"It's.. it's Kibutsuji. He's my.. past lover." I manage to choke out in between sobs of terror, a huge lump forming in my throat. It was like a crime my past self committed, and I felt bad for committing it.

It was my fault for getting involved with him. How many times had my past selves been stuck with him? How many times had I let him touch me? How many times had I let him.. get so close to me?

'How did he even know my past self was me?'

Tomioka-sama pulls away from the embrace, and he wipes my tears from under my kitsune mask using the hem of his multi-colored haori. "You're okay. You're here with me." He calmly says, his voice soothing as his fingers rake through my snowy hair.

The flowing droplet of my tears drips to the floor like droplets of water from a broken faucet. My hands tremble extremely as they reach for my hair, gripping it.

A burning sensation spreads on my nose, and snot slowly stuffs my nostrils, and quiet sobs continue to choke out, jerking my body.

My breaths get caught in my throat, making less air to flow through. My stomach feels as though I'm about to throw my remains out through my mouth, but I knew that that wouldn't be much of an option.

Through the blurs of my rolling tears, my eyes travel up to Tomioka-sama's face, and his deep sapphire irises glance at me with the tips of his eyebrows slanted in distress "You're here. I won't let him get close to you." He pulls my body close to his, hands wrapping around me once more.

"Get more rest, please, Fujimura. The sun is barely out. You'll need the extra rest." He imply, tucking a strand of my dull snow-colored hair behind my ears. He stands up and takes out a hand for me, "Come on, I'll fix you up." I grab his hand, and we walk out and straight to the kitchen.

We stopped in front of the sink. He turns to me, his expression tensed, yet a soft physical feature shows on the corners of his eyes. Unwrinkled and more relaxed than earlier. "Blow your nose while I'll tie your hair. I won't try to take a peek." He says. I look at the faucet in front of me and back at him, and then I nod my head in agreement.

•

•

•

I sit down on my zaisu as he sits behind me, about to tie my hair into his kind of liking. "Uhm.. Tomioka-sama, what time is it?" I feel two fingers travel from the back of my ears and to the ends of my hair, gathering it all in a gentle ponytail.

"It's 3:03 a.m., but you can still get some rest. Which you should." He emphasizes the 'which.' He crawls in the opposite of the table and sits on his zaisu.

"Fujimura. If you're not going back to sleep. Will you at least tell me what happened?" His soothing voice drops to a serious one, and his hand reaches for mine.

I had almost forgotten about the dream because of his soft touches. The way he had taken care of my hair, like it was some kind of feathery object. Fragile and delicate.

The way he would always take such wonderful care of me ever since I was moved to be his tsuguko. He would touch me as if I'm the most diaphanous and frail while still acknowledging my strength next to his.

I let my courage build up, letting air through my nose. "Well.. " I pause, turning up to meet his strict yet soft gaze. "It's Kibutsuji," I begin, swesy starting to form lightly, "I can't remember it well.. but it seems as if he vowed to always be with me in every past life." I hang my head, my hair following my movement.

I breathe out, steadying myself. "My past self, I-I had promised Kibutsuji that I'd be with him forever. In that.. prison of a fortress." I turn my gaze up, looking over at Tomioka-sama, a salty stain rolling down my cheeks.

"He's gonna get me. And no matter what we do. I'll be stuck with him in every life until he's dead." I choke out a sob, immediately covering my mouth underneath my mask.

"I'm sorry! How stupid of me. I shouldn't have fallen for him. Forgive me, Tomioka-sama." I cry out. His body embraces mine, and I clench my hands onto his haori.

'How foolish of me. I'll be trapped forever. With him.'

"Later this morning. We will have to report this to Oyakata-sama. For now, compose yourself." His serious voice rings in my ears as his hand strokes my hair.

"..." I quietly sob.

"We should eat for now. I'll arrange a meeting for Oyakata-sama with us. Prepare yourself to explain and don't leave any details."

"Yes, Tomioka-sama."

•

•

•

My nose is surpringly not stuffy anymore. After eating and composing myself-while Tomioka-sama sent out a letter for Oyakata-sama-we slowly and surely make our way to the Headquarters.

Itsukori and Kanzaburo lay on our shoulders as we walked. The silence during our breakfast still followed us even when we were out and about.

The clouds are covering the sun. And instead of sunny weather like what we'd expected it to be, the fairness and cloudiness replaced our expectation with surprise. With my dull, snowy hair styled in a half-up and half-down with the help of the wisteria hairpin, it helped well.

We near the headquarters, which makes a twisting feeling on my stomach. I hold my hand on my stomach-somehow-trying to calm my nerves inside.

"Are you okay? You seem to be less confident than earlier." Tomioka-sama places his hand on my back. "Yeah.. uhm, I'm fine. I'm just feeling somewhat nervous, I guess?" I try to smile at him yet fully knowing he can't see my face.

"We should go now. We wouldn't want to make Oyakata-sama wait for us." I say.

-----

We both kneel down with one knee raise, our elbow on top of it, and our other hand on our thighs. We both stare at the ground, showing our respect for him.

"Good morning, Oyakata-sama. I see that you are doing well and healthy. We hope not to have been disturbing your peace at this time of day." He nonchalantly says.

"Good morning, Giyuu. Yashimi. I beard that you have major news to tell me. When I heard and was read to me about your letter, Giyuu, it truly surprised me." Oyakata-sama's voice rolls with sadden emotions hanging onto it.

"Yes. It's true. I am afraid to report to you that my Tsuguko, Fujimura Yashimi, had a lucid dream about her past life with.." He pauses, slightly startling me.

An unfamiliar presence orbits around Tomioka-sama. It's a kind of presence one can mostly feel whenever it's Kochou-san walking around. 'Tomioka-sama? Why are you feeling this way?' I slide my eyes to his hand, balled in a tight, clenching fist.

"Giyuu, you seem to have quieted down. With Kibutsuji, I assume?" Oyakata-sama disrupts my staring, snapping my head back to my own ground in front of me. Even his gentle presence broke. Curiosity and confusion replace the serene calmness in his presence.

I reply with, "Ye.. yes, that is correct, Oyakata-sama. It happened last night." When Tomioka-sama still had nothing more to say.

"I figured." His slightly frowned face changes into a smile. "I had a feeling that it would be Kibutsuji. Would you explain more?"

"Well.." My shoulders tense, and my hands turn into tight curving balls. A hand lays on my shoulder, and I turn my head slightly, meeting Tomioka-sama's deep sapphire eyes. Behind those emotionless orbs reflects a touch of reassurance. As if saying, "You can do it, Fujimura."

I turn back to Oyakata-sama, smiling softly. "Well.. before that, I was awoken by a heavy presence behind me. I didn't date to look behind me, but something-or rather, someone-touched me. They caressed their fingers on my cheek, and when I opened my eyes, it was like I was teleported to another dimension."

The hand strokes my hair, encouraging me to say more. "The place I was teleported, it had these.." I hurl my head with something to describe that place, yet nothing can describe it. My memory is already slightly fading with what that place looked like.

"It had moving corridors, upside-down hallways, and confusing direction of gravity. Am I correct, Yashimi?"

"Yes, Oyakata-sama." I can't believe it. He wasn't even in the dream, yet he could describe it.

"I apologize for not being of use to you, Oyakata-sama." I shamefully hang my head.

"No. You are of good use to me. This information can help us corner Kibutsuji, and I thank you for your time and courage to lend me this information, Yashimi. And Giyuu for bringing this to my attention immediately."

•

•

•

We walked back to his water estate. The words from Oyakata-sama still linger on my mind. 'How would my dream about that man be of good use?'

"I will inform you when I have form a plan. For now, please try your best to remember as much if you ever have another dream, and inform me of it immediately."

His voice rings in my ears. As I try to figure out what I should do. A reminding feeling tells me something else. My current problem is besides the whole dreaming situation.

'Tomioka-sama is definitely angry. He has been ever since halfway of the meeting.

The silence is still growing, yet this time, something seems to make it awkward.

A spur and wariness of the same anger lingering on him. "Tomioka-sama-" he immediately snaps his head toward me. "Never-nevermind.." I turn back to averting my eyes to the ground.

He seems to look back at our path. 'What's wrong with you? Why do you seem angered? Are you even angered?" I slowly slide my eyes to his hand.

His shoulder is tensed, and his hands already curve into a stiff fist.

"Are you ma-"

"No."

'That was a firm no. Tomioka-sama, what is on your mind?'

"Tomioka-sama," I begin, considering to reach for his hard wrist, "you are mad. What is bothering you? Did I do something?"

"..."