Playful Memories

It was another regular day for Takumi Ichigo. The end of summer was a dilemma for him and school was much worse. He’d rather stay home and sulk in front of his computer and try defeating any game’s boss. But this wasn’t the case. He had to go to school or else, everything he had would be confiscated. “Geez! I can’t believe I still fall for their cheap blackmailing tactics.” Ichigo constantly complained as he took his seat by the window. “Good morning, Ichigo-kun.” Sakura Yuumi, his friend since kindergarten, sitting right in front of him during class, softly greeted him, her back facing him. “Didn’t you hear me, Umi?” He complained some more. “You could at least comfort me from my pain!” She slowly turned to him, her expression unreadable, and patted his head like she usually did when he complained about anything. “This is not the first time.” “Stop patting me!” He glared at her. Their first period was about to begin when their homeroom teacher came in ahead of time. She wrote on the board a name, Karagawa Yuki. The moment he read the name, it seemed familiar. “Okay everyone! Please take your seats. Today, we are having an addition to our family.” Tatsuko-sensei announced as everyone complained of how early she was. “Now, now, everyone, don’t be such babies. I have a meeting to catch up and I don’t have much time. I want you all to meet, Karagawa Yuki. She just moved here from up north and has not been to a proper school lately. So be nice to her, okay?” “Yes, sensei!” Everyone replied. A girl with pretty short hair tucked behind her ears and fair skin, wearing her uniform neatly, walked in front of the class and started introducing herself. The moment she walked in the room, it caught Ichigo’s attention and everybody else’s. He followed her with his eyes, until her mouth started talking about herself. Her voice was shy and soft and she looked scared from everyone’s stares. He noticed her tremble and how she tightly held on the hem of her school uniform as she spoke of where she came from. She was constantly shifting her gaze from her new classmates to the floor then to her hands, as she finished what she was talking about. “Please take care of me!” She finished like she was shouting with her eyes shut before she bowed low. Is she okay? Ichigo asked himself. To him, she didn’t look alright at all. “Karagawa-san, please take your seat beside Takumi-kun.” Tatsuko-sensei instructed her. As she walked pass everyone else in her path, they followed her with their gaze. She was beautiful. It wasn’t debatable at all. It was very much evident. When she was in front of her seat, she faced Ichigo and bowed. “It’s nice to sit beside you, Takumi-san.” Then she hurriedly took her seat and shyly slouched on her seat. “Psst!” Ichigo called on her. “Oi!” He whispered, as Tatsuko-sensei announced a few things. “Oi, Karagawa-san!” “Huh?” She slowly turned her head towards him and batted her lashes a few times. “Yes?” She was whispering as well. “Nice to sit beside you, too.” He said with a little wave of his hand and a welcoming smile. He could not stop himself from calling her. It was nagging for him to have her name so familiar, yet he didn’t know how. If ever she was concerned about anything, he could start by befriending her. Before she could say anything else, he turned to their teacher’s direction. That simple gesture wouldn’t make her think of anything weird, would she? He thought. “Ichi-kun.” He heard his long lost nickname. At first he looked out the window, hoping it was a distant cry or something, but he realized it was a voice he just heard this morning. Sharply turning his head to his new seatmate, he saw her looking at their teacher as well. Could it be her? He thought. But how could she? She just moved in. And that nickname… He was astonished to find himself having difficulty continuing this thought. That nickname was a name he has never heard of since that time. He could only stare at her. Classes went on and Ichigo was barely paying attention. Who called him? Or was it him being called? Maybe someone else had the same name as he did? It wasn’t a rare name to begin with. It kept repeating in his mind. Who called him? During lunch break, Yuumi turned her chair to him and looked at him seriously. “I heard it.” She said plainly, but her eyes were gleaming with curiosity. “So?” “What do you mean?” Whenever this silent and weird friend of his started digging into things, she would never stop until she satisfied herself with an answer. “I-chi-kun.” She emphasized each syllable. “I never heard anyone call you that for ages now. I never get to call you that… ever.” She said honestly. “So what are you suggesting? I mean, it could have been anyone.” He tried to get off the subject. “And aren’t you supposed to be with Miko by now?” “Hmph! Changing topic wouldn’t save you from my claws.” She neared her face to his and made sure that he saw the seriousness in her eyes. “But yes! I have to be with my darling. See you later!” And she was off to see her basketball superstar boyfriend with sonic speed. He never failed to surprise him at times. Walking out from everyone’s attention, especially the girls that kept following him. He escaped to go to the school’s old storage room. There was a lake beyond the building’s exit and he was usually killing time here if things were a little too much or off for him. By the time he walked beyond the Do-not-Enter sign at the entrance and beyond the seemingly locked up exit door, he found Yuki on the spot he usually sat, at the old log right beyond the broken portion of the fence. “Karagawa-san?” He didn’t mean to call out on her loud. She was astonished and was brought to her feet. “Takumi-kun?!” She was fidgeting a lot when she saw him. “Please! Please don’t tell anyone I was here and I went beyond the do-not-enter sign and the door that looked like it was locked up, but actually it was not, so I just came out and then I saw this beautiful lake and I thought of staying here while the break was on. So please! Please don’t report me.” She continued on blabbering, holding her hands on her chest, obviously trying to calm herself. “Karagawa-san, if I reported you, wouldn’t I be punished as well?” He asked her, logically. “After all, they’d never know. Everyone believes that this place is haunted.” “I see.” That was all she could reply, relief was not actually evident. Neither of them moved an inch as well. “So why are you here?” “I just want to run away from all their questions, it was starting to become creepy and I couldn’t bear it anymore. I thought of finding a place where I could be alone.” “Oh.” Was all he could say. There was an awkward silence between them. “Umm, Karagawa-san…” he broke the silence. “Call me, Yuki.” She interrupted him. She was blushing very hard as she said those words, but Ichigo could see that she muttered something after she has turned her head away from him, but he couldn’t figure what it was. “Y-yuki-san.” He tried, despite the awkwardness to it. “Just Yuki.” She interrupted again as she hid her face some more. “Yuki.” Ba-dump. His heart skipped a beat as he uttered her name. He covered his mouth and turned his head away a little. Why am I feeling like this all of a sudden? We just met, on top of that. He cleared his throat before continuing. “Have you been here before? Your name sounds really familiar.” Her head rose to see his face and he saw tears fall slowly. “You remembered?” She said with delight to her tone. “What?” Remembered what? “Maybe you have mistaken me with someone else. I don’t recall forgetting anything in my life.” Have I? With his answer, she took a step back. “Yes, maybe. Maybe I took you for someone. I am sorry.” The wind blew past them and he could feel its coolness on his skin. Ichi-kun. He heard that name again, but this time, he didn’t know where it comes from. He looked around and saw no one. It was just him and her. “Takumi-san, if it is not too much. Do you mind if I told you a story?” She stood firm on her feet and gathered her courage to move closer to him. Her eyes were shut close and she was anxious to hear his answer. Looking at how she stood right now, Ichigo wanted to laugh at how scared she looked like. She was trembling much worse than she was earlier. Maybe she didn’t notice that she looked like she’d run away any minute now. But he felt like he couldn’t decline her at all. That he wanted to shelter her trembling figure and make her feel that the world was a safe place to live. He could not help paint a gentle smile on his face. His new classmate looked so lost and she wanted to confide with someone, which happened to be him in the moment. “I don’t.” He said, trying to hide his little amusement for her. “Why don’t we take a seat over there and let’s hear that story.” He pointed to the log beside her. The moment he answered she opened her eyes and looked at the log he pointed, and she could not help a smile. Her smile caused his heart to skip a beat again. Who is she? He thought. He looked away and walked to the log before sitting on the middle. She looked at him and sat a little farther from him. When he wasn’t looking, she took the chance to study his profile. The one thing she could never forget after that incident.