King of the Woods

Damn it! The bear park was closed until next week. I looked up at the stairs leading to the cable entrance and sighed over the little bad luck mixed in my mostly pleasant trip thanks to Covid.

Anyway, there was another spot I wanted to check out – Lake Kuttara, the roundest and second clearest lake of Japan (the top one is Lake Mashu, located also in Hokkaido). A sign pointing to the adjacent road indicated a nearby lookout to the lake. Ok then, let’s go.

It was only a second after I made the decision when I became completely petrified.

Elegant as he is,
king of the woods,
from the mountain he emerges,
down the stairs he walks…

And he slowly stopped his steps as he saw me there, mouth half open.

High up on the stairs he stages,
facing forward;
at me with his big charming eyes,
looking downward.

We stood still in the precious Sunshine in between wild Hokkaido blizzards, gazing at each other in silence.

Bang, bang…
my heartbeats became noticeable.
Bang, bang, bang…
my cheeks turned pink and I looked away.

His gaze softened as he figured I’m definitely not an enemy. And we gazed, looked away, gazed, looked away…… and after a million cycles it was as if the magnetic fields around us connected and merged. An abnormal pheromone reaction, one that, I guess, connects every living life on earth, was so strong that it aroused me somehow… sexually? It must be Stendhal syndrome that I felt such dizziness. He looks oh so gorgeous and powerful. This situation is extremely unusual for me since I’m becoming more and more of a sapiophile these years that male hormone alone does not arouse me much any more. But I guess his existence itself is the most marvellous wisdom on this planet. I’m drowning in his eyes.

Before I completely lost consciousness, I suddenly remembered I had place to go. It was such a struggle forcing myself to move my feet. I walked to the other side of the road so that I could still see him a little bit. As if a dream came true, or, as if the world was playing out the plot in my head, he moved closer to the stair rail so that he could see me as well. I almost cried.

‘Wait for me, please, my king! I’ll be back soon.’
He nodded. That was strange but exhilarating. The world was indeed playing out the plot in my head.

Still, I couldn’t really move my eyes away from him. I proceeded my way walking backwards. As I turned, he turned, looking at me firmly regardless of all other people in the town streets.

Soon there was a u-turn ahead of me. Should I turn there I would sure lose sight of him.
Another road sign pointing at the next cross where I could vaguely see the stop sign due to heavy snow. But that was when bad news became good news. I didn’t even bother to go that hundred meters to confirm, I turned back. There was telepathy between us, I knew he must have been waiting for me.

Watching him from a distance, an urge grew on me to bring him some presents from my little ‘trip’. I dragged myself through the thigh deep snow by the roadside, climbed up a tree, and picked a cluster of wild red berries. With immaculate snow just melted, the berries were half transparent and shining under the sun. They looked pretty and delicious.
It felt like love – holding a present so carefully as if it were a piece of my heart.

As I sprang my way back, I waved the berries at him. He was so thrilled that he even hopped a few steps closer.
Soon I was back at the bottom of the stairs. I smiled at him, and then took my steps cautiously up the stairs. They were very slippery with the snow.
With every step I took, I was a little closer to him.
The temptation of physical contact was so strong I could already picture seeing myself in his big eyes, hugging him and stroking his perfectly shaped masculine chin…
I giggled the whole way up.

As I finally took my last step and raised my head again, however, he was gone.
I was petrified again. The freezing wind was all I could feel.

After all, king of the woods belongs to the forest. This beautiful encounter is a bless, an indestructible memory that brightened my life a little bit more.

I left the berries on the snow, where he could find easily if he ever comes back.
‘Watch out for the bears, they are hunting for hibernation these days.’