Kenji opened his eyes.
White ceiling. Daylight. Car sounds.
He sat up quickly. His heart was pounding. He looked around. His apartment. His real apartment.
He was sitting behind the cash register. In his store. He had fallen asleep at work. Again.
He looked at the clock. Three in the afternoon. He had only been asleep for twenty minutes. But it felt like he had lived years.
"Was it... a dream?" he whispered.
He couldn't remember the details. Only feelings. Love. Fear. Pain. Hope.
The bell rang. A customer entered. Kenji didn't look up. He was trying to breathe.
"Are you okay?"
He raised his eyes.
A young man. Black hair. Strange calmness. A familiar face. So familiar.
His heart stopped. "Haru...?"
The young man looked at him confused. "Sorry... I don't know who you mean."
The voice was different. But the eyes... the same eyes.
"What's your name?"
The young man hesitated. Then said: "Maru."
The world fell.
Maru. Not Haru. But the same face. The same look. The same kindness in his eyes.
Maru left the store. Kenji stood up and ran after him.
"Wait!"
Maru stopped. Turned.
Kenji stood before him. Couldn't speak. Did something unexpected. He hugged him. Tight. As if he had known him his whole life. As if he had been searching for him forever.
Maru froze for a moment. Then tried to pull away gently. "Hey... do I know you?"
Kenji didn't let go. Tears fell. "I'm sorry... I found you... I finally found you..."
Maru was confused, but something in his eyes changed. He slowly raised his hand and patted Kenji's back.
"It's okay... it's okay..."
They stood there. On the sidewalk. Two strangers hugging. People passing by, not understanding.
But Kenji understood. He had found him. After everything. After all the pain. After all the searching.
He had found him