A/N: It's been a while. I'm really sorry I wasn't able to update the 'Yume o Miru'. You know the reason, of course! School, definitely. Dammit. Hmm… I would probably be revising all of the plot of Yume o Miru… you know, changing Kazuki's sickness and stuff. More surprises coming… !i!i!i!ANIMO LA SALLE!i!i!i!
Warnings: For some of you, this is not new: there will be yaoi, or male/male relationships in this work of fiction. Don't say I didn't warn you. Flames and/or fucking-not constructive criticism regarding the yaoi topic will be tolerated.
Whoa, that sounded cliché. Hey, whddya expect from me, anyway?
Disclaimer: I sorta got this idea from a manga called 'Hotaru no Mori'. Uhm… some of the lines were also from the manga which was translated by someone from sakura-crisis . n e t. So don't sue me… na? GetBackers characters are not also mine, but I would be so much glad if the creator will offer me her work. ;P Also, the ending I got from Paulo Coelho's novel, 'Eleven Minutes'. I just sorta' edited it.
Summary: Sometime in your life… you meet someone…
llllllllllllllllllllllll
Sometime, Someone
By: StarryRainbow08 of FallinOutFallinIn
Once upon a time…
I was six when I first saw him.
During the hot summer, I was lost in the mountain of god where monsters live. I run around searching for the way out but I became too exhausted to move from sadness and fear. When I finally started to cry, he appeared in front of me.
"Hey kid,"
I looked up, and behind the trees was a man, wearing a mask. You know, the type of mask you wear during Japanese festivals.
"why are you crying?"
I got up to launch myself to him, not really caring if I know him or not. "You came to save me!!" I really don't know why he evaded me. It's a good thing I landed on the bushes.
"I am sorry. But you are a son of a human, are you not? I am going to disappear if a human touches me."
"You mean you're not a human? You live in this forest?"
"No, I am not a human. And yes, I live in this forest."
"Really?? You're a monster??? But what do you mean by disappear…?"
I tried to touch him. But he still evaded me…
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
On the fourth try, he hit me with a stick.
"You are ignorant, little child. Disappear… it means vanish. The god of this mountain cast a spell on me. If a human touched me, that is my end."
"I'm sorry."
"Hey kid, you are lost, right? Come on, hold this stick. I'll lead you out."
I was so happy that I immediately forgot what he said before. Again, I launched myself on him. "THANK YOUUUUUU!!!!"
Pak!
"This is like a date, mister!"
"This is not like a date at all. You are not scared?"
"Eh? Of what?"
lllllllllllllllllllllllllll
"Here we are. Go straight and you will find your way out. Goodbye."
"Are you always here? Can I see you again?"
"This is a forest of god where monsters live. Didn't the village people tell you to stay away from here? That once you enter, you can never return?"
I just smiled at him. "I'm Fuuchoin Kazuki. What's your name?" He just stared at me, looking like he was the one who was waiting for an answer. I was kinda scared… so I went down the stairs. "I will be coming tomorrow with a gift! Byebye!"
"I am Ban."
I was surprised. But when I looked back, he was gone.
"Kazuki!"
"Grandpa!"
"KAZUKI! YOU NAUGHTY BOY! You could've gotten lost in the mountain."
I held my grandfather's hand as we walked away from the forest-mountain. "Grandpa, is it true that monsters live in that mountain?"
"About mountain of god? Well… it's a legend. When I was a small child, I used to enter the forest with a friend. We never saw a monster, but we saw something move. In the summer, we heard music coming from the forest. I remember my friend, Iwa-chan… he told me he got lost in the festival that was held in this mountain. People never held a festival in those mountains. So we wondered… maybe it was held by the monsters. Ah… my younger days."
llllllllllllllllllllllllll
"Here you are. You really came."
"Whaaa! You waited for me!"
Whak!
"You almost hugged me again!"
As we walked around the forest, I noticed something strange. Someone was following us, or rather, something.
"Ban, is that a human's child? May I eat him?"
"No. He is my friend."
"Fine. Human, don't touch Ban. If you do, I will eat you!" It's voice was thundering, I was a little scared, of course. Who wouldn't? "Ban, are you a faceless monster? Why are you always wearing a mask?"
"Not big of a reason. It does not matter about me. Tell me more about you, Kazuki."
"Are you really interested, Ban?" I smiled.
"That is why I am here."
llllllllllllllllllllllllll
I came to the forest everyday to visit him. I spent the summer playing in the forest. Even though it was trivial, my days were full of happiness. One day I saw him sleeping on the grass. I was really curious; I want to see his face. I mean, the mask isn't part of his face, so I guess it should be okay to touch it.
"Ban, are you sleeping?" No response. So I lifted up the mask…
Huh?
He looked like a human. If I didn't know better, I would think he was one. All of a sudden, his eyes fluttered open. I smacked the mask on his face. "I'm sorry!!!!"
"Ouch! Attack me while I am asleep… you are such an ignorant kid."
"But you pretended to fall asleep…"
"My face was not a big deal, huh?"
I smiled. "Why are you wearing a mask, Ban?"
"Because without a mask, Kazuki, I don't look like a monster. Haha…"
"That's weird…"
llllllllllllllllllllllll
"Ban, starting tomorrow I can't come here for a while. I told you that already before right? I only visit during summer holidays. I gotta go home tomorrow." I was sad, definitely sad.
"Will you be able to visit next year?"
I blushed. "YES!"
Since then, I was excited about summer. Next summer, Ban has waited for me to come. The same summer arrived, again and again. Ban is respected by all the other monsters. They were able to touch him…
"Ban, please promise… never to touch me." Tears started to fall… "Please… promise me." then I broke down.
llllllllllllllllllllll
Next summer, and the summer after, I came to the mountains to see him. "BAN!! I'm back! See! I'm in middle school already!" Ah… my eyesight is getting closer to his. Compared to a human, he grows very slowly. Each year, I look different. But Ban… his face and body structure remained the same from the first time I saw him. One day… I'm gonna be older than him. Somewhere inside me, I had a slight wish that… he was a human.
"Kazuki… Kazuki…"
"Yes, Ginji?"
"It's slippery and dangerous there. C'mon, take my hand." I touched his hand…
Ban… I miss him… Ban… I wish I can touch you…
llllllllllllllllll
"That is your new uniform? Time passes so fast… Already in high school?"
"Yep!"
"Recently, you never try to jump on me."
"Of course not. You've hit me so many times… I'm really excited to graduate in three years. I'm planning to find a job near here so I can see you more often. You know, not only summer."
"Kazuki? I will talk about myself. I am not a monster but I am also not a human. I used to be a human's child, but my parents left me here in the mountains. Indeed at that time, my life was supposed to end. But the god of the mountain felt pity for me, so he let me live with his power. As I wish, I stayed here not able to die… like a ghost."
I looked at him intently, my heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Kazuki, you can forget about me. My body is very fragile. If a human touch me, the spell will lose its power. My existence is not true. So you should forget about me."
"Ban, like a snow, if I touch you, you are going to disappear. I was always thinking about you during the winter. Please don't forget… about me. Please don't forget about me."
One day, time is going to separate the both of us. But still, until then…
Let's stay together.
llllllllllllllllll
"Monster festival?"
"No Kazuki, it is Monsters' Festival. Can you come with me tonight? I always wanted to go with you."
"Yes, of course I want to go!"
"Okay then, eight o'clock at the same place. Don't worry, it is exactly like the humans' festival, although this time monsters pretend to be human. I will protect you."
"If you tell me that kind of stuff, I'm going to jump on you!!"
"Sure, you can if you want to. That is my wish."
llllllllllllllllll
"Wow, monsters really look like humans."
"Yeah, it is amazing. Sometimes, humans get lost here without knowing about it."
"Ooh Iwa-chan!"
"Huh? Anyway, tie this on your wrist. You might get lost."
"Whaai! This is like a date!"
"This IS a date."
So he led the way…
"Kazuki, I can't wait for summer anymore. When you are away, I want to go through the crowd of people just to look for you…" He then placed his mask on my face, then he kissed me on the cheek.
"The mask is for you."
I think next summer, he will never come back to this place again. I think this moment… is the end of…
"Watch out!" The kid almost fell on the river if it wasn't for Ban who caught him by the arm. I bid goodbye to the kid. But when I glanced back at Ban, his fingers were starting to disappear.
"Ban?"
Sometimes humans get lost in the mountain-forest.
"Ban! That kid was a human!" Gin looked at his hand then at me. Then he smiled… "Ba-"
"Come, Kazuki," then he opened his arms, wide. "now I can finally touch you." He held out his hands, and I immediately ran to him, removing my mask.
I was sad; and at the same time happy.
Sad because he was gone. And happy because… I was able to touch him… even just this once.
Then in a flash, he vanished to cherry blossoms.
"I love you, Kazuki."
"yes… me too."
I picked up the mask, then smiled sadly. A shade of green… this place… is a mountain of god.
"Kazuki-san…"
I looked up to see the monster who tried to eat me… many years passed.
"thank you. We wished to stay with Ban longer. But Ban… he was finally able to touch a human. He was finally able to hug a human. His wish was granted."
I smiled, once again. I think for a while… I will not be able to feel excited for the next summer to come. My heart will hurt and my tears will flow. But the warmth of my hand… and the memory of every summer that passed… will live with me forever.
And I believe that our story is like a fairytale. Which, hopefully, will be passed on for generations and generations… And someday, when I will tell the whole world about us… I will begin it like all how the fairytales begin…
Once upon a time…
oWaRi
llllllllllllllllllllll
A/N: So, how was it? Please, please review, na? Reviews give the author inspiration to write more. Constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated. Flames that have no sense will be my entertainment. Also, I just want the people to know… the sense of touch… it's very important.