[Fanfic] Memories Chapter Four
Chapter Four
"T-Takaki?" Takaki listened closely and realized that it couldn't possibly be his mother. Her voice wasn't that soft or high. He took a small step forward, making the floorboards creak menacingly.
"Takaki!" A girl in light blue pyjamas ran out from the shadows. She wrapped her arms around him.
"R-ReiRei!" Reika buried her face into her brother's shoulder.
"You said you'd be home an HOUR ago!" Reika's voice was muffled by Takaki's thick clothing. He'd thought that she was crying at first, but he dismissed it. Reika wasn't one to cry. But as she looked up at him with those dark brown eyes, his heart ached
"G-Gomen ReiRei. Eto...Kei's parents accidentally missed a turn so we...we were lost for a bit." He muttered. Reika's let out a sigh of relief and she smiled, small dimples indented into her cheeks.
"H-Hai!" She yawned and gave Takaki a small hug.
"Takaki, promise me on thing." Takaki looked at her with seraching eyes.
"Un?"
"No matter what happens, either here or anywhere else, always come home." Takaki was taken aback by being asked such a simple task that he replied without thinking.
"Hai!"
~
Reika sat patiently in the living room, reading a book by the dim light of her lamp. Her eyes felt heavy and her body was stiff, but she dared not bat an eyelid. Her eyes may have been seeing the words of her book, but her mind wasn't registering any of it. Instead, she was reminiscing her past. How that small promise seemed so small yet so significant. Ever since then, she had taken it to herself to wait for Takaki whenever he went out with friends or to someone's house. At first, it was solely because of that promise, but overtime, she had done it out of habit. But something had stirred up the memory from the back of her mind and Reika felt an old flame re-kindle within her.
As the clock ticked and tocked, Reika gave up trying to read her book and set it aside. She took the blanket from the couch and wrapped herself around with it. Then, she curled up into a tight ball and watched the clock. Everything was silent and all she could hear aside from the clock was her own heartbeat, drumming irregularly with the clock. She could hear her light breathing, her chest lightly heaving. The time seemed to pass by slowly, as if it were made to make the night stretch on forever. Reika's eyes began to unfocus and she shifted a little to get herself to stay awake. So she brought forth the happy hours she had shared with Daiki not too long ago. She smiled to herself thinking back to when she had watched the sunset, with Daiki's arm draped around her shoulders. It was like back then, when she, Daiki, and Takaki were the best of friends.
Reika's smile had drooped to a frown. Where were they now? Oh yeah, it was when Daiki-- It had hurt to think about it back then, and it surprised her that it hurt even thinking about it now. She let out a long sigh and thought back to when Daiki was at her doorstep...
"Kaoru-san! Are Takaki and Rei-chan there?" At the sound of Daiki's small voice, brother and sister raced downstairs and greeted their friend. They beamed at him, but he could only manage a grimace. Their mother sighed and looked at Daiki sadly.
"I'll leave you to yourselves then..." She had left, not without slipping Daiki something and giving him a small hug.
"Dai-chan! What's up?" Reika asked brightly. Daiki couldn't seem to look up, his head felt heavy, and his heart even heavier.
"Ano, Takaki, Rei-chan..." The sadness in his voice wasn't easy to ignore and Takaki and Reika exchanged looks of worry.
"Daijobu?" Takaki asked quietly. Daiki just shrugged and forced himself to look up.
"I'm moving." Reika's face seemed to contort with confusion, and then she burst into tears. Takaki, who didn't want to believe Daiki, just laughed and patted Reika on the back.
"Ne, ReiRei, he's just kidding..." When Daiki didn't back him up, Takaki's eyes seemed to widen.
"N-No, Dai-chan, stop lying..." Takaki tried to convince himself that Daiki was just lying and that he was going to shout "Gotcha!" in any second. But when Daiki just looked at him sadly, Takaki leaned on the door frame for support. Reika's tear-filled eyes had looked from Daiki to Takaki and then back to Daiki. He looked down and then she ran upstairs. Daiki couldn't take it.
"G-Gomen. I-I...I have to go. Sayonara." Daiki turned away and walked down the driveway. Once the house was out of sight, he ran.
And now he's back. Reika thought to herself. He had come back the day after Takaki had come home late. She was shocked to see a new student in her class that day, and when the teacher had said his name, Reika couldn't believe her ears. She remembered debating with herself over and over again that that couldn't possibly be the same Daiki she had known in Pre-school and Primary School. There just wasn't anyway that that was him. Reika remembered that she had actually believe that it really wasn't him because he wasn't the same jubliant boy. He was more somber, calm, and collected. She remembered almost going up to him and talking, but she decided not to. It was on White Day and she had found him waiting outside the classroom. It had looked like he was waiting a while and he held a box in his hand. She was just about to walk up to him when one of the girls in her class (she couldn't remember who because she had moved when they started High School) had walked up to him and Daiki had given her the box.
All Reika could remember was feeling mad but sad at the same time. She couldn't explain why she felt that way at that time. Maybe it was because she was so used to being the only girl in his and Takaki's lives. Nonetheless, she was glad that she had spoken to him. She was also quite happy to find that Daiki was still very jumpy and kiddish, just like his younger self had been. With these thoughts fresh in her head, her head drooped and her eyelids finally closed.
Inside Daiki's Mind...
I picked up the photograph and again and I remembered the day Reika's and Takaki's mom gave it to me. I took the picture out of it's frame and put it to the light. The light shone through the picture, and that was when I noticed that there was something on the back of the picture. It said, "Promises are easy to make, but they are also easy to break." I lay my head on the pillow and stared at the words. They stirred up something inside me and I remembered, yet again, that afternoon when I took Reika to the park. I remembered just wanting to bring her there because it would be like we were kids again. But as I read those words over and over again, I realized that that place held its own significance. It was the place the three of us had made our pact, our promise.
I sighed heavily and placed the picture back in it's frame and on the dresser. I sat back down on my bed and looked up at the ceiling. I was thinking of the day he had come back. I was extremely nervous but I worked hard to not let it show on to my face. As I stood up there at the front of the class, the teacher announcing my name, I snuck a glance at Reika. Her eyes seemed to widen a bit when the teacher said 'Daiki' but then they became glazed over once again when I took my seat. I remember I couldn't help but to take frequent glances, and everytime she would look at me, I would try and keep my face as neutral as possible.
But I don't think I could ever forget that one White Day where I planned on finally talking to her. I had that little box in my hands and I stood outside the classroom waiting patiently. Then that girl comes up to me and asks what I was doing. I just said I was looking for Reika and she said that she had already left. I don't know why, but something made me give the box to her instead. I guess it felt like I waited too long or maybe it had just been too long.
Takaki, Alone...
Takaki stumbled through the streets, with only the dim street lights guiding him. His head buzzed and his eyes went in and out of focus. He had thrown up in a garbage can earlier and now his stomache felt queasy again. He was stupid to have stayed at that party, but Kei kept asking him not to leave and Takaki just couldn't seem to say no. Now there he was, on the verge of being knocked out, tripping over his own feet at the dead of night. I can't go home like this. I just can't... He thought heavily. He wasn't exactly able to think straight, but he knew that he just couldn't go home. At least, he couldn't bring himself to. Something nudged at him, telling him that he should because... Because of what? Instead, he took a different route and ended up in front of Daiki's house. His head seared with pain, but he tried his hardest to remember which window was Daiki's room. As he dragged himself to face the window, he picked up a small pebble and threw it at the window. He waited and then the window slid open. Daiki's head poked out.
"Oi! Takaki, what's wrong with you?!" Daiki asked, worry lines creasing his forehead.
"My head feels all weird, dude, I just need a place to crash, I can't go home, not like this, please..."
"Please Dai-chan! Help me!" Takaki pleaded with Daiki. Takaki was playing baseball and accidentally threw it through one of the neighbours windows. Now he had to work to pay for the damage.
"Please Dai-chan!" Daiki gave him a hard look and then resigned.
"Fine. I'll help you." Takaki patted him on the shoulder and then bowed.
"Takaki, you look horrible! And you smell horrible too!" Daiki half-carried and half-dragged Takaki up the stairs to his room. He tried to be as quiet as possible.
"Thanks Dai-chan." Takaki grumbled. Daiki didn't answer but rummaged through his things and gave Takaki some clothes.
"Just tell me if you need help changing into those. Sorry if they're a bit...short." Takaki laughed a bit and then groaned. Daiki sprang up at once.
"You okay?" Takaki just closed his eyes before replying.
"Y-Yeah, my head just feels a little numb, that's all." Daiki clucked his tongue.
"Takaki, why were you being such an idiot? Why did you drink? Why did you let Kei talk you into staying?" Daiki asked calmly, but Takaki could hear the pained concern in his voice. Takaki couldn't think. He really didn't know why and he couldn't bring himself to answer those questions. He just gave a pleading look to Daiki and Daiki sighed.
"Oyasumi."
"Oyasumi." With that, the two boys fell into an uneasy sleep.
END
"T-Takaki?" Takaki listened closely and realized that it couldn't possibly be his mother. Her voice wasn't that soft or high. He took a small step forward, making the floorboards creak menacingly.
"Takaki!" A girl in light blue pyjamas ran out from the shadows. She wrapped her arms around him.
"R-ReiRei!" Reika buried her face into her brother's shoulder.
"You said you'd be home an HOUR ago!" Reika's voice was muffled by Takaki's thick clothing. He'd thought that she was crying at first, but he dismissed it. Reika wasn't one to cry. But as she looked up at him with those dark brown eyes, his heart ached
"G-Gomen ReiRei. Eto...Kei's parents accidentally missed a turn so we...we were lost for a bit." He muttered. Reika's let out a sigh of relief and she smiled, small dimples indented into her cheeks.
"H-Hai!" She yawned and gave Takaki a small hug.
"Takaki, promise me on thing." Takaki looked at her with seraching eyes.
"Un?"
"No matter what happens, either here or anywhere else, always come home." Takaki was taken aback by being asked such a simple task that he replied without thinking.
"Hai!"
~
Reika sat patiently in the living room, reading a book by the dim light of her lamp. Her eyes felt heavy and her body was stiff, but she dared not bat an eyelid. Her eyes may have been seeing the words of her book, but her mind wasn't registering any of it. Instead, she was reminiscing her past. How that small promise seemed so small yet so significant. Ever since then, she had taken it to herself to wait for Takaki whenever he went out with friends or to someone's house. At first, it was solely because of that promise, but overtime, she had done it out of habit. But something had stirred up the memory from the back of her mind and Reika felt an old flame re-kindle within her.
As the clock ticked and tocked, Reika gave up trying to read her book and set it aside. She took the blanket from the couch and wrapped herself around with it. Then, she curled up into a tight ball and watched the clock. Everything was silent and all she could hear aside from the clock was her own heartbeat, drumming irregularly with the clock. She could hear her light breathing, her chest lightly heaving. The time seemed to pass by slowly, as if it were made to make the night stretch on forever. Reika's eyes began to unfocus and she shifted a little to get herself to stay awake. So she brought forth the happy hours she had shared with Daiki not too long ago. She smiled to herself thinking back to when she had watched the sunset, with Daiki's arm draped around her shoulders. It was like back then, when she, Daiki, and Takaki were the best of friends.
Reika's smile had drooped to a frown. Where were they now? Oh yeah, it was when Daiki-- It had hurt to think about it back then, and it surprised her that it hurt even thinking about it now. She let out a long sigh and thought back to when Daiki was at her doorstep...
"Kaoru-san! Are Takaki and Rei-chan there?" At the sound of Daiki's small voice, brother and sister raced downstairs and greeted their friend. They beamed at him, but he could only manage a grimace. Their mother sighed and looked at Daiki sadly.
"I'll leave you to yourselves then..." She had left, not without slipping Daiki something and giving him a small hug.
"Dai-chan! What's up?" Reika asked brightly. Daiki couldn't seem to look up, his head felt heavy, and his heart even heavier.
"Ano, Takaki, Rei-chan..." The sadness in his voice wasn't easy to ignore and Takaki and Reika exchanged looks of worry.
"Daijobu?" Takaki asked quietly. Daiki just shrugged and forced himself to look up.
"I'm moving." Reika's face seemed to contort with confusion, and then she burst into tears. Takaki, who didn't want to believe Daiki, just laughed and patted Reika on the back.
"Ne, ReiRei, he's just kidding..." When Daiki didn't back him up, Takaki's eyes seemed to widen.
"N-No, Dai-chan, stop lying..." Takaki tried to convince himself that Daiki was just lying and that he was going to shout "Gotcha!" in any second. But when Daiki just looked at him sadly, Takaki leaned on the door frame for support. Reika's tear-filled eyes had looked from Daiki to Takaki and then back to Daiki. He looked down and then she ran upstairs. Daiki couldn't take it.
"G-Gomen. I-I...I have to go. Sayonara." Daiki turned away and walked down the driveway. Once the house was out of sight, he ran.
And now he's back. Reika thought to herself. He had come back the day after Takaki had come home late. She was shocked to see a new student in her class that day, and when the teacher had said his name, Reika couldn't believe her ears. She remembered debating with herself over and over again that that couldn't possibly be the same Daiki she had known in Pre-school and Primary School. There just wasn't anyway that that was him. Reika remembered that she had actually believe that it really wasn't him because he wasn't the same jubliant boy. He was more somber, calm, and collected. She remembered almost going up to him and talking, but she decided not to. It was on White Day and she had found him waiting outside the classroom. It had looked like he was waiting a while and he held a box in his hand. She was just about to walk up to him when one of the girls in her class (she couldn't remember who because she had moved when they started High School) had walked up to him and Daiki had given her the box.
All Reika could remember was feeling mad but sad at the same time. She couldn't explain why she felt that way at that time. Maybe it was because she was so used to being the only girl in his and Takaki's lives. Nonetheless, she was glad that she had spoken to him. She was also quite happy to find that Daiki was still very jumpy and kiddish, just like his younger self had been. With these thoughts fresh in her head, her head drooped and her eyelids finally closed.
Inside Daiki's Mind...
I picked up the photograph and again and I remembered the day Reika's and Takaki's mom gave it to me. I took the picture out of it's frame and put it to the light. The light shone through the picture, and that was when I noticed that there was something on the back of the picture. It said, "Promises are easy to make, but they are also easy to break." I lay my head on the pillow and stared at the words. They stirred up something inside me and I remembered, yet again, that afternoon when I took Reika to the park. I remembered just wanting to bring her there because it would be like we were kids again. But as I read those words over and over again, I realized that that place held its own significance. It was the place the three of us had made our pact, our promise.
I sighed heavily and placed the picture back in it's frame and on the dresser. I sat back down on my bed and looked up at the ceiling. I was thinking of the day he had come back. I was extremely nervous but I worked hard to not let it show on to my face. As I stood up there at the front of the class, the teacher announcing my name, I snuck a glance at Reika. Her eyes seemed to widen a bit when the teacher said 'Daiki' but then they became glazed over once again when I took my seat. I remember I couldn't help but to take frequent glances, and everytime she would look at me, I would try and keep my face as neutral as possible.
But I don't think I could ever forget that one White Day where I planned on finally talking to her. I had that little box in my hands and I stood outside the classroom waiting patiently. Then that girl comes up to me and asks what I was doing. I just said I was looking for Reika and she said that she had already left. I don't know why, but something made me give the box to her instead. I guess it felt like I waited too long or maybe it had just been too long.
Takaki, Alone...
Takaki stumbled through the streets, with only the dim street lights guiding him. His head buzzed and his eyes went in and out of focus. He had thrown up in a garbage can earlier and now his stomache felt queasy again. He was stupid to have stayed at that party, but Kei kept asking him not to leave and Takaki just couldn't seem to say no. Now there he was, on the verge of being knocked out, tripping over his own feet at the dead of night. I can't go home like this. I just can't... He thought heavily. He wasn't exactly able to think straight, but he knew that he just couldn't go home. At least, he couldn't bring himself to. Something nudged at him, telling him that he should because... Because of what? Instead, he took a different route and ended up in front of Daiki's house. His head seared with pain, but he tried his hardest to remember which window was Daiki's room. As he dragged himself to face the window, he picked up a small pebble and threw it at the window. He waited and then the window slid open. Daiki's head poked out.
"Oi! Takaki, what's wrong with you?!" Daiki asked, worry lines creasing his forehead.
"My head feels all weird, dude, I just need a place to crash, I can't go home, not like this, please..."
"Please Dai-chan! Help me!" Takaki pleaded with Daiki. Takaki was playing baseball and accidentally threw it through one of the neighbours windows. Now he had to work to pay for the damage.
"Please Dai-chan!" Daiki gave him a hard look and then resigned.
"Fine. I'll help you." Takaki patted him on the shoulder and then bowed.
"Takaki, you look horrible! And you smell horrible too!" Daiki half-carried and half-dragged Takaki up the stairs to his room. He tried to be as quiet as possible.
"Thanks Dai-chan." Takaki grumbled. Daiki didn't answer but rummaged through his things and gave Takaki some clothes.
"Just tell me if you need help changing into those. Sorry if they're a bit...short." Takaki laughed a bit and then groaned. Daiki sprang up at once.
"You okay?" Takaki just closed his eyes before replying.
"Y-Yeah, my head just feels a little numb, that's all." Daiki clucked his tongue.
"Takaki, why were you being such an idiot? Why did you drink? Why did you let Kei talk you into staying?" Daiki asked calmly, but Takaki could hear the pained concern in his voice. Takaki couldn't think. He really didn't know why and he couldn't bring himself to answer those questions. He just gave a pleading look to Daiki and Daiki sighed.
"Oyasumi."
"Oyasumi." With that, the two boys fell into an uneasy sleep.
END