Last night I dreamt of him again.

A man holding a red umbrella, with skin as pale as ivory, tall and lanky, with permed brunette hair, and eyes as chestnut as almonds but sometimes as red as the lunar eclipse.

He always seems as if he's longing for something, for someone...

I feel I saw a man like him once, long ago, when I was small...

But it's so hard to remember now...

~Edo Period: 1860~

"NOOO!!! NO!!!" The brunette screamed at the top of his lungs as he held his lover's lifeless body in his arms. "I'M SORRY!!! PLEASE WAKE UP...!!!"

He gasped as he saw the temple split and crack and the shrine was being engulfed in darkness, the male picked up his lover, backing away and as it completely engulfed his lover faded from his arms and the male's eyes widened. The male shook his head. This couldn't be it... it couldn't end this way. Not this way. The male looked far and saw a boat rowing across the Sanzu river. (In Japan, it is believed before reaching the afterlife you must cross one of the 3 crossing points; a bridge, a ford, or a stretch of deep, snake infested waters.)

The brunette ran as fast as he could to the edge of the river but the boat had seemed like it had rowed out so far already. The male used his ability to completely freeze up the water and make the boat completely stop.

"How dare you! That is cheating!!!" The woman yelled angrily.

The male wasn't focused on her at all. He slowly walked across the frozen river until he reached the boat, and he got inside slowly kneeling down in front of his lover.

His lover shook his head. "Where I'm going... you can't come." He said, tearing up. The brunette was crying and he cupped the ginger's face.

"Why...? WHY?!?"

A tear rolled down the ginger's face. "...I promised to protect you."

The brunette was weeping. "Stupid..! I didn't ask you to! I didn't want you to!"

The ginger smiled sadly. "...A world without you... it's one I don't want to be a part of..."

The brunette gently wiped his lover's face. "...Promise me... Promise me... you'll be reincarnated..." A blue essence came out of the brunette's mouth and it formed a small blue ball. "...Promise..." He said as he gently kissed the ginger slipping the ball into his mouth, a promise sealed with a kiss. A promise to return.

~Present Year: 2022~

The ginger male woke up gasping as his alarm was going off. He groaned as he turned it off, annoyed by the loud blaring.

I had a dream about the man with the red umbrella again... but I can never remember his face...

He sighed as he threw the covers off of him and headed to the shower. He leaned over, turning it on and waiting until the water got hot enough and then getting in. His name? Nakahara Chuuya. He is a 22-year-old Criminology student studying at the University of Tokyo; he lives alone other than his dog Aki. Chuuya's parents had abandoned him when he was young and he had been bounced from foster home to foster home until he was finally placed with a man who was kind to him at seven. The man's name was Oda Sakunosuke, and he had loved Chuuya despite all his anger and outbursts. Oda never once looked at him as a burden or unloveable, he didn't give up no matter how much Chuuya pushed him away. Chuuya had come to love Oda like a father.

~15 Years Ago: 2007~

"I mean are you sure? There are so many other children... this one he's a bit-"

Oda cut her off. "I am sure." He said looking at Chuuya smiling.

When Oda first brough Chuuya home he was like a beaten puppy. He wouldn't eat what Oda gave him, he didn't want to play, or be held or touched. But it didn't shy Oda away. Oda just tried harder and that only seemed to annoy the little ginger even more.

"STOP!!! JUST GIVE ME BACK! WHY ARE YOU WASTING TIME?!" He knocked the food off the table. And Oda's eyes widened as Chuuya was crying. "WHY ARE YOU BEING KIND?! LIKE YOU CARE?!"

"Because Chuuya I do care I-"

"LIAR!! ALL ADULTS ARE LIARS! I'M NOT A TOY! I... I want to be loved too..." He sobbed. "...Why doesn't anyone want me...?!"

Oda rushed over pulling him into his arms and he held him tightly. "...That's not true. I want you... I'm sorry Chuuya. I am sorry you've felt so unloved. I'm sorry you were treated cruelly. And pushed around... but I... I want you. And I love you." Chuuya sobbed as he held onto Oda and the older male held him in his arms as he weeped his heart out. As the years passed and Chuuya grew he had come to love Oda so dearly. Oda was Chuuya's comfort and he made him happy but in 2011 a horrible accident had happened.

~2011 Accident~

Oda smiled as he ruffled Chuuya's hair.

"Look in the glove compartment."

Chuuya opened it up and inside was a perfectly wrapped box and he took it out and just looked at it.

"Papa didn't forget. You're turning 11 today." He smiled. "Open it."

Chuuya looked at him and he slowly unwrapped it and opened the white box. Chuuya looked down, seeing a gold locket white his initials carved onto the circle. He popped open the locket to see a picture of him and Oda on the other side of the circle, on the inside it said I love you. Love, Papa.

"Papa... I love it..." Chuuya took it out and he put it on and smiled.

"Happy Birthday."

Just then the lights on the road started to cut off. "Shit... what's happening with the lights?" The older ginger looked up and something was in the road and Oda slammed on the brakes to stop and the car slid and flipped over 3 times before stopping. Chuuya whimpered and he looked beside him but Oda was gone. He vanished without a trace. Chuuya unbuckled himself and he fell down and crawled out.

"...Papa...?" Chuuya looked around. "Pa...Papa...? Where are you?" Chuuya looked around scared.

"Papa...! Please answer me! Don't leave me alone!!!" Chuuya cried out but he never received an answer.

~Present~

Since then Chuuya had been alone, and he dedicated his life to finding out what happened to the only person he ever had considered family. Chuuya walked into class and he sat down with his coffee and books waiting for the class to start. Chuuya watched as his professor walked in and he started.

"Good morning class!"

"Good morning Professor Doppo!"

"I have a bit of an interesting one for you guys today." The blonde man used his clicker to change the slides. "For anyone who has not heard, a body was found today by a seven eleven, completely shriveled to almost complete decomposition. This body was of a woman, who was just seen yesterday."

Chuuya looked puzzled and he spoke up. "But how is that even possible? Decomposition takes anywhere from weeks to years. And where they found the body there isn't any crazy climate to speed up the process."

"I agree with you Nakahara. I am as puzzled as you. That is why I am giving you guys an assignment on this. I want you guys to group up in pairs of 2 to 3 and look into this. Come back with your findings early Monday morning, get to work. Class is dismissed."

*

The brunette looked down as he was kicking his feet from sitting on top of the building.

"Ugh! How annoying! This Granny has me working overtime like I'm some mere lackey! I'm the God of Earth. A fox for crying out loud!" He whined. "This is a ridiculous punishment for leaving the mountain..."

But he couldn't break this deal, not until he found them.

Are you sure this is what you want? Do you have any idea what will happen if you leave your mountain for that mere human?! She yelled disgusted by his choice.

He looked down. "I know what will happen... and I... I don't care. I'm okay with accepting the punishment and consequences Granny."

She tsked. "This punk! You ask me for a favor and are so disrespectful... I should cut out your tongue you sly fox... but very well. If this is what you wish... I will grant you this favor." She said as she raised her hand, and a gold band full of essence formed around her second finger and a band formed around the males as well.

"I grant you this wish, Dazai Osamu, God of Earth... but when the time comes you must repay your debt."

Dazai bowed down to her and he looked up. "I will repay this debt to you, Ozaki Kouyou, seventh sister of Hell."

Dazai sighed as he looked down. After all this time he still hadn't found him. He had seen many people that looked like him, but none of them had the fox bead. They all had his face, his hair, his eyes, his smile. But it wasn't him. Dazai didn't care how long he had to wait... he would... until he found his first love. When the brunette looked up his heart stopped as he looked down onto the street. He saw a small male walking, white button up shirt, white vans, and black pants. His skin was of porcelain, and he had fiery curly ginger hair, eyes as blue as the sky and as beautiful as the sea, and he had freckles dusting across his cheeks and nose, his hair was blowing in the wind and he smiled and when Dazai looked at him... he saw that smile that he had longed to see desperately. Could it be... was this the reincarnation... of his one true love?

To Be Continued...