Absent Love

Chapter Three

As if turned out, Karamatsu had simply wanted to retrieve his guitar, which was the only portable thing he had to remember his parents by.

After Ichimatsu led Karamatsu to his shrine, the tengu made himself at home in no time, sipping on green tea as he strummed on his instrument. He still looked crushed over the death of the humans he loved, though he was coping just fine.

"Stay here," Ichimatsu sighed as he pulled out several books from a small bookshelf in the shrine. He dropped the books into a large tote bag, groaning a little from the weight. "I have somewhere to be."

"I'll be waiting," Karamatsu replied, setting his guitar aside. "Would if be alright if I took a nap?"

Ichimatsu let out a quiet 'tch' then replied, "I don't care what you do. Just don't leave unless I say you can." And with that, the nekomata hurried out of the inside area of the shrine.

One hour later...

"My dear! My love!" Karamatsu cried out, throwing himself on a person's hospital bed. The person was blurred out within the tengu's dream, remaining anonymous. "Please...don't leave me again!"

"I have someone else I love," the figure replied. "I thought you- of all people- would be able to understand that. I was wrong to ever think you would change. You're still the same idiot I met ten years ago. Your existence means nothing to me. Scram. Get out of my sight, please. You're making me feel worse."

Tears in his eyes, Karamatsu dizzily stumbled to his feet, giving his beloved one a final look.

"I always thought you were kind," Karamatsu spoke. "I always thought you cared for those who needed care the most. But, just as you, I was wrong as well. I was wrong to assume you would ever love scum like me back...I'm sorry...please forget I ever visited you today. Have a good life."

"I will," the person replied, their voice growing monotone. "if I make it."

"If you die, I'll commit suicide," Karamatsu threatened as he exited the hospital room, slamming the door behind him.

Just outside the door, Karamatsu sank down to his knees, covering his face as he burst into tears.

"This isn't right!" he cried out, feeling himself slowly being sucked out of his dream.

Karamatsu jerked up off of the tatami flooring within the shrine. Sweat dripped down his forehead as his heart pounded wildly.

"I know that person..." Karamatsu thought, his mind going in a million directions all at once. "I remember that day...I remember..."

The tengu scratched his head, beginning to worry. He was quite irritated, being unable to recall whom his past lover was.

"If I could just remember...perhaps...if I'm lucky, my life will be complete. If I could just remember who they were...I could...finally rest peacefully. My lifelong wish would be fulfilled!" Karamatsu thought, sitting up as he heard the door to the shrine slide open.

"I'm back..." Ichimatsu mumbled, throwing the bag, which was previously filled with books, onto the floor. "Sorry it took so long...I'm glad to see you're still here..."

"A-Ah..." Karamatsu choked. "I just woke up. Welcome back."

"Did you sleep well?" the nekomata asked, his voice just as monotone as usual. "This isn't the most comfortable place, I admit..."

"I slept well," Karamatsu replied with a smile. "But, where did you go for so long?"

"A friend," Ichimatsu snapped. "Just a friend."

"That's not the type of question to get angry over..." Karamatsu thought to himself. "But I suppose Ichimatsu is the type of 'person' to get angry easily."

Months later...

After having spent a great deal of time with Ichimatsu, Karamatsu began to notice things about the nekomata that mirrored the person he continued to see in his dreams.

The two had grown very close. Ichimatsu often allowed Karamatsu to use his lap as a pillow, running his fingers through the tengu's hair as he rested.

But as time passed on, Karamatsu felt the need to tell Ichimatsu how he felt about such things.

"Maybe he'll understand..." the tengu thought to himself. "Maybe...just maybe he'll allow me to pass on into a new life..."