Archive of Our Own

“There’s a legend that if you climb that mountain, before you reach the very peak, a god lives there. That is the thickest part of the forest, the darkest and scariest, and  within that forest, there are roots that reach beyond that point, surrounding the mountain; thick branches that easily get in your way, all hiding a small shrine that nobody had visited in centuries. They say that the harder it is to find, the more powerful the magic and thus, if you are able to make an offering worthy of that God, then your wish will come true better than you ever thought it would.”

Isagi huffed and puffed, his legs turning into jelly with each step. The path up the mountain was tiring and littered with sticks and leaves as if it hadn’t been trekked in years but it was even worse trying to go through the thickest part of the forest. He had seen the clearing of the peak and before heading there, he made a turn to a path that split off from there, heading to another part of the forest. It was darker in there despite the fact that it was still day and the weather was clear but Isagi continued forward, trying to keep his feet stable as he took each step forward.

He didn’t know how long he had been walking, the forest neverending. From the bottom, the mountain didn’t look that big compared to Mount Fuji but the reality was different. It felt like he had been walking for hours, the little sense of direction he had was completely gone. If he turned now, he wasn’t sure he would even make it out alive at this rate.

But he couldn't give up.

And then finally, he found it.

It was a small shrine, covered in moss and vines, made of stone so he almost missed it. Isagi stared at it for a bit, holding onto the strap of his bag, wondering where to put the offering he had. However, it didn’t feel right for him to offer something and ask for a large wish when the shrine was in this state.

He had heard that this shrine hadn’t been visited in a long time and unfortunately, it showed. No one seemed to have been taking care of it, which made it even sadder. Was this God so minor that no one knew about them or remember them? There must have been someone who cared for it, considering it was still standing after all these years.

Isagi knew what he had to do.

He placed his bag down and started pulling at the vines. Some were harder to get off but he managed somehow. With the moss, he grabbed a handkerchief he had in his pocket and started wiping but only left streaks of dirt in its wake. Isagi frowned at his attempt to clean it. He took out a water bottle from his bag and poured out some of its contents then wiped it with the bottom of his shirt as his handkerchief was already dirty.

“Well, this is as good as it’s going to get for now.” Isagi muttered as he took a step back from his handiwork. It wasn’t much. The stone was stained with dirt that only blended with it from years and would probably need something like a brush to scrub off. However, it was considerably less green than before.

Isagi reached into his bag once more and took out a container. Inside, he had some mochi, some fruits and a bottle of expensive sake. Even as he stared at his offerings, he was sure it wasn’t enough but it was the best he could do at the moment. He didn’t have much money and this was his last hope, even if it was one that was a bit more supernatural.

He just hoped that the god could sense his sincerity in this.

Isagi placed his offerings on the ledge and put his hands together. He closed his eyes tightly, putting his heart into his wish.

“Please, if you can hear me, please grant my wish!” Isagi said. His hands clasped together tightly, threatening to break his own bones. “Please, save my mother! She’s the only family I have left. Let her live…”

Cancer. It was a horrendous disease and he cried when he heard her diagnosis. His father had died just the previous year from a car crash and then his mother had gotten the disease. It was all so hard for Isagi to bear, especially at the prospect of losing his only family left. His mother was strong, smiling despite the fact it was her who had to go through treatment and Isagi felt like a child once more, sobbing into his mother’s shoulder with her arms around him.

Treatment was expensive, even with insurance. Isagi’s day job wasn’t enough and so he began working in the evenings as well to keep himself afloat. He moved back into his family home instead of his rental apartment so he could be closer to his mother and help with her doctor’s appointments. Months of tireless treatment, watching how his mother got skinnier and weaker and—

She didn’t have much time left.

Isagi didn’t want to accept it. Couldn’t. His mother was still so young, still had so much of life left to live. She wasn’t even retirement age yet! He had wanted to take her to Okinawa so she could enjoy the beaches there. He had kept a list of things she wanted and was going to treat her for Christmas and her birthday but she might not even make it. He wanted to keep going with the treatments but the doctors told him that her body was getting too weak. And when Isagi looked at his mother, he knew that to be the truth.

But he wasn’t ready yet.

“Foolish human with a foolish wish.” A voice pierced through his ears and reverberated through his body. Isagi opened his eyes and looked around, trying to figure out where that voice came from. He didn’t see anyone at first and wondered if it was just the wind but he was sure it was a voice. “Do you not understand how your meagre life works?”

“Um,” Isagi was confused. He looked at the shrine, craning his neck around it to see if there was a speaker or something there. “Who…?”

“You demand a wish from me but do not know who I am?” The voice scoffed, clearly sounding offended. “What a waste of time.”

The god. It could be that it was a complete fake and Isagi had fallen for a prank but with the state everything was, and the tiniest hope he had inside him, he was sure that it wasn’t. He looked around, trying to find the god.

“I apologize, I was just surprised to hear your voice so suddenly.” Isagi reasoned it was better to be humble to such a being, especially when he needed to have a wish fulfilled. “I have never heard the voice of a god before so I wasn’t sure if I heard correctly. And…I apologize, but I cannot see you.”

“Tch.” The God replied with a clicking of his tongue. “Foolish and blind. All you have to do is look up.”

Isagi blinked. He looked up like he was told and saw a flash of teal up in the trees. Narrowing his eyes, Isagi could see a tuft of something soft trailing down the branch. He stepped a little closer but couldn’t see the figure that was in the tree due to the darkness, the little light that entered from above not helping.

“I apologize!” Isagi said with a bow of his head. “I did not mean to offend you.”

“Tch.” The God clicked their tongue again as if annoyed by Isagi’s presence. “Foolish human. Even if you present me with flattery and proper offerings, I cannot grant your wish.”

“I-Is it that hard?” Isagi asked, his shoulders instantly deflating. “O-Or are you not the right god for it? I heard you were incredibly powerful.”

“Of course I am powerful. My powers are beyond the likes of a simple god.” The god spoke arrogantly with a huff like he was offended by his words. “But the powers of the gods cannot fight with the natural order of the world. Your mother will die regardless of what I do.”

Isagi clenched his fists at his sides. He knew that the request was impossible, even for a god. Humans had a limited lifespan, even his mother, but he had hoped that a god could do something to delay the cancer, allowing her to live another thirty years. She was only fifty-two! Isagi hadn’t gotten married yet or had any kids. He wanted his mother to hold on longer so he got the chance to do those things and allow her to be a doting grandmother. He still needed time to find someone and marry them and give her the chance to meet his child because it was too late for his father to do so.

There were so many things Isagi wanted to do with his mother by his side.

“She can’t evade death, I know that.” Isagi’s voice was quivering. His breathing became uneven, his mind trying to process his words and the inevitable. “But…even if she can’t, what about just…extending her life?”

The god was silent.

“Human, do you not understand my words? She will die regardless of what I do.” The god said scathingly.

“I get it! I know that!” Isagi replied quickly, afraid that he would make the God angrier. “I mean, is it possible to let her live a few more months longer? The doctors said that she’s not going to make it to Christmas but…there are still things I’d like to do with her. Just a bit more extra time. Enough for me to prepare myself.”

“A human should be prepared for death no matter what as that is the way of life.” The god stated, making Isagi flinch. “Such a thing…is possible. A short time like that is within my power. However, for something like that, what are you willing to offer? Don’t tell me what you placed upon my altar were the offerings?”

Isagi laughed nervously, scratching his cheek with a finger. “Is it not enough…?”

“For changing the lifespan of a human? Of course not!” The god scolded. Isagi wondered if he could find another god without the short-temper. “Does the concept of equivalent exchange not exist to you humans?”

“I apologize but that’s all I could afford.” Isagi tried his best not to be deterred. He gestured to the shrine. “The sake is a pretty good brand from what I’ve heard! It tastes good with all kinds of food! You won’t regret it!”

“Do not try to trick me.” The god replied with distaste in his voice. “If you want your wish to be granted, you need something of equal value.”

Isagi tried to think of something that would work. Would something monetary do the trick? However, this was a god that lived in a forest, surely there was no need for money? He thought something like food or alcohol would be good enough as they wouldn’t be able to get these kinds of things easily here. What is something fair in exchange for a little bit more time?

…did the god expect him to sacrifice his life? His life for his mother’s life…that was surely a fair exchange. Would the god take the same amount of his time in order to extend his mother’s?

“My life?” Isagi questioned, coming to that conclusion. The ground shook suddenly, making Isagi fall to his knees.

“FOOLISH HUMAN. YOUR LIFE IS MEANINGLESS TO ME!” The god’s voice boomed, causing all the birds hidden in the trees to disperse. “WHAT IS THE POINT OF SACRIFICING YOUR LIFE JUST SO SOMEONE CAN LIVE JUST A LITTLE LONGER?”

“S-Sorry!” Isagi wasn’t sure why he was suddenly enraged. He thought that would be the correct answer. “I thought a life for a life was a fair exchange?”

“We gods do not take the lives of living beings.” The god calmed down, sounding more exasperated. “We are beings of nature, valuing the life of every creature, including you foolish humans. The only time we would take a life out of its natural order is if they bring more harm than good to our realms. Do they teach you nothing?!”

“I…I must’ve missed that lecture.” Isagi said. He was unsure if he could quell his anger at this point. “T-Then…is there something you want? Do you have a wish of your own?”

“A wish?” The god snorted. “An almighty being like me, having a wish? I am the one who grants them.”

“But you still take offerings for wishes, right?” Isagi asked nervously, staring up in the shadow in the tree. “If that’s the case, if you can’t take my life for my mother’s and you don’t like what I brought you, maybe there’s something out there you don’t know you want?”

“I know myself quite well. I know what I want.”

“But you’re a god of this mountain, right?” Isagi asked as he recalled the legend of this area. “Have you ever gone to see how humans live and what they have to offer? Or even gone out of your mountain? There’s only so much we can carry up here. There are lots of other things out there that’s bigger and heavier.

“I’m sure that if you see the world a little more, you’ll find something you want!” Isagi was doing his best to convince him. He had nothing to lose. “Come with me and I’ll show you a world you never knew!”

He almost blushed at that cheesy line but swallowed his pride. He couldn’t hesitate at this moment, especially when he got so far. He prepared his heart for rejection because what crazy god would be willing to leave their home in order to come live among humans?

“I accept.” This was the crazy god.

The flash of teal and the tuft of something soft changed positions, suddenly in front of Isagi. It got closer to him until it was out of the shadows and Isagi blinked, unable to believe his eyes.

Dressed in a luxurious teal kimono was a tall figure and he could see that tuft extended within the kimono as if it was a tail. His pale skin looked unblemished and shone even in the darkness of the forest. His black hair stood out amongst the shadows and piercing through the locks was a horn on his head. His bright eyes seemed to glow as he watched Isagi, the intensity unmatched to anything he had encountered before.

A strong wind rustled around Isagi similar to a storm. He raised his arms up to block the array of dirt and leaves caught up by it, closing his eyes so he wouldn’t get any in there. Just like how quickly it started up, it died down just as fast.

The being had transformed. His general appearance was the same but he lacked the horn and tail and his kimono was replaced with a t-shirt and a pair of pants, identical to Isagi’s.

“How uncomfortable.” The God spoke with distaste as he looked down at the clothing he wore. He pulled at the pants with a frown. “Is this what humans wear now or is it just you?”

“It’s normal amongst humans.” Isagi nodded. He was still in shock, seeing the god up close and saw how he changed, taking away his animal-like features. It almost felt forbidden seeing such a thing. “There are other kinds of clothes too if you want to transform into those…”

“I only know the ones I have seen before.” The God replied. “I do not know if the ones I have seen in the past fit in with the times of today.”

“R-Right.” Isagi nodded. What the God was wearing was fine but they were matching as if they were wearing a couple’s outfit. This made Isagi blush in embarrassment.

He made a mental note to get a fashion magazine later for the god to wear.

“Oh!” Isagi suddenly had a thought. He turned to the God. “I-Is there a name I can call you? I can’t just say, ‘hey, you’ because that's awkward and disrespectful.”

“We do not have names.” The God answered. “If it is normal for humans to have one, then you may grace me with one. I do not know what names are good for humans.”

“Then…” Isagi began to ponder. He knew that this god was a kirin type but calling him ‘giraffe’ seemed wrong. He thought about it, staring at the god’s handsome face. “Rin? How does ‘Rin’ sound?”

The God laughed then frowned. “How unoriginal. Taking the ‘Rin’ sound from kirin.”

Isagi flinched, having been caught. However, the god merely shrugged.

“Do as you wish.”

Isagi beamed that the name was partially approved.

And thus, began the days where Isagi lived with the God—no. Rin.

“My name is Isagi.” Isagi said with a small bow. “Isagi Yoichi.”

“I did not ask, human.”

…Isagi wondered if it was too late to find another god if this was how he was going to be treated.

“It’s so noisy.”

“It’s actually relatively quiet here compared to the main city.”

“The air is absolutely filthy.”

“Ah, that happens when you have so many cars in one place.”

“And you live here?”

Isagi felt the vein pop out of his forehead as Rin looked around his family home. It used to be a lot cleaner when his mother was here and Isagi could admit that it was a bit…neglected. But he had been busy with work and taking care of his mother. He hadn’t intended on having people any time soon, especially a god. He did feel a bit bad about the empty cup noodles and used chopsticks littered around though.

“I…didn’t have time to clean.” Isagi replied sheepishly. He watched Rin standing in the middle of the mess with a glare and his nose scrunched up. “You can rest in the guest—no, wait, it’s basically a storage now. Um, my room has a bed so you can relax there until I clean up a bit. I’ll order some food as well! You must be curious about human food, right?”

“Not really.”

Isagi frowned. 

Regardless, he gestured to the stairs with his hands, indicating for Rin to follow him. He opened the door to his room and saw that it wasn’t quite as bad as the living room and dining room so he let Rin in.

“It was a long drive so feel free to take a nap.” Isagi pointed to the bed. “Oh, wait, or do you want to take a bath? I can prepare one for you.”

“You can prepare a river?” Rin asked as he looked around the room. He furrowed his eyebrows. “Humans don’t have such powers.”

“We don’t, which is why we have bathtubs.” Isagi replied. He didn’t expect a god to be so unaware of modern inventions. He recalled Rin frowning when he got into the car and kept staring out the window when they went through the city. He watched the large buildings pass by and his head turned every time they passed a bus.

It was actually kind of cute but Isagi wasn’t going to say that, in case he insulted the god.

He left the room and went to the bathroom so he could fill up the tub with hot water. He left it to fill up while he dealt with the living room, tidying up all the trash and empty cans as much as he could. Once he filled up a whole bag of trash, he went back to the bathroom to check on the water level.

He was satisfied enough with it then went to his room to check on Rin. He wasn’t sitting or lying on the bed like he expected, instead looking at the items in his room. Isagi approached him curious to see what he was looking at, only to see him staring at a picture of him in middle school when he was on the soccer team.

“What’s this?” Rin asked with a look of horror on his face. “Why are there so many humans in here?! What sorcery is this?! Did you trap them?! Since when did humans have such a thing to do that?!”

Isagi snorted, trying not to laugh. However, it didn’t work. He tried to keep it as a small chuckle but it was definitely more than that. He stopped when he felt a quake that made him fall to his knees. He looked up and saw Rin glaring at him, fists shaking at his side, face completely red with anger.

Isagi immediately panicked, knowing he had to save his skin.

“T-That’s a picture!” Isagi began to explain. He stood up and put his hands up in front of him as if he had the power to push Rin away if he attacked (which he obviously did not). He quickly took out his phone out of his pocket and opened it up, quickly going to his gallery to show Rin. “Um, we have cameras which can take pictures. They…copy the moment at that instant and preserve it. No humans were harmed when making that picture! All of them are still alive and well, living their life. If you look, you can see me there too!”

Isagi pointed to his picture once more then showed Rin his phone gallery. He swiped through his pictures, showing him ones with his friends, passing by food he ate, animals he encountered, and then landing on one with him and his mother at the hospital. He stopped on it to stare, feeling his throat get tight.

Although they were smiling in it, it didn’t mean he was truly happy, especially at that moment. How could he be when she was so thin to the point her bones were showing, or that her once luscious brown hair was all gone, or she had all these tubes connected to her as she tried to recover from her illness? It was hard for Isagi to even look at the picture. Despite knowing how hard it was, he didn’t delete the picture. He just couldn’t. His mother was so weak and he never wanted to see her like that – never saw her like that before.

Despite her weakness, she was still beautiful to him. Her eyes still shone even though her body was under strain, and he still could recall her hug at that moment. Even though she was thin and he could feel the strength in her embrace weaken, she still felt warm.

“Is that your mother?” Rin suddenly asked. Isagi had completely forgotten he was there. Rin narrowed his eyes. “You wanted to save her, yes?”

“Yeah…” He wondered if telling Rin more information about her sickness would help him figure out what kind of things he should do with his powers. It may help or may not but at the same time, it was hard for Isagi to say it. “She…she has an illness. The doctors said she doesn’t have long to live.”

“Even after how many centuries, humans still can’t escape illnesses?” Rin frowned with a shake of his head. “How pitiful.”

“There are some that are curable but some that aren’t.” Isagi replied bitterly, staring longingly at his phone. “And it’s not just humans that are susceptible to sickness. Animals too.”

“Yes, but I would think that humans, with their above average intelligence amongst living creatures, would be able to resolve such things by now.” Rin stated nonchalantly, both praising and insulting humans at the same time. He shook his head. “No matter. Your wish was for her to live longer, correct? We shall visit your mother so I can see what condition she’s in.”

Isagi nodded, eyes glistening at Rin’s words. A wave of emotion rushed through him and he tried to hide it by rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

When he had lost all hope, this was the one chance he had. He hadn’t found something of equivalent value according to Rin but this was a step in the right direction. No matter what, Isagi was going to find something that would satisfy Rin to make sure his mother could stay with him just a little longer! He needed to take advantage of the time they had together, even if there wasn’t much left.

“Are you crying?” Rin asked suddenly, his face getting closer to Isagi’s to examine him. “Do my words upset you?”

“N-No, that’s not it.” Isagi shook his head with a light laugh. “I’m just…glad.”

“Glad?” Rin raised an eyebrow. “You’re crying because you’re glad?”

Isagi nodded. “For this chance. Even though you haven’t done anything yet, just having this small chance of being with my mother makes me…happy.”

“Hmm.” Rin furrowed his eyebrows together as if not understanding Isagi’s words. He straightened up and crossed his arms. “You humans are strange.”

“That’s okay.” Isagi grinned. He didn’t mind being called strange in this case. “Oh, the bath is ready by the way. Let me show you how it works…”

He led Rin to the bathroom and explained how the shower worked and which bottles to use for shampoo and conditioner, along with the explanation about the soap bar. He left him to it and ordered some pizza, hoping that it was to Rin’s taste. And if not, it was something he could try for the first time!

And when it came, Rin looked at the pizza skeptically, possibly due to how oily it was. However, when he took a bite, it looked like he just entered a brand new world.

“Human! More of this!” Rin demanded once he finished his first slice. Isagi tried not to laugh as he filled his plate with two more. “More!”

“Hey, I need to eat too!”

After Rin polished off three quarters of the pizza and most of the chicken wings, he turned on the TV for Rin to be entertained for a bit as he cleaned up. Isagi was thinking about how he should organize things while washing the dishes. He wasn’t sure what was the best way to go about their sleeping situation as their guestroom was not functioning as a guestroom and so there was only his bed left. The best idea was to probably pull out the spare futon they had and put it on the floor of his bedroom like he was having a sleepover from middle school.

He would graciously let Rin have the bed. He had to treat him well, especially if he was able to use his powers on his mother. And this was also a chance for Isagi to butter him up. From what he knew from being with Rin for one day, he was stubborn and hot tempered. Isagi needed to ease his temper, make him enjoy life and relax rather than focus on the bad things humans did, such as pollution and noise. Isagi was sure that if Rin saw him being kind to him, he would soften up a little bit and be a little more willing to give him some grace when it came to his wish. Being kind didn’t hurt anybody after all. 

Although, Isagi would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy seeing Rin’s reaction when he encountered something humans created.

“They are trapped in this box and they’re not trying to escape?!”

“This is a pre-recorded show. Just like how they copy people into still images, we have technology to copy movements for us to see in different locations. Don’t worry, the people are safe.”

“BUT HE WAS JUST STABBED WITH A SWORD!”

“He’s an actor.”

Rin was flabbergasted.

Sleeping had gone fairly well. Rin did grumble about how Isagi’s bed was uncomfortable but when he offered the futon, he looked less than impressed and just threw the blankets over his head to sleep, taking the bed in the end.

Isagi woke up the next morning and looked over at the bed. Sticking out from under the covers was not Rin’s dark hair and pale face. In fact, it wasn’t even human.

He stopped himself from screaming, remembering that Rin was a kirin. A teal horn was sticking out of the head of what appeared to be a horse. It seemed like his entire body was different shades of teal with gold wrapping around as if it was a tattoo, reminiscent of kintsugi.

Isagi blinked, mesmerized by the sight. He had only seen Rin in his ‘human’ form. Even when he met him in the forest, he had his horn and tail but still stood as a human. This form – his kirin form – was so beautiful. Isagi wanted to touch him but didn’t dare, afraid that he would ruin him. There was such a regal atmosphere even though he was sleeping and all Isagi could do was stare.

He wondered if Rin had sensed him because he awoke and then spotted Isagi. Even in this form, Isagi could tell that he wasn’t pleased and then suddenly transformed back into a human.

“What are you staring at?” Rin asked sharply with a grimace.

Isagi shook his head and put up his hands as if he was caught guilty. In a sense, he was. “Nothing! I was just…your kirin form is also really beautiful. I just couldn’t help myself.”

“You…” Rin’s cheeks turned pink in anger. He grabbed a pillow and chucked it at Isagi’s face, “Prevert!”

“EH? HOW?!”

Isagi got changed and cleaned up. Isagi offered him a toothbrush and face towel so he could as well, with Rin staring at the items in confusion. Isagi showed him how to use them with Rin looking offended at the toothbrush when he put it in.

“What a vile taste!”

“You’re not supposed to eat it! Just over your teeth so you can clean it.”

“What is it doing to my tongue?! What is this tingling feeling?!”

“It’s the minty freshness! Just scrub your teeth with it for a couple of minutes then rinse with water!”

“A COUPLE OF MINUTES?! ARE YOU TRYING TO POISON ME?!”

Isagi let it slide. After all, Rin had been taking care of himself for who knows how long, and it didn’t look like years – maybe centuries – of dental neglect was an issue for him.

Now clothing.

Rin was dressed in his kimono that he wore before but he couldn’t wear that when they went out. Isagi went to his closet to try to find something that might work. He pulled out a pair of pants and a t-shirt.

“How’s this?” Isagi asked. Rin touched them briefly and his clothes transformed, the same items on his body. “Is it comfortable?”

“No.”

“Well, then.” Isagi frowned. He turned back to his closet and tried to find something else. He pulled out a new set. “What about these?”

“Honestly, human,” Rin gave him a deadpan expression. “You have terrible taste.”

“I-I do not!” Isagi stuttered, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “I’m just a normal guy! This is what normal guys wear!”

“Hmph, if this is what ‘normal’ humans wear, then it seems that there has been a decline in quality when it comes to clothing over the past centuries.” Rin said as he tugged at the shirt he was wearing. “Do you not have anything else?”

“Uh…” Isagi frowned. Everything else he didn’t show Rin was clothing not meant for the season. He wasn’t exactly sure but the God probably could maintain his own body temperature with his powers but it would be really weird to have him out in a winter coat.

He walked over to his phone that was charging and typed in ‘fashionable men’s clothes summer’ in the search bar. He clicked on the ‘images’ tab and showed the screen to Rin, swiping down so he could see. “What about these? Any of them to your liking?”

“Hmm.” Rin furrowed his brows. He was focusing incredibly hard. “Stop.”

Isagi did. Rin stared at the phone and then his clothes began to change.

Isagi blinked, then looked at his phone once more to see the original. It ended up looking more like a jinbei than expected, a little more modernized, but still traditional in a sense. He could see why Rin would choose that, considering he was used to a kimono.

“Good enough.” Isagi stated. It wasn’t something completely elaborate at least. “Let’s go.”

The ride to the hospital wasn’t too far but Rin still looked out the window, fascinated by the sight around him. However, Isagi’s mood shifted once they arrived. Even Rin’s curiosity subsided and he looked grave as they entered the building, as if he could sense something.

“I don’t like it here.” Rin muttered as they walked through the hospital. “The scent of death is in the air.”

Isagi grimaced. He figured that would be the case. “This is the hospital where people go if they’re ill. Everyone is here to try to get better. Even if you sense…death, try not to say it aloud.”

“Hmph.” Rin responded but he did not argue back.

Isagi reached the door where his mother was staying and stopped. He closed his eyes and prepared himself mentally, inhaling then exhaling. His chest was throbbing, not wanting to go in but also wanting to. He didn’t want to see his mother in her current state but with so little time left, he knew he would never leave her alone.

Opening his eyes, grabbed the doorknob and stepped in.

Peeking in behind the curtain, he checked to see if she was awake. Luckily, she was. She was reading a book, and then looked over at Isagi with a smile. It was a tired one but a smile nonetheless.

“Yocchan!” She immediately placed the book on the bedside table. Isagi embraced her and she returned it, her thin hands rubbing his back. “Don’t you have work today?”

“In the afternoon today only.” Isagi replied with a smile. Even though he visited her almost everyday, she still felt skinnier than the last time he was there. “I thought I’d bring over some new books since you were complaining about rereading the same ones. I also snuck in some snacks.”

“Oh, you know I’m not supposed to have those!” She laughed. When they separated, there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She tilted her head to the side, looking behind Isagi. “Oh, and who is this handsome young man?”

“Ah,” Isagi almost forgot that Rin was there. He turned to see him looking at them blankly. “This is…Rin. He’s a friend that’s, um, going to help me out for a bit.”

“Yocchan, when did you get such a handsome friend?” His mother asked with a dramatic gasp. She gave a small bow with her head. “I’m Isagi Iyo. It’s nice to meet you, Rin-kun.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” Rin said with a bow. Isagi knew that Rin had a bit more ancient speech, but he felt stiffer this time.

“How are you feeling? How are the meds? Is everyone treating you nicely?” Isagi immediately began as he brought a second chair for Rin to sit. He looked serious as he spoke.

“Of course! Everything is the same as usual. No big changes since two days ago.” His mother answered with a small laugh.

Isagi knew that she was putting up a strong face in front of him. Her skin was sagging and more wrinkled, cheeks sallow and skin pale. She was holding onto his hands and the bones were protruding against Isagi’s, and he could even hear her voice just a bit weaker than before.

It had been two days but she was so weak.

He didn’t say anything.

“Suginami-san visited the other day, right?” Isagi tried to keep the conversation light, pushing away his fears in the back of his mind. “How was it?”

“Good! She brought some chocolates for me and we had a nice chat!”

“Mom, if you’re getting sweets from elsewhere, I should probably stop so we can control your intake…”

“No! Don’t take away my sweets!”

The rest of the conversation was easy just like always, until his mother set her sights on Rin.

“So, Rin-kun, how long have you known Yocchan?” She asked him with a warm smile.

Rin looked uncomfortable at the question. Isagi began to panic because he didn’t prepare Rin for any answers. He had been so focused on getting Rin to understand that toothpaste would not kill him that he didn’t think of a backstory for him! “Not long…”

“Are you a student? Are you working? You’re quite handsome, you could be a model!”

“What’s that?”

“A-Ah!” Isagi interrupted before it could get worse. “R-Rin just came from the countryside! He…he was, um, doing…nature preservation stuff back there!”

His mother opened her mouth in surprise. “Nature preservation? How impressive! It must be very tough, especially since there are so many places under development. It’s admirable that a young man like you would be interested in such a thing!”

“Yes…” Rin replied. His eyebrows were furrowed which meant he was confused but now was not the time to explain.

“Yocchan, get the snacks out.” His mother commanded. He reached for the bag on the side table and took out the books and snacks. “Rin-kun, feel free to have some.”

“What are they…?” Rin questioned tentatively. Isagi picked up a small piece of chocolate and unwrapped it for him.

“Chocolate.” He answered with a smile. “Eat it. It’s really good.”

“Do they not have chocolate in the countryside?” His mother suddenly asked, looking shocked.

“Oh, um.” Isagi racked through his brain to think of some kind of explanation. “N-Not in Rin’s hometown! They were very into the…natural…lifestyle…”

“If that’s the case, is it okay to have such things?” His mother looked down at the table where all the snacks were laid out. “They are processed after all.”

“Um…” Isagi looked over at Rin. “What do you think?”

Rin looked at the chocolate in Isagi’s hand. He leaned forward to sniff it, pursing his lips after he did so to contemplate. He leaned forward once more and took it in his mouth, Isagi making an involuntary squeak in surprise.

“Hmm.” Rin hummed as he chewed the chocolate. “It’s quite…sweet.”

“Y-Yeah!” Isagi nodded vigorously. He grabbed his hand with his other, holding it close to his chest. “It is! What do you think?! Is it good?!”

“You do not need to yell.” Rin frowned. Isagi didn’t even realize his voice was getting louder until Rin said so. “It’s…nice. I guess such a thing is acceptable.”

“Oh, great! Fantastic!” Isagi’s mind was spiraling. Did Rin not feel any sense of embarrassment from doing such a thing?! It wasn’t much but at the same, it was a lot! He reached over for another chocolate on the bed. “Here! Have more!”

He didn’t unwrap it this time, just handing it to Rin. Although Rin had seen him tear the packaging, he was unable to do so on his own, getting frustrated every time he pulled and was unable to access the sweet treat.

“Here.” Isagi grabbed it from Rin’s hand and ripped open the packaging. Rin looked at it with a frown as if cursing the wretched plastic. He accepted and ate it up.

Isagi couldn’t stay much longer, needing to head back home so he could prepare for work in the afternoon. He gave his mother one last tight hug, feeling her trying to hug back at the same strength.

“Take care.” He said quietly. “Make sure to listen to the doctors, okay? If you don’t, I won’t bring in any extra sweets next time!”

“Oh, I can’t have that happening.” His mother laughed. She kissed him on the cheek. “Make sure to get enough sleep. I can see the bags under your eyes but you’re still so young. I know you’re working hard but you should still rest.”

“I get enough sleep.” Isagi replied with a pout. His mother shook her head.

“I know you don’t, so make sure you do.” She said as she patted his cheek. She looked over at Rin. “It was very nice to meet you, Rin-kun. Please continue being such a good friend for Yocchan.”

“…sure.” Rin replied with a nod.

They soon left the room and walked out of the hospital quietly. They got into the car and made their way back to the Isagi house. However, Isagi had questions and he didn’t know if he wanted the answers to them.

“…how bad is she?” His voice was quiet; scared of Rin’s answer. He glanced over for a moment to see Rin staring out the window but there wasn’t curiosity like before, but more sombre.

“She is dying inside.” Rin stated matter-of-factly. Isagi knew that answer already but it hurt to hear that even an otherworldly being say such a thing. “Even if I was to utilize my powers, she would not last much longer.”

Isagi inhaled. He tried not to be disheartened as he already knew this information. He knew that she didn’t have long to live; he knew that even if Rin used his powers, death was inevitable.

He knew. He knew.

But he stubbornly tried to refuse it, holding onto the smallest wish for her to be with him a little longer.

“Even if she has a time limit, is it possible to just…make her better?” Isagi asked. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Like, enough for her to leave the hospital? So we can go to the beach or mountains for the day. You saw what she’s like at the moment. If she could at least be a little stronger…”

It wasn’t the extension of life. Even if Rin could extend her life by a day or two, it would be enough. However, what Isagi would regret would be to see the life in her eyes slowly diminishing as she lost all hope. His mother that took him everywhere as a child, who would show him new experiences, was bedbound and unable to move. If he could just give her one day where she could live like it was her last, perhaps his heart wouldn’t hurt as much.

There was silence.

“Then your quest is still the same, is it not?” Rin questioned as they arrived at the house. Isagi looked over at him. “It is to find something of equivalent exchange, human.”

Isagi nodded.

Just one day. One day of his mother being healthy, enough to go on a shopping spree, go to the beach, have a parfait or whatever she desired. It would be enough.

He would have to accept that that was enough.

But he had to find something that Rin would be considered ‘equal’ in time.

In this world, Rin was alive. He moved, he breathed, he went through the daily motions.

Except he wasn’t truly living.

This world was his mountain, filled with trees, some producing darker shadows that scared many but the animals that lived there thrived. He could sense the movements of all the creatures, knew exactly where they were and what they were doing. He monitored the ones going in and out, making sure that they were safe in this realm.

But there was one being that did not belong.

It was a small sprout. Barely noticeable and rather insignificant but no plant was considered insignificant in Rin’s forest.

He stared at the tiny thing, wondering when it appeared. Rin knelt down, reaching out for the tiny leaves but retracted his hand quickly.

As a god, he should not need to interfere with the growth of nature. His job was to merely look after it, protect it if needed, but not nurture it. The natural world was strong as they are, overcoming hardships, and blooming taller with pride in their stems.

Rin stood up and walked away from the sprout, awaiting for it to grow into a beautiful tree.

“Where are we going, human?” Rin asked as Isagi drove them into town. He could tell by Rin’s voice that he disliked being there as the air was not as fresh.

“We’re going out on the town today!” Isagi replied with a determined nod. He had left Rin for many days at home watching TV and teaching him how to use the microwave as Isagi went to work. It was a hard schedule, going to work then finding time to see his mother, but even more so now that he had to figure out what to do with Rin. The god didn’t seem to mind at first, watching TV all day but he started complaining to Isagi about these wretched ‘programs’ in which ‘the humans gained magical powers to save the world’. It sounded like he had come across a children’s program but then kept watching every day, curious to know how they would save the world.

“What do we do ‘out on the town’?” Rin furrowed his eyebrows. “Do we…stand on it?”

“It just means that we’re going to hang out.” Isagi replied as he found a parking lot with a spot open. He placed the ticket on the dashboard and indicated for Rin to go out. “You’ve been up in the mountains this entire time, right? You must be a little curious at least to see how humans have developed! There are lots of things for you to do now!”

“Such as…?”

“We can go shopping and find some clothing you might like.” Isagi raised his hand, using his fingers to list off the activities. “See a movie, eat at cafes and restaurants, go to the game centre.”

“Game centre?” Rin raised an eyebrow at that. “Cafe? Movie?”

Isagi nodded and grinned. “We can do all of those! Shall we?”

Rin stared at him then slowly nodded. They went inside a large shopping centre, Rin immediately looking around quickly. There were a lot of people there so it seemed like he was trying to look at all of them. Isagi noticed him lagging behind as if trying to process everything. He quickly returned back and grabbed his hand.

“Stay close if you don’t want to get lost!” Isagi said. Rin looked offended at that notion but Isagi didn’t say anything about it. “The game centre is over there, the one with all those bright lights. You see the boxes in there? Those are ‘crane games’ and you try to get the prize inside!”

“‘Try’?”

“There’s a possibility you might not be able to get it.” Isagi laughed sheepishly. “I’m not the best at them and they can cost a lot of money. But! There are games we can try out instead! Those are really fun.”

“Games?”

Isagi led them through the throngs of people. There were lots of people at each station, either at the crane games or playing the arcade games. Isagi found the money exchange and changed a bill to some coins before searching for a game Rin might like.

“How about this one?” Isagi asked as they approached a music game. He grabbed the drumsticks and handed them to Rin. “It’s a music game. When the red circle goes in this area where there’s going to be an empty circle,” Isagi pointed to one side of the screen with a drumstick, “you hit the drum. If it’s blue, you have to hit the rim of the drum.”

Rin frowned. “What?”

“It’s just easier if we try it out.” Isagi plopped in some coins for both drums. “There’s a tutorial we can practice in if you don’t get it.”

Rin stared at the drum sticks in his hands as Isagi used the drum to navigate. He then looked at the screen, flinching at the strange sounds that came out from each selection that promptly disappeared when Isagi moved to a new one.

“What is the goal of such a thing?” Rin asked curiously as he stepped forward with Isagi’s urging. “Red on an empty circle? Blue on an empty circle?”

“Yeah, like that.” Isagi nodded. The tutorial began and he watched as Rin’s eyes followed what was happening on the screen. Rin was too early on some parts and then too late on others. Isagi raised his stick to the empty circle so Rin could see it more clearly. “Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Follow the beat of the music.”

Isagi bobbed his head at the same time he spoke to give more of a visual cue. Rin’s head started to bob at the same time and this time, he was able to hit it at the same time. When the words ‘perfect’ appeared on screen, there was a slight glitter in his eyes at his achievement.

Isagi laughed. ‘Cute.’

“I’ll leave you on the beginner level.” Isagi said as the tutorial finished up. He adjusted his level to a higher difficulty but not the highest. He wasn’t insane after all. “There might be instances where you have to hit in between the beats. So like, dum, dum, bam.”

“Dum, dum, bam?” Rin sounded innocent when he said that as if trying to decipher Isagi’s words.

“A little faster.” Isagi corrected. “Dum, dum, bam.”

“Dum, dum, bam?”

“Yeah! Like that!” Isagi nodded, clapping his sticks together instead of using his hands. “Shall we try a song together?”

Rin titled his head in confusion. 

Isagi found a song that wasn’t fast but a similar speed to the tutorial. He positioned himself to get ready and Rin followed.

“Just focus on your line. You’re at the top.” Isagi said as he pointed with his stick.

The music began. It was a bit hard to hear with all the other sounds but Isagi was able to find the beat. He bobbed his head in case Rin needed a bit of guidance and the beats began.

Isagi had a lot more than Rin. He wasn’t a professional by any means but he went to the game centre when he was younger. He hadn’t played any games recently, too busy with work, so just smashing the taiko was good enough to relieve some stress. At one point, he glanced over to Rin’s side and saw him missing. He looked up and saw that Rin had stopped and was staring at Isagi’s line instead.

“Are you not playing?” Isagi asked. He was unable to keep his eyes on the screen and Rin at the same time so he just stopped. “Is everything okay?”

“Why do you have so many?” Rin asked in shock. “That’s more than twice as much as mine!”

“I raised my level higher.” Isagi answered, blinking blankly. “I’ve played this before so I didn’t want to stay on the beginner level.”

“Are you calling me a ‘beginner’?!” Rin exclaimed in outrage. He looked insulted. “Are you saying that you are better than me? A god?”

“I mean, this is your first time playing.” Isagi quickly said, trying to calm Rin down. “It’s only natural that you don’t know how this works yet. With more practice, you’ll definitely get better—”

“Increase my level, human.” Rin huffed with his arms crossed. “How dare you think yourself higher than I! You shall pay for your crimes!”

“C-Crimes?!” Isagi stuttered in confusion. “What?!”

“Hurry up! I haven’t gotten all day!” Rin insisted as he pointed to the screen of their failing grades on that song. “I need to show you that you cannot look down upon me, human!”

“You…you can’t use your powers then!” Isagi explained. He wasn’t even sure what would happen if Rin did use his powers on the game. Would it explode? Would it be successful? If it failed, then he didn’t want to be blamed for such a thing. “If you’re truly better than me, I’m sure you don’t need your powers to beat me.”

“Ha! Easy.” Rin said, waving his hand dismissively. “I am better in all ways. You just see.”

“Okay…” Isagi adjusted Rin’s level so it was the same as his. “If you say so.”

As much as Rin was able to believe he would win, he was unable to do so.

He was completely defeated.

“It was too fast! Yours was much slower!” Rin complained as Isagi dragged him out after their fourth game in which Rin did not win.

“They were going the same speed.” Isagi argued. He was struggling to get the god out. He was too strong so Isagi had to think of another way to get him out. “Hey, Rin, aren’t you hungry? There’s a cafe here that serves pizza along with some other things. Sweet things too!”

“Pizza?” Rin became very familiar with that word, demanding more of it after trying it once. Isagi did tell him that he couldn’t eat it every day because it wasn’t healthy but the god dismissed him. However, since Isagi was in charge of feeding him, he made sure to give Rin some salad and rice as well.

Isagi nodded and smiled. “Yeah! They have different kinds of toppings too so maybe you’ll like something else.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case…” Rin stopped putting up a fuss. He shoved Isagi’s back. “Lead the way, human.”

Isagi went out of the arcade and took a look at the map, finding the restaurant floor. He guided Rin to the escalators and got on. When he turned, he saw Rin, still at the bottom, looking at the moving steps in fascination and also skepticism.

“Rin, hurry up! There are people behind you!” Isagi yelled at him as he got further and further away. “Just step on and hold the rail if you need to!”

Rin furrowed his eyebrows. He looked up and suddenly realized that Isagi was almost to the top so he took a step forward, his legs wobbling as he did. He grabbed the railing with both hands, glaring at the escalators as if he would be eaten by them. Meanwhile, the line that was behind him got on, some even bypassing him by walking up the other side.

Isagi waited for him on the next floor. When Rin arrived, he grabbed Rin’s hand and dragged him to the next escalator. Rin resisted at first before Isagi pulled him with just a bit more strength.

“It won’t hurt you.” Isagi said as he held onto Rin’s quivering form. This man was actually a god and he was shaking from something like escalators? “I thought this would be easier than being confined in an elevator.”

“An ele-what?”

“Um,” Isagi tried to think of the best description. “An elevator is a large box people go into and goes up and down. It’s similar to this escalator but, like I said, it’s a box.”

“It…it knows where to go?” Rin questioned with a bit of fascination.

“You press a button and it stops on that floor! If you’re riding with a lot of people and they all want to get off at a different floor, you have to go through all the floors until you reach yours, unless yours is really early. Sometimes, an escalator is a bit faster.” Isagi explained.

They had to go up a few more times to get to the restaurant floor. Each time, Isagi guided Rin slowly and it seemed like by the last one, he was getting used to maintaining his balance as he took a step on. They walked around the hall of restaurants, Isagi finding the Italian cafe quickly enough. There was already a line of people so Isagi wrote his name and the number of customers on the waiting list and they stood outside of it to wait.

“Why do we have to wait?” Rin glared at the people that were sitting on the stools outside the restaurant. “Shouldn’t I get first priority? I am the sustainer of life.”

“All humans are equal and as long as you’re living as one, you need to abide by the rules.” Isagi hissed in a low voice, trying not to let the others in line overhear them. The girl next to them already looked at them a bit strangely so Isagi pushed Rin a little bit away from her. “Just like how you gods have your own rules, we have ours.”

“Hnngh.” Rin didn’t seem pleased with this answer but he didn’t argue. “So, what am I supposed to do while I wait?!”

“Um,” Isagi hummed. He took out his phone and unlocked it, the background of his family as his homescreen. He swiped through and pressed on the water sorting game he usually played. “How about playing this? You have to press on the jar and move the liquid to another. The goal is to sort the same colour liquid together in one.”

Isagi showed him an example of how it’s done then handed it to Rin. He monitored him first to make sure he understood, and when it seemed like he got it, Isagi listened for his name to be called.

“Human, it says I won!” Isagi turned to see Rin with a smug expression on his face.

Isagi clapped. “Great! Now you can move onto the next level!”

He didn’t mention that Rin was only on level one.

Rin’s focus was on the game to the point that when the hostess called Isagi’s name, Isagi had to guide him in the restaurant while his eyes were still on the phone. Even when they sat down and got the menu, Rin didn’t even look up so Isagi took his time to decide what he wanted.

“Human!” Rin exclaimed as he showed him his screen. “I can’t move anywhere!”

“It means you have to restart.” Isagi said as he took his phone. When Rin realized Isagi wasn’t giving it back, he tried to reach for it but Isagi shoved the menu towards him. “Food. Did you want pizza or not?”

The frustration in Rin’s eyes changed as he looked at the menu. Now that Isagi thought of it, this was the first time he brought Rin to a restaurant. They had always ordered in or Isagi would prepare some convenience store food he bought on his way back from work. Rin’s eyes scanned over the menu and his signature furrowed eyebrows just got closer and closer together.

“I do not understand half of these words.” Rin stated as he looked at Isagi. “What is this…this…puroshutto?”

“Prosciutto.” Isagi corrected. “It’s an…uh, Italian ham. Italian pig meat.”

“Ee-ta-ri-an?”

“It’s a faraway country in the west.”

“So you are telling me we have food from other countries?”

“Well, pizza is originally from Italy.” Isagi answered with a nod. Rin looked like his mind was being blown right now. “It’s something that people from different countries learn about and imitate to share with their own countries. Sushi is a Japanese dish but I hear it’s really popular in other countries.”

“Then…is there something here that is from another country as well?” Rin asked as he flipped through the pages. “The pictures are of that…noodle. Supa-ge-chi? What’s this?”

“That one is gratin. It has noodles like spaghetti but they’re different kind of noodles. All of the food here is Italian – whether it’s legit or not.” Isagi stated. He watched as Rin’s eyes scanned the menu in fascination. “If you want, we can go to another restaurant later that has food from a different country. Indian food is quite popular too.”

“In-dee-an?”

The food arrived, Isagi getting a doria while Rin got a gratin. Rin ate it, eyes lighting up when he took a bite. Isagi scooped up a spoonful and put it in front of Rin.

“Try some of mine.” Isagi offered. Rin didn’t refuse and ate it. He also seemed pleased with the doria. “So what kind of Italian food do you like now? Pizza, pasta, doria?”

“All are…passable.” Rin replied with a nod then turning into a stubborn expression.

Despite his less than enthusiastic words, Rin finished in no time. When dessert arrived and Rin tried his tiramisu, it was quite obvious that he enjoyed it immensely.

“This is…slightly bitter but also sweet.” Rin began as he picked up a spoonful of tiramisu. “It is smooth but there is a soft texture as well.”

“It’s really good.” Isagi said simply. “All the food was really good. Imagine what it would be like if you actually go to Italy.”

“Why would I need to go to a different country to eat this kind of food? Did you not say that humans share the food by imitating it in their country?” Rin asked in confusion.

“Well, yeah, but there’s only so much humans can do.” Isagi replied. “The food that they make is made with the local tastebuds in mind, and since it’s a different country, we don’t have the same kind of ingredients as the original country. Besides, the original country is supposed to be the masters of their own food so theoretically, it would taste better, yeah?”

“Is that how it is?” Rin questioned, polishing off the tiramisu from his plate in a blink of an eye. “Then, human, take me to Italy.”

“If I could,” Isagi gave a short laugh. “It’s too expensive. Can’t you use your powers to go there?”

Rin frowned. “I do not know where it is. As well, I do not know how far it is.”

“It’s…on the other side of the world.” Isagi took out his phone, noticing Rin eyeing it. He began typing in his search. “It’s around fourteen thousand kilometres away.”

“Kee-ro-meh-toru?”

“It’s a measurement of distance.” Isagi replied. “To fly there is…more than half a day.”

“Fly?” Rin widened his eyes. “Humans can fly?”

“It’s…like a car.” Isagi pointed out seeing as Rin was now familiar with cars. “Or a bus. It’s just…up in the air and goes faster and longer distances. With your powers, you can probably go to Italy in an instant though, right?”

“If it is in another country, perhaps not.” Rin said with a shake of his head. “The powers of gods are restricted to one’s own land and grow more limited as we move further away. I am the most powerful on my mountain but by leaving it, I can only do so much. I assume that if I were in another country, I would become a mere human.”

“If that’s the case, do you still want to go to Italy?” Isagi asked with a tilt of his head. “It’s pretty expensive but it’s a completely different place from Japan. You got shocked when you came to the city so it’ll be even more shocking if you go there.”

“Hmm, the city so far has had its negatives but the variety of food and activities have been acceptable.” Rin contemplated. “Does that mean that there are more activities in Italy?”

“Most likely.” Isagi nodded. “The architecture is different, the vibe is different, you’ll probably run across different kinds of wildlife and nature there too.”

“Such as?”

“Um, I don’t know, I’ve never been to Italy.” Isagi answered honestly with a sheepish grin. “But we can do some research. If you really are interested.”

“Hmm, we shall see.” Rin replied though Isagi could tell that he seemed rather excited at the prospect.

“What about this?” Isagi knew he shouldn’t have said anything but he had to grasp an opportunity when it came up. “Do you think a trip to Italy would be a fair exchange for my mother’s life?”

He had to consider flight tickets, hotel and food. How long would he be staying there? Europe was expensive too and Italy was a known tourist country. He needed to consider how much work he had to do and how much to save up. Along with his mother’s medical fees, his own living expenses, and then saving for Rin’s trip, it would stretch his budget every month. He had a bit of his savings he was holding onto for emergencies as well. Perhaps he should get another job if that was the case…

Isagi didn’t want to raise Rin’s hopes too much and make it crash down by saying the trip would be impossible. But…this was the one thing Rin seemed to be interested in…

“A trip to another country?” Rin questioned. He crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. To Isagi, a human life would probably not be equivalent to a trip to another country, especially since life could not have a price on it, but perhaps to a god… “Okay.”

“Really?!” Isagi exclaimed in shock, not expecting Rin to accept. He covered his mouth when he realized he was too loud. He quickly bowed apologetically to the patrons that had looked over at them. “T-That’s fine?”

“Do you not want it to be?” Rin asked with a raised eyebrow. “Is it not a fair exchange?”

“I-If you think it’s fair, then we can consider it fair!” Isagi nodded rapidly before Rin backed out. His heart was soaring at finding something so quickly to help his mother. Of course, he would have to calculate the cost and probably book Rin the trip during a less popular time to be efficient but still! He wasn’t sure if Rin would be fine with a backpackers’ type of accommodations too but he did live in a mountain, so perhaps it would be fine? But he wouldn’t have his powers to help him if anything went wrong.

Wait, was that even okay? Rin going to a different country with absolutely no powers and no idea on how to live as a human?

Isagi had to consider that later. For now, he found something and he was going to make sure it happened!

Isagi took another job. He had his office job in the day, working at the convenience store from the evening and then he would do an overnight shift at a bar. The convenience store was…well, convenient because he could buy something for dinner and for the morning. He had taught Rin how to make cup noodles and bought some bread and other things he could heat up at home. By the time he came home from the bar, Rin was already sleeping so Isagi just took his shower and fell asleep. He moved the futon to the living room so he wouldn’t disturb him as well.

On the weekend, he didn’t need to go to the office so he used those mornings to actually prepare some food and then visit his mother before heading off to the convenience store for the day. He was able to feed Rin dinner before going off to the bar. It wasn’t an impossible schedule but Isagi was getting tired.

Medical bills, living expenses, Rin’s trip to Italy…

He just had to focus on that.

“Human.” Isagi nearly jumped when he entered the house after a shift at the bar. It had been completely dark when he opened the door so when he turned on the light and saw Rin standing there, he nearly screamed. “Where have you been?”

“Goddammit, you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Isagi exclaimed, clutching his chest. He heaved before inhaling calmly. He began to take off his shoes. “I was at work.”

“And in the day?”

“At work.”

“At dusk?”

“Work.”

Rin frowned, scrunching up his nose. “What ‘work’ are you doing that you leave as soon as the sun rises and do not come home until the sun almost rises?”

“Office work, clerk, cleaning.” Isagi listed off as he walked past Rin. He heard his footsteps follow him. “Tomorrow is…Saturday, yeah? I’ll make you some pancakes. You haven’t been out in a while, right? Um, if you want, we can visit my mom first and then we can go to the park nearby or something. I can show you how to walk back from the park to home so you can have something to do while I’m out. Sorry about that, I’ve just been trying to get used to the new schedule.”

“Does that mean you will continue this…?” Rin questioned as they entered Isagi’s room where he grabbed a set of pajamas and underwear before he took a shower. There wasn’t even time to take a bath now. “Your mother…was it not mentioned that you almost saw her every day before?”

“Ah.” Isagi paused. He smiled but knew his heart wasn’t in it. “Yeah…well, life happens. I told her what’s up so she understood.”

Well, he didn’t tell her exactly what was up. He just mentioned that he was going to be busier with work – which was the truth! – not that he had an extra expense. She would definitely be worried but he did contact some of her friends to request for them to come visit her more often if they could, just so she wouldn’t miss him too much.

But…

Isagi could feel the exhaustion seeping into his skin. He knew that this wasn’t sustainable and eventually he would burn out. He already was burning out but he knew he had to keep going. This was so he could have a bit more time with his mother. He needed to make this exchange happen so he could see his mother healthy again.

His body swayed a little as he stepped towards the bathroom. He felt Rin catch him and his loud voice immediately.

“What are you doing?!” He scolded him. Isagi’s eyes opened, not even realizing they had closed at some point. “Are you trying to get injured?!”

“Oh, my bad.” Isagi said. He stood up and yawned. He placed a hand on the wall to steady himself and to try to wake up before taking a shower. He turned to Rin with a small smile. “I’m a bit tired. You should be as well considering it’s so late. Don’t worry, I’ll go to sleep soon.”

“You…” Rin trailed off with a shake of his head. Isagi closed the door behind him. “I wasn’t done talking!”

Isagi needed a moment. He locked the door behind him and slid down to the ground, burying his head in his knees. He inhaled then exhaled then inhaled again. He looked up then slapped his cheeks to stay awake because sitting on the ground at that moment was way too comfortable.

He took a quick, cold shower to wake up. It was fast but even so, he didn’t expect Rin to still be standing there in the hall, waiting for him.

“You don’t sleep in the room anymore.” Rin stated much to Isagi’s surprise. He reached out and grabbed Isagi’s towel, rubbing his wet hair with it.

“Because I’ve been coming home so late, I didn’t want to wake you up.” Isagi replied. He yelped when Rin’s clumsy hands used the towel to rub his face as well.

“But…that’s ‘your’ room, isn’t it?” Rin asked, his voice getting quiet. “All those photos are yours and your clothes are in there too.”

“So? I can’t let a guest sleep in the living room.” Isagi said. He grabbed the towel from Rin then put it around his neck just in case he needed to use it later. “Is there something wrong?”

“You…haven’t been home much.” Rin said as if reluctant. “I…I want to eat Italian food.”

Immediately, Isagi’s mind went to how much it would cost. Pizza was already expensive and he knew that’s the one that Rin favoured. He could always pick up some pasta from the convenience store next time.

“I’ll bring some home tomorrow for your dinner. Are you okay with spaghetti?” Isagi asked. It wasn’t the most nutritious but at least it was cheaper than pizza. “You’ll have to make do with it for a bit. Money is a bit tight.”

“You mean, the currency used for trade and exchange?” Rin asked. Isagi was surprised that he gave him such a dictionary definition. “I was reading about it.”

“Oh. Good job!” Isagi laughed proudly, reaching out and patting RIn on the head. He quickly realized what he was doing and pulled it back. “Sorry! I must be more tired than I thought. Anyways, I, uh, I’ll head back to the living room. Have a good night, Rin—”

Rin grabbed his hand abruptly, causing Isagi to stare. He then dragged him into the bedroom and forced him to lie down on the bed, throwing the covers on him. When Isagi was going to protest, Rin turned off the lights and Isagi felt him slip into the bed next to him.

“Rin, what are you doing?” Isagi asked in confusion.

“Quiet. It’s time to sleep.” Rin stated without answering his question.

Isagi blinked in confusion in the darkness. He couldn’t see what was going on but suddenly, he felt something patting his head softly as if to soothe him.

The strokes of Rin’s hand grew predictable and Isagi felt himself yawn. Slowly, he shut his eyes, content with being in the comfort of his own bed once more with something warm surrounding him.

The next time Isagi opened his eyes, it was morning. The alarm from his phone was ringing in the distance and belatedly, he realized he never attached his phone to his charger as that was in the living room. His phone was ringing in the room so he clamoured over to try and find it. When he finally did, he slowly realized that Rin was not in the bed with him.

“Huh?” Isagi looked around in confusion. It was bright enough that the light seeped through his curtains and he could see clearly in his room. If Rin wasn’t there, that must mean he was in the living room, right? Where else would he be? But Isagi didn’t hear the TV from downstairs; he did hear the familiar sounds of pots and pans moving in the kitchen and indignant yells.

Isagi quickly ran out of his room and down the stairs to see what happened. Arriving at the kitchen, he saw Rin standing a metre away from the stove. On the stove was an egg in a frying pan.

“Rin? What’s going on?” Isagi stepped in and turned down the fire that was way too high for just frying an egg, especially at Rin’s non-existent level. He grabbed the spatula and checked the bottom to see if it was burnt. “If you’re hungry, you could’ve waited for me to wake up. We also have rice in the rice cooker or some of the frozen food. Are we out already?”

“No…”

Isagi frowned. He turned back to the frying pan and saw that Rin had used too much oil to fry some eggs so it must have shocked him when some of it jumped out. When did he even learn to do such a thing?

He glanced over at the counter and saw the tablet he lent Rin so he could play some games and learn about the internet and concluded he figured out how to look it up.

“If you want to fry some eggs, you don’t have to go all the way to high heat.” Isagi pointed to the knob. “It’s easier to control if the heat is lower and you won’t burn it as quickly. There will be cases where the outside will be burnt but the inside won’t be cooked and you want to cook the inside as well for it to be edible.”

Rin merely nodded. “Then…let me try.”

“Eh? You sure?” Isagi questioned. He never knew Rin had any interest in cooking.

Rin nodded. “Go sit down. I’ll handle it.”

At that, Isagi narrowed his eyes. “What? This is your first time cooking, right? I can’t trust you here when you barely know what’s what.”

“If there’s a problem, I will use my power to expel it.” Rin replied with a huff. He raised a hand and waved it towards Isagi as if to shoo him away. “Off with you.”

“If you can just solve it with your powers, why don’t you just make eggs with your powers too?” Isagi asked, even more confused. Rin was a god. He could do whatever he wanted so if he was hungry, couldn’t he just conjure it out of thin air? He lived on his own on a mountain so he survived there. Why did he suddenly want to try cooking?

“I…I am in my human form therefore I must act more human. Is that not what you wished for me to do?” Rin shot back with a frown. “Being a human in this kind of world is…difficult. There are too many rules but…you said you would take me to…to that country, Italy. My powers do not extend that far so I must live as a human there so is it not good that I try to practice now?”

“Huh, that’s actually…reasonable.” Isagi replied with surprise. He thought Rin would be too prideful to do things like humans. He did look down on Isagi and frequently insulted humans at least.

However, he did see that Rin was, in a way, enjoying the life humans had created. He enjoyed watching TV and playing games; he perused through his mother’s novels, gasping and telling him how scandalous some of them were; he always wanted to try new foods from different countries since he had never been there before and insisted on trying a variety of restaurants. Isagi could see that he was still curious about the world and wanted to explore more of it.

He felt bad that he didn’t have the opportunity to do so.

“Did you think I was an unreasonable being?” Rin seemed offended at that notion.

“Well, when we first met, you kept calling me foolish and asked if I understood how my life works…”

“Hmph. Humans hold such petty grudges.”

Despite Rin’s protest that he could cook on his own, Isagi stayed in the kitchen to monitor him. Isagi noticed that when Rin talked, he was a bit softer than when they first met. Although he still had a hot temper, it had cooled quite a bit and turned into grumbling instead, making it easier for Isagi to handle and tease.

Isagi went and prepared a small salad for them with the leftover vegetables they had. It wasn’t much but they should at least have some. He browsed inside the fridge, taking a mental note to go grocery shopping when he found the time.

“You do not seem pleased.” Rin had walked up next to him and peered into the fridge. “There is not much inside.”

“Yeah, I have to go grocery shopping.” Isagi said with a frown. He turned and Rin had two bowls of rice with eggs on top in his hands. He glanced over at the sink where there were still dishes there that he hadn’t gotten to. “I need to wash the dishes as well. Take out the garbage, vacuum…”

He could probably wake up a bit earlier tomorrow to do some of the chores. He was planning on staying at the bar a little later since it was a Saturday and he could wake up later in the morning but if that was the case…

“Groceries are…food, right?” Rin asked as they sat down at the dining room table. “I can get food.”

Isagi blinked. He tilted his head. “This isn’t food you can eat right away. Well, some of it you can, but not like a restaurant.”

“I know. I’ve gone with you before.” Rin pouted. “And…vacuum…that is that loud object you have, yes? The one that eats everything?”

“That’s one way to put it.” Isagi laughed at Rin’s description.

“You said you need to use it?”

“Yeah, so I can clean the house.” Isagi replied with a nod. “There’s a lot of dust and dirt around since it’s been a while.”

“It sounds simple enough.” Rin stated. “I will do that as well.”

Isagi stayed silent, staring at Rin. He couldn’t understand why Rin was willing to do all these things when he had shown no interest before. “Why?”

“Hm?” Rin hummed. “Why what?”

“Why do you want to do all this?” Isagi asked with a shake of his head. “You didn’t do any of it before so why all of a sudden?”

Rin hesitated. He looked away briefly and didn’t seem like he intended to answer him honestly. However, he surprised him.

“Because…you look tired.” Rin replied slowly. “You’re never home now so when you do, you still have to do this cleaning and cooking so you do not have much sleep. I do not get as tired as easily as humans do and can sense that you are at your limit. If I can do small things like buying food or cleaning up, that would give you more time to sleep, correct? Then you can take me to more restaurants.”

Isagi laughed, not surprised at Rin’s ulterior motives. Rin would feel the slowness of life the most considering he was home all the time. It was why Isagi intended to show him how to get to the park and other places around so he wasn’t cooped up inside all the time.

“I still might not be able to take you to as many restaurants.” Isagi spoke honestly. He didn’t want Rin to have any expectations when he was so busy. “Buying groceries and making food at home is cheaper so we’ll have to do that more. Since you were trying to make eggs, I assume you were trying to learn?”

Rin nodded. “Why can’t we go to restaurants as much? Why do we need to go for the ‘cheaper’ route? Were we not going to restaurants not too long ago?”

This time, it was Isagi who hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to answer and if he answered truthfully, how Rin would respond. After all, this trip to Italy was for Rin in exchange to help his mother. He hadn’t been demanding for the trip immediately as Isagi told him it would take him a while to get it for him. However, if he told him, perhaps he would understand the reason why he wasn’t home as much.

He sighed. It was better to be honest with him.

“I…need to save up money.” Isagi answered, staring at his half-eaten bowl of rice and eggs. “One of the downsides of being a human is that everything has a cost and that’s why I need more money. It’s also the reason why I’ve been out so much, because I need to earn the money.”

“So…the reason for your exhaustion is ‘money’?” Rin inquired. Isagi nodded. “Is money truly something so valuable?”

“It’s what the entire human world bases the worth of everything.” Isagi replied a bit bitterly. This was an unfortunate reality. “Everything costs money. Food, restaurants, repair bills, medical bills…”

He paused, wondering if Rin understood. He didn’t say anything so Isagi continued.

“Anyways, you don’t have to worry about it.” Isagi said with a small wave. “Once I get enough, then I’ll be back to a normal schedule.”

“When will that be?” Rin asked. Isagi was silent because he didn’t know the answer to this. He deducted the average living expenses, which probably went up because he was now housing Rin. He also needed to keep some emergency funds on the side just in case.

And the hospital bills.

If the doctors and Rin were correct, his mother would be dying this year. That meant that Rin’s trip also had to happen this year so he had to consider that. If his mother died before he got the trip, wouldn’t that mean he worked so hard to give someone else a trip then? And all that work would be for nothing?

His breathing started to get heavier and shorter, his chest shaking and tears threatening to come out.

It was all too much. How could he get more money? He needed to send Rin to Italy immediately so he could have more time with his mother. He could hardly even see his mother because of his work schedule. Was there even a point? The little freedom Rin would be able to give his mother versus how much Isagi could see her…was it worth it? He wanted to see her leave the hospital and experience life normally. He didn’t want to see her weak body that was slowly dying. But by doing this and trying to give Rin his trip, Isagi was tired.

He just wanted everything to end.

He didn’t want to give up. His mother was the only one he had left, he had to do something for her. But living just to work wasn’t even living anymore, was it?

“Human!” Rin suddenly appeared next to him, hand on his shoulder trying to get him to snap out of his trance. His shoulder felt warm and when he looked over, he saw that it was glowing from Rin’s touch. “Snap out of it! What’s wrong?!”

“…huh?” Isagi blinked, suddenly realizing that his eyes were wetter than usual. He rubbed them with the back of his hand and felt the tears. He grabbed a napkin that was on the table and started to wipe them away. “S-Sorry. I…I just have too much on my mind right now. Ahaha.”

Whatever Rin was doing with his powers instantly calmed Isagi down. He felt his heart rate slow down a bit and his breathing returned to normal. However, it didn’t stop the thoughts that went through his mind and the anxiety he felt, trying to figure out how long it would take for him to get the money.

“Stop.” Rin said, making Isagi look at him. Rin had a frown on his face. “Your mind is too clouded and your soul is too restless. At this rate, you will be the one in the hospital before long. Cease to think, human.”

Isagi laughed at his command. If he could stop thinking, he would!

“If I could, I would.” Isagi snickered. “Thinking is in a human’s nature. I can’t just stop.”

Rin’s face seemed to have softened a little. “Then think of something else. Think of…delicious food from new countries. Beautiful architecture, nice ‘vibes’ as you call it, nature and wildlife new to you. The trip to Italy.”

Isagi was confused at the last part. “Why would I think about that? It’s your trip.”

“Hm?” Rin blinked. “Are you not taking me there?”

“Well, I’m getting you the ticket and will book your stuff, yeah, but I’m not going.” Isagi was surprised at his question.

“Why not?” Rin jolted back, looking offended at this realization.

“It’s already expensive enough for one person, how can I afford two?” Isagi pointed out. He immediately covered his mouth and looked away. He didn’t need to look at Rin to know that he was staring.

“What do you mean by that?” Rin asked. Isagi wouldn’t turn back to him, trying to think of what to say but Rin was shaking his shoulders. “Human, explain! The reason you’ve been so tired…is because I want to go to Italy?”

Isagi knew he couldn’t fool a god. No matter what he tried to come up with, anything he said sounded like he was blaming Rin. The problem was he didn’t blame Rin. He blamed himself more. He was just selfish because he couldn’t accept death. If he accepted the inevitable and tried to search for some kind of solution for his mother, just so he could have one more day, then he would be able to spend the remaining time with her.

Was there a right answer for this?

“Everything has a cost.” Isagi finally said after a prolonged stretch of silence. He turned to Rin, biting the inside of his lip to hold it together. “This is just the cost for my mom’s life.”

Rin stared silently as Isagi rubbed his eyes with a napkin. It was rough and not meant for it so it stung a bit. He sniffled and piled up the empty dishes, needing to clean up before they left. Rin stopped him, reaching out for them.

He didn’t say anything as he took the dishes into the kitchen. Isagi soon heard the water running and knew he should at least watch Rin to make sure he was cleaning them properly but he didn’t have the energy to. He knew that his face was a complete mess so he got out of his seat and headed to the bathroom so he could get ready.

The sprout was not growing.

Rin looked down at it, wondering what was wrong. He knew every plant in this domain, could sense its presence and its growth, but this little one was not doing its one job. Though it rained and the sun shone on it, it did not grow.

He was concerned. Why was it being so stubborn? Everything else around it was growing fine, but this one little sprout decided that it did not want to bloom. Did it not want to reach the sun? Was it happy being so small and pitiful? No, that couldn’t be, so why wasn’t it growing?

He pursed his lips and knelt down, this time, touching the small leaves.

Perhaps…perhaps he could help it, even just a little bit.

The drive to the hospital was quiet. Isagi cleaned up as much as he could and hoped that it wasn’t too obvious to his mother that he had been crying. Then again, she knew him too well so she could spot it from a distance away.

“Yocchan! Rin-kun!” She greeted them with her usual smile. However, it dropped when she saw her son’s face. “Yoichi, what happened to your face? Did you cry?”

“Ah,” Isagi raised his hand to his cheek, scratching it sheepishly. “I just…didn’t get enough sleep. Was playing some games and got caught up in it.”

“Hmm.” His mother didn’t look convinced. She glanced over at Rin who remained silent. “Rin-kun, you look a little under the weather as well. Is everything okay?”

“Under the weather?” Rin questioned with a slow blink. He looked outside the window. “Aren’t we always under the weather?”

“Oh!” His mother started laughing. “It means that you look a bit sick or not as usual!”

“Ah.” Rin nodded as if understanding. “I suppose I am a bit under the weather.”

His mother nodded in concern. She turned to both of them. “Then, you two shouldn’t be seeing me if you’re not feeling well. Use that time to rest and recover.”

“I’d rather use the time I have to see you, mom.” Isagi said as he took a seat next to his mother. Rin didn’t sit down, wandering to the window to look out of it. “I brought you some fruit. I don’t want to get scolded by the nurses like last time.”

“Oh, they don’t know how to have a little fun.” His mother winked at him. He placed the bag of fruit on the bedside table and took out the grapes. “So how is work? Is it still busy?”

“Ah, yeah.” Isagi nodded. “I’m hanging on.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case, don’t stay up too late playing games!”

They proceeded to chat for a bit. Isagi noted the time and knew that he had a bit more time before work but he also had to show Rin around the neighbourhood since he volunteered to go grocery shopping.

“We have some errands we have to do, so we have to get going.” Isagi gave his mother an apologetic look but she shook her head.

“It’s okay. I’m just glad I could see.” She reached out to pat his face. She pulled him into a hug. “I love you. Take care of yourself, okay?”

“Love you too.” Isagi said, squeezing her tightly. He released her but lingered a bit, looking down at her as she sat on the bed.

She just looked so small.

“Rin, let’s go?” Isagi said as he looked at the silent man. Rin walked away from the window but didn’t head out the door. Instead, he stopped next to his mother.

“Excuse me, madame, but if I could be so pertinent?” Rin began. He gave a small bow. “I came from a place where…prayers are common. Is it already if I grant you a small prayer for your health?”

Isagi blinked, not sure what Rin was doing. He glanced down at his mother who seemed intrigued but also glad.

“How kind of you.” She said with a nod. She clasped her hands together. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a shrine or temple. Please, do as you wish.”

She closed her eyes and waited. Rin raised his hand up but stopped, looking at Isagi first before continuing. Isagi was skeptical, not because he doubted Rin’s prayer, but because he couldn’t understand why he was making one in the first place.

Did it have something to do with Isagi’s wish? But Isagi wasn’t able to send Rin to Italy yet. Was his mother in such bad condition that she wouldn’t make it soon? Was Rin prolonging her life a little so Isagi kept his end of the bargain?

All these questions ran through his head and Isagi didn’t know the answer. He looked at Rin, hoping he would be able to give him one.

Rin was looking at him. His teal eyes were firm and there was no hesitation at all. He had the confidence of a god that knew exactly what he was doing, his expression telling him to trust him.

Trust Rin.

Isagi nodded. He didn’t know what to expect but he could only hope for the best.

It was the only thing he had left.

Rin raised his hand to his mother’s forehead, lightly brushing against it. His mother’s eyes were closed so she didn’t notice the slight teal glow coming from Rin’s finger. The god closed his eyes as well.

“May health come to you and you live with full conviction.” Rin began, his voice sounding like an airy echo, carrying throughout the room. “May I grant you a moment of reprieve until the sun sets and the stars fill the dark sky. May you gain the energy you need to shine brightly and lead those who are lost.”

Isagi wasn’t familiar with prayers but this one sounded particularly odd to him. Perhaps it was natural for a god to refer to nature in their prayers, being one with living things, but Isagi didn’t question it. He couldn’t as he looked at Rin and his mother, watching as his mother’s body seemed to be filled with teal light. Even as the light faded, her skin looked different – more pristine, more plump, like she was still glowing.

“Finished.” Rin said, his voice cracking slightly. Isagi was confused for a moment but when his mother moved, his attention turned to her.

Was she alright? Did anything change? Perhaps her skin glowing was just his imagination after seeing such an event. Once she opened her eyes, she seemed to be the same as usual, and Isagi felt a bit disappointed that maybe he just had a placebo effect when looking at her just a few seconds ago. He thought she was back to her full health but he knew he couldn’t be too optimistic about that when even Rin couldn’t stop her death.

“What a beautiful prayer.” His mother smiled up at Rin. Whenever she smiled brightly, her eyes were squinted, almost closed. “Thank you, Rin-kun. I can feel your feelings inside.”

“I…hope it can help, even just a little bit.” Rin stated with a nod.

They left not long after to go do their errands. However, when they got into the car at the hospital, Isagi didn’t drive immediately. Rin was waiting for him, but Isagi wasn’t quite ready to leave yet, needing to know some answers.

“Why did you do that?” Isagi asked quietly. He wasn’t sure what exactly Rin did but the tension he had felt this morning suddenly felt like it was completely gone. “I…I haven’t gotten you your trip yet.”

Rin didn’t say anything at first. He stared at Isagi, eyes unreadable, gaze impenetrable. Isagi didn’t look away, desperate to know what went through Rin’s mind. How could the stubborn god that insisted on equivalent exchange suddenly grant him something like a prayer? If it was a priest or a monk who did something like that, it wouldn’t bother Isagi this much but he knew that Rin’s powers were real and something like this was not small.

“You have given me enough.” Rin replied. He suddenly reached out, finger grazing against Isagi’s cheek. “A life for a life. That is enough.”

Isagi blinked. He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

Rin pursed his lips. He looked like he was thinking, considering whether or not to actually explain to Isagi or not his meaning. Isagi continued to stare, wanting his own gaze to be as penetrating so it was strong enough for Rin to tell him what he wanted to hear.

“I do not need that trip to Italy anymore.” Rin stated. “Time should not be dedicated to destroying one’s own life nor forsaking it for others. Humans live in such a vivid world with many experiences and valuables that fade with time. Do not forget that that is not what it means to live.”

“Eh? B-But I need to give you something of equal value—”

“You already did.” Rin interrupted seriously. “A life for a life.”

Did Isagi working to the bone shorten his lifespan enough to give it to his mother? What did Rin mean by that? However, judging by Rin’s expression, he had more to say but it didn’t seem like it would be about that topic.

“So quit your job!” Rin suddenly huffed and turned away, staring outside the window. “You don’t need to save for Italy anymore so you can now spend more time with me and take me to more restaurants! I saw on the television that there is something called ‘lay-sa-ta-gu’ and you can hit people without getting hurt but it’s a game! I want to try that, human!”

“Lasertag?” Isagi slowly smiled, feeling all his stress melt away at that. Compared to Italy, lasertag was more feasible. However, it just didn’t seem right that that was equal to a human life. “Just that?”

“You’re asking for my powers so of course not.” Rin shook his head. “There is something called a ‘ro-bot’ cafe. We went to cafes before but there was no ro-bot. They can talk and move and serve you despite not being alive! I do not understand! And then they said something about palaces and castles. My mountain does not have such things! I must visit so I can gain ideas for when I return.”

Isagi froze.

“Right…you have to go back to the mountains…” Isagi felt something heavy in his chest. “That’s only natural…”

He hadn’t thought that far though he knew that was the right course of action. Once their transaction was done, Rin would return back to the mountains where he belonged. Their living situation and outings would stop. Thinking about it, Isagi didn’t know why he had such expectations that they would continue.

Once his mother finally passed, Rin would leave. Isagi would be in his house all by himself. He had to start thinking about what to do then. He didn’t want to sell off his childhood home but realistically speaking, he wouldn’t be able to handle all the maintenance and it was too big for just one person. He should probably figure out if continuing to live in Saitama was the right choice or if finding a better job elsewhere was best. If he moved, he would be further away from the mountains and wouldn’t have the chance to visit Rin—

No. Did he need to visit Rin? Would Rin even want to see him after this? Sure, if Rin enjoyed human food and activities, he would just stay in the city instead. However, he already knew in the future that he would go back so there must be something Rin disliked about staying with Isagi. If that was the case, Isagi shouldn’t visit him.

After their exchange was done and Rin got his fill on human life, then he would never see Rin again.

There was a painful lump in his throat.

It took a bit of time but Isagi finally quit his third job. He felt a bit bad because he had just gotten hired only to decide to leave after a few weeks. When the boss heard that he was leaving because he wasn’t sure how much time he had with his mother, he gave him a bit of sympathy.

Meanwhile, Isagi was shocked at how quickly Rin managed to pick up cooking and cleaning. While Isagi was out, he was watching videos on cooking and then Isagi came home to homemade meals for the first time in a long time. It started off a little rough, burnt pieces here and there, but he was pleasantly surprised at how Rin was able to resolve it the next time.

“Of course!” Rin huffed as Isagi praised him. “I am an almighty being. Something as simple as this could hardly be considered a challenge.”

This helped Isagi a lot. He felt more relaxed when he came home, knowing that vacuuming was done, laundry was clean, and there was a hot meal for him on the table. Rin seemed pleased when Isagi gave him compliments and ended up working harder. Isagi wasn’t sure where Rin got that energy.

Then he got the call.

“Is this the guardian of Isagi Iyo?” Isagi recognized the voice of one of the nurses at the hospital his mother was at and immediately put down his chopsticks. He stood up abruptly, Rin looking at him strangely, and began pacing.

“Yes, this is her son, Isagi Yoichi.” Isagi stated, feeling his heart beat quickly. “Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yes, in fact…” The nurse sounded happy, calming Isagi down. “It seems like Isagi Iyo-san is doing much better! Recently, we have noticed an improvement in her condition but we wanted to monitor a little longer to make sure it was stable and it seems to be the case. Her cancer is not completely gone but she is eating more and has gained a bit more weight. The next time you see her, she will seem like a different person.”

Isagi exhaled a shaky breath. He collapsed to his knees, holding the phone tightly in one hand while the other covered his mouth, holding in his sobs. He looked over at Rin who had gotten up and was kneeling next to him with concern in his eyes. Isagi leaned into his shoulder, tears starting to stream from his eyes.

“That’s great.” Isagi’s voice cracked. He gave a small laugh. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

The nurse told him a bit more of his mother’s condition but Isagi couldn’t digest that information. The only thing he got was that her health was stable enough that she could come home but she still needed to visit the hospital for treatment. However, they seemed to be giving him more hope, saying that the possibility of the cancer becoming dormant was getting higher.

He was relieved.

He hung up the phone, his body going completely limp. Rin’s arms were around him, still with that worry on his face. Isagi just smiled at him, his heart feeling lighter.

He hugged Rin.

“Thank you.” Isagi couldn’t hold back the tears once more. He held Rin tighter, trying to convey his gratitude with his touch but knew it wasn’t enough. “My mom…she can come home. Her condition is good enough that she can come back. The cancer isn’t gone but she can live just a bit more.”

Isagi knew that his face was a complete mess. He rubbed his eyes to try to get rid of the tears but they were placed with new ones; happier ones. He didn’t have any expectations going to that mountain that day but ended up meeting Rin who changed the course of his and his mother’s life.

He would dedicate himself to give Rin whatever he wanted.

The sprout needed water and sunlight to grow up healthy and strong. Rin gave it that and more but it wasn’t enough.

How stubborn.

Rin knew that in this realm, he was in control of all things there yet for some reason, he could not force this sprout to grow. This world was an imitation of the world outside, nature proceeding as normal within the time there yet this sprout did not follow the same logic. He gave it water, adjusted the soil to be more fertile, and cleared the way for the sun but nothing.

He was exhausted. Was it always this hard to protect and nurture something like this? The world worked in its own ways so he never realized that if something was having trouble, helping would be a monumental task.

He laid on the soft grass next to the sprout, his body heavy from effort. He felt his eyes starting to close, the sun basking him in warm light.

He turned his head so he could look at the sprout once more.

It has grown a little taller.

Perhaps because he had been around it so much, but he never noticed the change. How subtle it was but when Rin realized it, he didn’t dislike it.

He reached out for the tiny leaves, tranquility against his chest.

It was so beautiful.

“Do you have everything?” Isagi asked as he looked at the bag he brought to the hospital. There were some clothes mixed in with too many books. Underneath were snacks that his mother had hidden away from the nurses that she was finally free to eat.

“Yes, I do.” His mother said. Isagi smiled, happy to see her in normal clothes for the first time in a long time. He had gotten used to the hospital gown, it was almost foreign to see so much colour on his mother. “Don’t be so fussy. You worry too much.”

“You don’t worry enough, mom!” Isagi scolded but she just laughed. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he placed his on her shoulder, walking out of the hospital room. “Are you ready to go home?”

“I’ve been ready for so long already.” She laughed. The nurses and doctors they passed by waved and wished her the best of health. They were all happy to see her leave, knowing how long she had been there and her earlier prognosis. The fact that she was going home wasn’t short of a miracle but only Isagi knew how it came about.

Speaking of…

“Uh, mom.” He realized he never mentioned it and now that she was almost home, it appeared incredibly abrupt. “Actually, Rin…he’s been staying at our house. He’s, uh, been helping around while I worked. Don’t worry, he hasn’t gone into your room!”

“Is that so?” His mother asked with a small tilt of her head. She was smiling regardless. “I’m glad you have such a kind friend that’s willing to help out. It put my mind at ease when you brought him to the hospital.”

“Did it?” Isagi asked in confusion. “Why?”

“Well, you had been coming to the hospital alone for so long and I knew you were working hard at your job.” His mother began with a nod. “It was nice to see you have someone by your side during this difficult time. I was worried you would be lonely without me.”

“Ah.” Isagi pursed his lips. Those days when he came home to a large, empty house with no one to greet him, having to eat convenience store food when he had no energy to make something, sitting by himself with the droning sound of the TV filled the air seemed like a distant memory. When Rin arrived, he was curious about everything, demanding about everything, and now, he filled the house with the sounds of the kitchen, the scent of delicious food, and a haughty attitude bigger than the house itself.

And yet, it felt like home.

When they arrived and Isagi opened the door, he could smell food wafting in the air. Rin said he could make some lunch for them while he went to pick up his mother and he had finished quickly enough. The sound of the TV could be heard from the living room.

“We’re home!” Isagi called off as he kicked off his shoes at the front. He put them back properly so his mother wouldn’t scold him and headed down the hall with his mother’s bag to greet Rin. When he arrived in the living room, he saw that Rin was sleeping on the couch.

Isagi blinked. He had never seen Rin fall asleep during the day or on the couch before. He knew with Rin’s constitution, he could survive with little sleep and even when he stayed up to wait for Isagi when he had his third job, he still woke up before him with enough energy to proceed through the day. It was very rare that Isagi would wake up before him and when he did, he was in his kirin form.

He was surprised that Rin didn’t automatically transform into it so he must not have been fully asleep quite yet. Isagi sat on the ground next to him and shook him awake.

“Good morning, Rin,” Isagi greeted him softly with a smile. He didn’t want to startle him as soon as he woke up. “Rise and shine. We’re home.”

“Nngh.” Rin groaned. He slowly sat up, completely out of it. His eyes were half-open and he looked like he didn’t even know where he was.

Isagi had never seen this side of Rin before. He did notice that it looked really clean in here so perhaps within the time Isagi was at the hospital and driving back, Rin had both cleaned and cooked. He definitely deserved some praise for that.

“You did a great job.” Isagi said as he reached out to pat Rin’s head. Rin’s head bobbed slightly before relaxing against his palm. “It smells delicious in here. What did you make?”

“Mmm. Miso soup…grilled fish…rice…salad…” Rin replied slowly, still half-asleep. “I heard it’s healthy.”

“Sounds great.” Isagi replied with a small laugh. It looked like his pats were just making Rin sleepier, his head getting heavy in his hand.

“Is Rin-kun okay?” Isagi jumped, nearly forgetting his mother was there. He turned to see her standing there, fingers covering her mouth as she looked at both of them. There was a shine in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. Isagi felt like he had been caught doing something but wasn’t exactly sure what. “My goodness.”

“I’m fine, madame.” Rin said suddenly, eyes opening a little more widely. He stood up and stretched before turning to Isagi’s mother. “I was just closing my eyes for a bit. I apologize for not greeting you properly.”

“Oh, no, don’t be!” His mother shook her head. She looked around the house with a smile. “I heard from Yocchan that you’ve been doing the cleaning and cooking. I can only thank you for keeping the house in such good condition while I was away, and for taking care of him as well.”

Rin was quiet. Isagi thought he might have fallen asleep while standing but his half-open eyes were active and he looked more pensive.

“Actually, Yo…ichi-san has been taking care of me.” Rin spoke quietly. Isagi stared at him, realizing that the tips of Rin’s ears were red. He didn’t look at Isagi, in fact, he was looking away from everyone. “If it wasn’t for him, I…would’ve just stayed on that mountain and not know how big the world had gotten. He introduced me to many different foods and different parts of life I never knew about and for that…I gained many new experiences. I cannot thank him enough.”

Isagi inhaled. He felt his cheeks burning slightly because he had never heard RIn talk about him like that before. Actually, he never knew what Rin’s opinion was about him. It was obvious when they first met that he looked down on Isagi but slowly, it felt less so the more time they spent together. Isagi got to see many different sides to Rin that he never thought a God would have. Each new expression he found, Rin became closer to being human and the distance between them became less. Isagi had started to care for Rin. He started to depend on him.

“Is that so?” His mother asked softly. Her gaze was just as so, a smile on her face. “I’m so happy to hear that you can depend on him.”

The idea of Rin – a god – depending on Isagi was ridiculous. But at the same time, if Rin really felt like that, it was like they felt the same way about each other.

“Yeah.” Rin replied softly. Isagi looked up at him, catching his eye for a moment before Rin looked away. “I’m happy to have him too.”

At that, Isagi couldn’t help but look away. The slight burning on his face had gotten more intense and he could feel it spread to his neck as well. He needed to cool off.

“Let me go drop your stuff in your room first and then we can eat!” Isagi suddenly yelled, quickly walking away and up the stairs. “If you’re that hungry, you can start without me!”

He went into his mother’s room and put the bag on her bed. While he was alone there, listening to Rin and his mother chat as they got out the dishes, Isagi felt himself sink to the floor, covering his face. There was definitely a different temperature there and alongside it, his heart was beating so quickly.

Rin was…happy? He was happy to depend on Isagi? That didn’t sound like Rin at all! It was probably lip service for his mother, making their entire situation nicer! However, there was no reason for Rin to do that. Although Isagi said it was better for others not to know he was a god, Rin still didn’t have to say such nice things about him. 

And yet…

Happy. Rin was happy.

Isagi too felt incredibly happy.

He didn’t know what that meant.

Isagi felt awkward now that he realized he felt happy that Rin was happy. He wasn’t sure why though. He had always thought he was a decent guy, enjoying making his friends and family happy with things like gifts or if they ask a favour and appreciate it. It shouldn’t be that different from Rin but for some reason, it was.

“I’m happy to have him, too.”

Those words made Isagi’s cheeks burn every time he thought about it. He told himself to get a grip and calm down because that just meant Rin appreciated him and nothing more. However, when Rin spoke, he had such a soft look in his eyes that made Isagi’s heart expand, choking him slightly, unable to say a word.

He tried to calm himself down. Isagi couldn’t act like this, especially since they were back to sharing a room. When he insisted on sleeping in the living room, looked at him like he was crazy and his mother pointed out that when he was in high school and had sleepovers, his friends stayed in his room too. But that was ages ago and Isagi was an adult!

Isagi eventually relented. He tried to cool himself down with a cold shower but he still felt heat on his cheeks. He stood outside his bedroom door, mentally preparing himself to face Rin once more.

When he opened it, the light in his room was on but Rin…was asleep?

It seemed like he had been watching some videos on the tablet and then fell asleep. Isagi quietly crept over and knelt down next to the bed. He slowly took the tablet from Rin’s grasp, trying not to wake him up. He successfully was able to do so and paused the cooking video, then put the tablet to sleep. He crawled over to where the charger was to plug it in then crawled back.

He was going to relax a little on his futon with his phone a bit but Isagi couldn’t help but look at Rin’s pretty face. Isagi placed his cheek on the bed to stare at him sleeping, taking note of his long eyelashes, how his eyebrows were relaxed and not furrowing like he wanted to throw Isagi out the window, and how his locks of black hair tried to obstruct all of his beauty. Isagi reached over to brush it away but a few strands returned.

Thump

He inhaled.

Was Rin…someone special to him? The feelings he had for him were different from anyone else. Although he now associated Rin with his home since he lived there for the time being, he wasn’t exactly his family like his mother or father. It wasn’t the same as his friends either. It’s not like Isagi hated Rin.

Sure, at the beginning, it was hard to get along with him but as time went by, there were aspects that Isagi felt were…adorable. Rin was willing to learn and adjust himself to act more properly in human standards, which was funny to see as he tried to blend in. And more recently, there was a certain…softness Rin had been expressing. It was subtle at first. It seemed like he had been interested in cooking and cleaning to become independent but once he did, whenever Isagi told him a dish was delicious, Rin made sure to make it again for him. Whenever Isagi complimented him on how he cleaned things, Rin paid extra attention to that the next time. Just any time Rin got a compliment, his eyes lit up.

It was strange. Isagi shouldn’t think that a grown man – or rather, a god – should be this cute but he really was.

Isagi smiled.

He…enjoyed his time with Rin. His mother was home so he knew he didn’t have much time left with him but he didn’t want him to leave. He wanted Rin to stay a bit longer. When Rin had the expectation that Isagi was going to go to Italy with him, Isagi was shocked because he didn’t even think that Rin wanted him by his side. Perhaps Rin thought it would be more convenient if Isagi went along but he could survive. He was learning how to live with humans. However, when he learned that Isagi wasn’t going to go with him, it seemed like his interest in Italy suddenly faded. It wasn’t completely gone as the cooking video Rin was looking at was teaching him how to make pizza dough, but he gave up the trip. Isagi didn’t think he would. It was supposed to be in exchange for his mother’s life but…

For some reason, he didn’t go through with it.

And Isagi still didn’t know what Rin found as an equivalent exchange. It was obvious that Rin held up his end of the bargain but for what, Isagi had no clue. Rin made him stop working the third job to save up for Italy and he still healed his mother. In fact, Rin was even asking him to quit his second job but that was a little harder to do. He was still only one person and he still had to pay for some of his mother’s treatment.

He was thinking about it. Now that his mother was out of the hospital, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. And he knew that he had been neglecting Rin a lot so he would like to make it up to him, show him that he appreciated him.

“Thank you.” Isagi whispered. It was the only thing he could think of when looking at Rin. Everything Rin had done for him so far put him at ease. “For my mom and for taking care of me.”

He wasn’t ready to let go of Rin yet. He still wanted to stay with him longer. The thought of his life without him now made his chest ache and Isagi tried to push away those thoughts or else he would cry.

Isagi realized what this feeling was and felt glad that he knew but there was a lingering sadness as well.

It was love.

But he knew in the end, Rin would eventually return home.

This plant was too needy. Rin had never encountered such a thing before, nor had heard of a concept of a plant that needed so much attention.

He was constantly around it, giving it care, and yet, as soon as Rin turned around, it seemed to be dying. He was confused at first, watching the leaves shrivel up, but it immediately perked up when he sat beside it once more.

‘How strange.’

More times than once did he lay next to it, his energy seeping away, so he could stay next to him. He knew that eventually, when everything was done, he would need to leave. He had the rest of the forest to take care of. He couldn’t stay with the little plant.

However, he wanted to make sure the plant was safe. He wanted to make sure that it grew up well, standing taller than the rest. Rin wanted to be rewarded for all the time and effort to make sure it survived.

Perhaps he grew a little attached to it.

For now, all he could do was give his energy to making sure it was well. When the time came, it would be the time that Rin was ready to leave.

“Mom, Rin! Let’s go!” Isagi called out as he finished loading the car. He walked into the living room and saw his mother trying to wake Rin up.

Isagi frowned. Recently, Rin has been a lot more tired. It was strange that any moment he wasn’t doing chores, he was found on the couch sleeping. He even went to bed earlier than Isagi and more recently, started to wake up later. He figured that because he was a god, he would be in perfect health but Isagi wasn’t so sure. If being away from the mountain meant his powers were limited, it just made him more human and possibly more susceptible to sicknesses.

“Is he sick?” Isagi asked in concern. He knelt in front of him, shaking his shoulder to wake him up. “Rin?”

“It doesn’t seem like it.” His mother replied with an equal amount of concern. “He was helping put away the dishes, then went to sit down to wait for you. He was awake just a few minutes ago.”

All the shaking seemed to finally wake Rin up. He stared at Isagi groggily before squinting his eyes in confusion.

“Hey, are you okay?” Isagi asked. He reached out to touch Rin’s face and he nuzzled into it, eyes closing once more. “If you want to stay home and rest, it’s fine. I know you’ve been doing all the house work recently.”

Rin was silent for a moment and Isagi thought he had fallen asleep again. He slowly opened his eyes, the unearthly teal colour looking at him.

“I’m fine.” Rin replied, voice slightly hoarse. He moved away from Isagi’s hand and sat up and rubbed his eyes. “My apologies for keeping you waiting. Shall we go?”

Isagi’s mother nodded slowly but she quickly seemed to change her mind. “Are you sure you’re okay, Rin-kun? You don’t need any medicine or to go see the doctor?”

“This is nothing to be concerned about.” Rin said with a shake of his head. He stood up. “I have never been to a beach before so I, too, am looking forward to this trip.”

“If you’re sure…” Isagi said as he stood up. He quickly reached out for Rin’s arm. “But if something’s wrong, let us know, okay?”

Rin nodded. Soon, they proceeded out the house and into the car. Rin sat in the back while Isagi’s mother sat in the front. Isagi started the car and drove off.

“It’ll take a while to get there so feel free to take a nap.” Isagi said as he looked in the rearview mirror. It seemed like he didn’t even need to tell Rin as he was already falling asleep.

“Hmm, has he always been like this?” His mother asked as she glanced at Rin. “He appeared fine when you visited me in the hospital.”

“Only more recently.” Isagi answered as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “I think…it might have to do with environmental factors. You know, he’s from the country so the fatigue of the city or the air might be catching up with him.”

He didn’t need to look at his mother to know how unbelievable that sounded but she didn’t say anything about it.

“But it seems like he enjoys life at the moment.” His mother said with a small smile. “He likes living with you.”

“He probably likes that I take him to new places, not necessarily living with me.” Isagi laughed nervously, feeling his cheeks turn red. He tried to focus on the road.

“I’ve seen the way he’s looked at you.” His mother leaned against her headrest, a faint smile on her face as she looked out the window. “It reminds me of your father and when he looked at me.”

There was silence that lingered but it spoke so much. Isagi pursed his lips.

“Yocchan.” His mother began after what felt like too long. “I miss him.”

“Me too.” Isagi’s voice cracked a little. His father died too young. He had always been close to his father as well so nothing had prepared him or his mother for his death. Suddenly, the pillar of their family was gone and both had to navigate through life without him.

Isagi didn’t want to go through with that again.

“Ah! This is supposed to be a fun day, a good day!” His mother said suddenly. She slapped her cheeks with her hands. “Look at me bringing up depressing things! That’s not important at the moment.”

The atmosphere changed and Isagi saw her from the corner of his eyes, giving him a smirk.

“You too,” She began. “The look you give Rin-kun…it’s quite obvious he’s special to you.”

“Mom!” Isagi looked at the rearview mirror once again. Rin was completely asleep so maybe he couldn’t hear them. Even so, he kept his voice low. “How can you say that?!”

“I know my baby boy quite well and know when he’s smitten.” The more his mother spoke, the more embarrassed Isagi became. “You look at him like you discovered soccer for the first time again but…it was more.”

“Mooom.” Isagi groaned. Comparing his expression to when he was a child finding his favourite sport seemed even worse, especially when he loved soccer so much.

He saw her smile soften.

“Life…will be difficult.” Her voice became more serious. “But I’m sure with Rin-kun by your side, you can get through it.”

However, his mother didn’t know. Didn't know about the deal he and Rin had and didn’t know that Rin would be leaving soon. Perhaps her belief that if he was by his side, he could get through life but for now, he had to go forward on his own.

“It’s…so big.”

Isagi smiled at Rin’s reaction. That child-like wonder returned. He looked more awake as he stared at the sparkling water that went beyond the horizon. The weather was hot but the breeze helped cool them down a little.

“Let’s find a place to sit.” Isagi said. He grabbed Rin’s hand and started leading him to the beach. His mother was walking on his other side. “It’s been so long since I’ve been here.”

“Mmhm.” His mother nodded as she looked around. “It doesn’t look like much has changed.”

“We came here when I was a kid.” Isagi explained to Rin as they walked along the sand. Rin stumbled a bit then looked down at the ground. “It’s soft, isn’t it? Be careful not to twist your ankle.”

“That looks like a good spot there!” His mother pointed to an area with no people.

They followed her there and set the beach umbrella and towels out. When Isagi touched the sand, it was hot.

“Don’t burn yourself.” He warned Rin, pointing to the sand. “It’s really hot right now so keep your sandals on until we go into the water. Well, if you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

“No, I want to.” Rin said, eyes still on the ocean.

Isagi grinned. He figured Rin would.

“You boys can head out and play.” His mother said as she sat on one of the towels, leaning into the shade of the umbrella. “I’ll relax and read a book.”

“Okay.” Isagi nodded. He took off his shirt and placed it on one of the towels. He turned to Rin to tell him to do the same, only to see Rin’s face red. “Eh? Did you get sunburnt already? Wait, did you even put on sunscreen?”

“Sunscreen…?”

“Ah, you probably didn’t!” Isagi realized he never told Rin to do so nor did he explain what it was. “You have to wear sunscreen to protect your skin! If you don’t, you’re at a higher risk of skin cancer but in the short-term, you’ll turn red and it will hurt. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

“So take off your shirt.” Isagi pointed to the shirt Rin had on. “Let me help you.”

Rin hesitated. He didn’t seem to know what Isagi meant but reluctantly, he took off his shirt. He placed it on the towel that was meant for him then stood in Isagi, waiting.

Isagi grabbed the bottle of sunscreen from his bag and squeezed some in his hand. He walked behind Rin and rubbed it on his back. Rin tensed under his touch, his head whipping around.

“W-What are you doing?!” Rin stuttered in shock. Isagi merely blinked.

“I just told you I’m putting on sunscreen to protect your skin!” Isagi replied with a frown. “Here, put some on your front and your legs too. Make sure to cover up well or else you’re going to look like a cooked lobster afterwards.”

“A lobster?” Rin questioned as Isagi squeezed sunscreen in his hand. Rin paused as if unsure what to do but began to rub the sunscreen on his body as Isagi worked on his back.

“It’s my favourite animal.” Isagi answered. Although he spoke with a normal tone, he felt himself getting flustered the more sunscreen he put on Rin’s back. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen Rin naked. Maybe because he was a god, but he was incredibly fit. He was lean but not absurdly muscular with a broad back and a thin waist. Isagi envied him, remembering when he still did sports and had a body that was at least decent to look at. Years of office work loosened his muscles and he knew as he grew older, he would be getting a belly.

“You mentioned ‘cooked’.” Rin said, snapping Isagi out of his gaze. He felt himself turn red. “Does that mean one could consume it?”

“Yes, but don’t think about it!” Isagi quickly said before Rin could ask further questions. “Lobster is expensive! Maybe one day but not now!”

“Hmm…” Rin hummed. They finished putting on sunscreen and then Isagi brought Rin to the water. He took off his sandals and stepped onto the wet sand, guiding Rin to do the same.

The waves washed in and out and they steadily made their way to the water. Their feet sunk into the sand and Rin looked like he was struggling with his balance so he held onto Isagi a little tighter to try to maintain it. Isagi’s heart skipped when his hand tightened in his.

They walked until they were knee deep into the water. They stood there for a moment, getting used to the slightly cool water. It was warmer than expected but much better than the summer heat and they slowly made their way deeper in.

“Doesn’t this feel nice?” Isagi asked with a smile. He dunked his head in the water then came back out, feeling his body cool off immediately. “Summer is so brutal. I can just stay in the water forever during this time.”

“Humans cannot breathe underwater though.” Rin spoke, making Isagi laugh.

“It’s just an exaggeration.” Isagi replied with a snicker. “The water just feels so good that I just don’t want this feeling to end. There must’ve been times when you felt something like that – wanting something to continue for as long as possible.”

Rin was silent, contemplating Isagi’s words. Isagi didn’t expect him to take it so seriously but knowing Rin, he was always serious. 

“Yes, there is.” Rin stated suddenly. Isagi’s ears perked at the softness in his voice and turned to him, however, Rin was staring out into the vast ocean. “The desire, this ‘want’ to have something to continue forever. I never experienced that feeling until now.”

“‘Until now’?” Isagi blinked. “What about when you were in the mountains?”

Rin shook his head. “I had lived there since I was born and when I was born, I knew everything about living there. Born as a god, all I knew was how to make the mountain and the creatures there survive. Day after day, it was the same thing, for hundreds of years.”

He paused, lips pursing.

“It wasn’t until I met you did I feel such a…desire.”

Desire. Perhaps Rin didn’t mean anything more than that but the strength of the word made Isagi blush.

“What do you mean?” Isagi asked quietly and curiously.

“The days that passed with you have been so quick yet so relaxing.” Rin responded, not noticing the shift in Isagi’s mood. “The days on the mountain just happened and there was nothing of note but every day I spent with you, I wondered what we would do next. The time that you only came home at night because you had to ‘work’ was…agonizing. I did not realize how much of a loss I would feel when you were no longer by my side.”

Isagi spluttered in shock. The cool water was not enough to cool his face. It almost sounded like Rin was confessing to him which…which was impossible!

A powerful god, an almighty being…that’s what Rin was. And Isagi was just…a human. A mere, powerless human. He had so many flaws, nothing to redeem himself with, yet Rin sounded like the time he spent with him, no matter how normal and uneventful it was, meant something. It was enough to bring out some sort of desire out of him.

It didn’t make sense.

“Ahaha, it almost sounds like you want to stay with me forever.” But Isagi knew that couldn’t be true. Rin was going to leave, he was going back to the mountain where he belonged; there was no reason for him to stay as a human.

Rin turned to him and tilted his head. “It is not ‘almost’, Yoichi-san.”

Isagi was silent as they stared at each other. His heartbeat was going so quickly and so loudly against his chest, he thought that everyone on the beach could hear it.

Rin wanted to be with him.

Rin wanted to stay with him.

Rin wanted to have their life together go on forever.

And Isagi wanted that too.

Rin had gotten tired (and sunburnt) from the beach so he immediately fell asleep once on the towels. Even after he woke up and they headed home, Rin slept in the car. He even seemed groggy as he went to take a shower, Isagi feeling fearful that he might just crash in the tub. 

It made sense he was tired since he got to experience the sea for the first time and they played in the water for a while. However, he had been sleeping too much for his standard. They had gotten some takeout for dinner on their way back but Isagi wasn’t even sure Rin would make it.

“Hey, are you hungry?” Isagi asked as Rin stepped out of the bathroom. He had been waiting for him outside, just in case he didn’t hear him or he heard crashing.

“Sleep first.” Rin mumbled, eyes drooping even as he was standing up. “Food later.”

Isagi frowned. He grabbed Rin’s towel and started drying his hair with it.

“Hey,” Isagi’s voice was soft, quiet enough to hear his mother downstairs, unpacking their takeout. “If something is wrong, you can tell me, alright? If you think the chores are too much or something like that, I can start doing them again. I have a bit more time now.”

Rin shook his head. He places a hand over Isagi’s as it leaned against his cheek.

“Focus on your mother.” Rin’s voice was sleepy. He yawned before leaning his forehead on Isagi’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me.”

“How could I not?!” Isagi asked as he tried to keep his voice down. Rin might be able to easily dismiss this but Isagi couldn’t. “I’m worried. If you’re not feeling well, we can take you to the hospital.”

“It’s fine.” Rin mumbled. He inhaled against Isagi’s neck and he felt face become warm. “Just…stay like this for a bit.”

Isagi nodded and stood still, not saying a word. He didn’t know how long they stayed like this or whether Rin fell asleep or not. He tilted his head a little so he could try to glance at Rin’s face. His hand went up to Rin’s hair, brushing it softly. He could hear his even breathing hitch slightly at the touch before calming down once more.

Rin’s head slowly raised up. He stared at Isagi with his sleepy eyes, an underlying intensity in them as he stared. Isagi’s face got redder as he realized how close their faces were.

“L-Let’s move you to the bed so you can take a nap.” Isagi finally cut through the unusual tension. He looked away to his bedroom door. He grabbed Rin’s hand and led him to it. “I’ll wake you up in a bit so you can eat, okay?”

Isagi didn’t even wait for a reply, quickly rushing back downstairs. Once he got there, he placed his hands on his cheeks, feeling how hot they were.

They had gotten so close.

Isagi shook off that thought and went to the dining room to forget about it but it still lingered on his mind as he ate.

“He must have a lot going on.” His mother’s voice suddenly said. He looked up and saw that she was staring at him. “Don’t be too worried. I’m sure he will recover soon.”

“Do you know what’s wrong with him?” Isagi asked in confusion. There was a knowing smile on his mother’s lips but her eyes were grave.

“I can’t say I know completely but his body might be processing something beyond our understanding.”

Isagi paused as he lifted up the food with his chopsticks. He widened his eyes as his mother continued to smile. He lowered his chopsticks and placed them down.

The way his mother was speaking, it was like she knew…

“Do you…know about Rin?” Isagi asked, his voice cracking slightly. It wasn’t like he meant to hide it from his mother but it also didn’t feel right to tell anyone about him.

“Ever since Rin-kun gave me his prayer, my health has been getting considerably better.” His mother began to explain with a sad smile. “At the same time, he seems to be sleeping more. It’s not hard to guess that he is special in some way.”

Isagi lowered his eyes and blinked. He didn’t realize the correlation between Rin’s recent sleep habits and his mother’s recovery. Rin had been taking on all the housework so he thought he was just exhausted from doing all that, and Isagi had been so excited because his mother’s health had been improving…

He was stupid.

“Yocchan.” He looked up when his mother touched his hand. She still had the same reassuring smile but Isagi’s heart felt like it was cracking. “I’m ready.”

He knew. He knew his mother had been prepared for so long. No matter how much she smiled, she saw the reality in front of her the entire time. She saw how thin she was, saw the tubes always connected to her, saw how pallid her skin was. Isagi witnessed it but his mother was the one who experienced it. Despite how desperate Isagi was, praying for a miracle, his mother had already made peace with it.

“B-But…” Isagi felt the tears well up in his eyes. He pressed his palms against them as if they would stop them. “I’m not.”

He heard his mother get up from her seat then knelt by his side. He looked at her and felt like a kid again, his mother trying to comfort him after he scraped his leg.

“I was scared.” His mother rubbed her hand against his arm in a comforting manner. It was such a familiar touch, he felt himself tear up even more. “I didn’t want to leave yet and the reason was not because I feared for my life but I feared leaving you alone.”

She smiled but her eyes were glassy. “But that’s not the case now. You have Rin-kun and…I feel like I can leave you in his care.”

“He’s going to leave.” Rin had to return to the forest. Why would he stay with Isagi?

“I don’t think so.” His mother said. She reached up to his face with both hands, holding his cheeks in them. “Because you’re so lovable. I have faith that Rin loves you too.”

“And if you’re wrong?” Isagi felt his chest swell at the idea of Rin loving him. Such words touched his heart and wanted it to be true.

His mother laughed then shook her head. “You know I’m never wrong.”

Isagi knew those were words he heard as a child. It was from years of experience that she had accumulated and wanted to pass onto him. He always believed her.

And even now, he still did.

He felt footsteps along the ground, taking light steps. They seemed to know where they were going despite being in his forest for the first time. In fact, no one should be disturbing this realm of his, an unconscious world where he only lived.

They stopped in front of Rin. He slowly opened his eyes.

Isagi’s mother.

If he recalled correctly, her name was Iyo. Iyo sat down in front of him in a classic seiza position, smiling softly as she gazed at him, sitting in the spot where the sprout once was. There was no fear in her eyes and she looked calm, as if she knew where exactly she was.

However, her presence there wasn't welcomed. She should not be in this world that only Rin could access. She should be out in the real world with Isagi, spending the day shopping, watching TV, cooking, talking, laughing – living. He had done all he could to make sure she could do that, to make sure Isagi continued to have her in his life.

To make that sprout live.

Death was inevitable but he could at least delay it as long as he could.

“You don’t belong here.” Rin told Iyo bluntly. If she was here, that meant his powers were weakening. His outer body was already unconscious in deep slumber so he focused on the energy from his core. He was still able to awaken in his body though, so his power wasn’t completely gone. So why was she here? Unless…

“I think I belong here more than you think.” Iyo laughed, light and tinkling. Her smile was broad and sweet, similar to her son. “Rin-kun, thank you for all you’ve done. You don’t have to hold on like this anymore. I’m ready.”

“Ready?” Rin asked, slowly clenching his fists. He grimaced at her words. “But…Yoichi—”

“He’s not a child anymore.” She replied calmly, her tone a bit more solemn. “Although he is still my baby. He has grown into a fine young man. He works hard, he’s kind to those around him, he has hope in his life and in this world. The only thing he lacked was someone who would hold him to make sure he doesn’t tire himself out.”

She looked over at Rin, her smile turning more mischievous.

“But it seems like he found someone willing to risk their life for his whims.”

Rin pursed his lips. He didn’t reply to that, merely looking away. However, Iyo continued speaking.

“He’s stubborn and a bit of a crybaby.” She laughed fondly. “Well, perhaps not ‘a bit’. He always wanted to carry the burden on his own. When his father died, he insisted on taking care of me despite the fact I was able to work at the time. That only intensified once I became sick and…I suppose you know how it went.”

Rin was familiar with Isagi’s personality. He tried to keep a smile on his face even though life was crushing him. Rin couldn’t bear to see such a thing, to see such a life slowly lose its spark, no longer being human. The joy Isagi had when they went out to new places, ate new food, and experienced the game centre was no longer there. Isagi was hardly there; he was no longer present in his own life and Rin understood that ‘life’ did not truly mean just ‘existence’.

It meant more than that.

“I have been ready for so long but I didn’t want to leave Yocchan behind alone.” Iyo reached out for Rin, grasping his hand. There were tears in her eyes but she still continued to smile. “Thank you for being by his side, for being his support, for giving yourself to him – for loving him.”

Love.

What a strange word.

He had heard it before, from those TV shows and movies he watched. At first, he found them ridiculous – just another silly human concept. To cry because you care for someone so deeply; to sacrifice one’s happiness so the other could be happy; to do the extreme to make sure they are safe and cherished.

But was Rin not doing the same thing? Was he not sacrificing his life force just so Isagi could have the happiness to be with his mother?

The naive feelings he dismissed – what a fool to them he became.

“Always.” Rin was not stupid enough to reject such feelings when he knew them to be true. He knew that if Isagi had never stumbled into his forest for a wish that defied all logic, he would have never known this feeling. If he had never met him, he would never sacrifice his life force just so he could be happy for a little longer.

It was a fate that even he, as a god, would never have perceived.

Iyo smiled in relief. She reached out and hugged Rin and even in the subconscious of his mind where he couldn’t feel such a thing, it was surprisingly warm. A light seemed to emerge from her body, passing over to Rin and he felt himself sighing, as if welcoming something back. The hug felt so similar to the way Isagi felt that Rin just wanted to open his eyes to see him.

Iyo stood up and turned, walking down a path made of light. Rin watched her silently, knowing his words wouldn’t stop her. Her figure got smaller until it disappeared into a golden light that blinded Rin.

When Rin awoke, he got his wish. Isagi was sleeping next to him on the bed but noticed something different. Tears streamed down his cheeks and still looked damp and Isagi was dressed in a black suit, as if he just returned from something important.

He reached out for Isagi’s face, removing the traces of tears from them, his heart heavy as he sensed the uneasiness.

Iyo was gone.

Isagi felt like he had no more tears to cry, his eyes burning and exhausted, wanting to have rest. He didn’t know how long he had slept after the funeral, taking days off work for bereavement, and just laid in bed, the curtains drawn and his body rolled up in the blankets. Dealing with the funeral and the aftermath weighed on him so now he finally had room to breathe.

Grrrr

His stomach let out a growl.

Rin shifted, the arms around him removing themselves, and he pushed himself up.

“I’ll make you something to eat.” Rin’s voice was quiet and the warmth disappeared as he walked out of the room to the kitchen.

Isagi felt awful that as soon as he came back from the funeral, he sought Rin. As if he had sensed Isagi needed him, Rin immediately had embraced him and they stayed in that position for a long time. Neither said anything and time passed, Isagi not sure what day or time it was until his stomach growled or when he needed to go to the bathroom. Rin continued to stay, to cook, and to take care of him.

Although his mother believed that Rin would stay next to him, Isagi still had doubts. After all, he wasn’t even human; he was a god of the mountain. Would that mountain be alright without its god for so long? He had to prepare himself for when Rin left.

He had to savour all the time he had with him.

Isagi slowly got up, the blankets still around his shoulders as he dragged his feet down the stairs towards the kitchen. He heard the familiar sounds of the pans moving about, the smell of something delicious, and the slight heat coming from the stove. Rin was basically a pro in the kitchen now, easily picking up whatever skill the videos had taught him, and cooking up fulfilling meals. He usually remained focused when it came to cooking but he glanced up when he saw Isagi at the doorway.

Without saying a word, Isagi walked up next to him and placed his forehead on Rin’s shoulder.

Rin didn’t push him away. He let him be as he continued to cook. It wasn’t long until Rin was finished as he turned off the stove and turned to Isagi to hug him once more.

He couldn’t bear the idea of not having him by his side.

“Rin.” Isagi spoke, his voice hoarse from lack of use. It felt like so long since he said anything that wasn’t just sobs. He looked up at him, feeling his heart beat nervously. He had to know. Now that his mother was gone, he had to know what to do from now on – what Rin’s plans were. “Are you…are you going back to the mountains?”

Rin was quiet. Even though Rin had been holding him simply, his body seemed to stop moving completely. Isagi grimaced, hoping that it wasn’t a negative thing but he didn’t know. They didn’t discuss it before and he couldn’t read Rin’s mind.

“Not yet.” Rin finally answered and Isagi felt like something completely released inside him, the tension completely gone from his body. “There are still things I need to do here.”

“Yeah?” Isagi’s voice cracked, forcing back tears of relief because Rin wouldn’t go back immediately. “Like what?”

Rin’s hand went to Isagi’s cheek and Isagi leaned into it, closing his eyes. Rin’s husky voice lulled him into a trance.

“There’s more food I want to eat.” Rin began simply, making Isagi smile a bit. “There are different things I want to do, things I want to see, places I want to go. I still want to go to Italy.”

“Oh?” Isagi’s smile dropped. So, Rin wasn’t going to go back to the mountain but he wanted to travel around? Understandable that he wanted to see the world more before retiring in his mountain…

“This time, we have to factor in your ticket as well.”

Isagi blinked. He stared at Rin in confusion and saw determination in his eyes.

“What?” Isagi questioned, not sure if he heard him correctly.

“You’re coming with me to Italy, right? I refuse to go without you.” Rin stated firmly. He nodded. “I cannot let you work until the night for it so I will have to find what you call a ‘job’ as well to obtain this ticket to go. You mentioned there are many expenses as well? I will have to assist in that too.”

“Huh? A job? You?” Isagi nearly laughed. He couldn’t imagine it. What would Rin do? He didn’t have a ‘human’ education so he could probably only do part-time jobs like at a convenience store or a cashier. Imagining him in the uniform would be quite amusing and he knew that Rin would throw a fit with how awful they looked.

Rin frowned. “We have to go to Italy. And then France. And then Thailand. There are many places with delicious food I want to try. You must go with me.”

“Do you think I have all the time in the world to visit all those countries?” Isagi asked with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t know how much time I can get off from work.”

“Time is…limited.” Rin acknowledged, looking awkward as he said it. “But that is why it is important to do what you can while you have it. That is the point of living, right?”

“Hmm, that’s true.” Isagi nodded.

A human’s life was only so short. There were thousands of responsibilities he had in order to live but what did it mean to truly live? Working himself to the bone to exhaustion? Worrying about the unknown?

The unknown was only unknown because he didn’t take that step forward.

Isagi looked Rin in the eyes. He then tiptoed up, placing a small peck on his lips. When they separated, Rin looked baffled and Isagi quickly turned away, his face heating up.

“It’s important to do what I can while I still have time!” Isagi exclaimed. He turned to Rin with a pout, sure that his face was completely red. “So I just did what I could!”

He quickly ran off back upstairs to his room, burying his face into his pillow. He wanted to scream because how embarrassing was that but…

He didn’t regret it.

In this life, time was too short. He took the first step to enjoy his life even more, gathering his courage.

He knew that his future would be fine.

Three year later

“That’s what we’re going on?” Rin asked as he stared out the window at the airplanes. His eyes were wide as he watched them move along. “It…flies?”

“Yep.” Isagi laughed at his bewildered expression. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure we’ll get there safely!”

“So there’s a chance we won’t?!” Rin exclaimed, snapping his head to him. “I’ll be fine, maybe, but…”

“It’s okay.” Isagi said as he placed a head on his shoulder. He smiled. “Even if my time is gone, I lived how I wanted.”

Rin was silent. It was a rather grim subject so Isagi expected much. When he looked up, Rin grabbed his cheek and pinched it hard.

“Rin!”

“Don’t say such a preposterous thing!” Rin huffed. He released him and glared. “You have plenty of time in your life. Don’t think that this is the end!”

“Flight AZ793 to Rome is now boarding. Please prepare your tickets and your passports and make your way to Gate 43…”

“That’s us.” Isagi said. He grabbed Rin’s hand and led him to the line of people that began to form. He laughed at Rin’s expression, who was not satisfied with how that conversation ended but he didn’t continue it.

It was fine though. They had time to resolve it. They had time to argue, to play, to laugh, and to learn.

They had time to continue on their journey.

Together, by each other’s side, they continued to live.