Infront a shabby shrine in small village inside of Mie Prefecture Japan.
Inside a basket there was young boy warped in blanket. He was sleeping soundlessly, a single tear drop from his right eyes out of nowhere.
The young infant was pitiful, he yet to know that he was abandoned by his own family. Not that he will be able to understand if someone told him.
The world was complex thing to his baby brain.
few minutes later
creaking sound can be heard as the shrine door was open from inside.
"the air sure is the freshest in the morning!"
Saying an old man that just open up the door. His clothes was dilapidated and old, it also unkept as he just woke up not long ago.
The old man just wanted to take some fresh air outside and come back inside to prepare for the day, yet his intention was short-lived.
He saw a basket few step away from his shrine door. a infant in it, he barely few months old. He was surprised and shock.
"Who is so despicable to throw away his own blood just like that!"
WAAaAaAa! WAAaAaAa! WAAaAaAa!
maybe shock from the old priest shouted, the baby started crying.
"oh my, oh my" " don't cry" "don't cry" "Grandpa is here"
feeling sympathy for the baby and not have heart to ignore defenseless baby, the old priest pick up the baby from the basket and cradle him in his embrace.
swinging side to side slowly, the old priest comfort the baby into sleeping. Its take more than few minutes for him to make the baby sleep.
He then take the baby inside the shrine where he live as the air in the morning was chilling and unsuitable for baby, he did not bring the basket with him.
There is nothing inside it aside from the blanket that warped the baby, not even a letter.
Few hours later
He decided to bring this baby to orphanage, so he can growth better than staying with him in this shabby shrine.
As he walking towards the orphanage after get off from busses, he derailed from his destination.
He end up going to pharmacy store, to buy milk for the baby. It quite expensive, 14 561 yen! for 4 pack of 785 gram of baby formula.
He end up buying 8 pack, blue and red baby bottle and few diaper cloth, why did he buy it all in one go? cause riding a buses to go shopping was hassle to him.
His saving was cut by tenth. He sighed helplessly, this all because of the baby acting cute and giggling while playing with his beard when he on his way to orphanage.
He did not have heart to abandon the baby like his parents do. He is Maeda Kenichi, an head priest of Kodama shrine, although it was not big nor medium size shrine, it still a shrine and he was head of that say shrine.
Today was 16-2-2000 and 3 days ago was his 60th birthdays. He already planned to live leisure life, with his saving and few donations here and there plus subsidies from the government, his old days was set on stone.
Yet because of this baby he decided to postpone his leisure retirement days.
" Sigh... I guess I will back to deliver blessings and memorial service than, I too old for exorcist the unclean."
Kenichi then walking to bus stop, while carrying the baby on his right hand and the items on his left hand.
Sitting on bench waiting for the bus to arrive, he started to play with the baby and think a name for him.
"look at you, so happy" he then pinch the baby fat cheek softly.
"gugugu"
the child was happy when the old priest playing with him, he try to hunt and grab the old man finger with his chubby short arm.
"oh, look what cute hunter you are" Keinichi praise the baby for his cuteness, his old heart begin to warm.
"GaGaGa"
Maybe sensing his praise, the baby started to giggle and it send the old man wrinkle face into smile.
"So this is what it feels to have children" He wonder if it truly what he thinks it is.
Its not that he a priest from Shinto shrine can't marry, but when he found out that he can't have children, he decided to stop falling in love as it will be huge disappointment to him and his significant other if they love can't bear a fruit.
He did not want his other half to feel what he feels. So he throws himself in his work and live honest priest life.
"I wonder what your name will be like"
"hmm how about Asahi?"
"hmm, no respond... you did not like it did you? chubby guy" he say while rubbing the baby belly.
"Akio?"
still no response.
"Haruto?"
"Chikao?"
"how about Yamamoto?"
the old priest keep throwing a few names to get respond from the baby, but it seem like he did not like the name that old priest saying to him, not even Naruto.
it was until they arrived at the shrine when the old priest remembers about a name that once famous throughout Japan history.
"How about Abe?"
"GuGaGa" the baby giggling happily as if he like his new name.
" So it decided than, from now on your name will be Abe, Maeda Abe" the old man was glad that he find good name for the baby and he seem to like it very much too.
"GaGaGa" the baby laughing happily.
"Now now it time for you to eat"
the old man hastily open the shrine door and but the baby gently on the futon, before he go to kitchen to warm up the water to make milk for the baby.
Starting the fire take a while when you using firewood and not gas to cook food and warm the water.
After 25 minutes, the Kenichi seated on the floor while cradling Abe on his left hand and holding the baby bottle with right hand feeding him the milk.
"you suck the bottle too fast, you must be quite hungry, poor my Abe" he smile as he feed the child baby formula.