Remembrance- Chapter 2

The next day, Kurama waited anxiously outside the entrance to the bookstore looking for any signs of Kei. She was all he found himself able to think about the previous night, going to bed wondering where she lived and how her home life was.

She seemed well off enough. The uniform she was wearing was one of a school well known for its technological excellence. It was also quite hard to get into, so he gathered that she must also be very intelligent. Kurama mused at his deduction skills as he continued waiting.

"I'm beginning to turn into a regular Sherlock Holmes."

"Then you'd better be on the lookout for your Moriarti," said a voice from beside him. Kurama turned to see Kei smiling back at him. "He's a tricky one, that guy."

"Indeed." Kurama responded laughing. "I didn't see you come up."

"I wish I could go around unnoticed at other times," she said looking off to the side, "but that's not important. What is important is that I made it here."

"…True enough."

"So…What do you want to do?"

Kurama looked slightly befuddled at the question and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I really hadn't thought of anything that we could do really. I guess I should have planned this out more."

Kei smiled at him and then put on a comically stern look.

"Perhaps you should have. But no worries. We'll figure out something that we can do. I mean, we're both reasonably intelligent people. We should be able to come up with something."

"Yes…Well, do you want to go see a movie?"

"There's nothing playing right now that I really want to see."

"Oh."

"We could go to the arboretum. I always like going there."

"That's a perfect idea! I'm all for it."

"Really? Not many people I know would go there willingly."

"Well, I guess I'm not like most people you know." Kurama said winking at her.

"No, I guess not." Kei said laughing.

"In more ways than one…" Kurama thought to himself.

"Well, let's get going, then."

"Let's."

Kurama slipped his right arm around Kei's left, causing her to startle and blush. Kurama smiled warmly and chuckled lightly.

"I could always let go, if it bothers you."

"No, it doesn't bother me at all, actually…" Kei responded still blushing. "It's very nice, really."

"Well, then. We have to do this more often."

"Indeed," she replied smiling. She began to lean on him slightly as they made their way down the street, the both of them looking every bit the classic spring couple.


At the arboretum, they spent what seemed like hours looking at all the various trees in the collection. It became clear to Kurama that Kei did indeed spend most of her time here as she pointed out some of her favorites.

"Oh, that ash is lovely, isn't it? I always find myself staring at it when I come here. And that oak over there. I was here when they added it. It's grown up a lot. And you should have seen it when it first got here. It looked so sickly."

She suddenly stopped and looked at Kurama who had been quietly listening to her ever since they'd arrived. She got a sad look on her face and looked down at her shoes.

"Here I am going on and on about trees and I haven't let you get a word in edgewise. Forgive me."

"You certainly apologize for the oddest things. I don't mind you talking about the trees. I love to listen. Especially about plants."

Kei raised her head up slightly, looking over the rims of her glasses.

"Really?"

"Really."

"You're sure?"

Kurama nodded firmly and squeezed her arm slightly.

"I'm always more than willing to listen to anything you have to say."

This caused Kei to turn a deep red and she looked off to her left at a spot reserved for a new tree to be added soon.

"Well…That's good to know." She turned back and smiled lovingly at Kurama, her dark eyes turning warm and gentle. "So…Let's go look at my favorite tree."

"Let's."

Kei led Kurama to the back of the arboretum, and there stood a large Californian Great Sequoia. Its large trunk had to be at least ten feet across and its top wasn't visible from where they stood. Even walking close to it didn't allow the top of its canopy to be seen.

"A marvel, to be certain."

"Isn't it? I've always loved this tree. It seems like it reaches up to Heaven itself, doesn't it? That's why I love it."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It's like someone who dreams. They're always reaching for the stars, but they can never quite make it. But sometimes, just sometimes, they turn out being something big, no matter what situation that person may be in or who that person might be, just like a really great tree may grow out of a patch of dirt that doesn't look like much. That's what I hope to be someday. I guess you can say that this tree is my inspiration."

Kurama thought for a moment about what she had just said, and he was inclined to agree with her theory. Sometimes great people did come from harsh lives. But what she had said also made him think that she wasn't all that she appeared. He came up behind her and touched her shoulder lightly, causing her to look back at him blushing.

"I meant what I said before. If you need to talk with someone, I'm here."

"I remember. But perhaps another time."

"If that's what you want."

Kei looked to be contemplating what to do next for only the briefest of moments before she looked up at Kurama smiling for all she was worth.

"Let's go get something to eat! I'm starved."

Kei's sudden switch in attitude caught Kurama off guard, and he found himself unable to do anything more than laugh, though he didn't know why.

"What's so funny, may I ask?"

"I have no idea!"

"What do you mean 'I have no idea'?"

"I honestly don't know why I'm laughing!" Kurama said trying to catch his breath. "I just find something entirely too amusing and I don't know what it is!"

" I guess it's me. I'm always making people laugh, so you better get used to it if you want to hang around me."

Kurama managed to recover long enough to fix Kei with a happy smile.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Good, then. Now, we have a date with a burger stand. Sound okay to you?"

"Sounds just fine."

Kei held out her arm to be taken by Kurama and he quickly complied. The both of them walked out smiling like Cheshire cats while all the other people coming into the building stood wondering what was making them so happy.