Fruits Basket Again

Part 1

                     I woke up crying one day. I've done it before only today... this was different. That was when the feelings started. I felt alone and a sense of missing someone. I don't know who it was or why, but I felt as if I knew them... as if I had always known them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sat looking out the window waiting for class to start. "Hey Kiki!" Since my name isn't Japanese,
my friends will call me by nicknames. Kiki has been the most popular one. I don't mind. I looked over at them "Were going to go down to the new moon festival tonight. Want to come?" Haruhi asks. I shook my head "I can't. I have to work tomorrow morning." She whined as the others joined her "Yeah but that's tomorrowwwww. I'm asking about today!" I shrugged "I don't know what to tell you." The others chimed in "Yeah but it's Tsukimi's birthday! You can't miss that." I paused looking at Tsukimi's hopeful expression. "... is it really?" She started squirming uncomfortably "Well yeah it is... I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I know you're usually so busy and when you're not busy you're tired, so I didn't want to bother you with it" I sighed. "You're not bothering me. I would have gotten you something.... I'm sorry I forgot" She smiled widely "Awe its ok. You're never good with stuff like that." I cocked my head to the side and furrowed my brows "What?" Haruhi stuck up a finger "Yeah that's true. I can't expect Kiki to remember a date or anything for that matter" I gasped "What?! Y-Yes I do- I mean! I am good at it!" Yuri chimed in with her arms crossed in a vacant expression "She's right. Last week you forgot which bus you take every day." I crossed my arms "Leave me alone would ya!?" Haruhi ruffled my hair "It's a good thing you're pretty Kiki. Pretty people can get away with being clueless." Yuri picked up a piece of my hair "Honestly how can a foreigner have such a deep black hair. Are you sure you're not Japanese?" I grabbed it back quickly "STOP TOUCHING IT!" Everyone started giggling and there was a pause before Tsukimi said "I'm gonna miss you guys..." I uncrossed my arms and we all looked at her before Yuri grabbed her in a hug "Oh!! We aren't dead! We just will be true adults." Haruhi leaned against me "Yeah we just won't see each other every day. Thats not a bad thing. Sometimes we need breaks." "WILL YOU GET OFF OF ME!?" I said pushing her away. She leaned forward and looked away. Her tone turned serious "I assumed we would all live together after we graduated." Yuri scoffed "Why would you think that? We're not in high school." Tsukimi smiled "I guess I kind of thought it too." I just stared at them. As much fun as that sounds... there's something I'm missing, and I can't commit to anywhere until I find it. I'm not sure where to go but ever since I had that dream, I knew I had to come to Japan. Now that I'm here, I don't know where to go. Tsukimi took my hand "It's ok if you can't make it to my birthday party. I know you have important plans, and I don't want to stand in the way of them." I looked down at her hand before taking it to "Ok I'll be there." Tsukimi smiled and picked up my hand "Thank you!" Yuri rolled her eyes "You're so soft when it comes to Tsukimi" Haruhi laughed and grabbed our hands "I know like what is this" I looked at her with a vacant expression "This is our love" I pulled my hand away and slapped Haruhi's "Hands off" Haruhi jumped back "Oh yeah I can tell." Our professor entered the room and everyone dissipated to their seat. I guess I won't be getting a lot of sleep tonight. I was going to be tired regardless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walked up to the entrance of the park. The lights of the festival lit up the area brightly. I reached into my pocket to grab my flip to give Tsukimi a call. She answered "Hey! Are you here?" I looked around "Yep. Outside." I hear her talking to someone then back to me "Ok we are getting squid on a stick!! Can you find us?" I began to walk "Sure I'll see you there" "Thanks!" And she hung up. I looked into the little gift bag in my hand. I hope she likes it. I walked and walked until I found them. They were all dressed in yukata. When Tsukimi turned to see me, her face lit up. She waved and it made me smile. I made my way over "Hey." I said. The rest of them turned around to me and looked shocked. Haruhi said "What are you wearing!" I looked down "Clothes" Yuri gestured to me "Why do you look homeless" I cocked an eyebrow "Um I dont ok." Haruhi laughs "Only Kiki would come to a festival like that. Americans are such homebody's." I raised a fist "Dont even Haruhi. I'm not gonna show up in cosplay" Haruhi held her hands up defensively "It's not cosplay but ok" Yuri stepped towards me "You at least could have worn something with less holes in it." I looked down at my gray hoodie. Yes, there were holes in it, but it was designed like that. I liked it. "It's called 'calculated tears'" Haruhi took a big bite of her squid "Well you'll never find a man like that" she said through her chews. My face twisted in disgust "Neither will you chewing like that" She looked around and began wiping her face "You think so?" I held out my gift to Tsukimi, who in turn gave a surprised expression. "...Happy Birthday" She took it and smiled "Wow... thanks Kiki." She pulled out a charm bracelet "Aweeeee Kiki! It's so cute! Did you make this?" I smiled "Yes I did. Sorry I didn't have much time..." She inspected it "It's a friendship bracelet, right?" I nodded. She lunged over and hugged me "Thank you so much" Haruhi smiled "So I will be expecting mine in the mail then?" I pointed a finger gun at her "Yeah. You still live in Timbuktu, right?" She giggled. I let go of her hug and that's when... I felt it. That feeling. The same feeling as that morning. The girls all started talking to each other and I began to look around past the crowds of people. A tear poked out from my eye as I scanned until I saw him. There was someone staring back at me. It felt like we were the only ones in the world. Just me and him. In an instant I recognized his face from my dream, the dream that I forgot, but it was his face. He held an expression like he knew me.. only he wasn't shocked like I was. His gaze moved to my friends and then back to me before he began walking into the crowd down the way. I couldn't let him get away. I touched Tsukimi's shoulder "Hey I'm gonna be right back." She looked confused "Oh-Uh- Ok" and I quickly walked on. I moved through the crowd of people trying to find him. He was tall and had light brown hair. In Japan that should be easy to spot. I felt that feeling growing distant but the hold it had on me made me chase it faster. Then, someone grabbed my shoulder. My eyes weld up with tears as I look over my shoulder "Wow you have beautiful hair. Surprising for a foreigner." There he was. That guy. I was stopped in place with tears in my eyes staring only inches from him. I didn't know what to say. I was speechless. He smiled "Don't worry." He took his hand and caught a tear from my cheek "This has happened to all of them." He looked around at the people. "We better move you. Wouldn't want any accidents in this crowd." I blinked the tears from my eyes and looked puzzled "W-what?" He pulled me into his chest and said "Don't worry."