Uncover the Blurred Memory

Chapter 2- The Suspicion of Moments

Kyoko woke up with sweat all over her face. She covered her head with her palms and started to panic. The door of her bedroom opened and her grandfather came running. He rubbed her back comforting her-"Are you okay, Kyoko?"

Kyoko looked at her grandfather. He had a worried and concerned look. She thought at once- 'God, what was I doing? I can't forget that grandpa has heart problems and how can I make him feel worried? I don't want to be the reason for his bad health.'

She said at once-"I-it's nothing, ojiisan. I just had an n-nightmare."

Her grandfather looked at her with a doubtful look and said- "Are you sure, san? Because it's the 100th time when I see you panicking."

Kyoko shook her head and said- "I am really fine. Don't worry like this."

He looked at her and stood up- "Okay then, your breakfast is ready and we have enough time to talk about yesterday." He patted my back and left.

Kyoko's POV-

I rested my palm on my left chest feeling its heartbeat and thought- "That was too close. I should be more careful next time. But all the time I have these nightmares...why?" She got down from her bed and slid the curtains from her window, "Who is that girl of my dream? She looks just like me. Who were those 4 people with blurry faces...and who was that guy?"

I went outside after getting ready. I found grandpa waiting for me on Kotatsu. I joined him too. I started eating my food when grandpa started the conversation- "How was your school? Do you like it?"

I said- "Well, seriously if you want to know, I will be honest. These schools are way better than town schools. The town schools contain worthless and meant people. They act weird to newbies. But this school was different. The teachers were too friendly and the students were very good and kinda formal which I liked."

Grandpa chuckled softly- "I see, you love this school. Well, have you made any friends?"

I smiled widely this time and replied- "Not officially, but I met two girls. One is my bench mate, Fumiko. She is very good and angelic. Second is my clubmate, Aoi. She was like my type and flawless."

Grandpa smirked and said- "I am glad about it though. What about a 'boy'?"

His face made me too confused and chock the food. I said with a heavy uncontrollable blush- "I-I didn't." The level of my blush increased as the thought of the black hair boy popped up in my mind.

I said immediately- "I-I am getting late, see you." and ran out of the cottage. I realized that grandpa also followed me outside and screamed that- "But it's not the time for school, Hahaha."

Sometimes my grandpa makes me feel embarrassed by his words. I ran until the main road came across. I looked at my wristwatch. It was 6:30 a.m. I looked here and there. But very suddenly I went into shock. It was Fumiko with a black hair boy. I didn't know but I became upset seeing them together. I thought them to date. So I just turned my back to them out of anxiety when I heard a loud voice- "Oh, wait! Is that Kyoko?"

I realized that they were going to approach me. They did so too. Then I turned around to face them. I made a forced smile. That boy was also looking at me. Fumiko quickly asked me- "Wow you are quick today. Well here, meet Kanzaki Tanaka, my friend from the group list."

I sighed in relief as her answer made my mind clear that they were just friends. But I didn't know why that happened. He and I looked at each other.

He said- "Hi. I know you. You sit right near me. You are Kyoko right?"

I smiled and said- "Nice to meet you."

He reached his hand out to shake mine. But when we did so I felt an electric wave through my body. I couldn't stop blushing. His lips curled upward.

Then Fumiko offered me to join them on the way to school. I accepted her offer. I was in the middle and they both were by my side.

Fumiko: "The last few exams were so tough. But even though you aced Kanzaki!."

Kanzaki: "Thanks. Kyoko, why did you join the school in the middle of the year?"

Me: "Um... I am transferred in here because of some family issues."

They both kept on looking at me. Fumiko said- "What issues...?"

I turned to her and said with a broken heart- "M-my father...left me..."

Kanzaki said nothing but was looking into my eyes. I could realize that he was a pity for me.

I said- "But, my grandpa takes great care of me. S-so I have nothing to worry about...right?..."

Fumiko patted my shoulder and said- "If it is the truth, why don't you join us? You need friends dear."

I felt very comfortable. But still, I looked at Kanzaki once. He was smiling, indicating that he wants me to be his friend too. So I looked back at Fumiko and said- "I want friends. So I will love to accept you all as my friends."

She hugged me. I hugged her back. But to my surprise, my mind was continuously told that this hug was not my first hug with her. I had felt this essence of a hug before too. But I couldn't connect at all. Fumiko pulled in and smiled. I also wiped my thoughts back.

Fumiko said- "We have more friends to join us."

I looked in the direction she was looking at. It was...Aoi and two more boys. Aoi looked at me in surprise.

She said- "K-Kyoko?" and looked at Fumiko and Kanzaki.

Fumiko said- "You both met?"

Aoi and I said together-"Yes, I met her." and looked at each other. Then we both laughed together because we said that so together.

Fumiko laughed as well and said- "Kyoko, meet Yuki Taiga and Shizuki Hiroshi. You both meet Kyoko."

Both boys smiled and shook my hand one by one with a 'Hello'.

Kanzaki interrupted though- "Guys, what about a visit to the hill station altogether? You will join, right, Kyoko?.."

I couldn't say 'No' at all seeing such an expectation of Kanzaki and ...all.

We all went to school together. The classes went on smoothly. The teachers were very friendly.

We met near the entrance at the end of the school hours. We waved to each other and laughed. Hiroshi shouted- "Let's go!!"

We waved our hands upward and went off for the visit.

We went to the corners of the hill station. We enjoyed the day eating, laughing, talking, and playing together. I felt like my heart was too contended to have my new and perhaps... long-lasting friends.

But still times I could feel that I had been connected with such moments before too.

I looked at the sunset standing on the bridge. Others were laughing and talking. But I felt peace and the breeze of the nearby river waved my hair.

But suddenly I became distracted when Kanzaki joined me. He looked at me and smiled. I also looked at him with butterflies in my stomach and blushes on my cheeks. I looked back at the sunset with peace in my mind...

"That day was distracting me all the time with the thoughts that I knew them all for a long time. But I couldn't connect them. But Kanzaki even though we couldn't recognize each other made me want for the day to have no end." - Ikari Yoshiko