Stories That Had Stayed In The Drafts Since

A Forgotten Past [Genshin Impact] 1

Chapter 1 | The First Meeting

How I met her was a core memory. It felt as if it was only yesterday. "Fellow wanderer, this is Fujinuma. She's an adventurer helping out the country," Niwa smiled as he introduced the two. I couldn't look away from her as she smiled at me.

"Hello, I'm Fujinuma Mei. So you're the wanderer! Niwa and the others were talking about you. All good things," she smiled.

I nodded silently as my tongue was twisted. She looked to be my age. Well, I look to be her age. Dark hair, medium complexion of skin, and bright alluring yellow-orange eyes. Her eyes stood out the most and I couldn't help but stare at them.

In the past few months, we got closer as friends. However, I couldn't help but glance at her every time she came into view. Her smile was bright and could rival the sun. Her kindness and benevolence were contagious; it made me help the village when I shouldn't have to.

"You like her, huh?" That snapped me out of it, and I looked at Niwa to see him smirking. "How would you know if you like someone?" I asked.

"Well, you can't help but glance at them," Niwa pointed out. "You think about them every day from when you wake up to when you go to sleep. The biggest sign is they make your heart beat faster than usual," he finished with a smirk.

I furrowed my eyebrows. I am a puppet with no existing heart. There's no way to know now. "However, liking someone is different than loving someone," Niwa mentioned. "What's the difference?" I asked curiously.

"When loving someone, you care deeply about their well-being. You want to express yourself and prioritize their needs. You want to learn more about them. You have fun with them no matter what you guys are doing," he listed.

"The best indicator to know," he smiled at the puppet, "Is that you know you love them. Even those with no hearts can feel love." Those words struck my nonexistent heart, and I felt delighted. To think that I can love was exciting to me.

For the past week, I've decided to try and court her with the help of Niwa. I sent her letters, and she would confrontly give her letter to me the next day. I've tried to play her music, but that made her giggle at my poor attempt and told me it was lovely. Lastly, I've sewn a custom bag just for her, seeing as she travels a lot.

It lifted my spirits to know that she reciprocated my efforts. She would always visit Tatarasuna solely to see me. She gave me souvenirs all over Inazuma and delivered them if ever she couldn't come to Tatarasuna. Reading her precious affectionate words doesn't compare to when we are together.

As a symbol of my love, I sent her my golden feather and asked if I may pursue her. I got worried as there wasn't a reply. I was left alone. According to Dottore, I was betrayed by my own family and village as Fujinuma was away. I wandered and was shocked to see her again. She had my feather around her neck as a pendant and looked out of breath as she found me, holding onto a tree trunk as she looked at me.

"There you are," she muttered. I miss her voice. I stepped back as she got closer, and she reached a hand to me. I held her hand, and she got closer to me than before. "I'm sorry. I didn't write back because I feel it would be more meaningful if I did this in person," she mentioned, holding a small box for me.

My eyes widen to find a majestic pink pearl after opening it. "Likewise, I would love to be with you," she said with a smile. "I've heard that all of the people in Tatarasuna disappeared. I'm sorry. I wasn't there-" I hugged her intimately, gripping the box tightly. "I don't want you to disappear either," I muttered, resting my head on her shoulder.

I felt her hug me back and kiss my forehead. She placed her hand on my cheek to make me look at her. Our faces were so close that I could feel her breath. I'm once again allured by her eyes. "Is it ok if I...?" I asked, feeling the urge to have her lips on mine. I looked at them and they were naturally reddish pink. "You may." That was when I felt in bliss.