It had only been two weeks, and Kei already hated it here. Summer break was meant to be spent in enjoyment, not suffering in some hick town up north. So what if Kei spent his summers holed up in his room, listening to music, reading, and playing video games. He could be doing worse things; Akiteru once spent his summer break totaling the family's car in a desperate attempt to impress some girl. Really, his family should be grateful that Kei was so mellow and quiet; this was an undeserved punishment. But alas, in his parents' eyes, it wasn't acceptable for the college senior to be spending another break indoors.

So now, as if he were a child being sent off to summer camp, Kei had been forced to go along with Akiteru to his girlfriend's stupid hometown. Not that Saeko wasn't nice, she treated Akiteru well and made him happy, but Kei did not want to spend his summer living with her and her insufferable brother. Not that he was given much of a choice.

The town itself wasn't too bad, it was small and quiet and neighbored a rather nice forest, it's just that the town was awful to live in. It was too far out from any major cities to have anything interesting, and its remote location meant cell signal was mediocre at best. The people were the worst, though. All nosey small-town types; everyone knew everyone else and didn't know when to mind their own business. They also all had these weird superstitions, still believed in nonsense like faeries and magic and reincarnation.

Kei knew he shouldn't be this bitter; he had no real reason to account for his sour attitude. His parents doted on him and Akiteru equally, Akiteru himself was a wonderful brother, and Kei was smart; well on his way to becoming successful. There had been no heartbreaks or dramatic girlfriends to cause his cynicism either. Akiteru thought the lack of girlfriends was the cause, but no matter what his brother said, getting laid would not change Kei's life outlook. He had always been like this, some part of his heart or soul or some other drivel seemed to have been hardened at birth. Kei could never seem to shake the insurmountable emptiness he felt, could never break away the ever-present protective shell. It didn't matter; he still hated it here.

There really was nothing to do out in the town, but anything would be better than listening to the younger Tanaka gush endlessly about his girlfriend, so Kei decided to take a stroll. All things considered, the place was pretty idyllic, in that charming storybook sort of way, and Kei found himself somewhat enjoying the walk. Already, he was familiar with the thin alleyways and winding side paths, so meandering about the town gave him time to think.

Something about the town made him restless, Kei realized. The strange missing feeling that he had grown to ignore over his life seemed to rear its head with strength a thousandfold on this place. It unnerved him, the way his own mind nagged and needled, telling him something was missing. Kei had never lacked for anything in his life, yet all instinct told him there was something he needed desperately but didn't have.

Kei was at the entrance of the forest path when he snapped out of his contemplation, and evening was fast approaching. His walk had taken the better half of the afternoon, and the setting sun lit the trees in a warm glow. Kei really didn't want to spend another 'family dinner' playing fifth wheel, and the instinctual tug in his gut was stronger than ever, so into the forest he went.

It was odd, walking down the forest path. Kei had never been all that appreciative of nature, but navigating these woods felt almost as natural as breathing. His feet carried him deep into the forest, following a trail of their own making. Kei should have been worried about getting lost, but the ever-present ache in his chest was dulling, so he cast his fear aside.

The forest was truly ancient; thick trunks and mossy undergrowth surrounded him at every turn. Strange mushrooms and tiny flowers adorned the gnarled roots of the trees, small specks of color amidst the brown. Something about the place radiated a familiar yet unnatural beauty, the colors too vibrant and the plants too perfect. It looked more like a set for some fantasy movie than an actual forest, yet it was all real.

It rubbed Kei the wrong way, how familiar it all felt. Every tree, branch, bush, flower, and toadstool screamed unwarranted familiarity. It was deja vu multiplied a thousandfold, compounding in on itself in a spiraling fractal of memories he never experienced. The rustling of the leaves and the soft chittering of birds filled him with the warmth of home and quelled the ever aching wanderlust in his soul. Kei navigated the forest on reflex alone, dodging upturned roots with more natural ease than he ever had when traversing his home city.

Each step felt like walking through a dream, hazy and beautiful in all the wrong ways. It made his hair stand on end, yet it still felt right? Why was it all so familiar? Kei's steady pace finally slowed when he came upon a clearing, deep in the woods. The sight set loose a seemingly unfounded pang of grief and loss in his heart. The place was nothing short of a blasted heath, charred trunks and gray soil spanned the area. Whatever fire that had done this didn't seem to be recent, yet nothing grew in the area so devoid of the green life around it.

The town had some myth about this place, Kei remembered. It was part of their ridiculous 'town history'. According to legend, which the people took as fact, this dead area had once been a towering and glorious faerie city, built upon towering trees and massive shelf mushrooms. When two lovers, one fae and one human, were discovered, the humans burned the place to the ground, and then executed the faerie and human lovers. It was said that life would never return to the forest center until the lovers were reunited in their next life to fulfill an unfinished promise. The whole story was such bullshit.

Still, Kei could see how some primitive civilization could think the place cursed. It was human nature to make up fantastical stories in order to explain unknown phenomena. Wrack his brain as he might, Kei could not think of a natural explanation for the lack of growth, though. Odd.

Wandering around the area, Kei found a great many interesting things. A barely legible page from a book in a different language was barely visible under a few crumbled stones. Kei felt as if he might be able to read it, but something told him he should not, so he left it alone and moved on. Half a shattered glass flask glittered at the base of a charred trunk, strangely coloured residue stuck to the sides, turning Kei off from picking it up. Heavily rusted Iron arrow and spearheads sparingly dotted the dusty ground. Faerie or not, some kind of battle happened here. It still didn't explain the dead patch, though.

The ruins were so well preserved that Kei could almost hear it happening around him. The whistle of projectiles and the clash of weapons, the sickening thunk of a sword contacting flesh, the terrified screams of children and bystanders. Kei didn't know why he imagined that last bit. There were no foundations here, nothing that could possibly signify human residence; there couldn't have been civilians in this battle. Still, the lingering ringing of the fight in his ears had Kei half-convinced that what he thought up was true. Whether it was or not, Kei's gut told him it was time to move on, and who was he to argue?

Doubling back and half tracing the path his heart knew to follow, Kei wandered upon a pond and a massive flowering tree. The flowering season was past for most trees, yet elegant purple blossoms hung from the weeping branches, clearly identifying the tree as a wisteria. The trunk was thick, gnarled, and pocked with more than a few nicks and scars. If Kei had to guess, this tree was the oldest thing in the forest.

Something about the tree and its pond soothed the ache in Kei's soul. The sense of deja vu was strongest here, but unlike the burned patch it caused him no pain. Even without wind, the wisteria blossoms swayed, sending petals spiraling to the ground. The water of the pond lapped at the plant-lined shore, creating a soothing song of nature. In the pond itself, underneath the lily pads and sparse duckweed, were swarms of beautiful fish, elegant koi, and tiny flashes of bright color. The picturesque area looked like it was torn straight from a storybook, the picture definition of a faerie grove. The idyllic, almost magical, nature of the clearing called Kei in with its charm.

As Kei made his way around the tree trunk, he saw a strange sight. There, covered in petals and resting against the tree, was a boy about Kei's age. He sat there, looking over the pond, with a wistful smile upon his face. And oh, what a face it was. Glorious suntanned skin, adorned with a generous smattering of freckles, gently sloped cheeks, and an adorable button nose. Silky green-brown hair just barely brushed slim shoulders as the boy turned to look at Kei head-on. Kei could drown in those eyes, wide and warm and so beautifully brown; Kei never wanted to look at anything else again.

Kei knew he looked stupid, staring like this, so he uttered a shaky, "Hello."

The pretty boy smiled, hiding a small laugh behind his hand. "Hello to you too. I don't recognize you from town, are you lost?", he asked, with a slight tilt to his perfect head.

"No, I'm new to the area. Just spending the summer here."

The boy smiled like the sun and held out his hand. "Do you want my name?"

Something deep in the back of Kei's mind bristled at the thought of giving anyone his name, but was soothed just as fast, he would give this man anything. "Kei, and yours?"

"Tadashi"

Miniature pinpricks of lightning shot up Kei's arm as she shook Tadashi's hand, a feeling so foreign yet so familiar. He knew Tadashi. The boy was simply too familiar, every molecule in his body screaming that he and Kei belonged together. It was like the hole in his heart had been filled, colors seemed more vibrant, and, for once, Kei felt emotions hit him full force.

"I don't mean to come off as rude, but do I know you from somewhere? It feels like we've met before." Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking up at Kei shyly through fluttering lashes.

"I don't think we have, but you seem familiar too," Kei muttered, almost more to himself than to Tadashi. He adjusted his glasses on reflex, suddenly feeling as if something was missing from his face.

Tadashi giggled again, "A past life, then," he said.

Kei couldn't find it in himself to tell Tadashi that reincarnation was a flawed and likely inaccurate life philosophy. For the first time in his life, Kei allowed himself to believe in some kind of fate, predestination, soulmates, if you will. He was destined to meet Tadashi, he could feel it; life would be incomplete otherwise. Kei had never felt so strongly about someone ever; what had come over him?

"Here, sit. The pond looks much nicer from under the wisteria." Tadashi took up his seat once again, patting the mossy ground next to him. Wordlessly, Kei sat.

They sat there for hours, conversing about everything and nothing at all. Never before had Kei felt so connected with another person, never had conversation come so easy. They sat until the sun sank below the horizon and the stars came out to play.

Amidst the thrum of cicadas, Tadashi scooted closer to Kei and looked up at him. "Let me know if I've read this wrong," he whispered reverently and brought his lips to meet Kei's.

The kiss was sweet and short, but for Kei, it lasted an eternity. Tadashi's lips were so delectably soft, and they moved so gently against his own. They only briefly separated for air before reuniting, one of Kei's hands cupping Tadashi's cheek, the other around his waist. Finally splitting, Kei drew back and gazed into Tadashi's eyes.

"Y'know, Kei? The forest is even lovelier at night, want to explore with me?" The question left Tadashi's mouth a little breathlessly, but the words were music to Kei's ears.

"I would love to. Take me on an adventure, Tadashi."