asako again after a while, just to find out she was his cousin. These were strange coincidences, or perhaps thinking that all this was fate wasn't so far-fetched.

While Yoshiki analyzed how fantastical the situation seemed, Hikaru remained still for a few seconds, his gray gaze fixed on his companion. There was a brief silence between the two.

“Thought I’d gotten real good at speakin’ proper Japanese, hardly anyone ever noticed 'fore. But I s’pose I just feel real easy 'round you… ya sure done caught me." Hikaru let slide a strong Kansai dialect accent, typical of rural areas, along with a cheeky tone adorned with a confident smile on his face.

Yoshiki’s face reddened. He realized it sounded exactly like the people on Kibogayama, and although he is reluctant toward the town and wants nothing to do with it, for some strange reason, hearing the Kansai dialect from Hikaru's lips felt extremely comforting, as if it was home, except in a good way. Once again, he didn’t know how to respond, and luckily, he waited before acting like a loser.

“But Yoshiki, if you’re also from the countryside, and the same area as me, you don’t have the dialect as strong, or at least I haven’t heard it.” Hikaru went back to his usual speaking, leaning his head to his side, showing confusion.

Yoshiki cleared his throat. “I practiced ‘fore coming to Tokyo, didn’t wanna get picked on.”

“Oh!” Hikaru’s eyes opened wide, and his right hand pointed at the other. “You had it there! So cute!”

Gosh, Yoshiki bet he seemed mortified with his red cheeks that made him look like a fool. He couldn't help feeling embarrassed by the whole situation, and it wouldn’t get better as he was also playing along. “Of course! I showed it on purpose, so y’know I’m speakin’ the truth!”

“And again!” Hikaru clapped in celebration, as if that was the biggest revelation of the day.

Yoshiki realized that Hikaru had a childish and playful vibe about him. Not in the sense of being immature, so he doesn't come across as unpleasant. Instead, it made everything more bearable, a nice contrast to his shyness. 

They ate a bit more, alternating between the food and the drinks. When they were almost done, it was Hikaru again who broke the silence. “Y’know Yoshiki, we have met before,” he started.

Yoshiki nodded. "Yes, in front of the vending machine."

“No, I mean, we have met way before. On Kibogayama.”

Yoshiki's chopsticks stopped in midair, and his pupils shifted toward Hikaru, staring at him through his bangs. He wanted to find a mocking expression on his face. “Are you for real?”

“It was a long time ago. Like nine or ten years? Give it a thought, you will remember it.”

But Yoshiki couldn't come up with any memories. It seemed implausible to him that he had met such a face some time ago and had completely forgotten it. “Can you give me a hint?”

“Nope! I already gave you many hints today. But I promise you will remember,” assured Hikaru with a big smile.

He found it strange that Hikaru would suddenly bring up that topic so late in the conversation. Besides, does Asako know anything about this? If so, why didn't she mention it before? “When I remember, I'll tell you,” Yoshiki promised, hoping that at some point the supposed memory would come to mind, or that Hikaru would tell him about it in the future.

— 

When they finished paying for what they had consumed, both boys left the place. Shinjuku was as crowded as usual, but the temperature wasn't as high as it had been that afternoon. The sun was already beginning to set, casting a different vibe over the city with its faint pink and orange tones in the sky.

“I had a great time, we should definitely repeat it,” Hikaru said, turning to Yoshiki to see him with a smile, which he returned.

“I agree.”

“Let’s keep chatting on LINE. Take care!” And apparently, it was Hikaru's habit to appear and leave suddenly. Yoshiki barely had time to say goodbye, raising his hand in farewell. He saw him blend into the crowd, heading in the opposite direction from the one he had to take to get home.

Yoshiki walked toward the subway station, thinking the whole time that what he had experienced was like a dream. He had had a great time at the games, had learned a lot more about Hikaru during lunch, and‌ had left even more dazzled. And although he had learned quite a bit from him, he was going home with a new and mysterious task. He couldn't stop thinking about the latter; his mind was making a huge effort to remember what had happened nine or ten years ago, trying to find a moment when they supposedly already knew each other.

Chapter Text

Located in the Kansai region, in the Mie prefecture, 300 miles from Tokyo and 75 miles from Kyoto, there was a set of towns in the countryside connected by roads and separated by vegetation and mountains. Each village had its own name to identify it, but collectively, the area is known as Kibogayama.

Kibogayama was the largest village, located at the center with important locations such as the train station, the Kibogayama High School, the Elementary School, the library, and a diner. Tadokoro Yuuki and their family lived there.

In the north, there was Kubitachi, the smallest town in the area. Nothing special occurred there. Surrounded by mountains, it was a quiet place to live, so the Tsujinaka family settled there.

Udekari was located east of Kibogayama. Since it was a residential town, Asako's family, the Yamagishi, lived there.

Udeiri was to the west. Darumasute in the southeast and Ashidori in the southwest, where Maki Yuuta lived.

When looking at a map, Kibogayama and the surrounding towns formed a weird shape. 

Kubitachi at the north, just as the kanji in its name indicates, was the ‘head’ of the shape. Udekari and Udeiri looked like arms, while Darumasute and Ashidori were the legs. For some reason, it was impossible to find a whole map of Kibogayama and all the surrounding villages. Still, when putting together the separated maps, everyone agreed the towns form a human shape.

It is known that the countryside in Mie Prefecture had a special energy within its mountains, fields, and rivers. Superstitious people and fanatics of everything related to the occult, religion, ghost stories, and legends often frequent places like these. Rumors, stories, and myths circulate of sacrifices that have been made previously when the sun sets, and in the insides of the forests and mountains, both around Kibogayama and in any uninhabitable or barely inhabitable area of ​​the prefecture. These types of stories are popular among all ages. 

Asako loved these tales and enjoyed telling them to her friends, especially at night, lit by a candle and accompanied by the eerie silence of the mountains. Yuuki enjoyed listening to them and sometimes shared her opinion and added new stories when she had good ones. Maki had his days: sometimes he was the most enthusiastic about these stories, and other times he was the most fearful and in denial, especially when he had to listen to the most macabre and dark ones.

Yoshiki, on the other hand, wasn't a believer at all. He took it as additional information and popular culture, but nothing was scientific or proven. He'd been a science enthusiast since childhood, and these kinds of legends and myths contradicted everything that could be proven. Still, he enjoyed the company of his friends and being present in those moments, even though he didn't believe in anything and saw it more as entertainment.

On summer nights, during the vacations, they held these kinds of gatherings more frequently. During the day, they left the mystery behind and engaged in more tangible and earthly activities, such as swimming in the river.

“Guys! Ma cousin Hikaru is here!” shouted Asako as she approached with quick steps, holding the hand of a white-haired boy who appeared to be the same age as her cousin and her friends—no more than 9 or 10 years old.

Yoshiki, Maki, and Yuuki turned to look at their friend. The three of them had been waiting for her for a while. Maki was in the river with his floats, and nearby, Yoshiki and Yuuki were sitting on the shore, with their feet being bathed by the water.

As Asako and the boy she was dragging by the hand drew closer, the girl's smile widened. “Guys! This here’s my cousin, Hikaru. Say hi!” she presented him accordingly. “His family is movin’ here soon. They’re from another town, and Hikaru is stayin’ for the summer, and then they’ll live here! He’s gonna go to our school!”

The rest of the kids gave a warm welcome to Hikaru, who replied with a “thanks” and a big smile.

“Let’s play!” Maki shouted, wasting no time after the brief introduction. The rest of the children approached to enter the water, followed by the new guest.

“Let’s go!” Hikaru immediately removed his shirt and ran to the river. 

The connection within the group was instantaneous. They let their imaginations run wild, and in the waters of the river, they allowed themselves to be other beings outside the mundane. At first, they played mermaids and pirates, chasing each other in the water in a kind of game reminiscent of cops and robbers.

“Wait! What if we play Godzilla? I’ll be the monster, y’all try takin’ me down!” Hikaru gave out the idea with enthusiasm, adopting a pose of a monster ready to threaten the city. The kids looked at each other and also got into character. 

“Attack!” Asako shouted, and at the same time, all of them started splashing water at Hikaru, who moved his arms and legs in slow movements, resembling a large, heavy monster, battling the aquatic attacks.

Everyone seemed very happy with Hikaru's arrival, displaying an unparalleled energy that delighted the kids. And Yoshiki, usually the most stoic of them all, wasn't far behind. His first impression was that Hikaru seemed incredible; he behaved like a manga protagonist: brave, outgoing, fun, and easygoing. And even though their personalities were different, both of them felt a special connection between them. Without a doubt, they felt this was the beginning of a once-in-a-lifetime friendship.

After a couple of weeks of the five of them swimming daily in the river, exploring the lower reaches of the mountain, and skimming through every possible corner of every village, Hikaru suddenly stopped accompanying them.

All the children found it strange that he had stopped showing up or hearing from him. The most affected by the situation was Yoshiki, although he didn't openly show his anxiety, he just shared the same concern with his friends.

Naturally, the three approached Asako with questions. She was his cousin; she must know something. Had they said something wrong? Did they do something wrong? Was Hikaru angry with them, and that's why he hadn't shown up? The answer to all those questions was no. Asako shared the reason: Hikaru had to leave with his father for a couple of days. Why? Not even she knew. She could have guessed it was some family matter, perhaps related to his father's work, or something related to the Indo family's moving process.

Faced with this, the children had no choice but to wait.

A couple of days passed. It was nighttime, and rain poured over the village. It was time for dinner, and while his mother and Kaoru were in the kitchen, Yoshiki helped set the table. Although he was alone with his task between the dining room and the living room, for some strange reason, he felt the intensity of stares watching him from afar. At first, he decided to ignore it, but the heaviness in his neck made him look up at the door leading to the courtyard. It was dark, there wasn't a single light outside, and all he could hear was the muffled sound of the torrential rain against the grass and the roof above him.

Yoshiki looked around, in case the stare came from his mother or younger sister. However, he heard them talking in the kitchen, oblivious to the situation in the dining room. Yoshiki turned his attention to the door, which he approached with slow steps. "Hello?" he asked in a whisper, and stopped in front of the door. Upon opening it, he was met with a haunting darkness and the thunderous force of the water falling over Kubitachi. 

Suddenly, a flash of lightning revealed a pair of foxy red eyes staring at him from the rain. A sound of surprise got caught in Yoshiki's throat. At first, he thought that because of the weather, an animal had come down off the mountain and gotten lost. And before he could let out a scream or a question, the figure introduced itself, drowned again in the darkness when the lightning went away. 

“Yoshiki, it’s me, Hikaru,” he said, stepping up a couple of steps so the lights from inside the house could show him better. Hikaru was wearing a long orange rain jacket, zipped all the way up with the hood covering his head, so at least that was the only thing that was soaked. Yoshiki noticed that his old white sneakers were covered with mud.

Then his eyes moved up to Hikaru's face, who wasn't displaying his usual playful smile or the confident vibe with which he'd first met him. On the contrary, he looked concerned. "Wanna come in?" he asked again in a whisper.

Hikaru gently shook his head and calmly replied. "Can we talk somewhere else?"

Yoshiki blinked twice in surprise. “You mean… outside? In the rain?”

“I know a spot near here.”

Yoshiki turned to look inside the house. His mother and Kaoru were still in the kitchen and his father wasn't home yet. When he returned his attention to Hikaru, he noticed his expression implored him to follow; his need to talk was urgent. Yoshiki swallowed hard and walked over to get his rain jacket and boots. "I'll be right back!" he warned whoever would listen to him in the house, and soon walked away with Hikaru into the darkness.

Luckily, Hikaru had a flashlight, which helped the two children make it through the darkness and the rain. In less than five minutes, they arrived at a place Yoshiki didn't know, or at least had difficulty recognizing because of the conditions surrounding them. There was a kind of shrine in the form of a simple, medium-sized house. It's supposed to be a sacred and important place for believers, so he would never imagine a human being inside. He was surprised when Hikaru took a step inside the small house to take shelter from the rain.

"Come on, it'll be quick. The gods won't be mad," Hikaru assured him.

Yoshiki wasn't sure. He wasn't a believer, but he'd been taught to be respectful of other people's beliefs, so he was hesitant to use a shrine as shelter. However, the heavy rain didn't make him wait any longer, and he went to take cover next to Hikaru.

They both barely fit crouched down there, at least the space was enough for two children like them. Hikaru set the flashlight aside so the light wouldn't shine directly on them, but so they could at least see each other's faces. “I came to say goodbye. My family and I are leavin’ the town,” Hikaru began to explain without hesitation in his voice.

Yoshiki felt his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach, and a cold feeling ran through his body. “What? Why?” he asked in a low voice, barely able to escape his throat in surprise, almost drowned out by the sound of the water hitting the wooden roof above them.

Hikaru pressed his lips together for a second as he thought about how to respond. “Somethin’ happened. My father says it’s best if we go. Even though I told him I was likin’ it here, he was very serious when he said we should leave.”

Yoshiki could hardly accept what he was hearing. And it wasn't that he didn't believe Hikaru's words; it was the unexpectedness of it all. He had suddenly arrived in his life, with an unimaginable strength and an energy he hadn't known he needed. He had enjoyed his company, learned from him, enjoyed his jokes, and, above all, had fun. The time had been short and Yoshiki appreciated it, that's why he felt Hikaru's absence for those couple of days so strongly. Now he came back and told him he had to leave?

It was unheard of. The town was small, boring, and for Yoshiki, it felt like a cage. His friends were one of the few things he could appreciate, and Hikaru's arrival seemed to be a glimmer of hope. Now, did he have to leave?

“You comin’ back someday?” Yoshiki dared to ask, looking for something to hope for in the future. “Asako’s your cousin, your family. Y’all goin’ to visit her and the family, right? Like next summer?” Even though Hikaru couldn’t stay permanently, Yoshiki hoped that their connection wouldn’t be lost. Even if they see each other once a year, it would be fine.

“I don’t know,” Hikaru whispered, looking so discouraged about the situation, which gave Yoshiki no hope, although he refused to let him go for good. “Depends on my dad,” he said, the only explanation he had. Hikaru's right hand twitched with some anxiety, as if he were turning an unknown object beneath his fingers. It had been like this since they both entered the shrine, but Yoshiki realized it only later, when he tried to focus on other things so as not to be overwhelmed by sadness and disappointment. "I'm sorry, Yoshiki, but you're gonna have to forget me."

The words hit him like a bucket of cold water, as if the torrential rain outside was soaking and drowning him. Rainfall during the summer usually increases the feeling of humidity and heat in the environment. Despite that, Yoshiki's body felt cold and rigid. There was a long silence for a few seconds. Yoshiki kept his eyes fixed on Hikaru's hand, which continued to move, unable to discern whether he really had something under his fingers, since the indirect light from the flashlight wasn't helping him enough.

“I'm gonna erase your memory, for both our sakes. You're gonna forget me, everything about me, and what we went through this summer. When we leave here, it’ll be like we never met.” Hikaru spoke these words very calmly, keeping his gaze lowered, avoiding the other's. Yoshiki was also avoiding him, and although he didn't understand anything he was explaining, he remained silent. “Don't worry, ‘cause I'll come back sometime soon. I had a wonderful time this summer with ya, even if it was short. I'll make sure we meet again in the future, but for now, this must be erased.” Hikaru's hand stopped, and his fingers opened, revealing a small, dark stone, unfamiliar to Yoshiki. “I know what I'm sayin’ sounds strange, but I swear ya it will be temporary. You will remember me, and this moment, when you're ready, when I think it's the best time.”

Then Hikaru looked up and met Yoshiki's eyes one last time. In the dim light of the flashlight, his irises were still gray, but it was his pupil that caught Yoshiki's attention, as it appeared red. And not just red, it seemed to glow, like a bright point of light.

"See ya soon, Yoshiki."

— 

Yoshiki remembered. Memories flooded back abruptly, like a gust of wind that struck him with clarity. At first, he doubted in disbelief, then it felt so obvious. His stare remained fixed on the ceiling of his room, and his body lay stiff on the bed, while his mind took its time accepting the memories he relived over and over again in his head.

After a couple of minutes, he got out of bed and walked over to his desk, illuminated by the only light source he had in his room that night, a small lamp pointing at his cell phone. Yoshiki took the device in his fingers, which had trembled in hesitation the first time he wrote to Hikaru, and now glided over the screen with certainty.

“I remembered everything. Kubitachi 10 years ago, right? That's when we met.” 

Sent. The reply came back seconds later.

“I told you, you would remember.”

Yoshiki inhaled deeply, and his fingers moved faster than his brain. 

“When will we see each other again?”

He needed answers, more details about that time, and to know why Hikaru had to leave suddenly with ambiguous explanations, and how he erased his memories and those of his friends. They were all there, they shared every day for two full weeks, and not once have they mentioned Hikaru in the past ten years. What was that stone? What happened in those two days Hikaru disappeared? Did Asako have her memory erased, too? Or did she know something?

The reply took a bit to appear on Yoshiki’s screen.

“Don't worry. We'll be seeing each other more than you think.”

Obviously, that didn't reassure Yoshiki. The uncertainty was massive; he needed answers soon, but the mysterious barrier Hikaru was placing between them wasn't allowing him to move any further. Yoshiki sighed, understanding that he had to be patient if he wanted answers and keep Hikaru by his side.

“I understand. Even so,” 

He sent the incomplete message. Yoshiki paused, his fingers, his blinking, and any other movement other than the frantic beating of his heart against his ribcage. The message was incomplete; Hikaru was online, evidently waiting for the final part. Yoshiki inhaled deeply, didn't think about it any further, completed the message, and hit the send button.

“I want to see you again. Soon.”

— 

Hikaru smiled warmly as he read the message. He put his phone in his pocket, leaving the message as ‘read’ before entering the shrine. At that time of night, there were usually no people around, except for local worshippers, in contrast to the high influx of tourists during the day. Hikaru prefers the quiet of the night, the absence of people, and the silence that allows him to concentrate on his prayers.

Some come to these shrines out of respect, others out of curiosity, others remember them in moments of desperation, in an emergency, or during exam season. Students turn to a divine option that can intercede to grant academic satisfaction. Instead, Hikaru was there out of habit, belief, and genuine connection.

He did everything naturally and with a fluidity that has been familiar to him since childhood. He followed the first step of purification, washing his hands with the water of the ladle, rinsing his mouth and spitting the water out to the side, and rinsing his left hand one last time, leaving the ladle tilted so the remaining water cleanses the handle.

At the main hall, he tossed a 5-yen coin into the offering box. He rang the bell, bowed deeply twice, clapped his hands together twice, and kept it together while making his prayer with his eyes closed. It took it some long seconds before bowing one last time.

And even though he was so focused on the activity of praying, it was impossible to ignore the sound of the water around him, the coin hitting the wooden box, the soft jingle of the bell, and a few claps indicating that another person was joining him in the prayers.

Hikaru stood facing the main hall and, upon opening his eyes, saw a rather petite girl to his right, with pale skin and dark hair tied back in two low ponytails. Seconds later, the girl finished her prayers and slowly opened her eyes, staring straight ahead.

"Do you know Asako?" she asked in a whisper, since there was no need to raise her voice in the solitude and silence that surrounded them.

Hikaru was surprised that she spoke to him and even mentioned his cousin. However, he kept his composure and calmly replied, "Yes."

Then, the girl turned slightly toward him, her dark pupils raised to meet his gaze. “Your name is Hikaru, right?”

Suddenly, he became serious. Tension grew around them; it was awkward, intense, and someone without a strong mind could be easily intimidated. But the girl maintained her composure and her attention fixed on Hikaru, unblinking. The place they were in was usually charged with energy, as were the people who visited it, and he could sense a strong, determined energy in the girl. He sensed she was different.

“I am.”

—

The girl crossed the shrine gate, indicating her exit from the sacred place. Although she walked away alone with a calm gait, she stopped a few meters from the torii, as if her duty wasn't over even though she had left the shrine. "I didn't think I'd see your cousin again, especially here in Tokyo," she said, without looking anywhere in particular, except at a distant point in front of her. She didn't need to address anyone directly because she knew they were listening.

Asako stepped out from behind a small stone sculpture, revealing herself under the lights of the street lamps, in front of Yuuki. “We live in a small world,” Asako said in a soft, cheeky tone, which didn’t change the serious expression on Yuuki’s face.

“Indeed. Does this mean problems are coming?” Yuuki asked in a tone that sounded direct and incriminating.

“No, Yuuki,” Asako said immediately, looking hurt by her friend’s words. “No problems are going to happen. Why should they?”

Yuuki remained silent, inhaled deeply, and as she exhaled, her mouth let go of what she was thinking. “Because that boy means trouble. I know it, I feel it, and you know it too. You of all people should know that, right?”

Asako let out a small laugh, which, rather than trying to appear in control of the situation, made it clear that she was nervous. “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t have time to play stupid games, Asako.”

The severity of her voice surprised Asako, and she knew how serious this was for her friend. Still, she didn’t know how to respond and just let her gaze down to the ground and sighed, defeated. 

After Asako turned over several answers in her head, Yuuki grabbed the strap of her backpack and resumed her leisurely walk, passing Asako. "Let's go home, it's late," her voice sounded calm.

Asako turned and quickened her pace to join Yuuki as they walked together to the train station.