Akane walked to school, swinging her schoolbag back and forth. Her former
lovely mood had dissipated like mist in a heat wave. She wondered why she
felt so strange today. Perhaps it was because she missed P-chan. P-chan
had been missing ever since.
Ah, so that was it.
Akane stopped with the realization. Perhaps it was because she was beginning to remember. That would be something, wouldn't it?
The thought scared her. She didn't think she wanted to remember. Her subconscious certainly didn't want her to, or she would have by now. She had no head trauma; Dr. Tofu had said so, and she trusted him. All she had was a couple of bruises that had long since faded away to pale skin.
Akane grimaced, remembering how much everyone had cried over her. It was ridiculous! She was with them, and unharmed. And they'd still cried over her like she had died. Like somebody had died, or something. That thought sent alarm signals running through her head; and her mind inched away from it, like a threatened animal. For a moment, the terrifying thought remained in her head that she was a ghost of some kind.
"I'm really letting my imagination run away with me," Akane sighed, resolutely continuing her march to school.
"Where are the both of you headed?"
Akane jumped. "Hiroshi - damn it --!"
Hiroshi's grin immediately slipped off his face. "Hey, I'm sorry if I scared you. You okay?"
Akane forced herself to relax. "I just.. I don't know. I think I'm starting to remember."
Hiroshi fell in step beside her. "Wow. I mean - uhm -"
Akane smiled for his benefit. "Erudite as always."
The dark-haired boy shrugged. "But of course."
For a while they walked in silence, Akane swinging her arms with deliberate cheer, Hiroshi glancing at every now and then and looking faintly bothered.
Worried. He's worried about me. "I'm fine, Hiroshi, so stop looking at me like I'm going to explode, okay?"
Hiroshi started, then chuckled. "I was just wondering what it is that you remembered."
"A feeling." Akane paused. "A very bad feeling. I could actually feel that I didn't want to remember what happened. You know when you think of something you'd really rather not think about? Like. like that exam we've got Wednesday."
"Eep."
"Right. It's like that, but. well, a lot worse. And like a sore tooth that you don't want to press with your tongue. do you know what I mean?"
"Sure." Hiroshi's voice sounded conciliatory enough to make Akane wonder. Was he just humoring her?
Akane sighed. After that, she sure wasn't going to mention the somebody dead part.
Ah, so that was it.
Akane stopped with the realization. Perhaps it was because she was beginning to remember. That would be something, wouldn't it?
The thought scared her. She didn't think she wanted to remember. Her subconscious certainly didn't want her to, or she would have by now. She had no head trauma; Dr. Tofu had said so, and she trusted him. All she had was a couple of bruises that had long since faded away to pale skin.
Akane grimaced, remembering how much everyone had cried over her. It was ridiculous! She was with them, and unharmed. And they'd still cried over her like she had died. Like somebody had died, or something. That thought sent alarm signals running through her head; and her mind inched away from it, like a threatened animal. For a moment, the terrifying thought remained in her head that she was a ghost of some kind.
"I'm really letting my imagination run away with me," Akane sighed, resolutely continuing her march to school.
"Where are the both of you headed?"
Akane jumped. "Hiroshi - damn it --!"
Hiroshi's grin immediately slipped off his face. "Hey, I'm sorry if I scared you. You okay?"
Akane forced herself to relax. "I just.. I don't know. I think I'm starting to remember."
Hiroshi fell in step beside her. "Wow. I mean - uhm -"
Akane smiled for his benefit. "Erudite as always."
The dark-haired boy shrugged. "But of course."
For a while they walked in silence, Akane swinging her arms with deliberate cheer, Hiroshi glancing at every now and then and looking faintly bothered.
Worried. He's worried about me. "I'm fine, Hiroshi, so stop looking at me like I'm going to explode, okay?"
Hiroshi started, then chuckled. "I was just wondering what it is that you remembered."
"A feeling." Akane paused. "A very bad feeling. I could actually feel that I didn't want to remember what happened. You know when you think of something you'd really rather not think about? Like. like that exam we've got Wednesday."
"Eep."
"Right. It's like that, but. well, a lot worse. And like a sore tooth that you don't want to press with your tongue. do you know what I mean?"
"Sure." Hiroshi's voice sounded conciliatory enough to make Akane wonder. Was he just humoring her?
Akane sighed. After that, she sure wasn't going to mention the somebody dead part.