In a traditional Japanese room, inside a cozy home, the sun's warm rays filtered through the paper-thin windows, casting soft, golden light upon the tatami mats below. The air was thick with the intoxicating scents of incense and simmering tea, while the crackling of a nearby fire added a comforting, rhythmic backdrop to the scene.

In the midst of this tranquil setting, a short, dark-haired boy with mischievous, almond-shaped eyes played with a long-haired, fiery-headed girl. Her beautiful hair cascaded in lush waves down her back, framing her rosy cheeks and full lips as she giggled and chased the boy around the room. They weaved between the low tables, scattering wooden toys and lacquered trinkets in their wake.

"My knight is riding his horse, ready for battle!" the little boy declared, as he raised the wooden toy in his hands over his head.

"Really? Mine is a prince who is searching for his princess, on top of his white horse." the little girl replied, exuding excitement for the characters within her imagination.

As the grandmother watched from her seat on the porch, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of the young boy and the orange-haired girl playing together. Their laughter echoed around the whole house, the sun casting golden rays upon them through the big windows.

The dark-haired boy, Kaito, turned to the girl, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Want to see something cool?" he asked eagerly.

She nodded, her eyes wide with anticipation. The boy then dashed off for a moment, returning with a large beetle in his hand. He presented it to the girl, but her reaction was not what he expected.

The girl's face contorted in horror, and she let out a loud shriek.

"No! I'm scared of bugs! They're disgusting!"

She bolted from the scene, leaving Kaito dumbfounded. His amusement quickly turned to annoyance, and he set off in hot pursuit.

"Kaito!" his grandmother called out, her voice firm and disapproving, "Leave her alone and put the bug back where it came from. Men should behave like gentlemen in the presence of pretty ladies, am I clear?"

Kaito's shoulders slumped, and he reluctantly released the beetle back into the grass. He returned to the table, his head lowered in shame.

"Yes, Grandma..." he mumbled.

The incident seemed to be forgotten as they resumed their playful chasing, the girl's earlier screams and Kaito's reprimanding a distant memory. They giggled and laughed, their carefree spirits unbroken by the brief hiccup in their day.

Their playful antics brought a smile to the grandmother's face as she worked diligently at the hearth, stirring a pot of rice and preparing sweet, steaming mochi. Her wrinkled hands deftly kneaded the sticky dough, the rhythmic thump of her wooden paddle echoing through the room.

"Come children, I have prepared a snack for you." she called out, her voice laced with affection.

The children immediately ceased their games and trotted over to her side, their eyes bright with anticipation.

Kazuko, the gentle grandmother, handed each of them a freshly-made mochi, the warm, gooey rice cakes coated in sweet kinako and drizzled with a syrupy sauce. They giggled and gobbled the treats down, their sticky fingers leaving trails of rice and sauce across their cheeks.

"This is really delicious, Grandma!" the boy praised his grandmother's cooking.

"Yes, it's really yummy!" the girl added, as they both devoured their sweet snacks.

"Oh my, thank you! I'm glad you two liked it, because this recipe is my specialty." Grandma replied, winking at them both.

Just as the afternoon was drawing to a close, the mother of the fiery-haired girl arrived to pick up her daughter, her footsteps announcing her presence. She was a foreign woman, of European appearance, with long silky hair similar to her little daughter's and was named Elise.

"Children, come here. Marie's mother has arrived to pick her up." Kazuko announced.

"Hi Marie, did you enjoy playing with your little friend today?" the mother gently asked her daughter as the two children approached her.

"Yes, it was a lot of fun!" the little girl declared, full of joy.

"Auntie, when can Marie come play again?"

"Don't be rude to visitors, Kaito." Grandmother intervened after Kaito.

"No, it's okay, Mrs. Shirai." Elise replied, with a gentle smile on her face, she caressed her pregnant belly and continued speaking, "You know, Kaito, Marie is going to have a little brother or sister soon… So it might be a while before you two can play together again."

"Oh, a little brother or sister? That's so cool, Marie!" he turned to his little friend, his eyes shining with the news.

"Yes!" Marie answered honestly and enthusiastically.

The girl's face then fell, her joyous demeanor replaced by a wistful sadness. She whispered to the boy;

"I guess I have to go now..." she promised, her voice barely above a whisper, "But I promise I'll come back to play with you again! And one day we're going to get married!"

As the mother approached, she tenderly kissed her daughter's head, bidding her farewell for the day. The boy, still flustered by the girl's words, watched the exchange, his heart heavy as he saw the girl he'd grown to love leave his side.

"Bye, bye! Come back soon, okay?" the boy said, waving to Marie and her mother, who were walking out the front door.

"Bye!" the little girl waved back, her long orange hair blowing in the afternoon wind.

Kaito's grandmother, observing the scene, placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression a mixture of understanding and encouragement.

"Make sure you always treat her well, like a true friend. That's what really matters." she reminded him gently, urging him to go outside and play with his other friends too, "And you still have to return the game you borrowed from your classmate, don't forget that."

"Okay, I will!" he nodded, wiping the remnants of mochi from his hands, and ventured into the garden.

The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows across the meticulously manicured grounds.

As he walked, he noticed the vibrant flowers, their petals unfurling in the evening light. A smile played on his lips as he recalled the girl's promise, the words echoing in his mind.

"I will come back again to play with you and one day we will be married, in a dream as bright as the morning sun!"

In that moment, the young boy vowed to himself that he would always remember the day he met that lovely girl, who promised that one day would become his wife. So he promised to cherish their memories and never forget the warmth and happiness they shared in that tranquil, sun-drenched Japanese neighborhood.

***

In a quaint, yet bustling neighborhood in Tokyo, the sound of children's laughter filled the air. It was a place where time seemed to stand still, as if the hustle and bustle of the city just outside the neighborhood's borders didn't exist. This was the home of Kaito's late grandmother, an oasis of calm and beloved memories that he cherished.

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The sun was beginning to set outside, painting the sky with beautiful warm hues, as Kaito Shirai, a 16-year-old boy with pale skin, messy dark hair and wide, deep-set aqua green eyes, was reminiscing the old times when he played there with his childhood best friend, Marie Takamiya. Back then, she was a petite girl with long, flowing orange fiery-hair and a sweet smile that could light up the room. They laughed and chased each other through the garden, their joy uninhibited.

"Marie..." he reminisced, speaking to himself in the silence, "It's been so long since we've seen each other."

The memory of those carefree times brought a warm smile to Kaito's lips as he lay on his bed, listening to music through his wireless earpods. It had been years since he'd seen Marie, and he often found himself reminiscing about her. She had been his first and only crush, and though they'd grown apart over time, the memories remained.

The boy's mind drifted back to those days, as his mind was getting lost in the countless memories of the two of them running through the park, laughing and chasing each other. Marie, with her long hair, and her bright hazel eyes, would always manage to catch up to the young boy, despite her being two years younger than him. He remembered the day she showed him her new kitten, a tiny ball of fluff that she cradled in her arms.

He could almost see the memories play before his eyes...

"I wonder how your life is now..."

Kaito, now an average and lanky teenager, couldn't help but smile at the thought. He couldn't believe it had been eight years since then. He wondered what Marie would look like now, if she'd grown taller, or if her hair had changed. He wondered if she still had that same mischievous grin, or if she'd grown more serious. The last time he saw her, Marie's mother was pregnant and he never found out if his friend ended up getting a little brother or sister.

The Takamiya family used to live in the same neighborhood, but they ended up moving to a luxury apartment and losing contact. Marie's father, Dr. Itachi Takamiya, was already a world-renowned neurologist and had just been promoted at that time. Shirai's feelings of nostalgia now turned to sadness, remembering that his first love had walked away from his life just like that, all of a sudden.

"I guess I have to prepare myself for another day of nothing, huh?"

Kaito was still lying in his bed, wearing his favorite baggy black and green hoodie. The softness of the mattress enveloped his body, as he listened to the melodic notes of his favorite song, the rhythmic beats pulsing through the air. He had his wireless headphones on, the wires of the phone charger dangling over the edge of the bed, his phone resting on the nightstand beside him.

As he reached for his phone to change the music, a notification popped up on the screen, causing his hand to freeze. It was a message from his father, Atsuo. A faint smile flickered across Kaito's lips, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a frown.

"I have some extra work this month, so I won't be coming home for a while. I hope you understand. "

Atsuo had always been distant, consumed by his work. Kaito's mother had abandoned both of them when he was just a baby, leaving him in the care of his father and grandmother. The memory of his grandmother, Kazuko, brought a pang of sadness to Kaito's heart. She had been his rock, the one person who truly loved and supported him. When she fell ill and passed away a couple of years ago, Kaito's life spiraled into darkness.

"Then it's the usual."

His depression grew, consuming him like a ravenous beast. He stopped going to school months ago, preferring the solace of his room and the company of his thoughts. The dark circles and bags under his eyes were a testament to the sleepless nights that plagued him.

As the boy stared at the message from his father, a mixture of emotions bubbled to the surface. He wondered if there would ever be a change, a chance to mend the broken relationship with his father. A tear slipped down his cheek, and he reached for the phone, his fingers hovering over the screen as he contemplated his next move.

Then a sudden knock at the front door, followed by several rings of the doorbell, interrupted Kaito's reveries.

"Hey, Kaito, are you home? Kaito?" a muffled female voice could be heard through the front door.

"..." the boy was still lying on the bed, lifeless.

He didn't move, and after a few moments, the knocking ceased. A few minutes later the boy poked his head out of the dimly lit room and peered through the hallway of his one-story house, he then noticed a piece of paper sliding under his door.

Picking it up, he found it was a note from one of his classmates, a girl named Chihaya, informing him that he needed to attend some extra classes due to his absence from school.

"Not this again."

Sighing, Kaito put the note aside. It had been a while since he'd felt the need to socialize, and the thought of leaving his dark room, filled with the flickering light of his portable video games, was less than appealing. He'd been holed up there for weeks, and his dark room had become his safe haven.

His classmate, the stunning blonde named Chihaya Fudou, stood out in the crowd. She had semi-long, flowing locks that shimmered in the light, her lightly tanned skin attracted attention wherever she went, and her reddish brown eyes seemed to pierce right through anyone who dared to look into them. Her slender figure was accentuated by her school uniform, hugging her curves in all the right places.

That girl was the epitome of popularity, being someone who could be defined as a classic 'gal'. She was the japanese equivalent to an oversea's captain of a cheerleading squad, she also had the highest grades in their class, and was involved in almost every extracurricular activity. Kaito couldn't help but admire her from afar, feeling like a mere speck of dust in comparison.

"Why do you care so much, Chihaya?"

It was a mystery to him why Chihaya, of all people, treated him with respect. She would often go out of her way to help him with his studies, and even defend him when other students made fun of him. The boy had no idea what she saw in him that was worth anything, but he couldn't deny the growing affection he felt for her. He felt like she was a caring older sister, as he had been an only child his entire life.

On the evening of the following day, however, he finally forced himself to leave the sanctuary of his room. As he stepped outside, he noticed a piece of paper tucked into his door once again, which had to be another note from Chihaya. The boy knew she was worried about his absence from school, since she was like an older sister to him, so he picked it up and read it, feeling a sense of dread as he realized just how far behind he'd fallen.

"There is no other way, it seems..."

***

Weeks later, Kaito trudged back from one of his extra classes, feeling drained and exhausted. The burden of his responsibilities weighed heavily on his shoulders, and the prospect of catching up seemed insurmountable.

"Damn, this is all so boring!" he complained to himself, walking down the sidewalk, holding his backpack over his shoulders.

As he approached his apartment building, he spotted a familiar figure from his past on the other side of the street, oblivious to his presence.

"Could that be... M-Marie?!"

Marie, now a young teenager, stood on the sidewalk, deep in conversation with a short-haired companion. The boy's heart skipped a beat as he realized they were holding hands. He froze, feeling a sharp pang of jealousy and longing. He couldn't bear to watch as she laughed and gestured, her happiness and contentment on full display.

"Ah, I see how it is..."

Without thinking, Kaito turned and started walking towards the train station. The thought of seeing her with someone else was more than he could bear. As he approached the boarding platform and looked down at the tracks, he stopped behind the yellow line, feeling a sense of despair. He was on the brink of doing something reckless, unable to cope with the reality of his life and the loss of his childhood love.

But as he stood there, the ground beneath his feet began to shimmer. A strange, ethereal light appeared, accompanied by a deep, feminine voice.

"It looks like you are suffering, my child. Let me help you find a new path." the mysterious light enveloped him, pulling him back just as the oncoming train rumbled into view.

Kaito stumbled back, his heart racing, while he debated with himself whether that voice was real or if it was just part of whatever he had been listening to on his inseparable wireless headphones. It was as if something inside him had awakened, then he began to move robotically, with his gaze blank, as if he were being controlled by some supernatural force.

"I... I don't want to... It's just..."

The young man then threw himself onto the train tracks, in front of everyone there, who were in shock at the sudden scene they had just witnessed.

"Oh no! That boy fell on the tracks!" an old man warned after witnessing the scene.

"SOMEONE HELP HIM!" a woman shouted from across the platform.

"RUN, KID! THE TRAIN IS COMING!" another man ordered, running toward the location.

"Wow... This is unreal!" a student stood there, holding her cell phone, taking pictures of the scene unfolding before her.

Amidst the screams and requests for help from those who were on the platform, the young Shirai seemed to regain consciousness as he remained standing, apparently confused, in the middle of the tracks. The only thing he could see in front of him was the light of the approaching train, coming directly towards him, sounding its alarms and emergency brakes in vain.

"Shit!" the boy stood there, not knowing exactly what to do.

"Come with me, my child."

At that moment that ethereal voice that resonated in his mind ordered him and suspended him in the air, pushing him violently in the opposite direction to the train.

"W-What is happening?!"

He felt like he was floating as he was involuntarily transported to the tunnel on the opposite side. Then the young man hurriedly entered a gap between the tracks and the walls of the tunnel, which was probably a maintenance area, and stood there watching in disbelief at the crazy situation he had found himself in.

The near-death experience had left him shaken, but the intervention of the mysterious light had saved his life. As he watched the train roar past, he couldn't help but wonder what the voice meant by a new path. Perhaps this was the wake-up call he needed, a chance to reevaluate his life and make a change.

With a deep breath, Kaito waited for the train to pass and got back on the tracks, resolute in seeking a way out and trying to understand what had actually happened.

However, as he headed towards the station platform to leave at once, he noticed that his body was becoming translucent. The boy felt as if his physical existence was disappearing little by little. He noticed that he could not scream or speak.

"?!"

"Calm down, young one. Soon you will understand everything..." whispered the voice in his ears, as Kaito slowly disappeared into the darkness of that seemingly endless tunnel.

"..."

All of a sudden, the young man was overcome by such overwhelming calm and peace. He was ready to accept his fate and remained there, standing in silence, as he continued to disappear like ether. Then, as he felt himself falling into a deep sleep, he finally lost consciousness.