Interlude

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

On a certain day, in a certain place, a small vehicle carried two certain individuals down a forest road. It was late at night, and only a dim pair of headlights separated them from total darkness.

"I'm sure we'll get to the highway eventually. Don't worry about it. We'll be touring around Kyoto in no time." Holding the steering wheel was a man in his mid-twenties, eyes focused down the road. Beside him sat a woman of similar age who leaned back in her chair, arms crossed.

"Well aren't we glad we took the scenic route, huh?"

The man laughed dryly. "I've gotta say, it sure is a little less scenic than I expected." Without putting much thought into it, he swerved to avoid a pothole in the road. "But I'm sure this will all be worth it. If not… at least it'll be a bonding experience!"

"You know if that's what we wanted, we don't have to go out to the middle of nowhere just for some time alone."

"Think of it like an… adventure, of sorts. We're explorers, searching these uncharted lands! Who knows what treasures we might find in realms hereto unknown by man!" The man took his left hand off of the steering wheel to gesticulate, flashing a smile towards the woman.

"Explorers? I don't remember signing up for—Watch out!" She jumped in her seat as she noticed the car was no longer entirely driving on the road.

The man picked up on this in an instant; his hand shot back to the steering wheel just in time to steer clear of a large tree beside the road. In mere seconds, although it felt like hours to both of them in the car, they came to a halt among the forest foliage. All the while, an awful screeching sound could be heard as the car interacted with an environment it was not meant for.

The two sat in stunned silence for a good second before either of them spoke.

"So… adventure, you were saying?"

The man waited a little bit for his breathing to slow down. "That was… not… the adventure I had in mind. Are you okay?" Upon receiving a nod from her, he quickly reached over to unbuckle his seatbelt. "Hold on." He threw open the drivers-side door and stepped out into the foliage. A path of mangled sticks and trampled grasses lay between the car and the road, but the first things he noticed were a large amount of dents along the side of the vehicle. "Oh. Oh, no…"

"So?" The woman shouted from inside the car. "What's it look like, Yusuke?"

Yusuke sighed and stepped back into the car with her. "It's looking like a lot of money, and I haven't even checked the underside yet." He leaned back into the seat. "But at least we're alright, aren't we Kaori?"

"So?" The woman sat up and looked him in the eyes. "What's the plan now, smart guy?"

"The plan…?" Yusuke looked around, surveying the area near the car. "Oh, Over there! There's a staircase! Maybe someone there can help us!"

Kaori leaned in to look where he was pointing. As he said, there seemed to be a stone staircase leading away from the road and up a nearby hill. "So there is… a miracle we didn't crash into it…"

"A miracle, yes!" Yusuke jumped out of the car and beckoned her to follow. "The gods must have meant for this to happen!" Reluctantly, Kaori opened her door and walked up beside him. When she got close enough, he grabbed her hand and bounded towards the staircase. "Come on, we shouldn't keep the gods waiting!"

"Again with your 'gods,' I don't know why you're so hung up on them. It's not like—"

"Our gods, Kaori." Yusuke lifted his finger in a scolding gesture, but it was clear from his face that he was less than serious. "Japan is the land of the gods, don't you know? And here, deep in the mountains, is where the real magic begins. Now come on, let's go see what they have in store for us!" He didn't leave her much choice, as he enthusiastically flew up the staircase, with Kaori trying her best to keep up.

"You know, it's not all about gods or fate." She said to him as they ran up the stairs. "I hope you haven't forgotten we booked a hotel in Kyoto, not here."

"And my car's busted, so this might be the best chance we've got." Yusuke replied just as they began to reach the top of the staircase. It was evident even before they got there, however, what exactly awaited them on top of this hill. Even in the darkness, both of them could easily make out the distinctive color and shape of a large crimson torii gate in front of them. "I told you, the gods are waiting for us."

"I… see…" Kaori spoke slowly as she took in the sight before her. This late at night, it was hard to make out many things, but she could clearly see the grounds of an old shrine. The main building looked to have seen better days and there were almost no remaining periphery structures. However, the stone beneath her feet showed signs of having been swept recently. "What a sad place…"

"But what if…"

Kaori flinched as Yusuke placed an arm around her shoulder.

"… it's not as sad as it seems?" He guided her a few steps towards the main building before stopping and pointing his free arm at it. "There's a god living right there! He's been waiting there this whole time, and he has brought us to his door!"

"He has?"

"He—or she, you never know—has! That's what I love about these places!" He turned to her and smiled widely. "No matter what, you're never alone!"

Kaori broke eye contact and looked at the main building. "You know, I think I feel bad for him." Yusuke looked at her quizzically, but he didn't say anything. "After all," she continued, "all that time in sweet privacy, then all of a sudden we walk in and ruin it."

"Aw, don't be like that! I'm sure he's happy to see us!" Yusuke let go of her shoulder and then ran towards the building. "Come on, let's try praying to him!"

"To who exactly?" She asked, but she knew she wouldn't get a satisfying answer the way this night was going. Still, despite her frustration and everything that went wrong, she found herself smiling. Maybe there was something to this 'god' after all, or maybe it was just that strange personality of Yusuke's rubbing off on her.

This was the first long outing she went on with the man, but it would not be the last.

All of that, however, is meaningless. After all,

Neither of them exist anymore.

Their world is gone.

Disappeared.

Destroyed.

Only

One

Thing

Remains.

A single flower.

Blooming in the dark.

Standing where others scatter.

A/N:

Long time no see, eh? It's been a while but I have finally gotten around to working on this story again. This little chapter here is just a short thematic piece; I wanted to remind you all (and myself) about where all this began. After all, the mystery of how this version of Yuuka was born still remains at large.

I'm also proud to announce the next full chapter will be coming in the near future, so stay tuned! I already have the first draft of The Yellow Chrysanthemum: Part II that you've all been waiting for. After I get that edited and posted I also plan to work on at least one more complete 20k word part before wrapping up this story. I had originally planned this story to have two more parts; while I can't promise that will happen, I will do my best to ensure at least one more part comes out to give some closure.

Thank you all for your patience and attention. I hope to see you all again very soon.