Chapter 5

Cherry Blossoms

A day has gone by and Lillian hasn't left her small home. She curls her hand around her pillow stained with her tears. "I really wish I could remember," she mutters into her pillow. The dress from yesterday still rests on her body. Her hair is messy and jumbled into tiny tangles. Her stomach growls but she refuses to eat, afraid the trauma of last night will cause her to vomit.

A light knock on the door startles her, as did the frequent knocks she received throughout the day. A different voice sounds through the door. Her heart skips at the familiarity of it and a hinge of sadness takes over. Kana.

She listens to him as he speaks. She wants to see him. So badly does she want to see him but she's unsure if she can trust him. She barely knew him, or if anything he said to her was true. Then again, she barely knew the other boy named Dirk yet she took his words to heart.

The voice stopped speaking and the young girl quickly sits up. Her feet patter against the floor as she nears the door. She presses her ear to the door, but she doesn't hear anything. Craving to take a peek outside, she slowly opens the door only to be surprised by a hand reaching for the handle. Startled, she closes the door quickly and leans against it.

A sudden memory flashes in her mind.

"Are you done yet?" Kana's voice rings out in another room.

"Almost!"

Lillian is tying the rest of her pink kimono together. The door opens and Kana peeks his head inside. Lillian rushes to the door and forces it closed with her back pressed to the door. "You jerk!" She yells but there's no real anger.

"You were taking so long!"

"I'll be out in a second!"

The memory fades and Lillian's head begins to spin. She steps away from the door and collapses to her knees, holding her head. Kana is by her side in an instant. "Are you okay?"

She looks up at him, her eyes a lighter shade of purple. "I remembered something."

Eager to know more, Kana instinctively place his hand on hers. She doesn't pull away, as if the touch gives her familiar warmth. "What was it?" He asks in a soft voice. The soft light of the remaining sun casts shadows through her room.

"I was in a room and I was wearing a pink kimono. You tried opening the door and I slammed it on you, like I did just now."

Kana remains quiet. Lillian places her other hand on top of his. "Tell me," she urges.

"It was the Cherry Blossom Festival. Everyone in town wore kimonos and you woke up late and rushed to my house with your kimono and treats for the horses. You handed the treats to me as you ran into my room to change. You had a difficult time putting on your kimono and I got impatient. I ended up walking in on you and you got embarrassed, causing you to slam the door in my face."

"When was this?"

"A season ago; it's nearing the end of summer now. You've lived here for almost two years."

I've lived here for nearly two years.

"Were we together?"

Kana's face begins to burn. "N-no," he manages to spurt out.

"Strange. It felt like we were a couple."

Kana's face burns even hotter, if that's even possible. He removes his hand from hers, forcing himself some space between Lillian and himself. Why am I embarrassed by all of this? I'm used to be near her. Why is it so different now?

"Is something wrong?" Lillian's eyes watch Kana as he looks around the room.

"N-nothing."

"Liar. You always look away when you're lying."

"No I do- Wait, how do you know that?"

"I just do," she says surprised at herself.

"Have your memories returned then?"

She shakes her head. "No, but somehow I just knew you were lying."

"Oh."

"Why are you here anyways?" She finally addresses his being there.

"Oh right. I came to check on you. I wanted to make sure you were okay, even though you were upset with me." Kana presses both hands against his knees. A habit he always did when he sat.

"You were worried about me?" She extends her body, using her arms to support her and her knees resting against the floor. She inches closer to him, and each time she moves Kana's heart beats faster.

"What are you-" Lillian's face is a foot away from his.

She gets closer, her hands near his feet and her head slowly moving towards his. He quickly scoots away and clumsily gets to his feet. Lillian falls to the floor laughing. "Are you embarrassed of being so close to me?" She says gazing up at him, her back against the hardwood.

"What? No. Of course not." He crosses his arms, hiding his blushing. "No way."

"People deny things so many times when they're lying!" Lillian teases.

"I'm not!" Kana turns around and Lillian is inches away from him. "It's okay to be honest." Her tone is serious and her eyes bore through him. Kana wants to deny everything but he knows she'll see the truth.

"I'm glad you're doing okay. I'm going home," He says, changing the subject. He can't tell her how he feels. Not when she doesn't remember him. He reaches for the doorknob but her hand grabs it first. She presses her body against the door, refusing to let him leave.

"Lily," he groans.

"You can leave after you answer my question."

"Depends on what it is."

"I'm not moving until you answer, regardless of what it is."

Kana remains silent and Lillian continues. "Before I lost my memories, were we really friends or did you want to be more?"

Kana's eyes widen at her question. Why did she have to ask that? He looks away, unable to answer her. "I guess that means you're stuck here with me."

"What?" Kana looks at the girl, smiling as she presses her back to the door. Her hair is a mess and her dress is wrinkled and slightly dirty. Even so, Kana couldn't help but find her beautiful.

"You heard me. Since you won't give me an answer, that means you can't leave."

Frustrated, Kana reaches for the door and tries to open it but Lillian continues to force it closed. "Nu uh!" She teases but Kana can't keep up with her playful spirit.

He tries one more, this time causing Lillian to stumble and loosen her grip on the doorknob. Before she can retaliate, Kana is already out the door.