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Mori and Elise were enjoying the beautiful view of the cherry trees in their small boat when a soft breeze came by, making them avert their gazes suddenly noticing Mori's rival but also friend, he seemed to be enjoying the view as well as he walked between the trees.
Chuuya on his side, took seat on a bench near the river, he did buy a small bouquet of cherry blossoms but seeing them in real was a whole different story, the wind made the small petals look like snow, the sight was mesmerizing.
He still kept an eye on his superior in case anything happens but when he saw him join Fukuzawa, he wore a soft smile that quickly changed to a light chuckle, he could tell Elise was annoyed as Mori didn't seem to give her the attention she wanted anymore.
"Oh ! Looks like you don't have your hat today !"
The voice coming behind him made Chuuya turn around, finding someone he wasn't the most fond of. Fitzgerald was a foreigner but his company could still keep up with that of Mori or Fukuzawa, themselves heads of their own companies, he was ruining their business and Chuuya couldn't like him for that.
He wasn't the type to fake it as well, finding it hard to wear a fake smile but Fitzgerald didn't seem ready to leave, starting a conversation with the ginger instead who prayed for any god out there that something happens and he gets to leave.
Being in a shrine seemed of help as his wish soon came true, Kouyou who came with him but went on a walk on her own was back, she couldn't have a better timing.
From the look Chuuya gave her, she could tell he was pleading for help so she quickly joined them getting Fitzgerald's attention, she was good at putting on an act unlike Chuuya who used this chance to flee away and join Elise who was on her own glaring at Mori.
"I see you were left behind ..."
"Whenever Rintarou meets that guy, they get into their talk and forget everyone and everything around .."
"She's jealous .." Chuuya tried hard to hold back his chuckle taking her hand and going on a walk with her.
"Where should we go ?"
"Where we can write our wishes !!"
"I thought you already went there with Mori-san .."
"I did but he didn't show up !!"
"Who ?"
"You never heard of the Spirit who makes any wish come true ?"
Chuuya shook his head, getting both confused and curious about this Spirit, he walked Elise where they could make their wishes, listening as she gave him more details about the Spirit.
"They say that when you take the small wooden piece in which you're supposed to write your wish before you hang it there, you hear a voice whisper to your ear asking what your wish is, others got to see parts of it and said it was really fluffy but only few ones claimed they were able to see all of it, they said it was a Kitsune, a big fluffy Kitsune ! Now i really want to see it !!!"
"A Kitsune ?"
Chuuya looked around now that they reached their destination, he wasn't the kind to believe in gods and spirits but he wouldn't mind seeing one once in his life.
Elise took one of the wooden pieces then closed her eyes tight but opened them some time after, she seemed disapppointed.
"I didn't hear any voice ..."
"It's just a tale- or maybe the Spirit is resting today ... how about you write another wish ?"
"I already wrote one ..."
Elise pouted then looked down wondering what she should wish for but she completely forgot about it when she heard Mori calling her name. She suddenly pushed the wooden piece into Chuuya's hands surprising him.
"You should make a wish as well, maybe the Kitsune Spirit will grant it for you !!"
... and Elise was already with Mori, leaving Chuuya all on his own.
He looked down at the small wooden board in his hands then let out a sigh "What am i supposed to wish for .. ?"
"Whatever your wish is, i shall grant it for you so tell me ... what is your wish ?"
Chuuya felt a shiver run down his spine, he looked around and couldn't see anyone, it was exactly as Elise told him moments ago.
He shivered more when small clouds appeared out of nowhere, hiding something that looked like an animal till it landed right in front of the ginger who could see it properly now.
"It's the big fluffy Kitsune !!!!!"
Chuuya couldn't choose between being astonished or frightened, he never saw such a creature, the Kitsune was indeed big with it's nine tails, it was all white but the white fur gradually turned to blue as it went to the tails, it was ... "Beautiful ..."
Chuuya didn't realize he said this outloud till he did, quickly covering his mouth then looking around, he didn't know the simple word he said didn't go unnoticed by the Spirit.
"I need to call Elise-"
"If you call her i will disappear ."
"It talks- !"
"Of course i talk ! Who do you think asked you about your wish just now ?"
Chuuya shivered again then bit his bottom lip to calm down, figuring that he can just talk to it.
"You asked about my wish right ? Well my wish is that Elise gets to see you-"
"I can't grant your wish ."
"Why ?!"
"Because i don't feel like it ."
"But aren't you supposed to grant any wish ?"
"Oh so you know about that .."
The Kitsune walked closer and Chuuya shivered, stepping back but his feet hitting a rock made him almost fall, luckily there was a big rock behind him and he found himself sitting on it but the Kitsune was inches away from him now, he had no escape.
"Then do you know that this Kitsune appearance isn't my real form ?"
"N-no ..."
"Do you want to see my real form ?"
The Kitsune was moving it's tails, it seemed excited to show him it's real form that Chuuya couldn't say no, not like he wanted to anyway, he was curious as well.
"If you don't mind ..."
"But you need to do something for me first ."
"What is it ?"
"You just need to pet my head ."
Chuuya's curiosity won over his fear, he didn't hesitate to direct his hand on top of the Kitsune's head, brushing his fingers on the soft fur gently "It's fluffy ..." but he did let out a loud yelp when the clouds appeared again.
What he was touching was still soft but he could tell it wasn't fur, he didn't figure what it was till the clouds faded away. Chuuya had his eyes wide open, the Spirit looked like a man in his age now, he was on his knees, maybe dirtying his beautiful blue kimono, his Kitsune ears and tails were still there but Chuuya could see his hazel eyes now and his hand was touching no other than soft brown hair "He's handsome ..." Chuuya did keep these words to himself this time.
"Aren't you going to say anything ?"
"Ah- no i- .. you ... look big ...."
"You are the one who is a Chibi ."
This didn't fail to get on Chuuya's nerves, he pulled his hand back, not getting to sigh until the Spirit stood up and headed where everyone's wishes were hung.
"The little girl who was-"
"No ."
"-with me just now, she really-"
"No ."
"-wants to see you-"
"I said no ."
"But why ?? She was looking forward to meet you and felt sad when you didn't show up to her ."
"Like i care ."
The Spirit took some of the wooden pieces then sat down and crossed his legs, reading the wishes written on them throwing them aside once he was done with them "I want to get married this year- No. I wish i will do good in my exams- No. I pray for my parents well being- No. I want my crush to notice me- No. I wish ..."
Chuuya kept staring at him throwing away everyone's wishes one by one, his rage increasing little by little, but he still kept himself from talking till the Kitsune was done and decided to address him again.
"How about you ? What is your wish ?"
"My wish is ... that you get a little nicer because you are so rude and disrespectful !"
Chuuya was expecting the Spirit to get angry or at least retort but all he got was a chuckle from the other, he was confused as hell now.
"S-stop laughing !"
"No .. it's just that ... i have seen people make wishes for themselves or for their beloved ones but this is the first time i meet someone who wastes his wish on a complete stranger ."
"It's not like you could grant it anyway ."
"That's true, i can't grant it ."
Chuuya frowned, following the Kitsune with his gaze as the latter walked to the wooden boards still hung in there, touching them one by one, loving the pleasant sound each made as it touched the one beside it.
"All these people are so stupid, making wishes and expecting some Spirit to make it come true for them ..."
"You're the one who asked for their wishes-"
"I do, because it's fun like this !"
"That's ... mean .."
Chuuya clenched his fist, glaring at the Spirit who sat down again, looking up at the sky that was turning dark.
"What does that mean ? When you live for centuries you start to forget the meaning of some words .. or even, the feeling behind them ."
"Centuries .. ?"
Chuuya had both eyes and mouth open in awe, this was a Spirit, why didn't he even think of this earlier, he couldn't help but soften a little after he heard his words but this still didn't change his opinion.
"If you lived that long then doesn't that mean you only have all the time to make these people's wishes come true ? You may forget how it feels but .. isn't a smile better than tears ? You can at least tell that, can't you ?"
"You still don't get it ..."
"What do i not get ?"
"If i don't grant their wishes it's not because i don't want to, i just can't, i'm a simple Spirit how am i supposed to heal a sickened person or make a woman more beautiful ?"
Chuuya needed a while to process the other's words, finally realizing what all of this was about.
"So .. you're only doing this for fun ?"
"Good morning ! Even though it's night time ..."
The Kitsune stood up, walking around the ginger who still was sitting on the rock.
"You don't know what it means to live for centuries, you slowly start to turn mad and look for literally anything as long as it gets you out of your boredom, it just happened that now i decided to haunt this place and use these wishes to have some fun before i get bored of them ."
"That's- still not good, you're decieving everyone .. i bet you would find something more interesting somewhere else-"
"Oh that can't happen ."
"Why ???"
"Because once i haunt a place i can't leave it- well, unless under some circumstances ."
"So you can't leave this shrine ?"
"No. I can't leave this place ."
The Spirit walked around to show him 'his place' which was about only the space where the wooden boards were hung.
"You always have to stay in this small space ?!"
"This is what happens when i haunt something that can't move ."
"This is .. sad ..."
"How would you not go insane with that .. " Chuuya found himself holding tight on his kimono, the Spirit's words didn't fail to reach his heart, he was a softy in the first place, not like he would ever admit it though.
The sound Chuuya heard out of the soft breeze that suddenly came making all the wooden pieces hit each other made him remember the board Elise gave him, it still was clean so he decided to take it and write his wish as he could think of one now.
The Kitsune stared at him silently then followed him as he went to hang the board with the other ones, he didn't waste a second to read what he wrote and it was definitely something he didn't expect "I wish the Kitsune Spirit gets to leave this place and be free ."
"I do have a name you know ... i'm not called the Kitsune Spirit, it's Dazai Osamu !"
Dazai wore a pout at Chuuya's gentle smile, both because of the name and for something else that he made sure to bring up.
"And your wish ... it isn't for me to grant, right ?"
"Well .. you said yourself that you can't grant any wishes ... but how could you tell ?"
"I can't touch your board ."
Chuuya saw how Dazai's hand went through his board but was able to touch the other boards which surprised him.
"Why ???"
"Because i can't touch anything that isn't meant for me, just like i for example, can't touch you ."
Dazai was about to hold Chuuya's elbow when his arm went through the other's body, making him back away, a little frightened.
"So if it's something meant for you, you can touch it ?"
"Yes, just like if right now you think it's okay that i touch you, you will feel my hand on your cheek ."
Chuuya didn't wait to try it, shutting his eyes tight to focus on the idea that Dazai can touch him and what the Kitsune said happened, he did feel his hand resting gently on his cheek but when he opened his eyes, he didn't know what to think of what he saw, Dazai was looking at the hand that touched him seconds earlier, his eyes were wide open, almost tearing up.
"You have no idea how long it has been since i last felt a person's warm skin against mine ..."
"But ... why ? I mean .. i don't know much about Spirits but it just feels too complicated .."
"It's a curse, that's why .. the gods put a curse on me ."
"Why .. ?"
"Because i didn't die as i was supposed to .."
Dazai knew Chuuya would ask him about his death, something he didn't want to talk about so he quickly changed the topic.
"Now that i think of it ! The wish you wrote on the board, i can grant it !"
"I thought you couldn't grant any wish-"
"But you need to give me something-or actually two things ! First is your name~"
Chuuya gave him a suspicious look but still went on with his childish game, wanting to know what a Spirit may want from him.
"It's Nakahara Chuuya ..."
"Chuuya ? That's a girly name-"
"Just say what else you want !"
"What do you have that you can give me right now ?"
Chuuya looked around him then sighed as he handed him the only thing he had on him.
"I only have these cherry blossoms with me, are they enough ?"
"It's not like you have anything better so i will take them .."
Dazai's pout annoyed the ginger. Chuuya still had no idea Dazai was about to treasure these cherry blossoms for the rest of his eternal life.
"Well .. i guess i will leave then, and make sure to stop making fun of everyone and haunt something else ."
"I sure will !"
Dazai waved at him while wearing a big grin and holding the flowers close to his chest. When he couldn't see him anymore he went back to the boards with the wishes, he had to make proper farewells with this place, it was his last night in there after all.
☆
It was morning when Chuuya tried to move to the other side of his futon to have some more sleep, it was his weekend so he allowed himself to do at least that but he did fully wake up when he felt something beside him.
Blue orbs locked with hazel ones, hazel eyes of a Kitsune Spirit laying beside him on his futon, Chuuya swore he woke everyone in the village with his loud yelp.
"What are you doing here ?!!!!!!"
Kouyou who was already awake, hurried to Chuuya's room to see what happened but she just found him out of his futon, looking shocked.
"What happened ?!"
"N-no .. nothing ... it was just a nightmare .."
"Are you sure ??"
"Yeah, don't worry ..."
"She can't see him ..." Chuuya thought at Dazai standing right beside Kouyou analyzing her then glaring at the door after she left.
"She better be your mother or your sister or it won't end well for her-"
"She's my sister and what do you mean by that- or wait ! You still didn't tell me what you're doing here !"
Dazai felt at ease after knowing she was his sister so he let himself lay down on his side and get comfortable in a room that wasn't his.
"I'm just granting your wish ."
"What do you mean ??"
"You wished that i leave the shrine and get to be free so here i am~"
"You still didn't answer why you're here out of all places !"
"Because to be free i need to haunt a human so i just decided to haunt you~"
"W-what ?!"
"Now that i haunt you, i can never leave your side, even when you shower or go to the restroom ."
"W-what are you taking about ?!"
"Well then i will be in your care from now on~"
Chuuya wasn't ready to just accept his cruel fate, he got closer to him, still processing everything the Kitsune just said.
"But why me out of all people ?!"
Dazai noticed there wasn't much space between them so he leaned in, resting his lips right on top of Chuuya's who couldn't feel them since he didn't think that he wanted Dazai to touch him and if anything, he was more than confused now, not knowing Dazai tried to kiss him.
"Why you you asked ? Oh well ... that is one secret i let you find out during all the time we're going to spend together from now on~"