Inspired by: Trampoline by SHAED

Munto laid on his bed. The quiet night soothing and cool on his skin. He had no desire to sleep. Not tonight when he held in his hand a most precious gift. A simple chain with a red jewel dangling from it. Yumemi's parting gift.

Leaving her on her parents' doorstep, Munto felt quite hollow. Yumemi saved their worlds and he barely knew her at all. Her memories imprinted upon his mind did not count. It was a cheat. Horribly invasive and he'd have rather her confide in him such dark times. He'd rather know her favorite color was pink because she told him or he'd seen her choose the color enough to guess. That she'd been ecstatic at Chikara's birth and loved him both in spite and because of his annoying tendencies because she told him. Because he got to watch them interact, observing their affectionate rivalry. He wanted to know her over walks in the gardens and her trying Akuto fruits. He wanted to put in the work.

Munto did not lie to himself and say he wasn't smitten. Yumemi grew more beautiful in her maturity. Her stubborn determination and selfless innocence were to be cherished. The timidness of their first meet unseen upon the second.

He could admit in the quiet night, a part of his heart remained with her. Dark thoughts of her plagued him for the last year. New thought plagued him now. Small moments of her smiles, her laughter, the raw determination. Earlier, his chest felt hollow. Truly, his heart left behind with somber, but hopeful green eyes. The chain intertwined with his fingers brought a fire to his gut. One he hadn't felt before. For the fire shot upward to his heart, beating it fast. A sign it indeed remained right where it should be.

How could one feel so alight with fire yet cool as the breeze? Goosebumps rose across his flesh but he felt no chill.

Such a feeling was sublime to him. Foreign but beautiful. Entranced, he brought the jewel to his lips and thought of nothing but pink and cherries and emeralds. What bliss to live in.

A numb part of him called this happiness. A different part called it death. He didn't care.

No stress lined his face. Only the gentle curve of a smile. He knew tomorrow night, if at all possible, he'd return to this trance and beat life into his heart with sweet memories of her. Fleeting as they were… but perhaps, there would be time to collect more in the future.

Munto chuckled, an unforgiving sound. All this? Folly. But, a beautiful folly.

He could live with that.