April 8, 1685, Yoshiwara, Japan

A young boy with long, messy black hair was sitting on a bridge, watching as people walked by. The boy was ten years of age with a gaunt and thin appearance, looking like he hadn't eaten for days. His dark brown yukata was drenched from the rain the previous night with a bit of mud. He had no footwear; his feet had cuts and dirt. The boy's face had bruises and cuts that he suffered at the hands of the abandoned. 

The boy remembered what had happened on prior days before being in the streets. He had a happy life with his parents; his father was a blacksmith, and his mother was a homemaker. Although they were poor, the sense of family and love helped them survive through ordeals. Smiles and happiness were always apparent in their small wooden home, but one day, everything changed. 

The boy's father died from illness, and his mother was heartbroken.

The boy remembered how his mother went to alcohol to escape the pain and despair of her beloved dying. The child did everything he could to make his mother happy, but it was in vain. His mother would leave the house for long periods, sometimes leaving her son alone. The child would try to cook himself, or when he didn't have food, he had to find scraps or steal. It was something he hated to do.

When his mother returned, she would be drunk or bring other men he did not recognize. There were times when the men and his mother beat or mocked him. It hurt the little boy; he would run away or sleep on the streets to avoid the abuse. He was confused about why his mother had changed; his father made her happy.

Didn't he make his mother happy?

One day, a man began living in their home for longer periods of time. His mother told him that he would be living with them from now on. When the man entered their lives, his mother changed; she was less abusive and would do everything the man wanted. The man would try to boss the boy around, but the child would not budge, which resulted in more emotional, physical, and verbal abuse; his mother did nothing.  

One day, the child, his mother, and his supposed stepfather went to the city to do some shopping. Strangely enough, his mother told him to sit by the bridge and wait for her. She told him she and her lover had to do other essential things. He believed her and waited. Morning turned to the afternoon and then night. The child remained, but his mother never returned. He decided to go back home to see if his mother was there. When the child arrived, everything was gone. His mother was nowhere to be found. 

Fear overcame the child as he searched the city for his mother. He cried and screamed for her. An older man, a shopkeeper, saw the child and knew his mother. The older man told the child that his mother and stepfather had left a cart full of things through the city bridge. 

The little boy realized that his mother had abandoned him. It hurt him terribly. He had nowhere to go, so he stayed on the bridge for three days without eating or drinking. The child felt that he had no reason to live anymore. No one would stop and ask him how he was doing or if he needed anything. 

No one cared. 

The boy's stomach growled from hunger but ignored the feeling and sound. He put his head down, not knowing that someone was watching him from afar. A man who looked to be in his late twenties noticed the boy on the bridge. The man had pale skin that looked like milk, his eyes were black, and his long black hair was tied in a ponytail. His face was thin, which made him look starved and androgynous; he had thin lips with a slight blush. The man walked to the boy and stood before him. "Young child."

The boy flinched as he slowly looked at the man. "Y-Yes?" He shivered at the man's appearance and gathered his strength to run away if the time called for it.

"I have seen you here for a while. Have you been abandoned?"

The child was shocked that the man knew. However, he didn't see the man and wanted to be careful. "I-I just like sitting here."

"Young one, I was like you. My father and mother abandoned me since they were poor, and I was left to rot. Yet, I was saved and lived a more fulfilling life." He knelt. "I am Matsuzo, a kabuki actor. I know you are frightened of the unknown. I was, too, when my family left me. Yet, I see potential in you as a great kabuki actor."

"What is a kabuki actor?"

Matsuzo stood and motioned out his hand. "Come with me, and I will show you. You have nothing to fear from me. You are special. Besides, what is your name, young one?"

The boy slowly stood as he looked at Matsuzo. "Benjiro."

"Hmm, interesting name, but if you decide to become a kabuki actor, you will need a better name. A name that will help you become remembered and revered. You will now be called Renjiro. Now follow me, and I will show you what kabuki is."