Chapter Text
Sakurai Sho was handsome, well educated, intelligent and very rich. He had everything but he was lacking tears. He couldn’t cry anymore after crying non-stop for the death of one of his friends. She had been brave and battled an illness for a long time but now the grim shinigami had come and taken her away.
Sakurai Sho had everything but he had no ikikata, no way of life. He just survived, went with the flow. Each day the same: wake up, work, drinks with acquaintances, back home, sleep. That is, if he could sleep because most nights he couldn’t, his mind filled with sadness, memories and things to do. His life was a constant wait-for-tomorrow. But tomorrow came and tomorrow left and nothing had changed.
His father’s company was in his hands. A few friends, no significant other and a mother who pressured him to get married and form a family as soon as possible. Sho didn’t want that. Maybe he wanted it a long ago, but now nothing made sense. His life was buried in mud, its roots clawing at the detritus.
That Sunday morning, very early, he woke up and went for a stroll on the beach. The ocean so blue and sparkly gave him a sense of peace. He was wearing a tee and shorts, he took his trainers off and put his feet in the water. It was cold but it filled him with warmth, something comfortable setting in his heart. He longed for that freedom he was seeing in front of him: the freedom of the ocean and the seagulls and the waves moving in their constant dance.
……………………………..
Masaki was asleep, as usual. The depths of the ocean his favourite spot. Something woke him up. The music coming from the island, it was epic music with a lot of fanfare but also very sad, like that of a troubled soul. His kind of mission. Masaki was a Water Traveller, a spirit that lived and travelled through water and was destined to help humans. Human souls produced music, like the Universe did, and Masaki was able to hear that music no matter where he was. He felt compelled to help those whose music touched him so he rose from the sea and walked across the sand towards that poor weeping soul there.
……………………………..
Sho was staring at the space in front of him, mind blank and sighing desperately. A husky voice startled him.
- You’re not killing yourself, aren’t you?
A naked man was standing by his side with a luminous smile on his face while looking at him.
- What the…? Are you a pervert or something?
The man shook his head.
- My name is Masaki and I’ve come to help you.
Sho sat on the sand to put his trainers back on with the intention of running away as soon as possible.
Masaki shrugged.
- I guess I need to find some clothes first.
Sho felt an impulse to start laughing hard at that moment. He didn’t know why and couldn’t quite contain a little smile.
- This is ridiculous. – He said. Then, he turned and stepped away from the weird man.
- I’m a Water Traveller, I’ll find you.
Those were the last words Sho heard while walking away from there. Once back home, he tried to forget what happened but phoned security to make sure the man wasn’t a stalker. That was the last thing he needed in his life. After showering and switching on the TV to really focus on nothing, he sighed and said to himself: ‘it’s going to be another long and lonely Sunday’.