Light footsteps pitter pattered across the living room as she turned around to see if anyone was watching her. No one was, thank god. She lightly opened the door to the refrigerator and rummaged through the stacks of groceries she just recently bought herself, with the help of the ryokan of the Fuwa inn. Thankfully, the box she was looking for wasn't crushed, thanks to her organization skills.
She wrapped herself with the fuzzy duvet, one of her own, and blew warm air against her hands. December was a cold season in Japan, and it will always will. She reached carefully and took the box, quietly slamming the door back to its original closed form.
She smiled as she saw the tag that said: "Happy Birthday, Kyoko!"
Her mother never cared for her before, so why did she give her this cake? Or at least, she thought it was cake...
When she opened it, she found an empty box.
And instead, all that weight on the box was actually her hopes getting too high.
"I..." she bit her lip. "Happy... birthday."
And she collapsed onto the floor.
Keiko's POV
I was startled, scared at the dream (more like a nightmare!), and fumbled my fingers to find the warmth I usually would find next to me.
I found none...
"REN?" I yelled, panicking. "Ren, where are you?"
"Be quiet, will you?.!"
"Huh?" I twitched my ears and heard Kanae's voice, a little bit irritated and with a tad bit of an annoyed edge.
I heard her sigh, a couple of rustling told me that she was shaking her head. "Look, I know you usually sleep with Ren, but that doesn't mean you have to shout! Did you forget that girls sleep with girls, guys sleep with guys?"
Slowly, my realization came back. Big tears fell down as I laid my head on my folded legs. I gripped them tightly, wetting the soft blanket.
"I... I just saw something, that's all. I felt happy in the dream, but then I found out that it was too good to be true."
There is no way Mother would give me a cake, even a small one. Sometimes, I would have nightmares of her. Instead of Ren's memories, I get more of mine. And they consist a lot of my mother these days. I... don't want this cruel, terrifying feel swirling in me. I'm afraid.
"Hey... it's the morning, so maybe you would like some more sleep?"
Giggling, I smiled. "Sure, I won't be on set with Ren. Rather, I'm going to stay here for a while."
There was silence until, "Are you sure about that? You're usually always around Ren. Isn't he like a second guide dog to you, guiding you around that way you don't trip?"
"Kanae... I just don't feel like going today."
"Uh... okay?"
"She didn't seem all that chipper today. And isn't she usually all happy?" Kanae wondered aloud, combing her hair as it frizzed up from the cold air. She breathed onto her hands and rubbed them together. "Hey, did something happen last night that she got a trauma?"
"A trauma?"
"Yeah, she wouldn't eat breakfast, and even flinched when I touched her. Ren, you really have to act more brotherly to her, whether you want her as your wife, or not."
"Kotonami san..."
"Just call me Kanae, for Pete's sake!"
"Kanae, I just asked you what she was doing, and you're throwing all of it at me, which is good! I just didn't need to hear the last part..." he grumbled, rubbing her forehead.
"Sorry? She just... cried a lot early this morning, and that worried me. At first, I thought it was the fact you weren't with her, or that nightmare she had, but it might not be neither."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well-"
"Okay! Actors on set!"
Kanae shrugged, "I guess I'll tell you later."
Tug, grip, release.
Tug, grip, release.
Tug, grip, release, SCREAM!
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I WANTED MY MEMORIES TO BE BACK, BUT NOW TOO MUCH IS RETURNING!"
No... I feel so weak... I might not be able to recuperate after this... So... tired.
"Ugh... I have a headache."
"Baka, do I have to help you all the time?"
A light breeze flew in, actually was it two? They zipped around her and hugged her playfully. "Keiko... does it hurt that much?"
Yes, Vidka! What kind of question is that?
"Keiko, I believe you are getting more of your memories of Kyoko, am I right?" Tsuki waited, and his response was a jerky nod. She started rolling tears down her cheeks, turning her rosy cheeks into drenched, salty ones.
"Keiko... I'll give you a present on Christmas, but you have to endure this a bit longer," Tsuki answered.
She nodded, not thinking clearly enough to make out his words. Her head began to throb painfully, drumming into a terrible intermittent beat. Quietly, she opened her wings. They were out even before the sun could have a chance to set.
This showed that she was soon finished. She no longer was going to be a shinigami soon. Only one year left... or maybe less.
Her fingers laced around the two that were hugging her, both arms hanging lazily around them.
"I saw Ren... that night where I ran to him when I went hysterical for his soul... I didn't need to hold anyone," she closed her eyes. "I felt... happy."
And then she fell back onto the bed.
Kanae saddened, "I'm not sure about this, but maybe..."
The towering man ran up the stairs, ignoring an easy ride on the elevator. Taking the large flight of stairs, he was soon at his beloved's door. He thought of knocking on her door, but a light tap earned a creak. The door was already opened.
"...she's getting more of her memories back?"
No! yelled Ren in his mind. His train of thought was skidded to a halt. Please don't tell she...!
When he dashed into the room, his icy cold presence warmed up at the sight of Keiko breathing calmly.
Her calmness to her sleeping stance, everything seemed fine.
Her smile broke into a playful grin when he started to fiddle around the curls of the strands of her hair. She opened her eyes, sniffed the air, and tightly hugged him.
He laughed at her actions, but her cold arms felt foreign to him. She was usually a warm-like kitten that you would have around if you were cold. She wasn't an icicle! What was wrong?
Before he could even ask, she leaned forward and asked a question herself. "Are you finished all your scenes?"
Again, Ren tickled her, teasing her ticklish ear, and let her into his wide arms. She was still cold, which puzzled him, but he allowed them both to be engulfed by her blanket.
She murmured, appearing to be drowsy, and mumbled her complaint to his "teasing".
It was true that he was teasing her, but her speech felt similar to...
"Kyoko?"
She froze, hiding deeper into the blanket and into the warmth of his arms. The blanket showed a different purpose as Ren flipped it off from the bed.
Her tiny hands were on his chest, burying her head with them. Was she scared? Why was it that when he said her real name, she...
"Hey, if I were to, say... have most of my memories back, would you be relieved?" she said, shivering inside his arms. Her own arms wrapped around his waist, squeezing him.
Surprised, the actor tilted forward, making her fall onto her back. He was on top of her... what an awkward situation...
His hands, still around the girl, were soon released, and cupping her cheeks. She stared at him with lifeless eyes, and gave an adorable blush just for him.
"Yes, I would be relieved. I want you to remember all those times we were together, even if we didn't know how strong our feelings were. I want you to remember who I was to you, and how you loved acting as much as I do," he bent down, inching closer to her lips. She opened them slightly, as if she knew his presence was near them.
"I... the only one left that I don't really remember... is who Shotaro is.."
"Shotaro?" Who's he? It took some contemplating until he realized she must mean Fuwa Sho.
"Oh, him... You don't need to remember him." He decided to kiss her cheek instead. The thought of Fuwa just made him feel sick.
Fuwa was still in the entertainment industry, not giving up in his goal of being #1.
This, no matter how many times Ren would think of it, was a pathetic goal. Sure, it was great he was a great singer, but a goal where all you cared was to be the best seemed like a ridiculous goal. If it was because he wanted to be #1 and he loved singing, then that was okay. What was the point of wanting to beat someone if you didn't had a clear goal?
Knowing him, he probably thinks I stole his female fan base...
Going back to Keiko... she was, as you might have guessed, freaking out. All she said was Shotaro, and that earned her a kiss on the cheek rather than the lips. Was he a bad guy to be mentioning?
Not like she would know... she soon felt her whole body turn to ice as she tried her best to stay in his warm arms. Except, no matter how long she would be in them, she wouldn't be able to let the heat transfer over to her.
... I just hope I can write more because of the Winter Break... My hopes are that I can write AT LEAST 1-3 chapters... Except, I need to study... Bummer.