HOTARUBI NO MORI E
Pairings: Oda Nana x Suzumoto Miyu
Romance, Angst
note: this was inspired by a tweet challenge (challenged by : dokioda) and is also dedicated to dokioda : )
Warning: this is a gender bend, if ever you are uncomfortable with it, I do advise that you can re-read the the last chapter or wait for another update.
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"Ah, Its summer again...." Miyu thought while on a train. She was on her way to visit her uncle again this summer, like she would always do every year, ever since her first visit in the mountain god's forest when she was only a child back then.....
~FLASHBACK~
It was during summer, somewhere in the forest, out of fear and loneliness due to being lost, loud sobs of a child could be heard
"Hey, are you okay?" a voice was heard, making the kid look around and spot someone behind a tree in a distance
"Why are you crying" the voice asked
"It's a person! I'm saved!" the child said, getting up and running to the voice's direction, only to be met by wind before falling down.
"S-sorry" the person said
"You're a human child, right?" the person carefully asked before continuing "If a human touches me, I'll disappear"
That was how the first met. The person then helped the child to find the forest's exit.
"You'll always be here right? If I come back here, will we meet again?" the child asked, but instead of answering the person said instead
"Set foot within, you'll lose you way and be lost forever" before continuing in a calm but mysterious tone “You shouldn't come here. That's what the villagers say, right?"
The kid stared for a moment before saying "I'm Suzumoto Miyu. You?"
The person also stared for a while, letting a strong wind pass by
"Anyways, I'll be back tomorrow with a thank you gift. Bye!" Miyu said, stepping back, not waiting for the answer, but...
"It's Oda"
When she looked back, no one was there
~PRESENT~
Since then, Miyu would go back during the summer to see him and Oda would be waiting for her. Every summer, Miyu would go to their meeting place and Oda would lead them to a field where they would usually hang out
On the train, Miyu reminisced her memories while looking out the train’s window...
"During those summer days, I kept on running and playing around the mountain all the time"
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While running, Miyu's hat flew away and got stuck in a branch. Thankfully Oda was tall enough to reach and retrieve it
“Here” Oda said, putting the hat back on to her head
“Thank you Oda” Miyu smiled before holding both sides of her hat and ran again
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By the river, Oda had made a small boat using a leaf and letting it float and drift away, making Miyu watch it with a smile on her face
"Even though it was so silly, it was so much fun..." she thought
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Oda chased after Miyu around a big tree with a branch in his hand. Oda fell but when Miyu got close, he stood up and started chasing her again
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When Miyu came back holding flowers, Oda wasn't responding to her, making her think he was asleep and lifted his mask to see a handsome young man
But surprised by him opening his eyes, she slammed the mask to his face while saying sorry, making him sit up while saying "Attacking someone while they're asleep… You sure are a scary little lady" while rubbing his face on the mask.
"Why do you wear a mask" Miyu asked
"If I don't wear a mask...I don't look like a spirit, don't I?" Oda said, hiding a small smile under his mask
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"Summer... became something I looked forward to..." Miyu thought, looking at the mountains they were passing through
"Oda waited for our promised summer..."
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"It's cold!" Miyu said while putting her feet into the water
"Its water of course it's cold" Oda said, chuckling a bit
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The two would occasionally meet spirits, warning Oda to be careful and for Miyu to not touch Oda
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"Miyu, where are you" Oda walked while looking for Miyu
"BOO!" Miyu suddenly said, hanging down a tree branch, trying to scare Oda but failed miserably by accidentally let her dress fall while still hanging upside down
"What're you doing?" Oda asked
"I wanted to see you're scared face, but..." Miyu said, sitting back up but failed to notice the branch cracking
"Hey Oda, can you take off your mask once in a while" Miyu asked
"That's fine, but is there a reason?" Oda asked back, taking off his mask
But before Miyu could answer, the branch suddenly gave up, and as if in slow motion, Miyu saw Oda running to her with his arms reaching out, making Miyu realized something....before falling down to a bush
"That was close" Oda said after retracting his arms back
"Hey, Oda" Miyu said, pausing before saying "No matter what, don't ever touch me, okay?" Miyu slowing started tearing up
"The next summer and the summer after that, I visited the forest" Miyu said to herself
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"Oda, look I'm a fifth grader now" Miyu said enthusiastically
"You're starting to look like a woman now" Oda said after a while
"I am a woman" Miyu said back
"Our age are gradually getting closer" Miyu thought to herself
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"Oh, Miyu-chan. I cut some watermelon. Let's eat" Her uncle said, finding her laying down on their tatami mat
"This summer's weather is so good, that's why the watermelon's sweet" Her uncle said
"If it continues like this, the winter would be freezing" Her uncle continued
"Is it like that, Uncle Tsucchi?" Miyu asked, her mouth full with watermelon
"It's like that" Her uncle said
"Since this area is between the mountains and the ocean far away, the difference between summer and winter is huge" He explained
"Hmm" Miyu hummed
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Miyu was back at her school, spacing out by her class’s window making her almost late for her next class, if not for a classmate calling out to her
The next day, if not for an acquaintance, she would have slipped over a frozen puddle as she was still spacing out, thinking about wanting to meet Oda…
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It was summer again, Miyu was now a high school student
“You’re already in high school, huh” Oda said while they walked
“Time sure flies by fast” Oda continued
“You don’t come running after me anymore these days” Oda said after a while, sitting beside Miyu by the side of the river
“I learned my lesson after those beatings” Miyu said, pouting
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As they were fishing, Oda invited Miyu to the summer festival of the spirits
“Spirit festival?” Miyu asked
“You’re wrong, it’s the summer festival of the spirits” Oda corrected her
“Isn’t it the same thing?” Miyu asked, a bit confused
“No, the nuance is different” Oda answered back
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The night came, and the mountains looked like it had a lighted path to go to the festival located on top of a mountain
“It’s true, it looks like a human festival” Miyu exclaimed, seeing the spirits looking like humans
“Are they all disguised as humans?” Miyu asked Oda
“Yes. Impressive, isn’t it? I’ve heard sometimes humans unknowingly mix in” Oda said, looking around as well
“Miyu” Oda called out “tie this around your wrist, you might get lost” Oda continued, pulling out a white cloth
“It’s just like going on a date” Miyu jokingly said while tying he cloth on her wrist
“It is a date” Oda answered back looking straight to Miyu under the mask, making Miyu blush a bit
The two walked around, looking through booths, watching a few performers and even getting teased by children. Both had a great time at the festival…
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As to the two were walking back, the cloth still tied between them….
“Wah, that was so weird! Everyone went all out with their disguise didn’t they? It was like a mimicking competition” Miyu said
Is it like this ever year?” Miyu asked
“Yeah… every time summer comes around…”Oda said, slowing down his walk
“Miyu” Oda called, stopping and facing Miyu
“Hm..?” Miyu wondered why Oda stopped and faced him
“I can no longer wait…” Oda paused before continuing “…for summer to come around…”
Oda suddenly started walking again making Miyu follow him
“When I’m away from you” Oda said, his back facing Miyu as they walked “Even though I can’t be around crowds… I want to go see you”
Miyu could only stare at Oda from behind as she was stunned by what Oda said
Oda took off his mask and instead placed it in Miyu’s face and then kissing Miyu through the mask
Through the mask, Miyu could see Oda giving a small smile before saying “That mask…have it”
But her expression was unreadable, hidden behind the mask on her face
“He probably won’t come back to that place next summer” Miyu thought to herself, “this is definitely our last…”Miyu said to herself, not knowing it was indeed our last
The two continued to walk their way beside the river, when two kids passed them, one stumbled beside Oda, making him catch the kid by the arm “watch out” Oda said before letting go. Are you okay?” Miyu asked the kid, “Yeah, Thank you!” the kid answered before catching up with his friend.
Oda stayed silent beside Miyu, and by the time she faced him did they only notice his hand was glowing
“Oda?” Miyu said, realizing something “was that boy human?!”
Oda didn’t answer and only stared at his glowing hand. His whole body started to glow as well
“Come, Miyu! I can finally touch you” Oda suddenly said still glowing, opening his arms wide for Miyu, giving her a smile yet a tear escaped from one of his eyes.
After a moment, Miyu finally moved removing the mask from her face while throwing herself towards Oda to hurriedly hug him
The two had a moment before Oda glowed brightly…. And completely… disappear….
Miyu had slowly kneeled down while hugging and burying her face to his obi close to her, her cries turned to loud sobs, screaming a bit to let out her pain. Small wisps gently floated on top of her before drifting away
“I love you.”
“Yeah. I love you, too”
As miyu cried, she remembered something Oda had told her before. The reason why he became like that
~FLASHBACK~
Miyu. Let me tell you something about myself” Oda said one day as they were hanging out.
“It I was once a human, but when I was a baby, I was abandoned here in the forest by my parents. I had only been abandoned, that’s why I cried helplessly. As if… to call back the parents who left me...” Oda told looking somewhere far in front of him as Miyu intently listened
“They said I was crying for a long time. I would have already died as an infant, but the mountain god casted a spell to allow me to continue living. So that I never move on” Oda said
“I’m…not a spirit. But, I am no longer a human” Oda said, “I’m like a ghost.”
“Miyu, it’s okay to forget me” Oda said lifting a hand in front of him before continuing “a body maintained by magic is very weak. If it touches a human body, the spell would break and the body would disappear. It’s such a fragile thing”
“Something that disappears when touched… it’s just like snow, isn’t it?” Miyu added, making Oda look at her
“Oda, I thought of you during winter… even in autumn. And spring” Miyu said looking down in front of her “Oda, don’t forget about me” Miyu looked at Oda “Don’t forget”….
~PRESENT~
Miyu’s cry had died down, letting her finally stand up. As she stood up, she heard the spirits thanking her and telling her even though they wanted for Oda to stay with them forever, Oda had wanted to touch a human and finally got to hugged by a human
Miyu then picked up the mask and hugged it close to her heart
“Deep green. This is the mountain god’s forest. I probably won’t… look forward to summer for a long time. My chest will hurt. My tears will be overflowing… but this warmth in my hands and these summer memories will live in my heart…..”
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“So, let’s go”
The train arrived and Miyu finally reached her destination. As she walked her way to her uncle’s house, she felt a bit of nostalgia and remembered some of her memories again….