I watched as the children go by.

I watched as someone trips.

I watched as girls giggle.

I watched as boys laughed harshly.

I watched.

Iam Miki Takatori, 18 years old.

Just weeks ago, an event took place that changed me.

Gave meaning to my meaningless dreams.

Gave importance to my unimportant flashbacks.

I was sitting in a corner, alone. I had lots of friends.

Notice I used the word had instead of have.

Lately, I just pushed them away. They thought I was kidding, joking, delusional.

But they don't understand.

Oh, they will never.

"hey, see that girl? I heard she's going crazy."

They weren't pointing at me, but I knew they were talking about me. Miki.

Miki who used to be the school princess.

Miki who used to be the sports girl.

Miki who used to be the genius.

Miki who used to be the popular one.

Miki who used to be the cool girl that everyone adored.

But, what a wonderful word replaced all those.

Crazy.

That's right.

In a blink of an eye, everyone's adoration turned into curiosity. Some were turning into disgust, and I'm sure it'll be no time before everyone thinks that way.

My long, blue-black hair swished behind me as I ran. My blue eyes not giving in to the tears.

Why should I grieve? people like them don't deserve to know me, let alone appreciate me.

I went out in the back of the cafeteria, a small blue gate lying wide open in wait. (A/N: hey, I rhymed! lol.)

I entered, not even thinking twice even though I knew there might be someone else. I entered, not knowing why.

It was a small, Japanese garden that not many have a knowing about. I used to fill this place with grievance, whenever I worried that my friends would worry if they see me in tears, breaking down.

Just like that time.

that event.

A man appeared before me. Said I was someone else. Said I should come back. Said that I had memories of someone else other than Miki Takatori. Said that I should pay attention, that he wasn't lying. Said those explanations about my dreams of streaming blood, swords, laughter in the dark, dojos, and people I never knew.

A lie that was being pushed at my throat, taking an appearance of truth.

A lie that turned out to be the truth.

A truth that I couldn't, just couldn't accept.

But now, this garden has become my refuge of strength. The last standing pillar I can run to.

I gently walked to the single sakura tree, starting to bloom.

Sat under it and just gazed upon the sky.

The sky. So huge, so bright.

Yet can turn everything into a fright when darkness falls upon it.

A big grey cloud was gently flowing along. I knew it brought rain.

Sooner, it did. The rain poured. I sat still, not knowing why I felt so good in the rain. Why I had a small smile in my face.

But, the skies are crying.

Crying.

Was it really that pleasurable to see someone crying?

Maybe that was why A guy who broke my heart was smiling as I cried.

Finally, I run, away from the garden.

I had a thousand questions in my head but there were few that really stood out.

was it really my time?

would I really be killed if I still don't accept and remember?

The rain was going in my eyes. It was a bit hard to see. I ran out from the gate of our school, hearing hushed voices, seeing glances at me. I grabbed my bag in a hurry that I seemed to have dropped a few of my books.

But that didn't matter, does it? Nothing matters now, if what he said was true.

I ran at the seemingly endless road. Abandoned and no cars going by. Rarely gets passed by cars, let alone people.

The perfect place to be killed.

killed.

killed.

Suddenly, I felt a stab of pain. A blade just went through me. I couldn't exactly tell where, but I could feel the blood gushing from my body.

As i fell at the asphalt road, I heard foot steps a few meters from my head. Steps with wooden slippers.

My vision was starting to haze and i felt dizzy.

My life didn't flash before my eyes.

oh, no. Not at all.

It faded before my eyes.

A figure stood above me, withdrawing the blade from my torn body. Guess he was right.

The man standing before me was right. The man who wore a magenta top, and dirty white hakamas. A Sheath with a sword was on his side. It seems he used a different sword to kill me. A short, muscled man, With flowing red hair. A cross scar in his cheek.

There was a small smile in his face.

was it also pleasurable to see someone die? bleed?

"You're not in pain, are you?"

A soft voice. Softer than the last time he told me the truth.

I nod. It was true. There was only a short pain, then it went away. I'm still not dead though.

"Good."

It was clear he wasn't trying to torture me.

" I didn't kill you out of pleasure, Kaoru."

That name again. That name i kept rejecting. Iam MIKI TAKATORI. MIKI. MIKI. MIKI. Miki. Miki..?

" I killed you, knowing its the only way we'll be together. The only way you'll accept and remember."

"Kamiya Kaoru. Yes. That's you. The real you. Don't deny it. No worth in denying it."

He's right. I smiled. He smiled. He sat before me, holding my hand. Gazing deep in my eyes. It was pretty amazing that I'm still alive.

"You see, I first died. Around the meiji , first to be reincarnated, I had to look for you. But once reincarnated, I only realized I was Kenshin, rather, Shinta, once I saw you. An old you. I was young again when you finally died. We promised I'd wait for you to be reborn. I don't know how, But I found you out of all the people. But the age difference was too big. You retained memories, but people objected. We were separated once again, never catching up to our ages. This went on for decades.

"Now that were the same age, and free of all boundaries, another obstacle came once I found you. You don't remember. Worse, you were hesitating. I knew the only way was this. You were too stubborn."

I stifled a laugh. The memories came flooding.

Akabeko.

Shinta

Sano

Megumi

Tomoe

Yahiko

Kyoto

Kenshin.

Everything came back.

Kenshin lessened the space between our faces.

"Close your eyes. "

"all right."

I said, without objection. I loved him, believed him, trusted him.

It took more effort opening them, but once I did, I saw my body beside Kenshin. I'm dead.

The decades of suffering, of the pain o being torn apart everytime has ended. After these years, finally. Finally, I felt peace. Real peace.

So how's this supposed to bring us together?

I saw him plunge the sword at his own chest. He must've felt the pain like I did. Quick.

Soon enough, his body was lying beside mine, bloody. His spirit was beside me too. So this is how. Were we going to be reincarnated again? I'm guessing (and hoping) not this time. I'm content like this. Seems like Shinta is too.

I held his hand and we looked at each other for a while. A look of happiness, faith and hope in our eyes.

We turn our backs on the two figures lying at the middle of the road, bloodied and warm. Walking, I turned back and was surprised with what I saw.

I didn't notice it before and I don't know how, but it seemed that the bodies were holding each other's bloodied hands.

And when I stared as we were going farther, and farther, going into a place unknown, From the bodies, even from a distance can be seen.

Our eyes were closed but it was like we were looking at each other.

With a warm smile on our face.