Remember Me – Chapter Two

Disclaimer: The standard

Genre: Supernatural/Romance (Yaoi)

Synopsis: Coming back from the dead, he went back to his homeland intending to live a new life but was instead plunged back into those haunting memories when he met a certain pale, raven haired boy……

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Weaving his way through the crowd, Sendoh was totally oblivious to all the activities around him as he made his way to his waiting car.

His mind was in complete disarray.

//Ayumi... //

Opening the door of his black Porsche with his remote control, which he had earlier parked just outside the main entrance of the school building, Sendoh slid into the luxurious leather sear, ignoring all the curious and admiring stares coming his way. On normal occasions, he would have smiled but not today……he was still in a state of shock…of self-denial.

With trembling fingers, Sendoh turned on his car engine and stepped on the accelerator. He needed to get out of the place fast. Driving past on-looking students, he sped out of the school in his sleek convertible, making heads turned along the way. He drove on and on, pushing through the streets and finally to the highway, with the wind blowing in his face.

He had no idea where he was heading, he was still reeling from the earlier encounter with that boy in the gym.

//Ayumi…but it can't be her! She is no longer…No!//

Still, the resemblance was uncanny. The same pale smooth skin, the same silky raven-black hair, the same dainty cherry-red lips and the same eyes…. yes, the same pair of fox-like blue eyes….. eyes that were bluer than sapphire itself… eyes that could hold one in eternal bliss.

It had been over 100 long years since he last looked into those eyes.

Sendoh was watching the boy play his own game of basketball and was thoroughly impressed by his skills. Watching him play was like watching poetry in motion, his moves were so lithe and graceful it was almost spellbinding. But what drew Sendoh was the utter concentration and single-minded drive that was evident in his play, he was completely oblivious to his surroundings. It was as if only he and his own little game existed during those moments and Sendoh had wanted to breach into that sphere. Unconsciously, he found himself using his Powers to make known his presence, breaking the boy's concentration.

And when the boy finally turned…..

Sendoh slammed onto his brakes and his car came to an abrupt stop, jerking his whole torso forward. He shut his eyes tightly, his mind refusing to go over the scene that followed. It was too much for him to bear…..

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Hoisting his duffel bag into a more comfortable position on his broad shoulders, Rukawa slipped his hands deep into his varsity jacket and walked out the school building. His eyes cold and distant as usual.

It was the end of the school day for him. For once, he did not fall asleep during the remaining classes, it was more like he could not. Every time he closed his eyes, the earlier incident in the gym came back to him in full force. Everything had happened so fast back there, that it seemed like nothing more than just a dream. A dream he wished he never had to wake up from. All he could remember was the feel of the hands on his face, the ringing of a deep voice that had sounded so ravaged, so hurt….. and the pure intensity of that moment…..

"Kaede!" A familiar voice called out from the distance, knocking Rukawa out of his reverie.

Recognizing the voice, Rukawa chose to ignore the call and instead hastened his steps as he made his way out of the school gate. Once past the gates, he turned into a deserted route that led to his house nearby. He didn't usually use this route but he needed to throw that person off his heels.

Pausing after a few strides, Rukawa turned and narrowed his eyes, as if the act itself could succeed in willing whoever was coming to get lost. When he was sure that no one was following him, he heaved a very slight relief before he continued the short journey back to his house, his thoughts once again wandering back to the mysterious stranger.

//Who is he?//

The question kept churning in his head. He was certainly not one who dwelled on things outside basketball but this time, try as he might, he just could not shake the image out of his mind. The feel of the touch and the sound of the ravaged voice kept playing in his mind, like a broken recorder.

His usually stoic face broke into a rare frown as he recalled the exact words, or rather the exact word that came out of the stranger's mouth.

'Ayumi' was what the stranger had called him and the name was whispered with so much emotion.

//Who is Ayumi?  And why had he looked so shocked?//

For the first time in his 19 years, Rukawa actually found himself interested in someone out of his own accord. He had always acted indifferently to most people he met, except for a few who had made an extra effort to get close to him. The way he was feeling now was somewhat alien to him.

Lost in this own thoughts, Rukawa was surprised to find himself in front of his house gate. He had been so engrossed he did not even notice the familiar surroundings till he was smacked right in front of it. Sighing inwardly, he pushed opened the heavy metal gate and was greeted by a beautiful garden with neatly-trimmed shrubs flanking the pebbled path leading to his two-story house.

Once inside the house, Rukawa flung his duffel bag onto the floor and slumped himself into one of the leather couches in the lavishly-decorated living room. He was feeling tired, both physically and mentally. The constant remembrance of the mysterious boy had drained him considerably. Though there were numerous questions raging through his mind right now, they were all met with empty answers. Not wanting to think any further, Rukawa closed his eyes, trying to empty his thoughts and as the seconds ticked by……he was on his way to dreamland.

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"Aishiteru… Akira" A beautiful lady with long black hair whispered as she leaned her head onto his broad chest.

The young man before her smiled upon hearing those words, a genuine smile. He wrapped his strong pale arms around her and pulled her closer, feeling the softness of her body and smelling the fragrance of her silky hair which felt so smooth against his cheek. God…how he wished time could stopped and that they could stay this way forever.

They stayed embraced in this way in somewhat like an eternity before she gently pulled back by pushing against his chest with her hands.

"Akira…promise me you will stay this way forever, that you will control your all urges………that you will never kill again…promise me… please, Akira." Her fox-like blue eyes glistening with hope and fear at the same time as she said those words. A mixture of feelings as she awaited the answer.

The smile on the face of the young man slowly faded as he stared into the eyes of his lover. There was a pleading look in those eyes, begging him not to disappoint her and he could not bear to…could not bear to hurt her.

"I…I promise…" All he wanted was to make her happy.

The smile and the shine in her eyes that followed was one of the most unforgettable moments in his life. It was worth all the pain he had to go through, every minute of it…

"Thank you, Akira…thank you." She cried in relief as she threw herself once again into his embrace.

"Ayumi…"

"Ayumi…don't go…Ayumi!!!" Cobalt blue eyes flew open.

//It was… just a dream.//

He stayed still for a few minutes, staring up into the ceiling before he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position with his slightly quivering hands. The dream had left him shaken and weak…. it had been a long time since he last dreamt about her. Bringing his hand up to wipe away the droplets of sweat forming on his forehead, Sendoh closed his eyes in an attempt to even his breathing.

Opening his eyes, he turned his head towards the window a few feet from where he was and saw that the sky outside was pitch black. He had somehow fallen asleep on his red velvet chaise longue. Slowly, he stood up and made his way across the richly carpeted floor towards the open window, he needed some fresh air.

Placing his hands on the ledge, Sendoh stared blankly into the quiet night. A slight breeze blew, sweeping the few strands of hair that had fallen out of place from his usual spiky hairdo, away from his colourless face. From where he was standing, he could see the tranquility of the forest just in front of his mansion. The close proximity of the forest was one of the reasons why he chose this two-story mansion which was situated on the outskirts of the town as his residence. The forest served as his hunting ground, away from prying eyes and the mansion being on the outskirts, gave him the much needed privacy.

Looking at the forest now made Sendoh realized how dry his mouth and throat were, his veins felt parched. The last time he fed was yesterday night. He had meant to feed again in the afternoon but somehow his chanced meeting with the boy…. God…he can't think about him at this time. He needed to feed badly now, his rationality was shredding. Shaking his head as if to get rid of his current thoughts, Sendoh grabbed his black denim jacket and made his way down the stairs with a speed unrivaled by any human being. In a flash, he was out of the mansion, his silhouette disappearing into the forest.

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"So you just came back from America?"

"Hai. Just got back here the day before." The young man replied in a polite manner, along with a generous smile on his handsome face, half-hidden by a pair of Armani sunglasses.

Sendoh was walking towards the class room for his first lesson in Kanagawa University with the varsity's admin clerk. The kindly old man with a full crop of grey hair had been kind enough to offer his help after Sendoh had walked into the admin office lost, asking for directions.

"Oh… When was the last time you were in Japan?"

//Well…about 200 years ago?//

"Oh….. hmm....about 18 years ago, I guess. I left for America since I was a toddler." Sendoh lied nonchalantly.

"That's a long time ago. Things have changed quite a bit during these years."

"Yes… it sure has." The young man smiled wryly, his thoughts drifting to the olden days which were a far cry from the present.

"Ah… do you have any hobbies? Maybe you can join some of the activities that are available in the varsity and get to know more friends."

//Yeah. I love hunting though.//

Rubbing the nape of his neck with his hand, Sendoh tried to think of appropriate answers but his mind came to a blank.

"No... I can't think of any."

The sensei's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Oh.. I was expecting you to be a basketball player, with your height and coming from the 'Land of basketball'"

//Basketball…//

The word 'basketball' threatened to remind Sendoh of the events the day before but was spared the agony when the older man stopped in his tracks, bringing him back to the present.

"Here we are. This is your new class." Without waiting for a response, the older man turned to knock on the door of the classroom.

"Minako-san, sorry to disturb you but here is your new student." The smiling man introduced as he gestured for Sendoh to come forward and greet the teacher.

The young man did as he was told with a courteous bow. "Good morning, sensei"

"Oh…I was expecting you the whole morning." The lady seemingly in her mid-forties smiled at the young man before her before she turned her attention back to the admin clerk to exchange a few words of formality.

From outside the class, Sendoh could hear the noises and chattering made by the students as they took advantage of the sensei's absence and he felt excitement rushing through his body. It had been a long time since he last mingled with a crowd.

"Thank you, Kuwata-san." The lady sensei said before she turned towards the young man and continued, "Ok, come in now, Sendoh".

Following her into the classroom, Sendoh could feel all eyes on him and the earlier chatters died down as the class now turned their attention to new student before them. They were visibly intrigued by the sunglasses-clad young man with a weird hairdo.

"Ok now class, we have a new student all the way from America who will be joining us for the rest of the year. Now, I want all of you to be nice and make sure he feels at home."

Upon the introduction, Sendoh smiled one of his trademark smiles and removed his sunglasses as he took a bow. "My name is Sendoh Akira, pleased to meet you."

When he stood right up again, several gasps could be heard from around the class.

He had the most extraordinary pair of cobalt blue eyes, contrasting heavily with his pale, translucent skin. His eyes were powerful and hypnotizing in which one could get lost in forever. And with an easy smile gracing his face, he looked stunningly gorgeous.

The next minute, excited whispers erupted from around the class and the girls in the class started giggling. The class was clearly excited and amazed by the addition of the new student.

Amidst the slight commotion, Sendoh felt a presence in the room, a familiar presence and his body tensed up. His cerulean blue eyes scanned the room filled with excited students for the source and his eyes stopped short at a forlorn figure right at the back of the classroom.

He slowly lifted his gaze, traveling up the lean body to the smooth pale neck and finally up to the face before he settled on a pair of fox-like blue eyes….. which were staring right back at him.

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TBC