Oni to Musuko

A story told long ago, the story of a kindhearted ogre and a young village man. In a forest, on the outskirts of a small village, there lived an ogre and in the village, the young man.

A knock on the door cause Kaito to open his door, shocked to find a man with long purple hair and bandages over his eyes.

"Please, I'm lost, will you take me in for the night?"

"O-Of course, come in." Kaito moved aside, watching the man enter. "Are you out here all alone?"

The man nodded. "I went for a walk and before I knew it I was here." He stopped and turned to face Kaito. "I'm Gakupo." He held out his hand and Kaito gently shook it, being careful not to scratch him with his claws.

"I'm Kaito... Where are you from?"

"I'm from the village on the edge of the forest."

"Really? What's it like there?" Gakupo chuckled at the interest in Kaito's voice.

"How about we sit and I can tell you about it." Kaito nodded and gently took Gakupo's hand, leading him over to some bamboo mats to sit. After Kaito had made them a meal, Gakupo began to talk about the village, traditions, and what everyone was like. As the night went on, Gakupo became tired and Kaito lead him to his own sleeping mat before going back to the living room to sleep on the floor.

When the sun rose the next day Gakupo woke and went to tell the blue ogre thank you and to leave.

"I'll come back again, good-bye for now." He smiled at Kaito and started to walk away.

"You can't! It's too dangerous!" Kaito called after him but Gakupo was too far away to hear.

~

Gakupo walked to the edge of the forest and jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, it's only me." Kaito said softly, causing Gakupo to smile. "I want us to meet here, I don't want you to get lost trying to get back to my house."

Gakupo smiled his thanks and they sat and talked. They met up day after day, Gakupo always asking. "And again tomorrow?" Kaito could never say no.

One day the village council called for the young man and told him:

"The one you meet with is no man, he is a monster."

Gakupo knew by now that Kaito's nails weren't long, they were claws. He had figured the man he met with was an ogre so he feigned fear and lied. "I was with a scary beast?! How frightening!"

The council saw through his façade and one day went out to meet Kaito before Gakupo could. They chased him back into the forest and cornered him. Kaito turned to them with wide, terrified eyes.

"Swear to us you will never meet with that young man again. If you do, we'll chase you down and make sure we're rid of you forever."

"I swear to never meet with him again." Kaito vowed in a depressed tone.

Kaito went to go see Gakupo one last time after that, taking his hands in his own.

"I must go, I'm afraid I'll never return." Kaito pulled away from Gakupo, letting his hands slip free from his own.

"No!" Gakupo cried, reaching out to him. "Please don't go!" Kaito glanced back at Gakupo and, upon seeing the purple-haired man's tears flowing from underneath the bandages, began to cry himself.

Gakupo was pure and innocent, unaware of the bad in the world around him, so he continued to wait until the day Kaito would return to him.

~

Kaito sat outside his house, playing a shamisen. It had been three years since he last saw Gakupo and he was all the ogre could think about. Kaito looked up and stopped playing when he heard rustling.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" A familiar voice called out.

"Gakupo? Can you hear me?"

Gakupo turned and ran the rest of the way to him, the bandages gone and revealing bright teal eyes. Kaito caught Gakupo in a hug and held him close.

"I won't let you say goodbye."

"I don't plan to ever say goodbye."