Contract?

"I didn't know he was this soft-hearted. He looks pale. Damn, I didn't know it would impact him this much. I feel bad for him, longing for his long-gone lover. Should I bring him back to the present?" thought Naoki. 

"Hey, Hiroshi. You don't look so well. If you can't take it anymore, we can go back to the present, and I can bring you back here anytime," console Naoki. 

"No, I am fine..." Shaking his head, Hiroshi breaths in a long deep breath to calm himself down, "And I don't think I will have enough strength to look again."

"Hiroshi, why do you have to go through everything to suffer? Is it even worth it?" questions Naoki. 

"Why? Is it even worth it?" Hiroshi, tears running slowly down his cheek, derides in a sarcastic tone and looks into Naoki's deep blue ocean eyes, "Yes, it is. I get to see Kenzo's face instead of the photos. Even if it hurts, I will do it again and again without a doubt."

"I see," was the only word that Naoki could reply. 

Hiroshi watches Kenzo leave the doctor's room. Hiroshi and Naoki follow closely behind Kenzo. Kenzo slowly walks towards the emergency exit, opens the emergency door, looks at his surroundings, and squads next to the staircase. Tears running down his scarlet cheeks, Kenzo covers his mouth, trying not to make any sound as he doesn't want to attract any unwanted attention. 

"Naoki, can I hold him?" said Hiroshi, looking at Kenzo with sorrowful eyes as if he loses Kenzo once again.

"Yes, you can," nods Naoki in approval. Hiroshi slowly walks step by step towards Kenzo. 

"No, I can't. Kenzo doesn't like it when I see him like that," murmured Hiroshi, but Naoki doesn't hear it. Hiroshi stops in his tracks but then decides to at least sit beside Kenzo while looking at Kenzo fondly and sorrowfully. 

"Why did you stop? Didn't you say you want to hold him or comfort him?" questions Naoki, not understanding the reason why Hiroshi doesn't comfort Kenzo. Ignoring his question, Hiroshi, like a baby cupidity looking at his favorite toy, looks at Kenzo. Naoki stands in the corner of the staircase and gives Hiroshi and Kenzo some personal space. Not long after, they heard an emergency exit door open. Kenzo quickly wipes his tears, grabs his bag, and prepares to leave. Hiroshi stands up and walks towards Naoki to look at what happens next. 

"You are Kenzo, correct?" questions the man who recently comes in from the emergency exit. 

"May I ask who you are?" With a confusing look, Kenzo tries to recall if he has ever met this man.

"Have we met before? If my memories serve me right, I have never met you," Kenzo points out the fact. The man chuckles. 

"Yes, we have never met before. Nice to meet you. I am Naoki, King of Doom," introduces Naoki. 

"Oh, I see. Mr. Naoki, which ward do you stay in at this hospital? Do you need my help in sending you there?" with concerns on his face, Kenzo approaches Naoki. 

"No. Who do you think you are to touch me? Didn't I say I am King of Doom?" fuming with anger, Naoki glares at Kenzo. The present Naoki, who is standing beside Hiroshi, begins laughing. 

"I am sorry, sir. If you don't need my assistance, then I will take my leave," bowing to Naoki, Kenzo begins walking towards the door. When walking towards the door, Kenzo feels an intense sharp pain traveling throughout his nerve system. The pain is greatly intolerable to the point where Kenzo drops down to the ground, trying to torment the pain. Hiroshi, who is about to run towards Kenzo, is stopped by Naoki, standing beside him, shakes his head in disapproval of Hiroshi's action. 

"You can't touch anyone right now," says Naoki to Hiroshi. Hiroshi helplessly watches as the scene unfolds. 

Naoki, not the person standing beside Hiroshi, walks towards Kenzo, squads down, reaches Kenzo's hand and holds Kenzo's hand. The pain disappears within seconds like the event doesn't occur at all. Hiroshi is beyond shocked to have witnessed the scene. 

"Kenzo, you and I know that you won't have much time to live," said Naoki, not the person standing beside Hiroshi. 

"So?" questions Kenzo.  

"I want to form a contract with you. You can live your life to the fullest if you sign the contract, but you will lose someone you dear the most," explains Naoki. 

"I don't want the contract." Kenzo flat-out rejects Naoki. 

"You can think about this again..." surprised with Kenzo's instant rejection. 

"No, I don't need to, but thank you for the offer. I need to be somewhere else," Kenzo quickly leaves. 

"You would rather suffer the pain than lose someone important to you? I don't get it," questions Naoki, not the person standing beside Hiroshi, and leaves the spot. 

The scene slowly fading away as the shining light from houses begins to appear in front of Hiroshi's and Naoki's eyes. Hiroshi blankly blinks his eyes as he stares into the air. 

"So, what do you think?" said Naoki, trying to start a conversation.

"What do I think?" scoffs Hiroshi, "I am thankful that I get to see Kenzo, and you are King of Doom. Thank you, Naoki." Hiroshi turns to leave the rooftop. 

"Wait, where are you going, Hiroshi?" Naoki follows behind Hiroshi. 

"I am going home, away from you," Hiroshi nonchalantly replies. 

"You are very mean towards me, Hiroshi. I even use my energy to show you how Kenzo and I met. Wait, don't tell me you become sensitive and don't want to talk to me anymore," teases Naoki. 

"No, you come to me to make me sign a contract just like Kenzo, right?" questions Hiroshi. 

"Not really. I didn't come to you to sign the contract. However, since you mention it, do you want to sign the contract?" Naoki raises his left eyebrow as asking 'What do you think?'

"I want to ask one thing. Did you later force Kenzo into signing the contract?" Hiroshi sharply looks at Naoki. 

"I sort of did; however, it was unsuccessful since he doesn't want to lose his love one," explains Naoki. 

"I see. That idiot should have signed the contract. Why would he throw his life away just like that?" said Hiroshi in one breath. 

"How will I know? I am not him," answers Naoki with an innocent blue eye. 

"Why do you love Kenzo?" Naoki, facing towards Hiroshi, suddenly asks a question.

Hiroshi raises his head, looks into the ocean cerulean eyes, and smiles.