"Once upon a time, there is a young man that was locked up on a cursed. The cursed is about him, never gets old. Although, this kind of cursed sounds like fun, but in reality, it isn't. You never get old, nor you can't die. Either by suicide or accident. No one can kill you." A voice of a old vendor, telling a story to the street kids.
Those kids wont believe that kind of fantasy. They wont believe it unless they saw it. That's how people narrow mind works.
-
A 'young' black-haired guy entered a forbidden forest. It is literally forbidden, humors have spread that whoever enters this forest will be cursed. The one who guide the forest was a witch.
Some of the villager proclaim that their companion have been swallowed by the forest. Some says that if you entered the forest you will never make it out.
The 'young' man just entered his house. His house was located at the center of the forbidden forest. How can he enter such dangerous place? Well, he is the witch. The urban legend they are talking about. The one who got cursed of infinite life.
But is he happy? No. He isn't. This kind of life is hopeless. He saw how his family got old and died, while him, still have this teenage face even though he is already a hundreds of years old.
"Happy Birthday." He mumbled. It is another year for him but nothing is worth celebrating. He used to it that nothing will actually change his life.
-
A day has come, the looking-'young' man decided to look for something to eat.
Just like ordinary forest, boars and other wild animals can be seen in the forest. But those animals are afraid of him cause he is like a leader to them.
While roaming, he heard a light cries in some part of the forest. He decided to follow where the sound comes from, and there... he saw a toddler crying his eyes out like he was lost. 'He is literally lost.'
The black-haired guy is just looking straightly at the kid. He doesn't know what to do. 'Should he just accompany the kid out of the forest?'
The kid diverted his gazed to him, and cried even more like he was begging to him.
"Hey, hey? Hush now. Don't cry." The black-haired said as he went near to the kid.
The kid is still crying that makes the black-haired guy panick.
"Hey. It's alright. Want to get out of here? I will help you out." He said as he lowered his body to see the orange-haired little kid.
"My mom left me outside this forest. While waiting for mom, A boar chased me so I inside the forest and don't know how can I go home." The little kid said as he was crying.
'He was left by his own mother? How can a person like that still live and leaving a little kid alone?' The black-haired guy sighs.
"Hey, hey. Its alright. I am here. I will help you." He said and carried the little kid in his arm.
"You wont eat me?" The little kid innocently said while biting his fingers.
"Eh? HAHA no kiddo. I wont." Black-hair guy said as he walks towards his home.
"You can call me your brother. I am Kageyama." The black-hair said as he look at the kid still biting his fingers.
"I'll call you Hinata. Since I saw you the first thing the sun shines." Kageyama said as he walks towards his house.
-
"KAGEYAMA! I CAUGHT A BOAR AGAIN!" Hinata jumps in joy as he was carrying a boar in his shoulders.
"Good job. You are doing well." Kageyama said as he pats Hinata's head.
After a decade and 5 years. The little kid he brought was already a cute young man.
But for him? Those years are just minutes. He knows that this kid will die of accident or growing old, and just imagining it makes his heart aches. He doesn't want this cute kid to die, but what can he do?
-
"Nee- Kageyama. Why can't I see any wringkles in you? I can see those old people in the village, their skin and appearance changes. But you? You never change." Hinata innocently asked.
He didn't answerd it. He knows. He knows that Hinata will ask this kind of question. Who wouldn't get confuse? He never aged!
"Rest, Hinata. You still have to go to the village to borrow your books." He said and cleans the dishes.
"Okay. I'm going to sleep. You should rest too." Hinata said as he yawns because of tiredness.
-
"A young man got cursed, why? Cause he is a witch. A witch that has been defeated by another sorcerer. He will never get old and never get killed. Most of us would dream that kind of moment. What kind of feeling that you wont worry for yourself anymore getting killed nor die." An old villager said to the street kids.
Hinata heard those words. 'A guy who never gets old?' He thought. But the first thing comes inside his mind was... Kageyama.
Hinata immediately runs back to the forest, to their home. He saw Kageyama feeding the birds outside their house. He hurriedly goes near him.
"Are you... perhaps a... witch?" Hinata asked. Kageyama just remain silent. Sounds of trees dancing with the winds can be heard.
"Tell me... please." Hinata said as he cried. He doesn't know what to react. What if Kageyama was really a witch? What if those stories in the village was about Kageyama? Then is that mean that he will die by getting old but then Kageyama will stay like this... stay alone? Is he like this for years that he was still not here?
"I am. I am the cursed witch." Kageyama said.
Kageyama once confronted a sorcerer. He once loved a guy. He fell for him that he didn't know he was a sorcerer. Little did they know, witch and sorcerers are different and enemies. Their love was forbidden. The leader of the sorcerer puts a spell on Kageyama that he will never gets old. He can only see his love ones die in front of him while him, will bear all the sorrows. That's why Kageyama decided to live on the forest so he wont be attached to someone until Hinata came and change it all.
"You just love him... what's wrong with that!?" Hinata bursted out. He was angry. How can he put this kind of cursed just because he fell with a sorcerer!
"Hush now Hinata. Its okay. I got you now." Kageyama said as he kiss his forehead. Assuring that everything is alright.
-
"Kageyama. Will you cry after I left this world?" Hinata ask as he looks in the ceiling. All is blurred.
Every part of the house is blurred in vision of Hinata. It is almost 7 decades have passed since Hinata knows the truth about Kageyama being a witch. He is now on his death bed.
"What kind of question is that? I don't wanna let go but what can I do?" Kageyama cried as he was holding Hinata's hands. Wringkles, orange hair turned into white and grayish in color. Signs of aged is visible in Hinata's body.
"Those year we are together... those are worth more that my life. I was happy that mother abandoned me and boar chased me into the forest... and I met you." Hinata said that makes Kageyama cry harder. He knows that he will see Hinata in this state.
"Having you in my arms was worth more than thousands of years to me." Kageyama said as he caress Hinata's cheeks.
"Everything... was worth it." Hinata said as he closed his eyes, breathing heavily.
"I love you..." Kageyama whispered as he kiss Hinata's hands.
"Will you wait for me... to comeback?" Hinata asked as he look at Kageyama's eyes directly.
"I will wait for you even if it takes a thousands of years." Kageyama assured him.
"Wait for me. I will comeback for you." Hinata said like he mean it.
"I will. I will wait for you." Kageyama said and kiss Hinata's forehead.
"I love... you." Hinata's last words as he closed his eyes forever.
Kageyama cried while holding his hands. He don't know what he feels right now. His heart was filled of pain, agony and loneliness. This is the day that he doesn't want to come, this is a total nightmare.
-
Years and even century. Kageyama saw how the industry grow. How everything surrounds him grows differ. And yet he is still there.
Even though most the of place have change, his forest still a forbidden forest to everyone. No one can still enter his place.
Another day has come, flowers bloom and bird sweetly singing into the woods wake Kageyama up.
His house still looks empty like before. Nothing have change. He goes out and feel the wind, fresh air and smell of grass, this is a blessed thing to have.
A cry from somewhere in the forest made Kageyama flinch. He heard it. A cry from someone in the forest... a cry of a kid.
Kageyama immediately follow the sound of the cry he heard and he goes on the same path from centuries ago. The path where he got lead unto Hinata.
And there he saw a little kid with orange-colored hair, wiping his tears and sitting down on a tree roots.
Kageyama cried on what he saw. Hinata... is here...
"Hinata..." Kageyama called him out softly. The kid look af him and smiled.
"I came back." He said that made Kageyama cried in joy.
Hinata came back... reincarnated for Kageyama.