A Spring Dream

Ryoma stared blankly at his aunt Satsuki.

“You know, Auntie, when you said that we could finally move on with our mission, I thought we’d be driving straight to Shinjuku and not to…well…here.”

The two sat across from each other in a yakiniku restaurant–a BBQ place where Satsuki plopped a bundle of savory beef on the grill in front of them.

“Ryoma,” his auntie said. Her voice was sharp. That couldn’t mean anything good. She took that tone only when she scolded him. “You really want me to drive to Shinjuku that badly? Without any breaks? Especially after our battle with that giant spirit?”

Satsuki picked a piece of beef off the grill with a pair of chopsticks and continued speaking.

“I’m tired, boy, and I’m hungry. Aren’t you?”

Ryoma wanted to say no, but his stomach rumbled, screaming for the savory beef in front of him.

“Okay, I’m hungry, but—”

Satsuki raised her chopsticks, cutting the boy’s sentence short.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” she said. “There’s nothing else that needs to be said. We need rest, and we need food. So eat! After all, we’re chasing after a woman with an entire army! We’re gonna need all of our strength for that.”

Ryoma couldn’t argue with that. He picked up a piece of beef and ate it.

“You’re right,” he said. “Sorry.”

His auntie took another piece of beef from the grill.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You’re just young and full of energy, is all. But I don’t want us to make the same mistake and rush into things we’re not ready for.”

Ryoma lowered his head, staring at the vegetables that his auntie had placed on the grill.

“Right,” he said.

Memories of the two fighting against the Leech’s lackeys shoved their way to the front of his mind.

Never had the boy felt so tired, so out of breath. He could still remember the pain in his left lung as the lackeys overwhelmed him.

“Maybe I am getting a bit ahead of myself.”

Satsuki tilted her head.

“Just a bit?” she said.

“Okay. Maybe I’m getting way ahead of myself.”

“Yeah, that sounds much better.”

Ryoma shot a glare at his auntie, who returned the glare with a mischievous smile.

“Oh, don’t be so mad, boy. You know very well that we can’t take on the Leech by ourselves.”

Ryoma nodded while eating. He knew that already. But Satsuki raised her chopsticks, pointing them right at her nephew.

“And that’s why we’re meeting up with a couple of spirit hunters tomorrow.”

Ryoma’s eyes widened.

“Really?”

Satsuki nodded.

“We plan to meet outside of Shinjuku Station tomorrow morning.”

“How do you know all of that?”

Satsuki raised her phone.

“The boss texted me about it. I’ll let you in on everything, but first, I’m hungry–even though I ate all of this beef. Maybe we should have some pork next.”

Ryoma sighed. Never in his life did the boy want a meal to go by so fast.

***

The two ate their food and booked a night at a cheap inn.

It was a room with only one bed, but Ryoma didn’t mind sharing. His aunt Satsuki was the one who paid for everything after all. There was no reason for him to complain about it.

Plus, he had slept next to his aunt Satsuki plenty of times before. This time would be no different.

The room was cool and dark as the two lay in bed. A warm blanket covered them both, though a hotel blanket could never compare to the cozy blanket that Ryoma’s dad got for him as a kid.

Satsuki turned away from Ryoma and told the boy to listen up.

“If you kick my legs while I’m sleeping, then you better be prepared to eat a face full of carpet.”

Ryoma glanced at his aunt’s back, trying to decipher if what she said was a joke or an actual threat.

“I’ll try not to kick you in your sleep,” he said, just to play it safe.

“Good.”

And so, with his aunt already dozing off, Ryoma faced the ceiling and fell asleep.

***

I felt the spring breeze caress my face. Cicadas and children sang from a distance away. 

That's odd. It's supposed to be autumn. 

I opened my eyes and found myself in my old bed, pressed against the corner of my old bedroom, though the colors of the walls and floor were now light yellow. Not that I mind, though.

In fact, I welcomed it.

The room felt cozier, and for once my room was actually…clean.

Was this how people imagined heaven to be? To be as comforting and as peaceful as this?

Lifting myself up, I sat at the edge of my bed and took in the sweet air that blew through my open window.

“Why can’t I have dreams like this all the time?”

I looked around to see if this room had all the details right, when, to my left, where the bedroom door stood, I heard someone walking towards it, but couldn’t sense any malice coming from that direction.

I watched the door swing open, and my body reeled back.

“No way,” I said under my breath.

A tall, familiar figure entered my room, and for a moment I didn’t know how to behave until the two of us locked eyes.

“Dad,” I said.

It was really him.