Summer Nostalgia

Chapter Five: It's Been Long, Hasn't It?

Believe that time is always forever
And I'll always be here, believe it 'til the end
I won't go away and won't say never
Doesn't have to be afraid
You can keep it 'til the end.
- Clock Strikes; ONE OK ROCK

Chapter Five: It's Been Long, Hasn't It?

Too early.

Damn. His body clock is really broken now.

Ichimatsu groaned as he slowly woke up from his slumber. His purple eyes were met by the darkness of the room-- one that is already too familiar to him after four years of staying. He stood up, reaching for the candles for a little light that rested on the nightstand before his bed.

He mumbled quietly, "This place is a mess. Well, whatever." He took a thick book from his shelf: the one with the once elegant spine but was already aged by the years. Ichimatsu promptly went to a study desk that was standing at the north side of the place. He pushed the desk away as he sat on the chair that leaned against the wall—obviously not the conventional way of placing things but he liked that he can see whoever entered his room immediately.

Ever since he came here, Tougo strangely prepared everything for him—even this room. The king had told him that this was a former place of a perished reaper and Tougo was already longing for a new one to the others. That pretty much explained how he was given quite a special treatment when he first arrived in hell.

He opened the book exactly at the page that he left when he had read it yesterday. It was a habit that he and Todomatsu shared—they were both thirsty for knowledge. Sometimes, when the witch decides to hit the sack at his place, Ichimatsu would often find him in the middle of the night reading some books from his small library. Todomatsu would often ask him about random stuffs regarding his job and about how the races work. Ichimatsu would willingly teach him and give him extra knowledge that he experienced beforehand. In return, the witch would teach him some basic witchcraft. It's actually a give and take brotherhood between them.

Speaking of that witch, Ichimatsu hadn't been seeing him lately. It made him slightly worried, for he knows where Todomatsu probably had been these past weeks and it honestly irked something in him.

"Ichimatsu!"

The regarded reaper looked up to see the owner of the voice—a devil who's now running towards him. He raised an eyebrow. What the fuck?

"Ichimatsu!" Osomatsu called once again as he grinned. "Help me~!"

"And you're the very one who told me to learn how to knock," Ichimatsu muttered under his breath as he set down the book that he was reading. He removed his reading glasses as he spared a glance at the devil. "What is it, Osomatsu?"

The grinning face of the acknowledged devil was quickly replaced by a serious expression as he sat on the reaper's bed. "I need to get out of this place."

"Get out? What do you mean?"

"I need to go to the mortal world!" Osomatsu exclaimed hastily. "I need a reason—however petty it is. Help me, please?"

Ichimatsu looked at him boringly—his droopy eyes scrutinizing the whole being of the speaker. If Osomatsu was a stranger, he might've peed in his pants already due to the intense gaze of the reaper.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am," the devil indignantly spoke, pointing at his own visage as he stood up. "Do you think this face is not?"

"Osomatsu, you're never serious."

Osomatsu choke. "Excuse me? Well, this time, I am!"

"And why would you want to go there?" Ichimatsu inquired. "Give me a valid reason."