Who was the couple at the beginning? wife? I guess they were friends with Kotarou, but things were never really explained.
The introduction here was pretty straightforward. Kotarou gets lost in the woods, falls in love with Tengu lady, but has to go home, so he cries. He never remembers why he cried, but just being near the woods makes him realize it's calling him somehow. So he goes in twice just to understand what happened to him.
Cue him falling again, the fox saving him, and now him being married to the Tengu! Only 5 characters in this story, yet it's told pretty well. I like it!