Chapter 1: A Nostalgic First Meeting

Disclaimers: I do not own Kimi no Na Wa (You're Name), it belongs the Shinkai Makoto and his crew who deserve every bit of success this film has enjoyed.

Author's Note: First, for those of you unfortunate enough to actually follow me as an author on , I must offer you my sincere apologies. It's been roughly, what, two years and a few months since I uploaded anything. I know I did promise to 'squeeze out time' for stories, or rather Killing Spree, when I uploaded my last chapter. But I was wrong. I am a procrastinating bitch that never uses time in a productive way. I got my assed kicked by high school math, and I am less than 100 days away from my college entrance exam. So, by all means and purposes, I should be burying myself in books instead of writing a fanfiction on the internet. The only reason that I'm doing this is because Kimi no Na Wa is, in my opinion, the best anime movie I've watched in years. For those of you who haven't watched the movie, please go watch it. This is basically one huge spoiler and I do NOT want to spoil this amazing movie for any of you, unless you have no intention of watching it, in that case I don't know why you're here. So, yeah, that's about it. Enjoy and review!

Taki rested his elbow on the windowsill of his small, cozy room, gazing absentmindedly at the sky dyed red by the setting sun. The towering jungle of skyscrapers stood tall and proud on the edge of the horizon as it boasted its prosperity for the world to see. Strangely, however, what came to mind upon seeing this seemingly common sight was not the sunset of Tokyo, but that of a small, countryside town raveled loosely around a crystal-clear lake. It had been a miniscule town buried deep within the embraces of looming mountains, with trains coming every two hours during the weekdays. It was a place that once hosted a population of a few thousands, but was now deserted of human presence after the devastation it suffered five years ago. It was a weird place that for reasons unknown, held a faint, yet stubborn place in Taki's heart since he learned of the borderline fantasy disaster that occurred in the village. Itomori, as it had been previously called, was struck by fragments of a comet as it bypassed earth on its 1200 year orbit around the sun. Yet, that wasn't where the story ended, for things took an even more bizarre turn. To the disbelief of every news station, every scientist, practically everyone that watched TV nowadays, even those who lived in Itomori itself, there were no deaths that resulted from the impact, despite it striking the town dead center. This miraculous event was preceded by a number of other unusual occurrences, such as the power plant erupting in flames, the town broadcasting system being hijacked by a local student, et cetera. If Taki hadn't seen the comet streaking across the sky with his own eyes, and the fact that Itomori was indeed rendered inhabitable, he would've just deemed this story another attempt at gaining public attention to boost local economy and the norm.

Spurred by what he later dismissed as the curious drive of a high school student, he actually went to the site of the crash himself, accompanied by Tsukasa, a friend of his, and Okudera, a fellow worker at the part time job he worked on. According the two of them, he was 'fanatic' and 'like a madman' when it came to Itomori, though he couldn't quite recall the trip in fine detail. He did remember pouring over old texts and books searching for snippets of information concerning the town, and he also had several hand drawn sketches of the place just to prove how utterly obsessed he was. Thinking of the nights he spent staying up reading yellowed newspapers and 50 year old records, Taki couldn't help but let a small smile spread across his lips.

Five years later, whatever urge he had at that time had long since dispersed. With graduation, and college, and then the morbid pain of job-hunting crushing the air out of his lungs, Taki could safely say that Itomori was just a fond memory that he would sometime mull over in his spare time.

That was the case, until 10 hours ago.

There he was, taking the subway to one of his potential employers for the third interview they held. Taki was honestly astonished he had made it this far, seeing as most companies have a number of arranged candidates, and he was determined not to screw this up. At that particular moment, he was pressed hard against the glass door in a quite uncomfortable position that had another person's briefcase digging into this thigh. Shooting a reproaching glare at the oblivious man, he sighed and turned his gaze back at the scenery flying by outside. People say global warming is a fraud, but just looking at the dazzling sunlight shining on the tracks made Taki dread the moment he stepped outside the cool train compartment. He then turned his eyes to the magnificent buildings that towered above the ground and the lush green patches of trees and grass where people exercise and picnic. He wanted to be a city designer, a person that brings out the best of the city for the world to admire, a job where he can help create things that will be forever engraved into the memories' of people. It was something he had never considered before his last year of high school, around the time his Itomori frenzy just about faded. He knew it was highly demanding job with even more demanding requirements, and he also knew that there were preciously few open spots, especially for a greenhorn fresh out of college like himself. For a brief period of time, he contemplated the option of starting a firm of his own and promptly threw the idea into the bin labelled 'impractical fantasies'. He had neither the money nor the resources to make such a risky attempt. Besides, a few companies have shown genuine interest in him, not just the usual 'we know you're an aspiring young man' stuff they say to make you feel not so discouraged. Yes, he was going to get employed, and he was going to transform this city into a place people can arrive and gaze up in awe, a place where people can brag to their foreign friends for its unprecedented beauty.

'I am honored to be here, and I am flattered that you have chosen me to be one of your final candidates', he thought to himself quietly as the train gradually slowed as it approached its next stop, 'If I were given the chance to work for your company..."

It was a very peculiar feeling, really. That gentle, yet firm tug at your heartstrings, and the irresistible feeling to step closer flooded his thoughts in that instant as their eyes met through the glass doors of two separate trains. Her young pronounced visage, her dark irises that glittered softly in the light, and that thin red strap that was fastened loosely on those sleek black tresses made a vortex of jumbled emotions surge through Taki's blank mind. Joy, sadness, surprise, shock, depression, most prominently, a heart-clenching wave of nostalgia tightly gripped Taki like a vice, urging him, screaming at him to meet her, get closer to her, talk to her.

Then, the doors opened.

As if in sync, both the Taki and the girl took off, earning them concerned looks from those around them. Taki weaved through the thick crowd, muttering words of apology to those he bumped into as he raced toward the exit. He had no idea what he was doing, he had idea who the girl was, and he was fully aware that he had no time for detours if he wanted to make it to the interview on time. Except at that moment, he really didn't care. Compared to the voice shouting at him to find her as if his life depended on it, those worries were really nothing more than nagging whispers at the back of his head.

He hastily took out his subway ticket and pressed it hard on the sensing board of the exit gate, it slid open almost excruciatingly slowly, and he resumed his sprint at breakneck speed.

'Her train is on the opposite platform, I should be able to meet her if I go around the station', Taki thought to himself, doing his best not to knock anyone over while swerving around the corner. Despite that, he still ran headfirst into a man who stumbled back slightly when Taki crashed into him.

"Hey! Watch it!" an irritated voice spoke behind Taki, who was already dashing down the street.

"Sorry!" Taki replied without even turning his head to see who it was he offended. The anxiety of meeting the girl, and the fear that he would miss her bubbled frantically within him. Just another turn, just another few meters and he would arrive at the back of the station. Taki ran as fast as his feet would carry him, and finally he made the last turn around the station.

Then he was met with an enormous crowd slowly flowing in and out of the exits. His eyes scanned through the hundreds of people, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl he so wanted to meet. Five seconds passed, and he saw no sign of her. A sense of dread and hopelessness settled in, and he felt his legs go weak. If he knew her name, he would be able to call out for her. If he knew her name, he would be able to shout it at the top of his lungs so that she knew he was there.

'What is your name? What is your name?" Images flashed through his head. A town. People. A small bottle of sake. His hand. Words written on his hand. Her name! Her name was written on his hand!

What was it? The image disappeared too quickly for him to see. Taki staggered through the crowd, one hand gripping his skull where a stabbing headache gradually grew. His eyes flitted randomly through the groups of people and there, he spotted a thin red ribbon bobbing down a flight of stairs leading away from the station.

Instinctively, he chased after it. Squeezing through bands of human bodies and invoking several indignantly remarks, he finally managed to get to the stairs, just in time to see her take another turn. For a fleeting second, he saw her face. It was filled with anxiety and dejection, but nonetheless beautiful and frustratingly familiar. Taki ignored the burn in his feet and lungs and continued his pursuit after the girl, who so happened to be also running at full speed, making Taki's task more difficult.

He ran and ran, shortening the distance between them during long straight stretches and falling behind again when the girl made a sharp turn. Still, bit by bit, he gained on the girl, until they were only a few meters away. Close enough, apparently, for the girl to realize that Taki was behind her.

She stood at the very top step of a long flight of stairs, and Taki stood at the bottom, gazing up at her. There it was again, the persistent feeling that somewhere, sometime ago, they had met. It was like the sight of her unlocked a hidden cabinet of memories stashed in the depth of his mind. Memories that prior to this moment, he never knew existed.

Theirs eyes only met for a brief seconds before being blurred to tears that came surging out uncontrollably, and they slowly took a few steps toward each other.

A long pregnant pause permeated the space between them as they each fumbled with their choice of words. What were the first words you say to a person who you're certain you've met, but don't recall meeting anyways?

"Well..." Taki started awkwardly, looking away bashfully. "Do you think we've met before?"

The few seconds of silence that ensued were like torturous years to Taki.

"Yes, I think we certainly have" the girl answered with a subtle smile.

After that, there was one thing they both knew they had to do.

Both of their lips parted, and in unison they spoke the very same words.

"What is your name?"

Author's Note: You've made it! Somehow you've endured my writing and made it to the end! This is probably going to last a few chapters at most since, like I explained at the beginning, I am literally this close to my college exams. I really think Mitsuha's and Taki's relationship is one of the sweetest and most heartfelt things I've seen in anime in the recent years. I don't know when the movie will be available in the US, but I know there are online streaming sites where you can watch it in full length; though I truly from the bottom of my heart recommend that you watch it in theaters at least once.

Please Review! I need them or I'll starve!