Hi mates!
This is another fic coming from me. My fifth Mai-hime fic! -squeal-
It's supposed to be another one-shot but I guess I was carried away in writing that I ended up writing almost 20K words so I decided to split it into two or maybe three parts. I still haven't decided on that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this and don't forget to leave a review or comment!
Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-hime or any of its characters.
Title: What the heart remembers
Summary: Losing her memory in an unfortunate accident, Fujino Shizuru wakes up in a small, rural town in care of a certain raven haired girl named Kuga Natsuki .… AU. OCC
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With birds chirping outside the house and a smell of fresh air mixed with an unfamiliar yet comforting scent filing her lungs, a honey-haired brunette slowly and painfully open her eyes. She blinks three, four times until her sight adjusts to the brightness of the sun that's peeking through a small window of the dark room. She lowly grunts as she tries to move her right hand but found it too painful. To make things worse and more specific, her whole body feels painful like it's on fire. Her head throbs every time she blinks or move her head and her abdomen feels like she had been stabbed for too many times. She tried to move again but her body is not obeying any of her command. Moments later, her eyes feels heavy and soon, she slowly drifts back to a sleep.
-Five hours later-
The brunette opens her eyes once more and slowly, try to move again. She's glad that this time, her slow movement doesn't hurt much like before. She remain seated and rest her back on the headboard for a support as she observes the room. From what she can see, it's a very small and a little rundown room with only one single bed, a white plastic chair with armrest and a small wooden closet with three drawers that is placed opposite of the bed, near a door.
However, her observation was cut short by some rustling and loud voice coming from the other side of the only door she can see.
Hundreds of question started to flood through her mind as she touch her bandaged head. "Where .. am ..I " she asked to no one as she looks around the room again. She spotted some bottles of water near the bed and emptied one as soon as the surface touches her lips.
-Thirty minutes later-
Being accustomed to some small movements, the brunette tried to get up from the bed and head outside when the door of the room slowly opens, revealing a girl with midnight tresses with plastic bags on her hands.
"W-wha..y-you ..You're .. awake!" the girl stammers as she remains standing on the border of the room. She stares at the brunette seating on the edge of the bed with total disbelief in her eyes.
Clutching on her aching head, the brunette speaks hoarsely "Where ..am I?"
Hearing the question, the unknown girl quickly place the plastic bag she carries on the plastic chair and walks cautiously towards the injured girl "H-how are you feeling?" she asked instead of answering the question.
"A little dizzy but fine nonetheless. W-who are you?" the girl asked again, being a little restless with the intense gaze the raven-haired girl's been giving to her. "just .. where am i?.."
"..uhmm.. safe" the girl answered with some uncertainty in her voice. She sigh inwardly, when the brunette didn't notice it "... Do you remember what happened to you?"
The brunette shook her head a little "No..I .. " She then tightly close her eyes and tried to remember what happen but she can't seem to recall at all. She open her eyes again as she started to become hysterical when she can't even remember her own name. "What happened to me?!" the brunette shouts, looking at her bruised hands and bandaged ankle. "Why can't I remember anything?!" the girl demands. Everything goes black and blank for her the harder she thinks.
"Hey hey .. don't force yourself to think ..or remember.. it will come back. Just take a deep breath and rest" the girl states assuringly at the brunette. She tried to walk closer and comfort the girl but stopped on her track when she saw the brunette flinch and back away to the wall beside the bed. "Hey, I'm not here to hurt you… just rest again for now" the raven-haired place her hand up in a surrender as she took a step back.
With painkillers, some fresh fruits and breads placed on the chair for the brunette to eat later, the raven-haired girl turns her back and opted to go out of the room.
"Wait! Your name .. you still haven't given your name.."
"Oh, right .. my name uhmm .. it's Kuga Natsuki"
"Natsuki" the brunette breathes. That name is unfamiliar but when she really thought about it, everything about her now is unfamiliar. "Your name is beautiful .. It makes me wonder what's mine…" she said bitterly.
"Well ..." Natsuki face the brunette again and reached deep into her pocket. When she feels what's she's looking for, she fished it out and walk towards the girl once more. She stood beside the bed, still keeping her distance, and let a golden necklace with a name embedded hang loose in her hand. "I think you also have a beautiful name .. Shizuru"
The brunette look up to the raven-haired girl then onto the necklace. She slowly reach for it with shaky hands and stare blankly at the object. The name is yet again unfamiliar but on the bright side, she now has name.
After giving the necklace, Natsuki ordered the brunette to take more sleep and rest which is met with a little resistance from the injured girl but by the end of the argument, the raven-haired girl won.
Closing the door behind her, Natsuki immediately search for her phone a dial a number and after a few seconds, it is answered.
"Hello"
"She's awake"
"…"
"She seems to lose her memory. What are your plans now?"
"What?! .. I .. let me think for a moment, Nat.. For now, do whatever you can to tend to her .. I will call you later when I think of something ..." then the call disconnects.
Sighing loudly, Natsuki slumped on the cold cemented floor near the door. She looked around the lightly bright living room with a small walk-in kitchen connected to it. She then closed her burning, stressed, tired eyes that haven't slept for the past forty-two hours. Forty-two hours that she wished that never happened.
-Approx. 42 hours ago-
Natsuki had just reached a place she calls home when she receives a call from her two 'brothers'. It was a strange conversation considering that the two is very excited but very nervous and anxious at the same time. They tried to mask it but Natsuki knew them pretty well. They had been together since they were still wetting their own bedsheets in a small orphanage years ago.
Tate Yuichi, twenty eight years of age, is considered as their eldest followed by Takeda Masashi, twenty seven, the second one and the youngest is Natsuki who just turn twenty four few weeks ago. They have no blood relation or whatsoever to her but Natsuki considers them as her real brother, as her family. They have been together for so many years now and she feels grateful that the two treat her like a baby sister. Though she never speak of it out loud. They even go so far as working part time jobs after jobs just to support her college education. So, she knows when the two are up to something and this time is no exception.
When the call ended, she went to the kitchen and found that the lights are not working. Again. She rummage through some drawers and found some used candles and lit it up using a match beside it. She then found some left over food from last night's dinner on the table and eat it with gusto.
After eating quickly, she put the dishes on the sink, washing it clean before placing her college books on the small table to study. She's thankful that she's currently enrolled as scholar in a local university taking a doctoral course in hopes that someday she achieves her dreams of becoming a professional. And of course to repay her brother's kindness.
However, her focus on the book that held by her hands was lost when a sudden loud banging on their door erupt, momentary starling her from her seat. She curse loudly before standing up and open the door to give a piece of her mind to the person who's interrupting her study. Not knowing that this action happens to change her life from now on.
"Take-nii? .. what.." Natsuki gasped at the sight before her. Her second brother just knock on their door, paled face with bruises. His eyes conveying thousands of emotions at the same time and his shirt covered in blood. Red and slightly fresh spilled blood. But what puzzled her more is the honey-haired girl in the arms of the man.
"Natsuki! Help me!" he cries. He scurries inside their small living room and place the unconscious girl on their only sofa not caring if the blood stained their aged chair.
Instincts kicking in, the raven-haired quickly kneeled beside the girl and check a pulse. There is a heartbeat. A weak, feint heartbeat but still a sign of life. She ordered her brother to pass her medical bag that contains some first aid materials. She was supposed to use this for their practical exam next week but that was it, it is next week and this is now.
Using her knowledge, she cleans up the wounds of the brunette, stitching some cuts, applying balm on some burns and amazingly bandage it up afterwards. When she's done and satisfied with the girl's even breathing, she then faced her agitated brother who remain seated, knees on his chest, at the corner of their small living room.
"Tell me what happened!" She begged. She move on all fours towards her brother and place a hand on his knee. "Where is Yui-nii?! Tell me!" she begged once more. Looking at the frightened boy, she already knew that the two messed up bigtime this time.
"He's .. with Kitani" the male speaks. Some blood, tears and sweat mixed on his face as he cleans his blooded hands on his already tainted shirt.
"Kitani? What the hell are you with that asshole?!" the raven-rehired girl roared. Natsuki then quickly grab her first aid kit and tend to her brother's cut, just below his right brow.
"We..we mess up big time Natsuki.." Takeda admitted, wincing as his sister holds a ball of cotton with alcohol and press it on his cut.
"Well duh!" Natsuki then applied a bandage after some stitching and applying an antibiotic balm. "Seriously, you already have a cut on your face and now this .. " the younger girl scolds.
"I -..I'm sorry" he duck his head with shame but then smile a little when he felt his sisters hand on his shoulders.
"Now tell me what happen .. all of it" Natsuki asked as the boy sigh.
"Uhmm.. Yuichi and I borrowed money ..from Kitani.. a lot of money" the boy admitted.
"What?! And to all the people to borrow from!"
"I'm sorry, Natsuki" He paused ".. but he's the only person we can actually borrow easy money from.. we didn't have much of a choice.."
"Why do you need the money and how much did you have to borrow?!" the girl asked again in a much angrier tone. She didn't care if the girl behind her wakes up or the whole apartment complex for that matter due to her loudness.
"…six hundred.." the boy answered as he duck his face away from his sister.
"Six hundred?" she repeats. It is not quite the answer the girl expects "Six hundred yen .. and you can't even pay that?"
"No, no .. uhmm.. six hundred thousand yen .. well .. six hundred and fifty thousand yen to be exact.."
"Ah, six hundred and fifty thousand yen .." she spoke in a nonchalant manner. Then something clicked, her eyes snapped wide as it supposed to be and was about to curse loudly when her brother clamp her mouth with his still blood tainted hands.
"Sssshh! Be quiet, Natsuki! I know that's quite a large sum of money.."
The girl then swats the offending hands "QUITE?! Are you out of your fucking mind?! Take-nii! That's IS a large amount of money! Why do you need to borrow that much?!" Natsuki then wanted to pull every hair on her brother's head, knock on it a few time just to see if he really have a brain. She hold herself back though.
"..Well .. first, Tate's girlfriend's dad admitted to a hospital few days and urgently needed some money …. The landlord said she's kicking us out in three days if we didn't pay our rent this time .. we barely made it through a day with our jobs combine .. plus it is also for your college, Nat.."
Natsuki didn't reply to that. She knew that they are not rich but still her brother's mange to support her expensive course. They are even kind enough to extend their kindness to Tate's girlfriend's dad. So, she just remain silent and try to understand that her brother only wants what's best for her. Though sometimes they mess up, just like this time.
"What about that girl? Why did you bring her here and not the hospital?" she asked while taking a seat near his brother's side, few feet away from the unconscious brunette.
"Uhmm..we sorta like .. uhmm .. kidnapped her.." the boy admitted while putting some distance with his sister who instantly grabbed the collar of his shirt and bombard him with questions.
"Arrgh.. why do you have to be so stupid sometimes … " Natsuki said as she calm herself a little.
"We didn't really know what ..what that bastard Kitani has on his mind when he ordered us to drive this car.." with fury flashing on his eyes, Takeda fisted his hands. "He told us not to look at the trunk but with banging and muffled noise coming from it ..my curiously got the better of me.." he paused to look at his sister's eyes before looking at the brunette on their worn-out sofa "When I opened it, I saw the girl with duck tapes on her mouth, hands and legs.. I panicked so I let her out of the car .." he paused again "I should have listened.. I should have never told Tate to stop the car and open the trunk.. We didn't know that Kitani and his men are just right behind us and he saw me letting the girl out ..He ordered his men to grab us and to shoot us if they must and so that's what they did .. I shoved the girl inside the backseat of the car due to panic while Tate drives … then next thing I knew, our car is rolling and rolling and rolling on the ground before it hit a lamp post" Takeda grabs a bottle of water and emptied it in one gulp. "Me and the girl are somewhat safe and made it outside the car but Tate's seatbelt was busted.. He told me to at least save the girl and that's what I did …I hid inside an empty dumpster and watched as Kitani's men drags Tate's body out of the car like he's some kind of rag …They punched him, kicked him until Kitani came out and pull a gun to point it on Tate's forehead .."
"D-did he? .." Natsuki interrupts as tears flows from her eyes.
Takeda shook his head "Kitani didn't pull the trigger .. he said he still Tate if they want to find the girl .. "
"We should report this to the police" Natsuki said before standing up to pick up her phone on the small table and dial the police hotline.
"You can't! That bastard Kitani still have Tate! If I didn't give the girl back ..they will kill him, Natsuki and I can't let that happen!" Takeda grabs Natsuki's phone away from her hands and put it inside his pocket instead.
"That's why we should call the police! They can help us!" the girl argues, trying to grab the phone back from his pocket shallow pocket. "Give my damn phone back!"
"The girl saw our face, Natsuki .. If that girl give her statement, Tate and I will be jailed for kidnapping or worst Kitani will kill Tate then he will kill me behind the prion bars.." Takeda said, stopping the girl from moving. "He can do it easily since he have many connections in the police department .."
Slumping on the floor, uncharastically, Natsuki look up at her brother and asks "Then what should we do?"
"Hide her for now .. to keep her safe away from Kitani. When she wakes up we'll explain that there's a misunderstanding.. that Tate and I aren't the kidnappers."
"Hide her? Where?"
"Outskirts of Fuuka.. Tate bought some small land with an old house with some of the money.. it's supposed to be for her girlfriend when he propose-"
"Wait, Yui-nii is going to propose?! Why the hell do I not know about this?!"
"Well it's supposed to be a secret! .. Anyway, it is a secluded area, as far as I know .. You should go now" Takeda then went to a small window of their living room, looking for some suspicious movement outside their apartment. "Kitani knows this place and it's like asking him to slit our throats on the spot if we stay here any longer.."
"Wait, 'You'? You just said 'you'?"
"I'm not coming with you" Takeda said as he look back at his sister's eyes.
"What?!"
"Trust me .. It'll be dangerous if I come.. I have some friends I could stay with, plus I need to know where they are keeping Tate" Takeda then walks toward his sister and hug the girl tightly "I .. I promised everything will be okay"
Natsuki hummed in agreement before returning the hug.
-Present Time-
Natsuki didn't notice that she fallen asleep while seating on the floor until a soft click from the door awaken her. She quickly stood up with her legs numbed from her previous position.
"H-hey" she greeted, taking a step forward to help the girl that is leaning on the wall to stand up.
"Where .. am I" asked the brunette. Her complexion is much better now than earlier.
She sigh inwardly at that question again "..My place. Do you need something?" Natsuki asked, flipping her smooth raven-colored hair behind her shoulder.
It was the first time Shizuru see the other girl with clear lights in the room. She observe the girls petite figure, her shinny obsidian locks, the slightly pointed nose, a cherry colored lips, and her emerald green eyes.
".. I need to go to the restroom" the brunette answered.
"R-right. Here, let me help you.." Natsuki awkward placed a hand around the girl's waist, careful not to put pressure on the brunette's aching body, and lead the girl to the house's only restroom. When Shizuru came out minutes later, Natsuki did the same but this time, she led the girl back to the room.
"What happened to me, Kuga-san?" Shizuru asked as she slowly take a seat on the bed while Natsuki stood in front of her.
"Do you really not remember?" the raven-haired girl asked before Shizuru shook her head as an answer. She tried to think what else can she say in front of the girl without being suspicious, or creepy, but she can't think a proper answer. Takeda told her to keep the brunette in the house for a couple more days to recuperate before talking their way out but they never considered that the girl lost her memory.
"Where exactly are we?" the girl asked again. Shizuru look outside the window near the bed she's resting. It is almost dark but she can still see many trees surrounding the house. "Are we in a forest?"
"No .. uhmm .. hey, are you hungry? I can cook dinner now if you want" Natsuki said, avoiding the question once more.
Unknown to the raven-haired girl, Shizuru is already growing suspicious towards her. She may have lost her memory but she is not blind. She notice how the girl flinch and evades some questions plus taking too much time to answer when being asked. As if she's hiding something.
She face the girl before smiling a little then nods her head.
Natsuki then exited the room and proceed to cooking, totally unaware that the brunette watched her walked out.
Stretching her arms and legs a little, Shizuru made a vow that she will leave the house as soon as she can walk on her own. She needed some answers and if the raven-haired girl can't answer them for her, she will find someone who could.
To be continued~
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There you have it folks! That's part 1, stay tuned for part 2 and possibly part 3! ;)
Apologies for any mistakes and kindly leave a review!
Ciao!
PS.
Is it just me of fanfiction are having some issue this past few days.. kinda weird.