Reunited

Ever since you met and was appointed as Ayame’s Manager, you’ve always felt like you’ve met her before. Her presence felt both very comforting and familiar. Like she was someone very important to you. But you’ve never met this little oni before. Well, she is someone important to you now at least. You couldn’t help but savour every precious moment you spend with the girl, like she will one day disappear from your life and you will somehow regret the moments you don’t spend with her. It was strange to say the least. To have your head filled with this strange oni girl that feels so familiar and precious to you. Of course, you had to suppress these urges, lest you scare the girl away or get fired for being too intimate with a talent, especially when you are their manager.

You also noticed something strange about Ayame when she first met you, like she was reminiscing about the past. Her eyes filled with such melancholy as she laid her eyes met yours for the first time. At first you thought she disliked you but that was far from the truth. When you introduced yourself, the girl had the most genuine grin you had ever seen as she reciprocated the gesture. The girl was also quite clingy with you, opting to always spend time with you whenever you had to work overtime or always choosing to eat her meals with you. You appreciated it though, wanting to secretly spend as much time as possible with the oni yourself.

 Recently, you felt as though you were constantly being watched. Whether it be in the office, on the way home or even in your home. You swore you could see a pair of horns sticking out of every corner. You chalked it up to you just being overworked and the lack of sleep probably made you a bit paranoid. Ayame had been a bit more affectionate lately, always checking in on you and asking “How’s your day?”, “Do you want some coffee?” Those types of questions. She even offered to accompany you home but you declined, knowing she lives in the complete opposite direction on your route home.

It was another late night at the office, you were busy signing paperwork and securing permissions for your dear idol. Said idol showed up with a cup of coffee and a sweet smile on her face.

“Thank you for the hard work as always!”

“You know you don’t always have to accompany me here right?” You teased her before accepting the cup of coffee from the oni. You almost missed the sad look in her eyes before she changed back into a cheerful expression.

“It’s no trouble for me Anon! I like spending time with you” God Ayame was truly an angel sent from heaven. As ironic as that sounds. Ayame proceeded to take a chair beside you and talked about her day as you worked, with you occasionally sipping the coffee to try and stay awake. For some reason, it became harder and harder to keep your eyes open. “Maybe the coffee isn’t strong enough?” You thought to yourself as you finished up the coffee. Ayame was strangely silent as you finished the coffee, looking at you intently. It finally became too much to handle as your eyes came to a close, the last thing you heard was a soft “I’m sorry” from your companion.

Your body felt heavy, it felt impossible to move your limbs especially when you could feel a warm pressure on your chest. Slowly opening your eyes, you gasped as the first thing you saw was a certain oni clinging tightly to your chest. Your face went to a bright shade of red before you attempted to move away before freezing when you heard sniffles coming from the girl.

“A-Ayame!?”

“I’ve been alone for so long! You remember right? How we used to travel together" Her tearful face met mine, her eyes staring deep into my own as memories of a time long lost started popping up in my head.

"You were the only one who ever accepted me! It hurts so much when you died!"

"Huh? I died?" Your mind repeated as the oni was expressing her grief. You briefly had a flashback then, of a bloody field and of a certain oni, blood covering her visage as she stood over your dying self with a truly sorrowful expression. It was then that you understood. Or at least tried to. You or at least, the past 'you' was someone important to Ayame.

You hugged the crying oni tightly to your chest as she continued to sorrowfully express her regrets on your chest. Your own tears were beginning to form as she continued on.

“T-that’s why! That’s why when I saw you again back then, back when you became my new manager! I knew that it was you! You finally came back, and I really hoped that you remembered me! Remembered our time together back then even if it wasn’t with the current you!”

“Ayame..” Poor girl. She must’ve been so lonely all this time, waiting for a person that had been dead for so long to comfort her. It really was by a very slim chance that certain someone was you. Now that you knew that you weren’t being a creep crushing on your idol, but instead was actually her lover from a previous life, you began to accept your feelings for her. To make up for lost time so to speak.

“I’m so afraid. So afraid to lose you again!” You tried to comfort her as best as you can, rubbing her back reassuringly and lightly kissing the top of her head.

“P-promise me you won’t leave me again?” She looked up at you with her misty eyes, your heart wrenching at the thought of not being able to fulfill that promise. You’re a human and she’s an oni. Eventually she will outlive you and be alone again. But that doesn’t matter, no matter how many times you die, you swear you will find her again. Each and every time.

“I promise! Even if I die again, I will find you! I promise I will find you in my next lives!”

Hearing those words seemed to have brought Ayame back to a happier state, her gaze no longer sorrowful but more sheepish as she giggled nervously and rubbed the tears from her eyes.
“T-thanks Anon.. Sorry I drugged you just to vent out my feelings and trigger some painful memories for you..”

Shaking your head, you leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, Ayame’s face burned up as she was taken by surprise but she soon reciprocated the kiss. Nothing could ruin this moment between two lovers once separated but now reunited once again. You just hope this time you won’t be killed and eaten onis but will instead ‘eat’ an oni. Heh.