Hey guys! It's my first time uploading something on here, so I'd like it if you guys could also give me a few tips, etc. please? ^-^
Anyhow, enjoy this one shot of what happens to Hotaru when she visits the forest again after a few years of avoiding it! c:
/DISCLAIMER/ I do not own the movie Hotarubi no Mori e.
It's been a few years since Gin had disappeared, and it's been a few years since I've yet to look forward to going to my uncle's house for the summer. I'm a college student now, Gin.. I've also let my hair grow out since the day you had disappeared in my very arms, leaving me longing for your touch once again. Although it was a short hug, I loved how you stroked my hair, how you affectionately embraced me back, before you were gone like dust.. Gin, I miss you, a lot, you know that? Too much, that is.. I wish you were still here, by my side once again. But what would that do? It would do nothing. You'd still end up disappearing. Still though.. I can't help but feel lonely without you.
"Bye mom, I'll be back by the end of summer.." I said, in a somewhat dull voice, as I put on my shoes and got ready to leave for the next train to my uncle's once again. "Goodbye Hotaru!" she called out, but by the time she did, I was up and gone. I sat by the window, looking out of the train and at the scenery. 'Why do I continue on going there anyhow? There's nothing full of pain for me there, so why?' I ask myself. Although going there brings me pain and an aching to my heart, my precious memories with him are still there. I sigh and look away from the window sorrowfully. 'Would I have been better off not coming after all..?' Well, it's too late to be having second thoughts now, Hotaru. Whilst thinking, my eyelids slowly close on their own will, and I quickly drift off to sleep right after.
I arrive at my uncle's home and he comes out to greet me, then helping me carry in my luggage. "Thank you," I say, smiling at him. He smiles back at me and then replies, "You're welcome, Hotaru." Then my first day there ends, with me unpacking my luggage and settling into my room for the summer. It's midnight, and I'm just aimlessly gazing around the room. But just as I decide to get my sleep, my eye catches a sight that surprises me for only a moment or two. I had spotted his mask sticking out of my bag. 'Ah.. I must've brought it with me unconsciously..' Sighing, I get up and walk over to my bag, grabbing ahold of the mask. As I pull it out, my memories of what happened that night strike my heart. I stare at it intently, beginning to remember all the summers I had with him. "Should I go visit the forest again..?" I murmured. 'No, I shouldn't,' I thought, quickly removing the idea from my mind. 'He won't be there waiting for me anymore anyways..' Sighing sadly, I get back into my futon and set the mask beside me gently. 'Maybe I should go anyways though. A visit wouldn't hurt while I'm here, right?' I think before falling into a deep sleep.
"Looks like I ended up coming here after all, huh?" I mumble, a sigh soon following after it. I make my way over to the steps and take a seat down. Then allowing my eyes to roam around freely and take in the familiar scene. "It sure brings back memories huh," I whispered quietly, reminiscing my days in the forest in the summer. I then force my eyes back, focusing on what's in my hands. What is in my hands is his mask. Whose mask is it? Gin, of course. 'Maybe it brings a little bit TOO much memories..' I thought. Holding his mask close to my chest, I bury my face into it. It's hard to not cry, it really is! I squeeze my eyes as hard as I can, trying to stop myself from crying. 'You can't cry Hotaru, you shouldn't..! But then.., why does it hurt so much?'
As I slowly gave into the pain, I suddenly heard a very familiar voice. A voice I knew very well. "Hm.., I didn't know someone else came here too besides me," the familiar voice mumbled. Hearing this, I looked up from the mask only to see the one and only—, "Gin..?!" I exclaimed, startled. Once I saw him, I tried as best as I could to not pounce onto him. The voice had led up to a man around my age who looked exactly like Gin—or at least what I think he would've looked like if his physical appearance changed too. He had Gin's silky white hair, gray eyes, and—actually I was absolutely positive it was him, the man who stood before me just HAD to be Gin! He gaped at me bewilderedly for a few seconds before closing his mouth. He then asked me in astonishment, but still calm in a way, "How do you know my name..?" Before I could answer, he had already added something else, "Don't tell me..," he smirked, "Are you secretly a personal stalker of mine?" My face suddenly begins to heat up as blood rushes up to my cheeks, while I quickly yell, "NO!" Gin then chuckles and then smiles. 'Yup, this has got to be Gin! He even has his name!' I thought. I stare at him for a while, longing to get close to him. But I can't, what if he isn't Gin—just that he apparently looks like him, has the same name, has his sarcastic personality, and voice! Yeah that's it.. Okay no, that's too much of a coincidence! Hotaru, what are you going to do?!
"Um.. Are you okay?"
I quickly snap out of my thoughts and realize he had walked over to me. Squealing, I quickly back away, holding the mask with me. "Hey wait! You're going to—!" Gin calls out quickly, but it was too late. What happened next was that I had met my fate of hitting the wooden pole. "Ow!" I whimper. I slide down to my knees and drop the mask, rubbing my head soon after. Gin quickly comes over to me and holds out his hand for me, "Hey, clumsy. Are you alright?" Instead of replying, I stare at his extended hand. Gin looks at me with his gray eyes, which is motioning me to take his hand. "B-But... Won't you disappear..?" I whisper, as he stares at me in a puzzled way. "No, why?"
"No reason..," I reply as silent as I can, next getting up by myself, instead of grabbing onto his hand.
At this action, his hand falls to his side a bit sadly, and then I see him bend down and pick something else. When my eyes followed his hand to see what he was possibly going to pick up from off the floor, I had only to see the mask that laid there, with its eyes looking straight at him, or so it seemed to me. I watched as Gin intently stared at the mask, in a familiar way. "I feel like.., I've seen this before, but I can't tell when..," he mumbles. As he does this, I lose myself in my thoughts once again. 'Why is Gin back? Most importantly, how and why can't he remember the mask—or me? Maybe this is a different Gin… But it can't be! I mean, they look exactly alike! But then again—' "Hey, what's your name by the way?" his voice calls out, ringing through my head which rudely disrupts my thinking—, not that I mind... I look at him and realize he's still holding his mask—Gin's mask, and was now looking at me in the eyes. "...M-My name..?" I manage to sputter, showing that I was obviously nervous. He nods. "Unless you don't want to tell me," he tells me, "but the only reason I can think of why you don't is because you actually ARE a stalker," Gin then smiles and nods a bit, clearly satisfied. At this, I immediately blush a crimson red, exclaiming, "B-Baka!" and then look away. He grins a bit and says, "I'm just joking! ...Maybe," which makes me pout—wait pout..? Oh well. "My name is.., is... Hotaru..," I whisper very quietly, but not quiet enough for him to not hear.
Silence stings the air, and we both stand there together, now staring at each other. Me, clearly uncomfortable at the situation at hand, until he suddenly asks, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you know my name, Hotaru?" giving a hint that he was trying to resist the urge to add, 'unless you just know because you really ARE my personal stalker'.
"..."
"...Well?"
"I..," I say, holding in my tears, "You just.., remind me of someone else named Gin, a…friend, of mine.. You happen to be like an exact copy of him, I guess you could say.."
He stares at me somewhat shocked, but his expression quickly turns back to normal. "What about this mask? Where'd you get it from?" Now, my urge to cry is slowly breaking through my protective wall that I've tried so hard to build up and repair multiple times for a few years since that day. A tear suddenly rolls down my cheek, surprising him a bit. "It was his..," I whisper as quiet as a mouse. "So what happened to him?" I look at him straight in the eyes, as my protective wall gets shattered into pieces and the tears I've been trying so hard to bottle up start to overflow. "Hey..! Are you—," "He disappeared. He wasn't a spirit or a human, more like a ghost, because of a spell a mountain god put on him when he was just a baby who had been abandoned in the forest..," I smile sadly, then continuing on, "But since his body was made of magic, this meant it was fragile and if he touched a human he'd disappear.. One night he helped a little boy who happened to be a human, and his fingers started emitting a strange glow, then his whole body.. Before he was gone like thin air though, we embraced each other one last time. Now I'm here again, reminiscing every summer we had together in this forest… Although that makes me just miss him even more.." At this, silence fills the air again; the only sound to be heard is my quiet sobbing.
Seconds pass, soon minutes follow after and begin to pass also, until suddenly Gin pats my head softly and smiles. "I remember now. Thanks, Hotaru." I then stop crying and he says something else, "By the way.., I missed you too", next softly kissing my cheek. "B-But… How?" I ask, clearly perplexed but happy. "Guess you could say.., I reincarnated?" he answers, smiling a bit, somewhat shrugging because of his unsureness. I then glomp Gin which surprises him making him try to keep his balance, so we both wouldn't fall, which he managed to successfully do. "Just as long as you're here again, it doesn't matter to me..," I murmur, sobbing again. He chuckles and hugs me back, burying his head to the nook my neck.
"I love you."
"..I love you too."
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"By the way, did you grow out your hair?"
I hope you guys enjoyed my first one-shot! I'd also appreciate it if you guys could send in some reviews c: .