*An hour earlier before the kiss*
 

As Ohno ran in the night, crying and wiping his tears on his sleeves, the same voice in his dream whispered, “Time’s almost up…”

 

Ohno ignores this and just keeps running, telling himself that it was just his paranoia playing with him, and making his head hurt. He told himself that it was just some stupid voice playing mind tricks on him, and confusing him with all these nonsense about some weird messages. From the beginning, he never really paid attention to this voice as he kept on living besides the smiling Ninomiya, and ever so hyper Aiba. But the more this voice whispered in his mind, the more his mind was suffering, and the more the felt even faint.

Shut up! Ohno hits his own head. Shut up!!

 

But the voices refused to go away as it said one more thing that struck Ohno’s heart. “Go to the one you love and tell him…”

 

“What?” Ohno asked particularly no living soul. He stopped running and stood under the stars, asking the voice what it meant. However, the voice never came back and Ohno ran again and this time, setting his mind straight on one particular person.

 

*Hour after the kiss*
 

“ I love you,” Ohno whispers again and closes his eyes, hoping that Nino would accept his kiss. He wanted Nino to be his first kiss ever since he decided to keep it for his true love; but his first kiss was ungratefully stolen by Nino’s mom. But he didn’t care; Nino was his real true love and always will be. Before Nino could finally react and kill him, before Sho could even pull Ohno away from Nino and beat him up, Ohno fell back on his own on the hard floor and his eyes closed.

 

+

 

“Time’s up…” the same voice says. “You’ve done what you wanted. Now we are to send you to the heavens…”

 

Ohno’s eyes snapped open and he lets his knees drop on the floor. “Please!” Ohno bows, tears streaming nonstop down his face. “Please! I need to be by Nino!”

 

“You had your time…” the voice says. “And your deed is done…”

 

“No…” Ohno sobs. “Please…”

 

“Satoshi,” someone calls him; a rather different voice this time. He looks up and sees a tall man walking towards him. This person had wings, his halo dangling on the top of his head, his hair styled evenly and perfectly. Ohno was immediately enchanted seeing this person.

 

“There’s only one way,” this Angel says. “But you have to follow what I tell you to do.”

 

Ohno just nods his head, and takes the Angel’s hand; the voice forgotten.

 

+++
 

“Are you ok?” Sho runs towards him. “Did that man hurt you?”

 

Nino shakes his head and hugs Sho tightly, confused and lost about what just happened. How is it that the

person who looked like Ohno kissed, confessed, and fainted right after? Nino didn’t understand any of this. 

 

“It’s ok,” Nino holds Sho back from trying to hurt the fainted man. “He’s my friend.”

 

“Friend?!” Sho questions him. “What kind of a friend just kisses you and faints? Besides,” Sho pulls Nino towards him again, “You have me.”

 

Nino smiles and kisses the man one more time that night, before asking him to bring the faint man to where he and Aiba lived. He would have to talk to the unconscious man the following morning.

 

+++

 

Aiba fell right to sleep after Nino dismissed him. He was so tired from staying at the park for more than four hours, and watching Nino talk on and on about whatever with Sho. At least he had fun today and got to spend more time with Sho that he intended.

 

When Aiba opened his eyes, he found himself on top of white clouds with winged humans flying around him. Aiba knew where this was; his preschool teacher told him about it: Heaven. But something was wrong. Aren’t dead people supposed to be in heaven?

 

But Aiba tells himself it’s a dream and walks around heaven, his eyes growing large every so and then after seeing something fascinating. Around him, the Angels were laughing, smiling, and chasing each other playfully like they were children. Suddenly, Aiba had the urge to play with these Angels and run around laughing, smiling, and chasing other angels.

 

“Yay!” Aiba taps an Angel and runs away fast; but the Angel beat him to it since the angel was faster.

 

“Caught you!” The Angel says, his arms wrapped around Aiba’s waist. “By the way, what are you doing here young man?”

 

Aiba pokes the angles face, mesmerized by his striking, yet beautiful face, and awed upon seeing the angel smile. “I’m in my dream,” he replies. 

 

“Dream?” this Angel’s eyebrows quirk up. “This is heaven.”

 

“I know,” Aiba smiles. “And it’s just a dream.”

 

“Well,” the Angel sets the boy back down on a cloud. “Dream of Heaven, you’re still here. I’m Matsumoto Jun. Who are you?”

 

Aiba flashes a smile and answer: “Aiba Masaki, animal lover, and hyper kid (says my older brother).”

 

+++
 

Ohno follows this Angel and kept his eyes glued to the Angel’s head, still hypnotized by the Angel’s unique beauty. This Angel had a really friendly aura, yet he was mysterious since the Angel never introduced himself. Ohno didn’t mind, as long as someone was telling him a way to be by Nino.

 

“Listen,” the Angel finally speaks. “If you need to be by the one you love, you have to jump in the eternity fountain and make sure,” the Angel’s voice turned serious, “to repeat in your head want you want to get what you want. Got that?”

 

Ohno nodded his head, but his eyes kept glued on this Angel. But a familiar sound of laughter interrupted his thoughts, and  immediately thought of someone particular.

 

“Aiba?” Ohno called out for the boy.

 

“Oh-chan!” the boy runs towards him. “What are you doing in my dream?”

 

“I dunno,” Ohno shrugs. “Maybe we’re in the same dream together?” It could be possible; a dream is a dream.

 

“Yeah!” Aiba runs around him in circles. “Cool!”

 

“Look,” Ohno kneels on one knee, and grabs Aiba on the shoulder to calm the child down. “I have to get out of here and go back to Ninomiya-sama ok? Just remember to wake up.” Aiba nods his head in simplicity and runs to whatever took his attention. 

 

Ohno stands back up and nods his head once, telling the Angel he was ready to go. “What a hyper boy,” he hears the Angel sigh. “I’m afraid he won’t ever wake up from this ‘dream’.”

 

“What?” Ohno questions the angel. How is it possible? Aiba is a very active boy and nothing was wrong with him.

 

“When I touched the boy,” the Angel continues, “He felt so cold and ready to move on-”

 

“Wait,” Ohno interrupts the Angel. “You mean to tell me he’s…” Ohno gulped, afraid to say the next word.”

 

“Yes,” the Angels answers his thoughts. “He is. He doesn’t know it yet and the Superior Angels are going to come here to collect his soul.”

 

“This can’t be!” Ohno shook the Angel. “Ninomiya-sama will be enraged and depressed without Aiba with him. There has to be a way!” 

 

The Angel looks down, the beautiful smile on his face gone. “There is, but it’s risky.”

 

“No…” Ohno goes down. “H-How hard is it?”

 

“Very,” the Angel says. “But I have to get you through the Superior Angels.”

 

“T-That is hard,” Ohno stutters. “I-is it?”

 

The Angel shakes his head. “Like I said, it is. And if we were caught, you and the boy will stay here forever and be one of us.”

 

Throughout Ohno’s life, he risked everything just for Nino. He gave up his old life just to protect his young master, and make the boy happy. He risked his own time just to be with the boy he loved, and watched the boy grow up into a beautiful man. Now, Ohno would do anything to win his young master’s heart.

 

Ohno looks at the Angel straight in the eyes. “I’ll do it!” 

 

TBC 

 

Part 2