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You received a gift today.
It came so unexpectedly that you almost missed it.
As the gift slowly unfolded in front of you, you were swallowed up by it before you could even react. And in the blink of an eye, you found yourself at the edge of the forest that you were so familiar with.
"Yakumo!" a brown-haired man appeared and eagerly took your hand. "You promised to take me to where you grew up, remember?"
"……Mr. Eiden?" you instinctively held him with trembling hand tightly and asked, "Didn't we already go there before? Do you want to see it again?"
"Huh? When did I go with you?" he widened his eyes in surprise and confirmed, "We decided to come together just last night, didn't we?"
"What?" his expression didn't seem fake, and you realized something was wrong. When you looked down, you saw that you were wearing the fancy ceremonial dress that you wore the first time you took him to the cave.
Could it be... you went back in time?
This realization make you feel like your heart was going to burst out of you chest with pure, unadulterated joy, and you excitedly hugged him and spun him around, letting out a joyful whoop "Mr. Eiden, Mr. Eiden! Let's go home together!"
"Okay, okay, we were already going home," he was dizzy from being spun around and looked like he was about to vomit, "Uh... but could you put me down first? I'm going to be sick..."
"Oh! Sorry!" you hurriedly put him down and asked anxiously, "Are you okay, Mr. Eiden?"
"Let me rest for a bit..." he paused for a moment, and then weakly asked, "Yakumo, You looks really happy…… Do you miss home?"
"Yes!" you smiled brightly and replied, "Mr. Eiden, I'm over the moon! I really want to go home with you!"
You couldn't control the urge to touch him by your side, even though he didn't look comfortable. He looked at you Indulgently, allowing you touch his arm.
"Okay! I'm feeling better now!" he suddenly grabbed you from behind, scaring you, and showed a sly smile, "Our snake demon, please take this human home!"
Passing through the forest, the scattered light and shadows falling on your body was a mesmerizing sight. You carefully guided him through the mud and tree roots until you finally arrived at your destination - the deep cave where you had been living for years.
The journey was shorter than you had imagined.
As you approached the place where no light could penetrate, your steps slowed down until you stopped at the entrance of the cave.
"Is this cave your home?" he tilted his head in confusion when he saw that you weren't moving.
"Can we rest outside?" you didn’t answer it, and pleaded with him.
"Of course!" he smiled with his eyes slightly curved, and his gaze was still as clear as a pool of water, flashing with enchanting light under the twilight. Even if he didn't understand your concerns, he always indulged your whims.
You found a spacious spot to sit down, cuddling and chatting softly in the gradually intensifying insect chirping. As night fell, the stars rose one by one, decorating the night sky.
The words slowly faded away in the magnificent starscape unfolded before you. As You turned your head and saw that he was already weary and dozing off, you stopped talking and began to sing a love song gently that was familiar to your heart.
In your singing, he gradually fell asleep while leaning on you. You stroked his fluffy hair, carefully tidying up the loose strands and taking in the scent of his hair.
Then, with devout affection, you planted a kiss on his cheek.
He was your destination.
There were the spring bouquet, the summer beach, the autumn sweetness, and the winter snowflake. There were the warm soup that you had stayed up all night cooking and the bittersweet chocolate that you had tried for the first time.
There were the satisfied smile that you gave him when he whispered sweet nothings in your ear, and the warm embrace that he gave you when you were feeling low.
The stars gathered together in the sky, each twinkling point of light containing him and pointing the way for you.
You counted his steady breaths and waited quietly, until the glittering points of light disappeared into the darkness with the passage of time.
Your seasons ended here.
You struggled to open your eyes, and the world around you was hazy and indistinct. It was difficult for you to move your massive snake body, which was covered in dampness that you couldn't shake off.
The forest outside the cave had become a desolate wilderness, with no signs of human activity in the area where you had gone out decades ago. Weeds had taken over the place, and the only sounds that echoed through the cave were the gentle sounds of flowing water and your own tender breathing.
You remembered that you had once gone out to see the stars.
That was the best gift you had ever received.
End.