It was a depressing day here in the city of Chiba when the sun was slowly disappearing in the sky and the heat turns to cold as the rain begins to fall. Belldandy stares at the window, witnessing that the whole town is covered in rainwater. She can't help but feel as if the heavens are weeping in sadness because of one person...

The one man she had deeply cared about and love was none other than Morisato Keiichi himself... whom he is going to leave this mortal world very soon.

Sitting on a chair beside his hospital bed, Belldandy turns to face him with a solemn look on her face and places her warm hand on his cold one tenderly. She notices that his face is becoming almost pale, not the sunny tanned skin she had always seen very often.

Leukemia.

Ever since she had found out about his condition a few year ago, she had done everything in her power to find a cure for him. Even trying on some spells she had learned from her mother, but unfortunately to no avail. Urd has done the same when she was informed of this from Belldandy yet no matter how many potions or medicines she made just for Keiichi, it ended up becoming a failure. Skuld on the other hand did similarly as well by creating a 'chemotherapy' machine for his illness. However, her invention didn't go the way as planned.

Keiichi always knew that he will not be living a longer life ever since he had this incurable disease, and he also knew that finding a cure would be impossible. He wishes his lifespan was longer than this, just for Belldandy's happiness. But... what's done is done. His time in this world is almost at its end, and he can do nothing but accept his fate.

After all the efforts they had done to find a way to heal Keiichi, it was not as successful as they had hoped. Yet Belldandy never gives up, she doesn't want to lose him. But sometimes... Fate can be rather cruel to someone who was as genuine and wonderfully kind as Keiichi.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Keiichi calls out to her calmly, causing her to face directly at him as his eyes were opened before placing his hand on hers.

"Keiichi-san..." Her blue eyes softened, reciprocating his gesture. "You're awake, how are you feeling?"

Giving her a weak smile, he replied. "Tired, but a little better."

She returned him with a smile. "Don't worry, Keiichi-san. Megumi is going to bring some of the leftover porridge I made for you yesterday, she will be on her way here very soon."

"Okay, but Belldandy..." He took a deep sigh before continuing. "There's something I have to tell you."

"You can tell me that later, but right now, you have to rest some more before Megumi arrives. You need to have something to rest and eat to keep your strength up." She tries to tuck him to sleep but Keiichi stops her by tightening her hand a bit.

"No, Belldandy. It's very important that I have to tell you right now."

It took a short moment for her to think about it until she saw Keiichi is starting to have a difficulty in breathing yet he manages to keep himself calm. This caused her to look very concerned.

"Keiichi-san, you're having a hard time breathing. I will have to call the nurse to help you, alright?" Before she was about to leave her chair, Keiichi calls out to her once more.

"Belldandy... listen to me..."

Her sapphire eyes gaze at his weak form before hearing him spoke out softly.

"I had... a great life with you."

"Keiichi-san." The young goddess shook her head, knowing where this is going on with his words.

"And you have made it better for the past five years." He smiled weakly at her, staring into her eyes with love and comfort. "But you know what you need to do... move on and live a happy life, alright?"

Denying his words, she places her warm hands on his cheeks gently with her eyes starting to go watery. "No, Keiichi. Don't say things like that?"

"It's okay, Belldandy." Keiichi hushes her assuringly and continues to smile at his loving goddess while putting his hands on hers.

No, she can't lose him... she can't! They both had their life together forever and ever, it can't end like this. Never in her life, she would prepare this day would come for the young goddess to experience the loss of a loved one. And this young man she deeply cared for... is the one whom she is going to lose... Even though she is a deity, an incurable illness like leukemia is something that she cannot magically heal to a mortal. She shook her head once more and sadly spoke.

"I'll never love again. I'll never find a man who is kind and wonderful as you. No one will love me like you do, Keiichi-san."

"No, that isn't true." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I know that somewhere out there... can deeply love you more than I do."

Belldandy's tears are starting to flow down her cheeks and sob softly as she shook her head, wanting to deny this reality she's living. Keiichi places his other hand on her wet cheek, stroking it and gaze into her beautiful face.

"Promise me... that you will find love again." He weakly tightens his hand onto hers before he begins to cough almost hard enough to make him wheeze. "Promise me, Belldandy."

"Keiichi-san... I...I" Belldandy can't believe what he just told her. A promise to find love again? She does not know what to feel about this. The young goddess had always known that Keiichi will always be her only love, but to find another?

"Please, Belldandy... you deserve someone who will love you..." His words stopped as his cough is getting worsened than before, but he continues to speak despite the pain he's felt. "and cherish you longer than I did."

She shook her head, almost refusing his request. "Keiichi-san... I honestly don't know if I could do it."

Keiichi chuckled slightly while still trying to lessen his wheezing. He knew Belldandy will always love him, but sometimes he wondered if their love is actually deepened? For the past five years ever since he first met her, he asked himself if she really loved him genuinely. Not out of their contract, but for real.

Yes, Belldandy had always cared for him, protected him from danger, and most of all, stayed by his side every day now and then. Yet their feelings they had for each other... was not out of romantic love but from familial love. Realizing this, Keiichi smiled.

"Sure, you can. After all, you are quite easy to love."

"But..."

"Please... not just for me, but for yourself."

The young goddess stayed silent for a little while, pondering on whether she should keep his promise or not. Belldandy had always been accustomed to promises, whether it was by her or theirs by accepting it all the time. But now... it was hard, knowing that the man she loved is dying. Until she remembered her words...

'Promises must be kept, no matter what the cost may be.'

Those words are her saying, and her belief. That's what she always believed.

"Alright, Keiichi-san. I promise." She said in a softened tone.

Keiichi hummed in response, satisfied with her answer before replying one last time. "Thank you, Belldandy... for everything..." Whispering to her gently.

And with that, he let out his last breath, and slowly closed his eyes in content as though savoring the knowledge with a smile on his face. Belldandy could almost imagine when they never reopened... that Morisato Keiichi had slipped into a dream with no end.

Their contract is now over.

❀ ·.·'¯'·.·❀

A week after his passing, the funeral of Morisato Keiichi was held at the Tariki Hongan Temple where he and Belldandy had once stayed together here. It was a small but simple affair with only a few of their closest friends and families praying in respect to marking the passing of such a wonderful young man. Keiichi has always been such a good person, a wonder that most people would count on.

Every person in Keiichi's life has their own way of grieving when they all realized that he passed.

His sister, Megumi is the most grieving of them all. When she had found out that her older brother was declared dead in the hospital, she felt a deep stab in the heart like a dull blade. Death was a part of life and Keiichi's soul was now in an eternal paradise. Yet she could not help but weep into her pillows at the loss of her loving older brother she had loved so much and who had shown her such love in return.

Hikozaemon Otaki and Toraichi Tamiya, his co-directors and closest friends of his, both had come to visit their former colleague's funeral to pay their respects and grief in silence. Even though both had their ups and downs with him, they always had their ways of becoming friends with one another. Otaki and Tamiya were clearly feeling the loss of their young colleague and friend deeply.

Urd and Skuld were too grieving of their loss, experiencing the death of a loved one for the first time. Both felt that it was painful and hard to accept that their brother-like figure and friend is gone, as It was like the grief they felt was beyond tears or words.

After all of the mourners left, only Megumi, Skuld, Urd and Belldandy are the only ones standing to say their last goodbyes to their beloved person. His sister was the first to leave after giving Belldandy a tearful hug, then her sisters did the same and whispered their condolences to her before leaving Belldandy alone.

Everything went silent around her as she stood in front of his tombstone, gazing at where he was buried. His gravestone that read...

森里 螢 一Morisato Keiichi

Born on April 24, 1986

Died on August 12, 2012

His courage, his smile, his kindness gladdened the hearts of those who have the privilege of loving him.

This beautifully carved quote was written by Belldandy herself, representing her love for him and as a way of thanking him genuinely. Suddenly, she heard footsteps from behind with the sound of crushed dried leaves on the ground. She turned to face to the person whom she used to be her classmate from college, the one who deemed herself to be her rival and the "Queen of Nekomi".

"Sayoko-san?"

The young heiress stepped forward steadily while holding a bouquet of red roses, her expression was cast down and heartbroken.

"Belldandy."

Belldandy can see deep in her dark brown eyes... that she loved Keiichi. Years ago when they were still in college, Sayoko begins to display a thirst for the companionship of someone who isn't only attracted to her because of her money and looks. She begins to develop feelings for Keiichi, noting to herself that having him around gives her a strange sensation, and makes her feel less lonely. And even though he was still in a relationship with Belldandy, Sayoko can't help but yearn for his reciprocation of love. However, her hopes for his affection were shattered when she had found out that Keiichi had passed away. This caused her to go intoxicated in the bar, drinking her sorrows as she felt disbelief and was in denial but when she finally arrived at the funeral...

Realizing this was no dream at all, but a tragic reality she had seen.

Belldandy gave her a soft smile with a tint of sadness in them as she greeted her. "It's been a while, I haven't seen you since you left to go to Paris years ago."

"I know..." Sayoko replied, but didn't return its expression like hers. "I found out what happened to Keiichi, and so... I came here to give my condolences."

Without another word, she walked towards his grave and stood beside her, staring at his tombstone for a moment in silence before placing the flowers there. Belldandy turns to face her, looking deeply sympathetic.

"I can't believe that he's really gone." Sayoko finally spoke in a sad tone.

It took the young goddess to gather up her resolve before saying the truth to her. "Sayoko-san, I understand how you feel... how much Keiichi-san means to you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"That you really love him."

Sayoko turns to face her with a shocked look on her face, not expecting her to say this towards her. She furrowed her eyebrows in anger and turns away, unable to look at her pitied expression.

"What is it to you anyway?" she seethed.

"Sayoko-san..."

"No! I don't need your pity!"

Belldandy saw her shoulders shaking and can almost hear her sobbing in pain. She can't help but feel bad for her as she stepped forward then wraps her arms around the young heiress's weeping form. It seemed Sayoko didn't fight back and just stood there continuously grieving.

It took a moment for their silent embrace until Sayoko finally spoke out.

"Why... why does it have to be you in Keiichi-san's life?"

Belldandy didn't say a word as she listens to her words, wanting to hear her feelings out loud.

"Why can it be me? I had known him since we were in college before you came here. I know I made a mistake in rejecting him, because I was a self-centered bitch and an arrogant whore. But my feelings for him grew from time to time when I realized how much of a good person Keiichi is, how he made me realize that love makes you feel happy when someone looks at you with warmth and kindness, not just only my wealth and appearance... I wish that I could turn back time and said yes of him asking me out, and maybe then, I could be happier than before."

All of those words Sayoko said made her feel deeply understanding as Belldandy just stood there, still embracing her form before replying in a soft tone.

"Yes, that would be wonderful for you."

She can feel Sayoko was tensing, almost surprised at her answer. Once Belldandy let go of her embrace and looks at her with a gentle reassuring smile. "I think he would be happy too if you accepted his offer."

Her brown eyes widened, almost disbelieving at what she had just said. But slowly, Sayoko begins to agree with her former rival's words as she nodded with a small smile in return. The two women both turned to face Keiichi's tombstone, silently gazing.

"You know I still hate you."

Giggled by her reply. "And I still like you a lot."

"Yeah, whatever."

"And If you need some company, Sayoko-san. I'm right here." Belldandy gently said, causing Sayoko to face her, almost surprised before replying.

"U-Um, thanks." She turns away with a small blush on her face, a little embarrassed at her former rival wanting to be friends with her. The young goddess just looks at her and kindly smiled.

It is then, a new sense of purpose began to rise within Belldandy.

She will help the unfortunate people by granting their wishes of happiness once she returns to heaven after a few years of staying here on earth. And there she would do her duty as a goddess, doing what she can to make their deepest desires come true.

And as for her promise to Keiichi... she will try to, when the time comes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh Keiichi, you truly are one of the kindest and most wonderful people that I stan completely, just wanting to make Belldandy happy ｡:ﾟ(;'∩';)ﾟ:｡ 💔

I know some of you will not be satisfied with Keiichi dying, and Belldandy moving on to find another love. But that's the plotline of this story I'm working on, the feeling of forbidden love for another person when that love may not be forbidden at all.

So... tell me what do you think of the prologue?

Vote and comment, guys (＾∇＾)ﾉ♪!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~