Natsukusa ni Kimi wo Omou

"Rein!"

Rein turned around upon hearing that familiar voice, the voice she loves the most. She craned her neck, eyes deliberately searching for the young man. It has been seven years since she last saw the child.

"Shade?" she called desperately. She heard a chuckle and a pair of hands wrap around her from behind.

"Hi, Rein…" he whispered in her ear. Rein shook her head, trying to stop the tears threatening to fall.

"Idiot." she mumbled. The mountain yokai turned around and hugged him back.

"I missed you," he beamed, pinching her cheeks.

Rein looked up at him and noticed some differences. Aside from his silky, baritone voice, he has grown taller, facial features more prominent, eyes a hue darker, and skin a lot smoother.

She frowned. "You're taller," she remarked, throwing a weak punch on his hard chest.

Shade chuckled and lightly flicked her forehead. Rein pouted and pressed a palm on her forehead, hoping the light pain would stay longer.

"Ah, Rein! Look at me!" he exclaimed.

Rein moved closer and scanned him from head to toe. "Is that your uniform?" He's wearing a black gakuran tsume-eri.

"Yes. I'm now a sophomore in middle school," he informed.

"Middle school?" she looked puzzled.

"Ah, sorry." He momentarily forgot that the yokai is clueless about the things outside the mountain. "It means I'm all grown up and just a few steps away in becoming an adult," he explained, scratching the back of his neck.

"Really? Congratulations, Shade." Rein clasped his hands and giggled softly.

A faint blush scorched his cheeks. "That means I can finally catch up to you," he mumbled.

"What is that?" Rein leaned closer to his face. With her eyes staring at him, he just couldn't find the will to confess.

Shade averted his gaze. "N-nothing. I was talking to myself," he smoothly lied.

"Oh, that's not a good thing to do." Rein had a worried look on her face.

Shade laughed. "Well, school is a bit depressing."

"Are you still learning those difficult numbers?" Rein asked.

Shade mulled over her words before answering. "No. I like numbers now. I've been at the top of my class, especially in Mathematics." he bragged.

"Mathematics?" Rein muttered, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"It's the subject of numbers," Shade enlightened, brushing his thumb on the crease between her eyebrows.

"I see. Are you friends with mathematics now?" She asked, clueless that a subject does not refer to people.

"Eh? Ah, well you can say it's like that." Shade answered.

Rein sighed in relief. I see. Shade has already made friends with people outside the village. "You changed a lot, Shade. I can feel it." she observed.

Shade sighed. "Let's stop talking about me. Look at you…" he paused to look at her.

He grabbed her hands and closed the gap between their bodies, causing Rein to feel uncomfortable. The lower half of her furisode slightly rode up as he pulled her hands up. His eyes explored her face, searching for changes.

He frowned in disappointment. Except for the now run-down furisode, nothing else changed.

She still had those eyes as clear as the sea, drooping eyelashes, pale skin, long blue tresses, and dry lips. The mountain yokai felt more uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

"You haven't changed a bit, did you?" he remarked, releasing her hands.

Rein scanned herself. "Well, that's my life as a yokai." she sheepishly grinned.

Shade was reminded again of their status. As a child back then, he didn't know that matters like this would haunt him in the future. But he didn't give up on her nonetheless.

He pulled her again to a tight hug.

"I love you, Rein. My feelings for you never changed," he confessed, burying his nose on her hair. He could smell the faint scent of the summer grass. A few leaves are dangling on her hair.

"How about you?" he whispered with so much longing. He reluctantly pulled away to see her face.

"I told you, nothing changed," Rein simply answered with a warm smile.

That's all? Shade was saddened by her response.

The mountain yokai, noticing the uncomfortable silence between them, took the message to pull him out of there and go somewhere else.

"Let's save the topic for later. Shall we go?" Rein stretched her hand which Shade held like a lifeline.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked.

"Anywhere as long as I'm with you," was his quick reply.

"Okay. Summer grass it is," she beamed.

Shade remembered the memories they shared in the summer grass. It felt like they all happened just yesterday. "Are you still going there?"

"Everyday." she mumbled softly, smiling.

"Have you ever thought of leaving the mountain?" he asked.

Rein felt the light tug on her hand, causing her to stop on her tracks and look closely at him. "No. Why?"

Shade shook his head and muttered, "That means… you're always alone here."

"I'm not alone. You're with me," she clarified, freeing his hand and sat on their usual spot in the summer grass.

"But that's just in summer," he opposed, occupying the space beside her.

"It's okay. That's my life as a yokai," she droned, resting her head on his shoulder.

Life as a yokai, huh? Shade felt like tearing up. He knows he can never be with her but he refused to believe it.

"Can I hold your hand?" he whispered in her ear. Rein lifted her head to look at his eyes. They look more beautiful now that he has grown up.

"You don't have to ask…" she smiled warmly, staring at their encased hand. His warmth is so comforting, removing all her fears and doubts.

Rein caressed his face and pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Happy birthday, Shade…"

They watched the sunset and talked until darkness enveloped the mountain. Rein summoned some light orbs to guide him down the mountain.

"You should go home, it's getting dark," she urged as she lied beside him and basked under the moonlight.

"A few more minutes, let me stay here, please. We don't know if father allows me to go here next summer." Shade pulled her closer, placing her head on his chest.

"I'll miss you." she whispered, her hands playing with his hair. Shade inwardly smiled and felt calm in her light touches.

He suddenly felt his phone vibrate. He didn't have to look at the caller ID to know that it's his annoying little sister.

"Hello, Onni-san? Where are you? Father is really angry right now…" Milky frantically spoke on the other line.

Shade exhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm going back. I just visited the mountain," he grumbled.

"Mountain? What are you doing there?" Milky shrieked.

"Visiting my girlfriend." he flatly spoke and ended the call.

The young man leaned towards the mountain yokai and kissed the bare skin between her neck and shoulder. "See you next summer, Rein…" he whispered to her ear.

Rein's eyes fluttered open. He's gone.

See you next summer, Shade.


Three summers had passed without Shade by her side. The mountain yokai did not expect that her heart would long for him so much. The other yokai would only send her pitiful glances.

That's why when he returned, she knew her heart does not belong to her anymore.

"Congratulations on graduating, Shade!" Rein clapped her hands. Shade had a hard time hiding his flustered face. Several people showered him with various praises, but her compliment is the only one that counts.

They sat in their usual spot in the summer grass, shaded by the huge tree.

"Ah, Rein. I've brought you a new kimono." Shade rummaged his bag and pulled a white box. Rein moved closer, watching him open the material.

"Oh, it's so pretty," she spluttered as the delicate fabric draped on her skin. It's a light blue yukata embroidered with patterns of white camellias.

"I noticed that you're wearing the same kimono since I was five," he remarked, helping her tie the obi.

"Ah… now that you've said it," Rein giggled softly, pulling her hair up, neatly tying it.

Alluring in an understated way, she looked ravishing in the traditional Japanese clothing. He knows the mountain yokai was always beautiful… but not this beautiful and attractive.

Shade couldn't fight the blush creeping on his cheeks. "You look beautiful…" he swallowed, suddenly feeling his throat constrict. Rein felt blood rush on her face as well. The atmosphere turned abnormally warm.

All these years, they longed for each other. It's normal to get all flustered, right?

She occupied the space beside him and looked at the glistening river. Shade couldn't tear his eyes off the now exposed skin which was always covered with her long hair. He cleared his throat, which suddenly went dry when she shifted in her position and leaned her face closer to his.

He averted his gaze and propped his chin on his palm. "Rein, when we get married, will I become a yokai or you'll become human?" he asked, surprising the sun goddess.

"That… I don't know." she mumbled softly, dropping her gaze on her lap.

Shade sighed and leaned back on the grass. "Am I the only one who will get old?"

Rein looked up and mulled over his words. "I also don't know…" she confessed.

He propped an elbow and kissed her arm. "Can I hold your hand?" he whispered.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sudden request. She answered with a nod, not trusting her voice at the moment.

Shade carefully took her hand and entwined their fingers. He noticed some purplish scars covering the upper part of her arm.

"Rein? What is this?" he asked, examining the curse marks. He took her other hand and saw that it's covered with curse marks as well.

Rein gasped. "I-It's nothing…" her words dropping to mumbles. She reluctantly pulled her hand out of his grasp and looked away.

He wrapped his arms around her and noticed that she's quivering. "Rein… look at me." he instructed.

With her eyes shyly looking at him, cheeks scorched with a faint blush, and lips pulled to a pout, it was just too much to bear.

"Wha—" she started but was cut off when Shade pressed a firm kiss on her lips. As her lips parted, he took the chance to kiss her more passionately, putting all of his undeclared feelings in that one heated kiss.

Rein felt something sharp stabbing her heart, intolerable pain coursing through her veins.

They gently pulled away, both in need of air. He was shocked to see her extremely pale face.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you that much…" he apologized.

"It happens to all of us yokai…" she said, showing the curse marks covering her arms. "So, don't worry about it," she assured.

Shade sighed in relief, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "Yeah, it's your life as a yokai, right?" he grumbled. She laughed softly.

"Rein?" he began, caressing her cheeks.

"Hmm?" she lifted her face and smiled.

"Will you go to the festival with me?" he asked, eyes pleading.

The mountain yokai removed the hands caressing her face. "Shade, you know that I can't leave the mountain…" she reminds him.

"Just this once…please? Besides, it's our birthday…" he requests.

"Okay." she mumbled. The other yokai were upset at her reply but their glances were not left unnoticed by Rein. Glances that were saying…

She's so pitiful.