Ch 3: Don't You Remember me?

After she was finished telling the story for a second time, she actually looked at the people she was talking to and noticed Gen. 'It's him, I'm positive.'

"Gen, why are you here?" she let the words slip from her lips.

Gen just looked at her like she was crazy, then again there was a random stranger asking him why he was at Karasumori.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to ask that, it's just that I haven't seen you in a long time."

"What do you mean 'in a long time'?" Gen asked still very suspicious.

"You don't remember, do you, the childhood that we spent together?"

"No, I don't know you." He shook his head

She sighed, "Well, when we were just kids, you were my best friend and I was yours. We spent all of our free time with each other, that is until I moved. My grandmother didn't want me to hang out with you anymore so she forced me to leave."

"I think I know why she would want to leave."

"I will not lie to you, it was because you were half-ayakashi, but she didn't want me trying to eliminate you, because at the time, I was just developing my Kekkaishi powers and I would eliminate any ayakashi I set eyes on without thinking about it. Grandma never once thought that you would hurt me, actually, she thought that you would protect me from dangers. Which you did, when ever one of the bullies came up to me, you were there in an instant to protect me, but they would just beat you up instead. I hated watching you get hurt and I wished I could do something to help, but as much as I tried, you would tell me to leave and go home because you didn't want me to see what ever it was that you were going to do."

Gen sat there, stunned by the revelation, sure he remembered having a childhood friend, but he never expected seeing her again after all these years. He really had to dig deep into his memory to remember his childhood because of what happened with his sister, the things he'd rather not remember. Then he remembered what she looked like, but not so much what they did together, when they were small, as he remembers, she had short hair, reaching just above her shoulders, full bangs that wrapped around her forehead then got a little longer to frame her face, she always had a smile on for Gen and rarely frowned around him because she didn't want him to worry, Gen knew this and worried anyway because she was so fragile and could easily be shattered. Gen never wanted to see her cry and secretly promised that he would always protect her.

Although she was now older and her hair was now longer and it pigtails with parted bangs, he memorized her face and recognized it. He stood and approached her slowly still not believing that she is standing before him now, he then grabbed her by the shoulders and told her, "I remember seeing your face, but I can barely remember who you are." He released her quickly after.

At those words, Kukiko's heart sank deep down, 'well at least he remembers something about me'. She looked down, disappointed but caught herself and smiled once again, then told Gen, "Well, if you don't remember, than I'll have to help you." Then she thought, 'maybe he'll remember the promises he made to me'. Smiling like a child, she decided that she was going to find out, but it was getting later and later, maybe 1:00 a.m. and she needed some sleep. 'Maybe I'll just ask him tomorrow' she thought walking off towards the main gate.

"Where are you going?" Yoshimori called after her.

"I need some sleep," she stated simply, "don't worry, I'll see you tomorrow."