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It is said that when we die, we are reborn again in another body, another timeline, but in the same world, under the same old sun and moon.
To reincarnate means to never remember a single thing about your previous lives, but that's not the exact truth: as with everything else, there's always a trigger.
Rumor says if you encounter your soulmate again, your other half in each and every timeline, at the touch of your fingertips, you both get your memories back about your last previous life.
Now, Getou Suguru never believed in any of that. For him, this was a fairytale, a story that parents read to their children at night to make them believe about love (and less scared of death).
Yes, he read those kind of stories to his 9 year-old daughters, Mimiko and Nanako. Yes, he was reading one to them right now, but still he thought it was all bullshit.
While he was reading out loud, the girls convinced him to let them try on a new hairstyle on him, as well as put some glittering stickers on him. Being a softie for his daughters, for whom he would give up his life, he couldn't refuse their request.
"Dad! Dad! This hairstyle is gonna look so good on you! You'll look great, you'll see!", said Mimiko.
Suguru stopped reading and smiled softly at her.
"I'll look great all thanks to you, honey. Your hairstyles are the best in the world!"
Mimiko beamed.
"Really, dad?"
"Of course!"
At that moment, Suguru felt a small hand on his cheek. Looking down, there was Nanako, sticking her tongue out, focused, with her other hand full of Hello Kitty shiny stickers.
"Daddy, don't move! The sticker has to be at the right position on your cheek!", pouted the girl.
The man laughed fondly and bopped his daughter's nose.
"Alright, love. I won't move at all".
"Pinky promise?"
Suguru put his finger in position. "Pinky promise it is, then".
"If you break a pinky promise, I will be very very sad", warned the kid.
"When have I ever broken a pinky promise we made?"
Nanako grinned, hugging her dad's waist.
"Never, daddy! You're the best!"
Suguru laughed at that, patting her head.
"I taught you both not to lie. You two are the best, not me".
Both girls looked at each other, as if communicating through their minds. Then, they talked at the same time, as if they had reached an agreement.
"Well, then, we three are the best. You have to agree with us".
Suguru faked thinking about it, only to break into a grin and say softly:
"Alright, young ladies, we have come to an agreement".
The girls giggled happily at that and Suguru couldn't help but smile softly at them. God, adopting these kids was the best decision he had ever made.
Mimiko and Nanako worked mostly in silence for a while, until they grinned at their father and gave him a mirror.
"We're done!"
"What do you think?"
And that's how Suguru found himself staring at his own reflection. He saw three stickers on each cheek, his hair in a braid updo (and a lot of hairpins).
"Woah! I look amazing! My, my! My daughters are the most talented girls in the world. I'm the luckiest father alive!"
The girls giggled and threw themselves at Suguru, who hugged them back, giggling as well.
"We love you so much, dad!"
"I love you more, blessings".
Suguru stared at the fridge in disappointment. He sighed, as there was nothing he could use for a decent dinner. He guessed that a trip to the grocery store was a must.
The girls were watching some cartoons on TV, he approached them.
"Do you want to come with me to the grocery store or do you want to stay here with your cartoons?"
"We'll stay! But, please, buy those chocolate cookies!"
Suguru laughed at that, patting their heads.
"Alright, darlings. I promise I'll be back soon".
The girls nodded, entranced with their cartoons.
Suguru took a look at the clock and realised it was almost closing time. He would never make it in time if he didn't run to the store.
He kissed his daughters goodbye and ran, not realizing he was still wearing stickers on his face and hairpins on his hair.
It was at checkout on the grocery store when he realised something must be wrong, as the worker couldn't stop staring at him, as if entranced. Now, it wasn't the first time he got those looks but usually people tried to be more subtle. Still, he paid it no mind and walked out of the store.
On his way home, he saw a man his age from afar. He seemed... pretty. As they got closer, he realised the other man had flower stickers on his cheeks.
He tried not to laugh at the sight, he really tried, but he couldn't help it. It was as funny as it was endearing. He laughed out loud, almost to the point of tears.
Another laughter joined his, and he realised the other guy was also laughing, staring at him, which, for some reason, only made him laugh harder.
After a few minutes, they both calmed down, trying to regain their breaths. As if in sync, both men said at the same time:
"Kids, huh?"
This startled them both, who touched their own faces and then realisation dawned on both men. In their own hurry, they didn't realise they left home with whatever the kids had put on their faces or hair (or both).
Their cheeks reddened in embarrassment, but one look at the other and laughter could be heard once again.
When their laughter finally died down, they started talking. There was something that pulled them to each other, as if a string was tied around them and refused to be cut.
"Two daughters, aged nine. Yours?", said Suguru.
"A daughter, same age as yours, and a son, aged six".
"You're lucky you've got short hair. Otherwise, you would be the victim of so many different hairstyles, that one can't keep up".
The white-haired boy laughed.
"Well, the hairstyle you're wearing right now looks good on you. So I'd say your daughters did a great job".
Suguru smiled softly at that.
"They always do. But, hey, your kids did a great job picking the stickers, especially the Elsa one, it suits you".
The other man rolled his eyes.
"I wonder why you said Elsa. Could it be because of the white hair? How original!"
Suguru laughed at that.
"I changed my mind, all the princesses suit you. You seem as dramatic as Walt Disney himself".
"Excuse me? Drama is life, for your information".
"If you say so... I'm Suguru, by the way".
"Suguru? That's a pretty name. I'm Satoru".
"Satoru? Pretty name for a pretty boy".
"Are you flirting with me?", said Satoru, feigning shock.
Suguru licked his lips. It had been a long time since his last tryst, let alone a relationship, and the other man was handsome. Besides, something about him was pulling him in, as if he was the moth attracted to the flame Satoru was.
"What if I said I was?", grinned Suguru.
Satoru laughed at that.
"Then, I'd say you should invite me to dinner first", winked the white-haired boy.
"Deal".
"You're lucky I know you like kids and you're handsome. Otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed this fast".
"You're telling me you're not usually easy when it comes to men?"
"Yes."
"For some reason, I don't believe you".
"Hah? Now you're calling me both easy and a liar? You're mean, I'm considering whether it's a good idea to get dinner with you", pouted Satoru.
Suguru chuckled at his antics.
"We both know you're not considering anything".
"You're annoying, smartass".
"So are you, Elsa".
An indignant yelp came from Satoru's mouth at that nickname, which made Suguru cackle.
Satoru tried to stay mad, but something about the dark-haired's laugh softened him and, in turn, made him chuckle.
Regaining their breath once again, Suguru spoke.
"I gotta go, my daughters are waiting for me at home."
"Yeah, same", whispered Satoru.
Yet, neither of them wanted to move, they wanted to stay with the other.
"So, can I get your number, Satoru?"
"Sure, you can. Otherwise, how will I know when are we getting the dinner you promised or if you were lying, huh?"
Suguru handed over his phone to the other boy, so he could type in his number. When Satoru gave him the phone back, their fingertips touched.
At that moment, it was as if a crackling energy coursed through them. Flashbacks and memories went through them. They remembered everything: curses, deaths, Shibuya.
Tears were falling down both men's faces and when they snapped out of their trance, they stared as each other. Their gaze holding so much hope, love and longing, having found a long lost love.
"Satoru?"
"Suguru?"
Their names were said in voices soft and gentle. It was said as if the most precious thing in the universe.
"Yeah, yeah, it's me".
"We made it. We meet again, just as we promised".
Tears mixed with laughter, soft hands gently caressing a face.
"I knew we would make it".
"Okaeri, Satoru".
"Tadaima, Suguru".
On October 31st in the streets of Shibuya, two soulmates met again, their souls recognising each other, in another lifetime. This time, they could enjoy a long happy life and have the family they didn't get to have in their previous life.
Suguru Geto always thought reincarnation and soulmates were fairytales, but on October 31st, he discovered he was all wrong. They weren't fairytales: it was real.
A second chance life offered humans. And he was going to make the most out of this chance, along with his soulmate Satoru, his other half, his one and only.