A/N: This story takes place in a universe where Ichiro is a kitsune, and Kumiko is a mortal woman.

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They first met each other in early spring. O-kumi was a girl whose noble birth no longer meant anything after the death of her parents, and Ichiro was a kitsune who had grown tired of living in the shadow of his elders.

He'd sought the cover of the forest to train in peace, but the desperate cries of a young woman had made it impossible. He followed the sound until he came upon a group of bandits laughing and jeering while their leader forced himself on the struggling girl they had captured.

Ichiro flew into a rage and rushed headlong into a fight with the bandits, inflicting wounds so grievous that many of them may as well have been dead when he approached the girl and held out his blood-soaked hand.

"Don't be afraid," he said softly as her large eyes stared at him with awe and fear. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to make sure you're safe..."

The girl swallowed before slowly rising to her feet. Ichiro blinked as it finally occurred to him how beautiful she was. Her skin was smooth and fair, and the mere flutter of her lashes was enough to leave him entranced.

"What are you?" The girl asked while pressing her hand against a nearby tree trunk for support. "No man should be able to fight the way you do."

Ichiro glanced at the bandit whose throat he had torn open earlier. "Something older than you can imagine. Stay by my side, and I will show you wonders aplenty."

"I suppose I have no choice," the girl uttered in resignation after some moments of thought. "There is nowhere else I can go and nothing else to live for."

******

Ichiro and O-kumi bonded a little more with each passing day, eventually falling in love with each other. They spent many nights expressing their passion together in bed until it became clear from O-kumi's swelling belly that she was with child. Ichiro felt overjoyed to know that he would soon be a father, yet a part of him also feared that a half-human child would be looked down upon by pure-blooded kitsune.

As a result, Ichiro decided that it would be best to keep the child's identity a secret from the rest of his kind. He spent the coming months anticipating a peaceful life with his wife and their newborn baby, but little did he know the tragedy that would befall him.

O-kumi's health declined more and more until her body could no longer accommodate the offspring within. She went into labor earlier than expected, and her contractions proved so strong that she screamed like a dying animal while blood flowed from between her legs.

Ichiro ran in distress to find the local midwife, but by the time he brought the old woman back to his house, O-kumi had already ceased to move. With a pounding heart, Ichiro trudged across the red floor and took his dying wife in his arms. She barely responded as tears rolled down his face, and he begged her not to give up.

"O-kumi, stay with me, please. I love you..."

"Ichiro, I'm sorry..."

O-kumi's hands fell limp, but Ichiro could not bring himself to let go, even as the midwife tried to pull him away. Eventually, the old woman gave up and left him alone to grieve deep into the night and for much of the following day.

******

Ichiro became cold-hearted for many years afterward. The country of Japan was reunited, and more than two centuries of isolation followed. His seniors, Harue and Sora, ascended to heaven just like the others, leaving him as perhaps the last remaining kitsune on Earth.

The Black Ships arrived, and the nation was forced to begin trading with foreign powers again. Society underwent rapid changes that Ichiro struggled to keep up with, and he found himself living increasingly modestly to avoid suspicion.

His still youthful appearance led to him being conscripted during the Second World War, and while he initially complied out of curiosity, the horrors of battle became motivation enough for him to fake his death and go into hiding until peace returned.

As the country recovered after the end of the war, Ichiro chose to reinvent himself. He tried on the latest fashions and attempted to pursue the same activities as modern-day youth, regardless of how foolish it all seemed.

The year 1986 brought with it an era of economic prosperity, and Ichiro was caught up in the extravagance and materialism. He took advantage of his radiant looks and boundless energy to acquire a job at a host club, where he devoted himself to seducing as many women as possible and climbing his way to the top rank.

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Although Ichiro did not really care for most of his customers, the forty-two-year-old Riho Konno stood out with her charming boldness. Over the past year, he had come to know almost her entire life story and felt enough affection towards her that he sometimes considered extending their relationship beyond drinks and occasional trips back to her apartment.

However, Ichiro would always remember how heartbroken he had been at the death of O-kumi and change his mind. Life carried on as usual until one fateful night when a new customer entered Eros Host Club and stole the attention of everyone present.

Her name was Akane, and Ichiro immediately knew he was the only one capable of handling her. He doted on her at the expense of other customers and agreed to accompany her home without question.

Once there, she revealed her true form, and he jumped to defend himself. They fought each other without mercy, and though Akane's venom was potent, Ichiro managed to incapacitate her by creating an inferno that engulfed most of the house.

As the walls came crumbling down, he grabbed the weakened jorōgumo and tore her head clean off before leaving her remains behind in the blaze, knowing that it would be difficult to continue being a host after such an encounter.

He quit that job and moved to the countryside for a quieter life. The aptly named bubble era came to an end and gave way to the Lost Decade. Ichiro found work in a bakery and looked forward to the day he would finally join the rest of his kind in heaven.

Unfortunately, fate turned out to have a cruel sense of humor. He was closing the store alone on a Saturday evening when a knock on the door almost caused him to drop the tray he was carrying.

He was about to tell the visitor to come again in the morning when the familiarity of their features struck him. The young woman's soft skin, large eyes, and long lashes were just like his late wife's, and he set the tray down on the counter in disbelief.

"Who are you?" Ichiro asked, dumbfounded as he stepped towards the door and pried it open just an inch.

The young woman blinked. "My name's Kumiko. Is something wrong?"

"Not really. You just remind me of someone I used to know."

"Oh." Kumiko smiled, then let out a charming laugh. "I see how it is. You're quite handsome for a small-time baker. Sure you don't want to be somewhere else?"

Ichiro opened the door wider and stepped outside to join her beneath the dim light of the bakery's sign. "Believe me, I've tried. But the city life wore me out, and I wanted to leave."

"I know the feeling." Kumiko sighed. "I'm actually from Tokyo, but visiting my grandparents this weekend. I suppose it's nice not to come home to a cramped apartment or squeeze aboard a train for once."

Ichiro reached up to rub the back of his neck. "You and me both. You and me both..."

"Well, I shouldn't be wasting your time," Kumiko replied as she glanced at the dim store sign above them. "See you again tomorrow, uh..."

"Ichiro."

"Ah. Well, good night, Ichiro."

Kumiko's hair caught the light of the setting sun as she strode away, making her appear ethereal even from behind. Ichiro waved goodbye to her shrinking figure, then sought shelter again in the warm bakery.

He stared at the half-empty display in front of him. After such an encounter, could he really be happy about leaving Earth in the near future? The woman of his dreams had literally come back into his life without warning, and now it only seemed right to make the most of his second chance by avoiding the mistakes of the past.

******

Chapter Notes:

- 'Ichiro' can mean 'first son' or 'first bright,' thus his name could still be fitting for a kitsune.

- 'O-' became a popular prefix for girls' names sometime during the 1500s, though it fell out of favor by the 20th century. The name suffix 'ko' has existed since the Heian period (794 to 1185 CE) but was once confined almost entirely to court nobles. For this reason, I went with the name 'O-kumi' for the mortal version of Kumiko in the feudal era.

- Japan's bubble economy lasted from 1986 to 1991 before economic decline characterized much of the 1990s. Hence, the latter is called the Lost Decade.

- I figured that since he's a man who identifies with the sort of people Akane targets, Ichiro would be far less forgiving of Akane than Kumiko was. He would have been out for blood once he discovered she was a jorōgumo. Also, sorry for making him sleep with Mrs. Konno.