Ikémen Sengoku: Transcriptioned Romances Across Time (Masamune)

Masamune Date POV Dramatic Days Premium Bonus: Welcome Back Chapter 13

One year ago, a freak lightning storm had caused Honno-ji to become engulfed in flames. We'd been rebuilding it this past year, and I'd turned the reconstructed temple into my base of operations.

No unusual weather. No changes.  Finished with my missive to Aoba Castle, I stepped out onto the balcony with a sigh. Kojuro and my other vassals were out on an errand. Shogetsu had gone with them. It's been just over a year since she disappeared.  

Even then, when I closed my eye, I could see her as she looked through the flames. The tears in her eyes. And each time I remembered her, my heart ached anew.

. . . 500 years away. I hope she's smiling.  

          Mai: "Wait for me! I'll come back! I promise!"

          Masamune: "I'll be waiting for you. I'll be waiting forever. And if we see each other again, next time, I won't let you go. I promise. Don't cry, Mai. I love it when you smile. Remember?" 

          Mai: "I remember--!"

I'll wait for you. Years. Decades. For the rest of my life. But it hurts not being able to tell if you're smiling or not.  If she was crying, I'd wipe away her tears, but from here there was nothing I could do. It was frustrating.

Masamune: "Mai--" I whispered her name into the wind. But like it always had this past year, my call went unanswered.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light. I shielded my eye with a hand--

???: "Aaaah?!"

Masamune: "Oww! What the hell?!" Something barreled into me from somewhere at high speed, sending me sprawling to the ground. All right, what was that?! Shogetsu, if that's you, you troublesome kit--  

Whatever had collided with me had landed on top of me, tangling me up in flailing limbs. I raised up my eye to see--

Mai: "Yeah, oww!" It's you?  Mai, who I'd dreamed of night and day, was there in front of me. Wha -- Why did you crash into me like that?!  The suddenness of it all threw me off. I knew I needed to say something, to tell her how happy I was to see her again--

Masamune: "After all this time, that's how you decide to greet me, lass?" Unfortunately, those were the words that had decided to come out of my mouth. No no no. What am I saying to her? This is all too sudden. I can't catch up.

Mai rubbed her head, slowly opening her eyes. Our gazes met and my heart felt alive again. She hasn't changed.    "You're just as reckless as I remember you."

Mai: "You're the reckless one, Masamune." Mai quipped right back at me, just like I expected her to. Then, with a trembling hand, she reached out to touch me. "Masamune, is that really you?"

Masamune: "Who else would I be?" She brushed her fingers tenderly all over my face, making sure I was real. I've dreamed of this so many times. Of seeing you again. Whenever I'd wake up, I'd miss you so badly the pain was unbearable. There was warmth in her fingers, just as there were tears in her eyes. Mai looked real, but-

I was too afraid to touch her. If this was another dream, I didn't want it to be over. "Is that rally you, Mai?" Don't disappear this time, all right?  

Slowly, I closed my fingers around her wrist until I could feel her. "I'm not dreaming either, am I?" I lifted her hand up to my cheek. I could still feel her. Her pulse beat strong. The tears glistening in her eyes finally spilled over.

Mai threw her arms around me and buried her face in my chest. 

Mai: "I knew you were still alive!"

Masamune: "Liar. Then why are you crying?" I prodded her with teasing words while returning her embrace. You really came back. 

 Now that she was in my arms again, I couldn't help but recognize her familiar scent, the warmth of her body. There was no denying she was real. Once I realized that, I started trembling.  ". . . I knew you'd come back."

Mai: "Liar. Then why are your hands shaking?"

Masamune: ". . . They're not." I really did believe you'd come back. I had planned to wait forever. I didn't doubt you. It's just-- I missed you so badly I thought it was going to kill me.  The sound of her breathing, the touch of her body against mine, the heat we shared--

All of these conspired to keep me from drawing a breath. Until I met you, I was sure I'd die one day in battle. But after you left, every day without you was so painful I really thought I was going to die.  "I missed you." It was all the words I could manage to rasp out, but they said everything."

Mai: "I missed you too." Tears trailed down Mai's cheeks and spilled onto my chest. Now I can finally dry your tears.  I caressed a warm drop away from her cheek. I'm never letting you go again.  

Masamune: "Mai." Every time I said her name, a day without her faded into memory. And I'll never leave you either.  With Mai back, I saw a future for us again. I promised myself I'd never let go of that future or her forevermore. "Welcome back."