Constant Reminder – A Gakuen Alice FanFiction
Even though it has been over a decade, every day, Hotaru Imai would suffer jolts of memories of the only man she had ever loved
The rain was pouring, leaving no room for a stranded woman of 34 to run across the street to the safety of her car. She had worked overtime that day due to the fact that tomorrow, two possible investors would be visiting and a good impression is a must.
But like always, she had forgotten to check the weather report and had failed to take notice of the heavy storm that was forecasted for that day. No umbrella, no car and no way home.
The woman gave the rain one last frustrated look before turning away on her heels to enter the multi-million dollar company where she worked. The only people left in the building were the friendly janitors that had gotten the job on the woman's recommendation and the grumpy main receptionist that had specific orders from the CEO to wait in the building for an important international phone call.
The woman gave a small nod when she passed one of the janitors but walked straight past the receptionist. The two women had gone to school together but their relationship was quite nasty.
In the elevator to her office, the woman decided to call home to inform her house staff that she would staying at work that night due to the storm. Taking out her phone, she prepared to type in her home number when a crack of lightning hit a power line and the lift jerked to a stop. The lights went out straight after and only the glow that the phone emitted gave the woman the means of seeing.
Standing there in the darkness for a while, the woman finally let out a much-needed laugh.
"It is just like that time…"
Her voice echoed against the cool metal as the phone went into power saving mode.
Not caring that she was wearing a high waisted skirt, the woman squatted and hugged her knees close to her chest.
It was happening again. It was something like déjà vu, yet not quite. It may even be something like replay, but not to that extent. Perhaps something like being haunted… yes… haunted by memories.
His face appeared in her head and she wished that he were there with her, like he was all that time ago.
She imagined his laugh, the way his eyes would light up with it and she closed her eyes in content. Oh how she missed the feeling of him being close to her, the sound of his voice when he was comforting her.
"To think you're afraid of the dark."
The tone of mockery was heavy in his accented Japanese; but even though he had insulted her, she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him.
"Everyone is afraid of something," she replied with a dignified voice, even though she was desperately clinging onto his arm.
He laughed. "But you're you."
She found herself looking up at him and glaring. "Are you trying to make me mad at you?"
He smirked at her and positioned his mouth right next to her ear.
"You're cute when you're angry," he whispered.
The girl blushed and retreated to staring at the floor – still clinging onto her boyfriend, of course.
But this time, there was no one for her to hold onto or to tease her into forgetting the darkness.
"I really miss you, you know?" the woman said to no one in particular. "Why did you have to leave me all alone?"
As if someone had heard her, the elevator began moving again and the woman returned to her standing position.
Looking up at the numbers that were flashing past, she slowly waited for her floor. When the number finally read 14, the doors opened with a ding and the woman stepped out and into the laboratory like room.
Ignoring the toxic chemicals that were bubbling inside conical flasks, the woman strode to a corner where a door led to where her working office was.
Ignoring the door, her eyes ran toward a photograph that was taken when she was a mere 20 years old. In it was she and another, a man, with fingers intertwined all the while the man was cheekily giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Walking towards the shelf in which the photo lay, the woman picked up the frame.
"Oh come on! Just one photo! You two have been going out longer than us two and there isn't a cute photo of you two in sight!" Mikan pestered her two friends.
"Listen to Polka-Dots. I've been through it so many times. Now, it's your time to suffer," Natsume, Mikan's boyfriend, said with a smirk.
The girl, who was being pressured into the photo, glared at him. "Nice to know you're looking after your best friend."
Natsume only smirked in return.
"Oh come on, one photo won't kill you," the girl's boyfriend said joyfully as he intertwined his left hand with her right.
"Yeah," the girl agreed, "one photo won't kill me. But it certainly will kill you."
Her boyfriend turned to her with a hurt expression. "Please?"
The two stood there for a moment, looking at each other until the girl gave an exasperated sigh and nodded, signalling her agreement to the photo.
The other three smiled, though the raven looked like he was smirking, rather than smiling.
"Let me take the photo, let me!" Mikan shouted in glee, juggling the camera in between her left and right hand.
Natsume shook his head and replied. "No one is stealing it away from you, Polka, so no need to shout."
Mikan only stuck out her tongue at him and proceeded to position the camera in the best possible spot to capture the other couple's first photographed moment together.
The girl's hand was still intertwined with the man's and as her best friend began the countdown, she tried to give the best smile she could.
Unfortunately, her boyfriend had different plans and when the brunette clicked down the button to take the photo, her cheek was hit with his lips.
Sighing, the woman left the frame as she found it and went to sit at her desk. It had been so long but his image in her mind never faded: it was as if he was right in front of her. The lady leaned back into her chair as the rain pelted down even harder.
A tear ran down her cheek and a hand quickly wiped it away, as if she was scared of someone seeing.
"Why did you have to go?" she asked the air. "You could have at least taken me with you."
Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the already lit room and when the woman could see again, a man was sitting opposite her.
The two were close to each other, snuggled under a blanket.
"Do you like the rain?" the man asked as he stroked the woman's hair.
"Why do you ask?" the woman replied as she moved even closer to the man.
"The rain… don't you think that it is like you?" he said, with a tone of amusement.
The woman looked up at him with a hint of confusion.
"It is unexpected, easily angered, hard to move around… but there's always a weak," he paused, "no, a soft spot."
"You're not making sense."
"Maybe. But remember, every time it rains, remember me, okay?" the man said.
"You-" the woman choked on her words as his mere sight froze her.
"You remembered me," he simply said, gesturing to the rain outside.
The woman's breath hitched as if she thought she was hallucinating.
"You're not supposed to be here…" Her voice trailed off.
The man smiled. "But we both know that you want me here."
The woman groaned in frustration. "But you're dead!"
A sad flicker of emotions crawled across his face, but it soon turned neutral as his body started to deteriorate.
"Where are you going?" Her voice was desperate.
"If you want to be with me. If you love me enough to forget everything and follow me…" he paused. He was nearly invisible by now. "Go downstairs… go to the front and follow me."
With that, he disappeared completely.
The woman sat there frozen, her eyes fixed on the chair where he occupied moments before.
"He was here," she mumbled. "I can't lose him again."
Realisation hit her and she jerked out of her chair and started to run.
Start a chase and you will catch me. Take a chance and you will choose me. Give your love and you will receive me.
The rain was still pouring but she couldn't care less as she halted to a stop on the sidewalk, metres away from the building.
Her head spun around, looking for him. Finally, after a few more turns, she found him standing on the other side of the road.
His voice echoed in her head. "If you want to be with me, if you love me enough to forget everything and follow me…"
"I do love you enough," she said with determination.
"I would leave everything for you!" she shouted out so that he could hear from the other side.
Looking at him, she saw that he was smiling and gesturing for her to come to him.
She took a step… she had given up her job.
She took another… she had given up her possessions.
Yet another… she had given up her friends.
Once more… she had given up her family.
So close to him… she had given up her life.
The truck couldn't stop in time nor did she care. All she wanted was to be with him for eternity.
As she took her last breaths before death, she whispered out.
"I'm coming Ruka Nogi. Hotaru Imai is coming."
Constant Reminder – Fin
Edited. The flashback edits were based on lookintomyeyes' red ink and Iricanus' suggestions – thank you guys!
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