Ch 2: Tales of the Angel and the Demon - Pt 2: Longing Love

The next day after her father left for work and her mother went to meet with a friend for tea, Miyo wandered back into the forest hoping to find her new friend. She made her way back down the path to the cherry blossom, and there he was. The black-haired boy was looking up at the blooming flowers when Miyo called out to him. This time, he faced her with a smile that felt new to him.

After that, the two of them regularly met under the cherry tree, and the forbidden friendship blossomed. Their secret meetings continued for several years. Miyo never once asked Hakuma why he was there in the first place. It did not matter to her. She trusted Hakuma and had faith in their relationship.

Going on sixteen years old, Miyo's feelings for Hakuma began to evolve. The ruby-eyed Demon one year her senior was all she could ever think about. She wanted to stop hiding in the forest and show him how wonderful the town was. She wished she could spend every moment of every day by his side. Though she was still too young, even thoughts of marriage entered her mind. But she was too afraid to say anything out of fear Hakuma did not feel the same.

Before much longer, the day finally came. Miyo mustered the courage to take the first step and invited Hakuma to join her on a date in town. Hakuma was uncertain, but he did not want to let her down as he, too, had a desire to deepen their connection. Despite his apprehension, Hakuma agreed to accompany Miyo.

As the two companions strolled through the streets, Hakuma's fears were realized. Eyes were constantly fixed on him, and voices were murmuring concerns about his nature. The only thing saving him was the beautiful young woman hanging onto his arm. Even with her reputation for her views on Demons, none of the other Angels believed Miyo would actually bring one into town. And even more than that, they could not fathom the thought that a Demon would willingly show himself out in the open in the middle of the day.

Just as they reached their destination, a small cake shop on the corner, Miyo spotted the man who had slapped her the morning of the day she met Hakuma. Remembering the cruel words the man uttered, her heart raced, and she hurried Hakuma inside the storefront. She pulled Hakuma to the right corner of the store where he was out of sight and watched the man through the window. Once the Archangel was gone, she released the breath she had been holding.

Feeling worse than before, Hakuma suggested that they head back to the forest. Taking his hand, Miyo ignored the proposal and dragged him to the counter. Miyo's smile returned as she pointed at all the delicious treats one by one and cheerfully shared her thoughts on each. Seeing her happy was enough to put Hakuma's mind at ease, and he let out a laugh. Miyo paused, confused about what was so funny, and Hakuma told her she could just pick one for him.

After they finished their cakes, Miyo and Hakuma returned to the manor. Too distracted by the delight the new lovebirds felt from simply being in each other's presence, they entered through the main gate without thinking. At the top of the short staircase leading into the manor stood Miyo's father and the Archangel from town.

Miyo froze in terror, and Hakuma realized what they had done. The Archangel pointed directly at Hakuma and informed Miyo's father that he was the man he saw with Miyo on the shopping street. The Archangel had his suspicions, but now that he was able to see Hakuma up close, he was certain Hakuma was a Demon. Miyo released Hakuma's arm and pushed him, desperately yelling for him to run.

Without looking back, Hakuma ran and ran until he was about out of breath. Out of instinct, he had found himself near his home in the woods. But when he stepped through the final thicket, it was burned to the ground. Erected in the center of the ash and rubble were two crosses. Nailed to the wooden structures were the corpses of his parents.

The Angels had already caught wind of the presence of Demons. After all, Hakuma's parents were sent there to spy on the Archangels. Before Hakuma was able to shed a single tear in mourning, he heard voices approaching from behind. After witnessing what was in store for him if he were caught, Hakuma ran for his life.

For quite some time, he was persistently pursued by the Angels Miyo's father sent after him. Out of necessity for survival, Hakuma taught himself to hunt, and if his expeditions were unsuccessful, he figured out how to identify which mushrooms and berries he gathered in the forest were edible.

His parents had always hoped Hakuma could avoid involvement in the never-ending conflict, so they never taught him how to use magic. By a stroke of good luck, along with some practice, Hakuma learned how to use his powers to cut down trees and build himself a home. But every time he tried to settle, he was found before long.

After several years of this pattern, things finally started to calm down. Three months went by without incident. It was the longest Hakuma stayed in one place since his date with Miyo. He thought the Angels finally gave up. At least, that was until he heard the footsteps of a person on one crisp spring morning while he was out hunting for that night's dinner.

Tired of running, Hakuma prepared himself for a fight. He hopped through the trees from branch to branch in the direction of the sound. Hakuma readied his bow and leaned around the trunk of the cherry blossom he settled in, but what he found was not what he expected.

It was just a woman. She was dressed in a flowing white dress with a wide blue ribbon tied around her waist and a white sunhat with a blue bow. Her golden hair was wisping in the breeze

The wind picked up and caught the brim of her hat, blowing it his way. The young lady turned and reached for it with a weak jump. Her sapphire eyes met with the ruby eyes of the man sitting in the tree holding her hat. Hakuma knew the chances were slim to none, but he had to know for sure if the person before him was really her.

"Miyo?"

"Hakuma? Is-- Is that really you?!"

Hakuma jumped down from the branch of the cherry blossom. "Yes, it's me." He handed the sunhat to Miyo. "Here you are. You best be careful and hang onto that next time. Who knows where it might've gone if I wasn't there?"

Miyo accepted the hat with both hands and smiled playfully. "Hehe. Well, now that I've finally found you, I don't plan on letting you out of my sight."

Hakuma blinked repeatedly. "What? Found me? What are you talking about?"

"I've been searching for you for months! I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, but my father locked me in my room until not long ago. He was afraid I would run away and go searching for you." Miyo repositioned her hat on her head and looked up at Hakuma with another bright and teasing smile. "I guess he wasn't exactly wrong, though. Tee-hee!"

Hakuma felt his heart pounding against the inside of his chest. He dropped his bow and put his strong hands on Miyo's dainty shoulders. "Miyo..." His grip tightened as his gaze intensified.

Miyo's smile went away, and her eyes trembled. "Hakuma?" Her heart rate elevated with anticipation, and her fair skin flushed pink.

Hakuma placed his right hand gently against her cheek and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. He took his other hand and softly ran it down the other side of her face until it was positioned underneath her chin. Hakuma tilted Miyo's head up as he leaned down until their lips met.

When the moment ended, Miyo quickly averted her gaze hoping to hide how badly she was blushing. "Um... Hakuma... Does this mean...?"

"Yes. I am in love with you, Miyo."

Miyo jerked her head back up, meeting Hakuma's shining ruby eyes with a twinkle in her own sapphire eyes. Her mouth was agape, and she held one hand on her chest. "I... I love you, too, Hakuma."

With his confession accepted, Hakuma picked Miyo up like a princess and carried her to his home.