Chapter One

"S-sensei, d.. do you b-believe in... r-rein..carnation?"

I uttered such an unimportant words as I gather the last ounce of my strength to talk to my most beloved person in the world.
It's been six years since I layed down on this exact same bed in the exact same room that I have. I have an incurable disease called the Parkinson's disease and right now I am dying. I suffered these six years but along with that time I was able to meet and fell in love with him again. Six years is enough, I am not afraid to die right now. I was able to see him everyday, talk to him everyday and was able to tell him that I love him since that we are young. He is my childhood friend that is 2 years older than me and now my attending doctor.

"What are you talking about Rina?" he snickered while he is sitting beside my bed. "I am a doctor, I believe in science more than with unexplained things." His eyes were fixated towards me an his gentle hands are rubbing my hands tenderly. He smiled at me. "But if reincarnation is really true, I hope that you will be reborn with a healthy body so that you will experience normal things that people do, like dates, hanging out with friends, marriage and having a family."

Desperately, I tilted my head towards his direction even though it is really hard for me to move my body. This body used to move around while playing pranks on him is not mine at this point. My vision became blurry the moment that my tears started to linger on my eyes. He saw me crying and immediately wiped my tears with his thumb and smiled.

"Your mom will be here in a moment so please hold on." He said in a soft trembling voice. I can feel it, he is scared, he is sad. "Please... please wait for your parents to arrive."

"Sen-- Yuji-kun, how... I w-wish-- t-that I c-can meet you... in my... n-next life..." I slowly replied, putting a smile on my face to give them ease before drifting to my eternal sleep.

"I l-love you Yuji."

Slowly and slowly, my energy is draining, my vision is getting more dizzy and blurry. My eyes are losing the sight of light of the afternoon sunset right outside the window of my room. Ah ~ somehow, it is getting comfortable in every passing second. Slowly the sounds that I hear from the outside is fading. I can hear Yuji-kun, he is crying. He is apologizing. Please don't cry Yuji-kun, you did your best as my doctor. Tell mom that I am sorry that I gave up earlier that I should be. I can't be stronger with this fight. I hope they'll understand.

Soon the whimpering sounds that I hear faded and it became so peaceful and comfortable. Everything is so dark and I like it here. No pain, nothing heavy to carry. This might be what humans call "death".
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"..me-sama? Hime-sama?"

Eh?

I heard someone. I looked around but it is still dark.

"Rin-hime-sama?"

I am suddenly pulled by a heavy force upward as if that someone is dragging my soul somewhere. In a blink of an eye, I felt a painless impact around me and I quickly saw a light.

"Are you awake Hime-sama?" As soon as I opened my eyes, a silhouette from the ceiling lamp surprised me. But I am more surprised when this weird looking woman about the same age as me wearing an old style of kimono is calling me "hime-sama".

Wait no, I know this woman, this is my personal attendant and at the same time my childhood friend, Mei-chan. She's been my attendant ever since I came in this house. I tried to think thoroughly, I am indeed a princess, the daughter of the next shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimi, though I am only adopted.

I stood up from my bed and looked around, nothing changed...

Right?

It is indeed my room. I walked towards the nearby window and looked outside. Nothing changed, I am still looking at the garden that my father was taking care of. Then why?

"Is there a problem Rin-dono?"
"What year is it again?"
"It's 1463 in Muromachi era."

I am at the right era, the right year. Then why? Why am I feeling unsettled? This is me but why do I feel that I am not myself either? Is it because of my dream? I am certain that I was dreaming of living in another person. I think the name is Rina and... it is in 2019.

Huh?! Come to think of it...
That's 500 years in the future! Why would I dream something ridiculous like this? 500 years in the future? This is absurd. Am I sure that my head is okay? Am I not getting any weird complications in the brain aren't I?

"Hime-sama." The guards outside of my room called out. "Someone from the Hosokawa clan wishes to see you."

I looked at Mei-chan wearing a confused face and the latter answered my silent question.

"Rin-sama, it's the samurai that needs to accompany you to your tea lessons."

"Right! Right! I forgot."

No way that I can remember that! No one told me about the samurai.

Mei-chan helped me to wear my today's kimono for my tea lesson and then meet for the first time the samurai that will accompany me. As soon as Mei-chan opened the door, I saw a samurai lowering his head before me.

"My name is Hosokawa Nozomu and I will accompany you starting from today as a request from the royal family."The man lifted his head and as soon as he saw my face, he smiled gently at me.

Wait --

I looked at his face, analyzing it, thinking that I have seen this face somewhere.

"Yuji-kun?"