The young man looks at me without any particular expression, not even a surprise. How did he manage to catch me? Did he knew I was up in the tree? How long has he been here for? I swallow slightly and I suppose that kind of broke the tension a little bit, his expression slowly forms into a slight grin. His crimson eyes narrows as he smiles, it's a bit unnerving to be honest but he hasn't hurt me yet. I'm still holding onto his neck, and for some reason my mind isn't telling me to let go.

"Such bravery and foolishness to be climbing a tall tree such as this one." He says with a grin.

His voice is calm and deep, it almost echos throughout the open field. It's captivating if I must say.

"I... I wanted to get a cherry blossoms bud..." I slowly answer him.

"And you would put your life in danger to kill a life of nature? Now do you think it's something that you should do?" He asks me.

His question seem to freeze my mind completely, it was a question that makes my head spin in thought. I look back into his defined eyes, I haven't realized but I've never seen someone with red eyes before till now.

"I suppose it was stupid of me..." I answer quietly.

"If you think it's stupid, then I suggest you should think about the consequences of your actions in the future if you happen to make a similar choice." He says calmly raising an eyebrow.

I gulp at his words and slowly lets out a nod. Without another word, he lowers me down onto the ground and that is when I finally unwrap my short arms around his neck. He's quite a tall man, I'm around the height of his navel. The night breeze gently blowing across the forest against me, almost as if it's pushing me back and away from him. He's just standing there and looking up at the cherry blossom tree.

"If you're done here, I suggest you head back to where you came from. If you haven't known, demon attacks are occuring throughout the land. Not to mention, they appear more frequently during night time. Be a good girl and run along before you find yourself in danger." He says turning his body slightly to look at me.

I inhale sharply and I feel a slight sense of chill as I hear his words, my mind went blank, he's right, I should get back as soon as possible. Without a word, I turn and I run back the way I came. I run until I'm almost within the canopy of the trees again, for some reason, something's nagging away at me. I slowly come to a stop just before I entered back into the darker areas of the forest.

"He saved me from that fall and I didn't even say thank you..." I say to myself quietly.

It's true, I was so caught up in the moment that I forgot my gratitude to the man for saving me. He may seem a bit peculiar, but he doesn't seem like a bad person. I turn around to look back at where the cherry blossom tree stood, and there he is still, looking up at the tree and walking around it.

"Maybe I'll just go back and say thank you." I say to myself.

Determined, I begin to head back to the tree. Stupid choice perhaps, but nothing has happened that shows that he would hurt me. 
I stop a few feet away from him and I play with my kimono sleeve trying to find the courage to speak up. He has stopped walking and looked at the fireflies, his long black hair gently swaying in the breeze.

"How brave of you to come back to a potential danger." He suddenly says without turning to look at me.

His words surprised me, he knew that I'm here.

"Uhm, I would just like to say... thank you for saving me..." I quietly say.

I see his head lift up a little, he then turns slightly to look at me, his red eyes glimmering in the dark. His expression is that of an astounded and confused one. After a few seconds his expression returns back to a slight grin.

"Why do you assume that I need a thank you? I didn't catch you because you were in danger, I was just there." He says coldly.

Although his words seem cold, but behind it you can hear a slight contradiction.

"It doesn't matter if it was your intention or not on catching me, in the end, the result is that you did. So a thank you is a must in this case." I say to him.

He then slowly turns completely to face me, his fair skin almost looking white under the moon.

"For a young soul like you, you sure know how to talk." He says with a grin.

"I was taught to be thoughtful and be grateful when it's required." I say to him.

"And did your parents taught you to not talk to strangers?" He asks me again.

"Yes of course, but you don't look like a bad person. I was taught to always see the good in people, and then if they do something to lose the faith that I have then I suppose circumstances will change then. Besides, we're talking right now, so do we still count as strangers?" I ask him back.

His brows slightly lifts up in amusement, and he shows me a grin again.

"No... I suppose not. Such interesting little thing. Now, if you have said what you came back to say, I suggest you head on back now before the shadows consume the night." He says turning away.

"Wait!" I suddenly say.

"What is it?" He says turning back to me with a slight annoyance in his voice.

I slowly walk up to him. He just stands there and not moving, I finally stop a few feet in front of him.

"If it's not too much, can you bend down a little?" I ask him.

"Why?" He asks me as he looks down at me.

"Please?" I ask him again with a pleading gesture.

His eyes looks into mine and he lets out a sigh, he then kneels down in front of me and we're now eye level to each other. In the moonlight I can see his face clearly once again, I asked him to do this because I want to see his eyes. They're quite unique, they're just one shade of crimson red, the pupil isn't black but white. It almost looks out of this world. As I look at his eyes, his glazes over mind as well. Without knowing I let out a smile, his brows slightly loosens as he looks at me.

"You have really unique eyes, they're like out of this world. They look a bit scary in the dark night because they look like they're glowing, but at the same time, they're beautiful." I tell him as I admire his eyes.

He blinks and continues to look at me.

"No one has ever said something like that about my eyes before. They're just like every other eyes." He replies.

"Yes I know, they are eyes just like everyone elses. But they are red, I've only seen brown eyes in my life, never red. I've heard of pink eye but it's only around the white area of the eye, yours is pure red around the iris. It looks almost inhuman like. I wonder what they look like under the sun now that I've seen it in the moonlight." I say with a slight giggle.

"They look the same, it may seem inhumanly, but I was born with them. There are other colors of eyes out in the world, you just haven't seen them yet." He replies.

"Really? Will you show me those eyes one day? I want to see them with my own. You seem to know a lot about them so I want you to take me around the world and show me." I say to him.

He lets out a small grin and stands back up.

"So naive of you, you and I most likely won't meet again after tonight." He says as he begin to turn around.

Without knowing, I grab his hand, his skin is cool and smooth, almost like marble. He stops and turns to look at me.

"I'm curious, why are you here by yourself and not home sleeping?" I ask him.

"A young thing like you is asking me what I'm doing out here. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?" He asks me.

"I'm on a trip to a town with my parents, we're camping outside and I had to go to the washroom. I happened upon here. You?" I tell him.

"I'm taking a stroll alone." He says.

"Why alone? Don't you have a family?" I ask him.

"No." He says looking back at the tree.

"Then how about I stay here with you for a bit until you go home?" I suggest.

He looks back down at me, his brows slightly furrowing.

"Why would you do that for someone you barely know?" He asks me.

"I believe that no one deserves to be alone in this world, the good or the bad. For example a flower, you rarely see them grow individually, they're always grown in a clusters or bundles, and the ones that do grow on one single stem such as a dandelion, they have other dandelions companions not too far away. Right now you seem like a lonely flower, so I want to erase the "lonely." I say to him with a smile.

His red eyes gazes at me.

"Come on, let me tell you about the cherry blossom tree. I've learned about flowers and their meanings." I say taking his hand and guiding him closer to the tree.

He doesn't say anything and just follows me.
We stop under the tree and I pick up a blossom petal. The vibrant pink looks purple under the moonlight.

"Cherry blossoms only last about 2 weeks after they bloom in the spring. They represent spring itself. They also symbolizes the beauty of life and remind us to treasure every single moment as much as we can. It is fleeting, it's beautiful but it'll wither away in 2 weeks time." I tell him.

"Just like the fireflies." He slowly says.

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

"Fireflies'  life is short as well, they are beautiful but their natural light will extinguish in just a few days." He says.

"I see, I have learned something new today, thank you. Looks like fireflies and cherry blossoms are the same, they're beautiful but so fleeting. Now that I look at it, you're like the fireflies, surprising and unique since you don't really see bugs glow in the dark. I'm like the cherry blossoms, just like every other flowers, also I'm wearing pink just like its petals." I say with a smile.

"You forgot the beauty of the cherry blossoms." He suddenly adds.

I turn to him suprised, he gently place a blossom petal in my hair. For some reason, my heart began to beat faster. What is this feeling?

"I suppose I'll say thank you for accompanying me tonight, and for enlightening me about flowers and their meanings. It's time for you to head back now before the sun comes up." He says.

"Will you be ok by yourself?" I ask him.

"I will be, you do not need to worry. Talking to such a young pure soul like you was... interesting." He says with a slight smile.

A smile... not a grin this time. What is this feeling? My face feels warm and my heart is beating fast. Is this a crush? I've heard of crushes, it's like a feeling you feel when you might have a specific type of feeling or view for someone. Similar to love? Am I falling in love with this man?

"Hurry and head on back, souls like yours require rest." He says.

"Why do you keep calling me a soul? Aren't you a soul too?" I ask him with a laugh.

"Who knows if we are even humans at all..." He quietly replies as he looks up at the sky.

"I suppose you have a point. Life is full of wonders. Will I ever see you again?" I suddenly ask him.

He looks down at me, then he kneels down so we're eye level again. He gently lifts his hand up and touches my cheek with his thumb.

"Like I said earlier, the possibility is very unlikely." He says with a slight frown.

"But fate might allow us to?" I ask him.

"I don't believe in fate." He replies.

"Well I do, and I like to believe that we might." I say to him.

"Then keep up that hope, it can get you places." He says with a small smile.

"Oh... by the way, I'm____________. How about you?" I ask him.

His red eyes gazes at me, the breeze gently swaying his black bangs.

"___________, what a nice name. I won't tell you my name straight out, but it's a place where all the evil goes." He tells me.

"Your name is a place where all the evil goes?" I ask him surprised and bit confused.

He nods. I begin to think of the words, a place where all the evil goes... I can only think of the word hell, but there are two words for it, Jigoku and Naraku.

"Naraku?" I slowly say afraid of getting his name wrong and offend him.

He smiles.

"You're a smart girl, yes my name is Naraku." He replies.

"Why would someone name you Naraku? I feel that you should change your name, it doesn't suit you." I say to him with a frown.

"I'm used to it, so I'll be keeping it." He responds.

"Alright then... again, thank you for saving me." I say to him.

"You're welcome." He finally says, so different than earlier.

"Hope to see you soon, and I hope you'll recognize me even when I grow up to be an adult." I say to him with smile.

He doesn't say anything but gives a slight nod.

"Goodbye Naraku." I say to him.

I lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek, I pull back and I see his eyes following me. He lets out a small smile.

"Goodbye...___________." He replies.

He then lifts his left hand up and gently place it over my forehead. A sudden flash of bright light fills my vision, but before it consumes my sight, I see his crimson red eyes gazing at me softly. I think I did fall in love with him. Then my consciousness fades away and the bright light soon turns black.