They went inside the elevator with an awkward atmosphere between them and returned to the house without saying a word to each other. During this time, Satori could feel a mixture of frustration and confusion from Sousuke. He could also tell that Sousuke himself was holding back from lashing out those emotions at him.

At the clicking sound of the front door opening, a white fluffy spirit that was playing in the living room came towards Satori to ask for water. But when it sensed an unusual and unsettling atmosphere, it quickly fled into the shadows of the room.

“So, who was that suspicious man back there?”

(What’s your relationship with him?)

Without any preface, Sousuke straightly cut to the question.

“He is no one. He has existed like the air, along with nature and the earth since a long time ago. If I were to give him a name, I think it would be God. We usually call him the Dragon God.”

“What? Huh, what are you talking about…”

Given the response that was completely different from what he had imagined, Sousuke had a confused expression on his face.

(God? Huh? What? Dragon God…?)

Along with intense confusion, Satori could feel Sousuke’s thoughts; he was wondering if there was something wrong with his head.

“Wait a minute, what do you mean by ‘we’ there? Sato, just what are you…”

This is it, Satori thought. This is the point that would decide whether Sousuke would come to hate him or not.

Satori closed his eyes, took a deep breath, let it out, and opened his eyes again. He tried not to let his worry show. But his hands and feet were already turning cold from the fear of being hated by Sousuke.

“My name isn’t Sato. I’m actually a spirit called ‘Satori’. I wanted to see Sousuke so much, so I made a wish to the Dragon God to let me meet you, and I was able to come here.”

“A spirit? What nonsense are you on about…”

(There’s no way such things exist.)

Sousuke tried to laugh it off as a joke, but he shut his mouth when he saw the serious expression on Satori’s face. Then Sousuke’s expression gradually changed into a calmer one.

(If I remember correctly, wasn’t Satori the name of the spirit that could read other’s minds? …Anyway, why am I taking this seriously …But, that reminds me there was ever a time I thought jokingly that he might know what was on my mind, I guess…? I can’t believe such an unscientific thing like a spirit actually exists…)

Sousuke covered his mouth with his hand as if he just realized something, and looked at Satori.

(Does that mean he could know everything I’m thinking about now…?)

Satori watched with a sad feeling as Sousuke’s eyes changed from a faint suspicion to the thought of maybe, and then to a certainty.

(–Did you really know what I’m thinking about now?)

Sousuke stared at Satori. Satori clenched his fists, looked into Sousuke’s eyes, and nodded. Sousuke’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Wa-wait a minute.”

(I can’t wrap my head around it. Ah, he could hear all of this, too. I can’t believe this…)

A hint of trepidation flickered in Sousuke’s eyes.

A deep sadness filled Satori’s chest just like a waterfall. At that moment, Sousuke just noticed something.

(You said that you wanted to see me earlier.)

“Have we met before, by any chance?”

Satori nodded, then Sousuke widened his eyes.

“When did this happen?”

“When Sousuke was still a little boy. You told me that you came to visit your grandma’s house because of the school holiday. You would bring me boiled corn, then we would eat them together on the riverbank.” 

(Grandma’s house? Corns? Riverbank…?)

Sousuke’s eyes darted back into the past for a moment, and then came back into focus.

(I remember that. If I remember correctly, I became close with an older guy. He was much older than me, but he was somewhat clumsy, couldn’t be left alone, and cute… I thought that I had to protect him, even though I was just a kid at that time. But then grandma passed away, and my relatives had a dispute over the inheritance. After that, it was almost as if our relationship was cut off from that house. It made me unable to fulfill the promise that I made as a kid… Now that I think about it, he might be my first love…)

…First love?

When he saw Satori who blinked his eyes curiously, Sousuke blushed slightly. Then, as if the thought had just occurred to him, Sousuke gasped in realization.

“…Was that guy you, Sato?”

Satori nodded his head, his chest was trembling. It felt like all of the feelings he had been holding in until then would overflow as soon as he spoke. He tried his hardest to blink away the tears.

I’ve always wanted to see Sousuke. When Sousuke stopped coming, the other spirits laughed at me for believing in humans, but all of that doesn’t matter. I just wanted to see Sousuke, and I always believed that the boy from that time would come to see me again. I kept on waiting and believing him.