Thank you all for waiting! Here is Part 1 of 3!
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Part 1Jurina’s POVFlashback, 2 years ago…“Rena...”
I stood in front of her, looking in her eyes. I saw she was fighting her tears, trying to force a smile for me. Rena, even if you are an actress, you can’t hide anything from me.
“Promise you’ll come back. That you won’t forget me.”
“Jurina, I could never forget you.”
She pulled me in for a hug, holding my head. I buried my face in her shoulder, I didn’t even try to hold back my tears, not for Rena. I’ve shown her almost every side of me, over the time we spent together, we were like sisters.
“I’ll definitely come back, no matter what.”
“Please do, it’s gotten lonelier without you in SKE.” I broke away. “Be sure to mention us when you win that Academy Award.”
She giggled. “I will. I’ll mention you, Churi, and everyone. And I’ll also be sure to pick up a souvenir from England.”
I nodded, wiping away my tears. She patted my head and kissed my forehead.
“Ah, right,” I pulled out two small boxes in my purse, one with a blue ribbon, one with a red one. I gave Rena the one with the red ribbon and told her, “Open it.”
She looked at me confused a bit, but then she untied the ribbon and opened the box. She pulled out what was inside, a necklace, with a “J” letter charm. My “J”.
“Jurina...”
I reached up and wrapped the necklace around her neck. When she turned around, I then unwrapped my box and pulled out the necklace I had. The charm that dangled down was an “R” charm. Rena’s “R”.
“It’ll be like we each have a part of each other with us,” I said as I hooked the necklace onto me. “Make sure you always have it around your neck.”
“Alright.”
She gave me one last, long hug before we said our final goodbyes and she left.
End of flashbackOne year after graduation, Rena had gotten the biggest offer in her career. A lead role in a film in England. It’s been two years since I felt her last kiss, and watched her plane fly into the sky, far away from me.
I know that working on a movie is long, especially in a foreign country, but time and time again, I worry. I hope she’s okay, and… if she’s thinking about me. I pondered that thought as I held my “R” necklace.
“Matsui-san.” My manager called for me as I snapped out of my thoughts. “It’s time to start.”
“Yes sir.”
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Meanwhile…Third Person POVSomewhere in England, a doctor was going over a few of his notes when one of his nurses came in.
“Dr. Green, it’s time for Miss Sandy’s checkup,” she said.
“Oh, thank you, Beatrice. I’ll go see her now,” he said with a smile as he got up from his desk.
The doctor left his office and walked down the halls of the hospital, greeted by his fellow patients and other doctors and nurses. He went up the elevator to the third floor and continued walking until he reached Room 309.
Knocking on the door, he slowly entered the room and saw a young patient sitting at her bed while eating her lunch. She smiled as she saw him and sat down her spoon.
“Hi, Mr. Green.”
“Sandy, I see you’re enjoying lunch.” He said as he sat down. “How are you feeling today?”
“I’m good.”
“And your little trip yesterday, did that help clear your head?”
“Yes. I went to the library and drew a picture of one of these book covers,” she pulled out her notebook and opened up to a page with a beautiful rose on it.
“You’re quite talented.”
“Thank you. I also bought this at a gift shop,” she pulled out a small keychain with an Eiffel Tower charm. “I thought it was cute and just had to buy it.”
He smiled. “Did it help you remember anything?”
“Hmm...” She stared at the dangling charm. “I feel like… I may have been to Paris once. I don’t remember when, but I have this strong feeling I have. I went and saw the Eiffel Tower and…”
“Here, I brought you a souvenir from Paris!” Sandy saw herself handing a small keychain with an Eiffel Tower charm to someone. A girl. She didn’t find the girl familiar, but when she saw her smile, her heart felt warm.
“Uwaa~ I’m so happy! Thank you, ****!”Sandy sat down the keychain and looked down.
“I keep seeing visions of her, even when I’m still awake. I don’t know what the dreams mean, I don’t know who she is, but I feel like… I’ve known her my entire life.”
“This girl… what does she look like?”
“She changes appearance. Sometimes, she has short hair. Other times, it’s long. And, she always looks at me with a smile, and would always hug me and hold my hand. I could tell she was someone I was close to, and she made me feel happy to be around.”
“And do you see anyone else in your dreams?”
“I see other people with us, but I can’t see their faces or hear their voices, but whenever I see them, I feel...”
Sandy groaned as she held her head. Dr. Green placed his hand on her back and patted her shoulder.
“It’s okay, Sandy. I know it’s hard.”
“Yes, but… ever since the accident, the only memory I’ve ever clearly remembered is her. No one else, nothing. I still don’t even know who I am.”
“Don’t worry. In time, you’ll regain your memories.”
“But.. what if I don’t?”
“Now, let’s not think about that. If we focus on all the bad stuff, we cannot move forward,” the doctor patted her head. “Take your medicine after eating and get some rest. I’ll see you this evening.”
“Okay.”
After Dr. Green left, Sandy finished her lunch and took a few pills before lying in her bed, staring at the window. She thought deeply about who the girl in her dreams could be, trying to find the piece that fits together in her mind, but to no avail.
Not more than half a year ago, she was involved in a car accident. In a miracle, she had survived with only a head concussion, and due to this, she had lost her memories. She was given the temporary name, Sandy, which might has well have become her new name, since she can’t remember her old one.
Every now and then, she would have flashbacks that seemed incomplete, and has collapsed several times due to the brain trauma, but of all the memories that have played in her head, the only clear ones that are even close to being complete are the ones of her and that girl. She never heard her voice say her name, and she couldn’t recognize her own voice when she tried to say the girl’s; all of it came out as silence or distorted sound. But she knew for sure, this girl was surely someone important to her.
“Will I ever remember…?” she thought to herself as she pulled out a small necklace around her neck. She had it on ever since the accident, and it was the only clue she had to who she used to be.
A small chain necklace, with a “J” letter charm dangling down.
“Who’s ‘J’?”---------------------------------------
Jurina’s POV“Jurina-chan,” Masana tapped my shoulder as we sat at the cafe side by side. I must’ve been staring off into space again, because she was giving a look that told me I wasn’t listening.
“What?”
“I was asking how your career as an actress is. Even though you still have work in SKE, you’re really making a name for yourself in the acting world.”
“It’s something I want to do,” I said with a smile before eating the spaghetti in front of me.
“Rena would be proud.”
When she said her name, I put the fork down.
“Masana…” I spoke in a softer voice.
“Hm?”
“Do you think… Rena forgot about me?”
I looked and saw Masana giving me a worried expression. But then, she softly gave a sad smile.
“Jurina, don’t talk like that. You know Rena loves you too much to ever forget you. Nothing could make her...”
“I know, but...”
She patted my head. “Don’t worry. This is Matsui Rena we’re talking about. You’ll see. When she comes back from England, she’ll be there at the airport waiting for you with open arms.”
Jurina then smiled. “Thank you, Masana.”
“By the way, I watched your dorama yesterday. You were really beautiful.”
“Thank you. How’s things for you, by the way?”
“Good. The other doctors and nurses at the hospital I work at treat me very nice. But, I still miss you and the others.”
“I miss you guys, too… Churi just graduated, you, Rena… All of you have started your future.”
Meanwhile, I’m still here…It seems that, even though I have so many kouhai now, I shouldn’t feel lonely, but being the last 1st gen member left, and Rena still somewhere in Europe, I still feel like I’m alone. I gripped my “R” necklace as I thought about Rena.
Maybe she’s thinking about me, too… right at this moment. Thinking about how so many of the members have gone to pursue their own futures, and I stay, carrying a heavy burden. Almost no one sees it, though, just how much I truly struggle. Maybe, right now, she’s thinking about how childish I was towards her, how I’d always cling to her and act spoiled, or how she would comfort me when I was broken down…
Rena saw every part of me… Yeah.. I doubt she’d forget.
“As expected of the super-idol, Matsui Jurina~” Masana said. “....They say. Hehehe.”
I chuckled. “Thanks for meeting me today, Masana. I knew you would cheer me up.”
“Anytime.”
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Back in England...Third Person POVThat evening, Sandy spent most of her time alone in her room, reading over the journal she kept. She was trying to piece together the fragments of her memories, trying to solve the puzzle of her amnesia and remember who she was.
But nothing was coming to her. She knew next to nothing about her past or who she used to be before the accident. She closed the book and sighed. However, she opened it up and turned to a page which she had doodle on when she was deep in thought. It was a drawing of the girl she always saw clearly in her memories.
“Raven black locks of hair, at times long, at times cut short. Dark chocolate brown eyes that shined like starlight when she was happy, and seemed easy to get lost into. A smile brighter than the sun, which can also give a very feral cat-like smirk. A child-like face, with a beautiful voice, at times mature, and at times childish…”She could describe that girl in pages and pages of her journal. But, she didn’t know her name. If she remembered, she would find the girl, see her, and see if it gave her any clues at all as to her lost memories.
“If only.. I remembered…”Just then, Dr. Green came in and greeted Sandy with a smile. She also saw a young man she didn’t recognize.
“Good evening, Sandy.”
“Good evening.”
“Let me introduce you to someone,” he gestured to the young man. “This is Alexander. He’s a psychiatrist and a good friend of mine. I asked him to come over to help with your problem.”
She shook Alexander’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. I’ve already been informed on the situation. You can’t remember anything about your life following the accident half a year ago, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And how recovery been going? Remember anything?”
“No… my only clue is this girl I keep seeing in the visions. I don’t remember who she is, but something about her is… familiar.”
“Other than that, you can’t recall anything else?” She shook her head in response. “Hmm… the reason for this could be psychological. Perhaps there’s some special connection to this one girl that has allowed your subconscious to remember her clearly.”
“Do you think I’ll ever remember her..?”
“That’s why I’m here. I believe I can help you tap into that subconscious memory so you can remember this person.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes. Sandy, are you familiar with hypnotism?” Sandy shook her head. “It’s a process used by some psychiatrists such as myself. It can be used to help patients in various ways.”
He then pulled out a pendant and held it out in front of the girl.
“Using this method, we can recover those memories you lost.”
“Can you.. really..?” Sandy stared at the crystal instantly mesmerized by its shining, glimmering beauty.
“Yes. Do you trust me to do this, Sandy? Trust is key to this.”
With that, Sandy nodded.
“Good. Now stare into the crystal. I don’t want you to be stressed, just relax and don’t worry about anything else.”
Sandy simply nodded and stared into the shining crystal.
“Just focus on the crystal and let your eyes follow it as it slowly starts to sway,” as he said that, he moved the pendant to start it swinging. “Don’t look away from it, just keep staring and let your body relax.”
Sandy simply let her arms rest in her lap, staring into the crystal. The shimmer in her eyes captivated her even more.
“Relax, let your mind slowly relax. Slowly, very slowly, your body becomes so heavy. You feel so heavy, your mind becoming cloudy in a haze. Second by second, your eyes begin to grow heavy…”
As he spoke each word, Sandy suddenly felt dizzy. Her eyelids fluttered as she began having trouble to keep focus on the crystal. Her vision started to blur and she couldn’t think or move.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe, there’s no need to fret. Let your eyes close and rest. Sleep. Sleep…”
With those last words echoing in her head, Sandy’s eyes shut and she gently fell back onto the bed.
“Good. Now, I want you to let yourself relax even deeper. Let your body become as light as a feather. Your mind slowly turns back the hands of time. One month, half a year, one year… farther and farther into the past. Back to that moment, back to when you saw her.”
Indeed, as he said, the girl was seeing herself walking in a familiar place. The streets were busy with people, all walking around a certain building. She saw something written on the front of a building; a title with a name, but she had trouble reading it out.
“Tell me what you see right now,” Alex spoke.
Sandy’s voice softly replied, “I see… I’m in a crowded street somewhere… and.. there’s a building in front of me… there’s a sign… letters...”
“What letters?”
“S...K...E… and the number 48.”
Alex wrote the details down in his notes.
“I want you to think of when you saw this girl you described. Do you see her?”
At that, the vision changed and Sandy was now seeing the dream girl in front of her, her bright smile shining as she looked over to her.
“I see her.”
“What are you two doing right now?”
“I.. I’m in a school… she’s looking at me, and.. that smile… that bright, warm smile… I see the two of us riding together on a bicycle.. she’s holding me… and.. now it’s nighttime… the two of us are looking at the stars…”
She felt so happy in this memory. She had never seen the stars so close; she felt like she could touch them.
“And where is this? Where are you looking at them from?”
“Somewhere high… A tower…”
He scribbled down the words. “Try to remember something else. Something more recent.”
Sandy’s mind now saw herself at the beach. There were many people here, all smiling at her. But… something was wrong. Some of them were crying. No, not some. Almost all of them were. And that included the one girl…
The one she always saw in her visions, the one who always had a smile… was now broken down in tears in front of her. That precious smile that warmed her heart was gone, and the girl looked heartbroken.
“Thank you…” she spoke.
“Sandy, what is she doing now?”
“She… she’s crying… I don’t know why, but…”
Before she could continue, Sandy now saw herself at an airport, the same girl in front of her. She didn’t look as bad as the last memory, but she was still crying.
“Promise me you’ll come back… that you won’t forget me.”“I… I left her…” Sandy started to piece the puzzle together. In realization, tears started to form and stream down her face. “She’s all alone… I need to find her again…”
Here, Alexander asked the most important question.
“What is her name?”
Sandy’s heart was already pounding. Flashes of the girl kept overflowing her mind. Her smiles, her tears, everything. It was all too much and she couldn’t take it. Then, she heard her own voice.
“Jurina, I could never forget you.”“Jurina!” Her eyes snapped open as she woke up, sitting up from the bed.
She breathed in sharply, her mind still racing from the sudden intake of memories.
“Are you okay, Miss Sandy?”
Sandy looked down at the necklace she had been gripping onto. The J imprinted on her hand.
“Jurina… that’s what ‘J’ stands for.”
“Jurina?” Alex repeated.
“I have to find her. She needs me!”
“Now, calm down,” Dr. Green spoke. “Sandy… you remember who she is, don’t you?”
“Not clearly yet… but, now I know her name. And I know what she looks like! I drew a picture of her, I can find her!”
“May we see it?”
“Yes, here,” Sandy pulled out her notebook and showed them the picture. “Please, find her… I need to see her again.”
“I know.”
The two took the notebook and walked out of the room.
“Get some sleep now. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dr. Green said before closing the door.
Sandy sat there, still holding her necklace. She turned off the lamp at her side and leaned back, lying down where she could face the night sky. In her mind, she repeated Jurina’s name over and over, every moment of her, every scene replaying in her head.
“Jurina… you were special to me. Why did I let you go?”
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“Here she is,” Alex and Green looked as the face of the girl Rena had perfectly described and drawn down in her notepad appeared on the computer screen.
“Jurina Matsui. Member of popular Japanese idol group, SKE48. Age: 21. Has been active member of both SKE and sister group, AKB, for almost ten years, and is SKE’s centering member.”“Japan? Interesting. I thought there was something foreign about Sandy’s looks.”
“This,” Alex then noticed a certain picture of Jurina when she was younger.
Standing beside her, in a similar outfit Jurina was wearing, was the exact reflection of Sandy.
“That’s her, alright.”
Alex clicked a link and read more of the info.
“For 7 years, along with Jurina, former member Rena Matsui has centered the group as two of the most essential members, until Rena’s graduation in 2015.”“Rena. That’s her real name.”
“Wait… this is…” Alex scrolled down.
“After graduation, Rena pursued her career as an actress. However, after going away for a movie project in England, she became missing in action.”“Oh God…” Green covered his mouth.
“Sandy, no.. Rena. We need to tell her who she really is.”
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Flashback“The patient’s in critical condition!”
“Get her to the ER immediately! Charge up the defibrillator!”
The doctors placed Rena on the bed, the girl struggling to breathe and her heart weakly beating.
“Come on, stay with us,” Dr. Green was saying to the patient. “Is the defibrillator charged?! Hurry!”
“Yes sir! Here!” The nurse handed him the two handles. He placed them against Rena’s chest.
“Clear!”
A shock hit Rena’s body, but there was no change. Her heart was slowly down more as small, weak groans escaped the girl’s lips.
“Charge it up higher!”
“Yes sir!”
He tried three more times, panic running throughout the room. Rena was at her wits end, her voice dying down as her heart rate nearly stopped completely. The heart monitor started to flat-line.
“Don’t you quit on me! Higher!”
“But--”
“I’m not giving up! This girl… she surely has someone who loves her! We can’t lose her! Now stand back!”
We charged it to its highest setting. This was their last hope.
“CLEAR!!!”
With one last shot, Rena’s body jolted and her heart jumped. Her heartbeat slowly returned to normal.
No one saw, but through Rena’s closed eyes, a tear fell…
….
Rena’s eyes slowly opened in the hospital room. She looked around, confused. She didn’t know where she was or what she was doing, tangled thoughts spinning in her head.
“You’re up!” The nurse ran in, relieved seeing the patient awake, “Thank goodness. You’ve been asleep for three days.”
Rena didn’t speak. She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t find the words.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Rena simply nodded.
“I’m going to get the doctor. If there’s any problems, you can--” Before the nurse could leave, Rena suddenly grabbed her wrist. “What’s the matter?”
Rena looked at her like a lost child and spoke in a soft voice.
“Who am I..?”
End of Flashback-----------------------------------
The next day...“Rena?”
“Yes,” Dr. Green handed Rena the photo of herself and Jurina together. “That is your real name. This is who you really are.”
The moment she saw the photo, touching the small piece of paper, a rush of memories flowed into Rena. Memories of her and Jurina, together, dancing and singing. Jurina’s smile was brighter than she had ever seen before, with her and Rena on stage.
Rena felt like crying. Even though she had known for so long now she had suffered from amnesia, she found it unbelievable that she could forget such memories.
“She’s a member of a music group. And apparently, so were you. But you left to work on your acting career. When you came here, you must’ve been doing a movie project, and then you got in the accident.”
“So that’s what happened…” Rena’s fingers lightly touched the photo. “I have to go back now… I need to tell her I’m okay.”
“We’re already on that,” Alex then came in, along with one of the nurses, carrying a few cardboard boxes. “We found the apartment you lived in when you were here and gathered your things.”
“We also had these from the accident. We didn’t know who they belonged to, so we kept them just in case. Guess we should’ve known by the picture.”
Rena giggled. “You should’ve told me earlier.”
“Forgive me.”
“Here,” Alex handed Rena a book. It was a book for translating English into Japanese. “Just in case you need to re-learn the language.”
She opened it up and looked at one of the pages.
“A… ai.. aishiteru…” she read aloud. “Da.. daisuki…”
“Rena-chan~ aishiteru yo~”
“Jurina! Stop, it’s embarrassing!”
“But it’s true! I love you!”“Jurina no koto ga daisuki…”
Even Rena was a little shocked she was able to say that. Looks like Japanese wasn’t going to be a problem for her.
“Once you’re discharged, Alexander and I will arrange one-way plane tickets straight to Japan. You have no reason to worry, Rena. We’ll get you back there and back to her.”
“And I’ll finally remember…” Rena clutched the necklace.
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Meanwhile in Japan...“Sae-san!” Jurina walked up to the tall girl as she left the agency building.
“Hisashiburi, Jurina-chan!” Sae hugged her kouhai. “Ah~ The whole day off, and I’m getting to spend it with my former fellow member! I’m really excited!”
“C’mon, let’s go.”
The two started walking together through the streets of Tokyo. Today was a rare occasion that they both had a day off at the same time. Especially since Sae had graduated and had begun focusing in her work in theatre.
“How’s Sayaka-san doing, by the way?”
“She’s great. She just got back from shooting in America.”
“I knew she’d make it big internationally. Plus, she has Sae as such a nice girlfriend. Ah~ it’s making me miss Rena again~”
“Mou. No pouting faces, kay?” Sae squished the girl’s cheek. “We’re gonna be happy today. Right?”
Jurina giggled. “Un!”
“Yosh! Jyaa… what shall we do first?”
“Hmm, sou ne~...” Jurina looked around and saw a purikura machine in front of the local arcade. “Ah! How bout purikura?”
“OK~”
The two walked over to the purikura booth and stepped inside.
“Hai! Pose~”
The two made a few poses in front of the camera, hearing the shutter go off each time. After the photos were taken, they stepped out and started to look through all the photos, adding little decorations and stickers to them.
However, as they were doing this, Jurina suddenly remembered when she and Rena once did a purikura together. She remembered hugging Rena and trying to steal a kiss from her while the camera went off and caught the moment on the screen. She remembered putting hearts and pink sparkles around them and writing out “WMatsui Date” in pink writing.
Those memories made Jurina lose her focus and was staring off into space, thinking of Rena. Sae saw the girl was not with the world at the moment and shook her shoulder lightly.
“Jurina~”
“H-Huh?”
“Hey, you okay?”
“Oh, yeah.. sorry, I guess I’m a little sleepy.”
“Mou, I thought I told you to get some rest every once in awhile.”
“Gomen ne, senpai,” Jurina giggled.
“Ah~ I’m hungry now. Let’s go eat, I’ll pay.”
“Eh?! Really?”
“Un! Anything for my precious kouhai.”
“Yatta! Arigato!”
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Rena was now at the airport, about to board the plane to Japan. She felt rather nervous as she was going back to her hometown, even when it was so unfamiliar to her.
Ever since she found out who she really was, she began researching the group called “SKE48”. She looked up different pictures and videos, and a lot of them included herself and Jurina. When she saw herself performing on stage during a concert, it didn’t even look like she was that same person. She couldn’t believe that this was the girl she used to be.
After she got her tickets and waited to board her flight, she then saw a gift shop nearby. Something clicked in her head…
“I’ll also be sure to pick up a souvenir from England.”“A souvenir…”
She walked into the gift shop and started looking for some things she could get Jurina as a souvenir.
“What would Jurina like?”
As she was looking through all the little trinkets, she happened upon a small music box, painted to look like the starry sky. On the front was the message “I love you more than the moon, the sun, and the stars” in gold writing. She opened it up and saw a sun and a moon, spinning around as a gentle melody played.
[Listen:
]
Rena smiled. “Beautiful…”
“You always say that I am like the sun and you’re the moon. But, to me, Rena is the sun, and I am the moon.”“Jurina…” Rena closed the music box and held it close. “She’d love it.”
She took it up to the counter and got the present wrapped up. She paid for the music box and took the present with her, looking at her watch. She saw it was time and made her way through security check.
“You going to hold that?” The guard asked, pointing at the wrapped gift.
“Yes, sir.”
“Alright. Go on ahead.”
After her luggage was loaded on, Rena made her way to the gates. She handed in her tickets and got in line to board the plane.
“That a gift for a special someone?” Someone behind her asked. She turned and saw a young man with blonde hair.
“Oh, yes. It is.”
“Your boyfriend must be pretty lucky.”
“Wha-? N-no..!” Rena blushed. “I don’t have a boyfriend! ..Well, I don’t think I do. But, this isn’t for my boyfriend. It’s for a girl… and a friend. I’m going back to my home to see her.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re a Japan local, too.”
“Too?”
The man held out his hand. “I’m Naito. I’m from Fukuoka.”
Rena shook his hand. “Rena.”
“So, Rena, what was your stay at England like? Care to tell me what brought you here?”
“Well, to be completely honest, I don’t remember much…”
“Eh? Why?”
“I got in an accident half a year ago… Now I can barely remember anything.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m just going back home to remember who I am. My only clue is a girl I’ve seemed to have known for a long time. I’m going to see her and see if she can help me regain my memory.”
“Well, I wish you luck then, Rena. And, I hope she likes the gift, whatever it is.”
Rena chuckled. “It’s a music box. And thank you, Naito.”
“You’re welcome, and once again, good luck in your endeavors.”
Once the gates open, everyone started boarding the plane. Rena got on and sat down in the most comfortable seat she could find. Once she was all settled in, she took out her Japanese-language book and started going over a few basic phrases.
“Attention, please,” the flight announcements began. “Welcome to Flight 017 to Nagoya, Japan. Your flight will begin shortly.”
Rena fastened her seatbelt as she felt the plane start to move. Not too long after, she felt the entire plane being lifted off the ground. She looked out the window and saw the world below grow smaller and farther away as she ascended to the sky.
“Ma’am,” the flight attendant then spoke to her, “if there’s anything you need, let me know.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Rena sat with the music box in her lap. She caressed the wrapping paper with her fingers gently, thinking about when she would find Jurina and give it to her.
“Jurina… just wait. I’m coming back for you right now.”
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That evening, Jurina got back to her hotel room and fell onto the bed, holding her belly.
“That dinner was amazing… Sae-san is so nice.”
After stretching a bit, she started to run a bath and relax in the tub. Feeling a bit in need of more pampering, she put in some soap and made the whole tub a bubble bath. Once in, she could relax and swim in the bubbles, feeling like a kid again. She hummed songs like Coquettish Juutai Chu and Choco no Dorei to herself as she enjoyed her princess-like bath.
“Ah~ kimochii~”
After having the perfect bath, she got out and dried herself off, wrapping her body in a towel as she walked to her phone. She checked a few things on 755 and Twitter, commented on a few cute posts she saw by her fellow members, then after getting changed into some comfy PJs, just scrolling through social media a bit, still humming SKE songs.
She then happened to check Rena’s Twitter, curious to see if she had reappeared on social media since going to England.
“Last update: January 2018”Jurina sighed. “Still nothing…”
She rolled on her back, looking up at the ceiling.
“Where are you, Rena..?”
Jurina’s POV2 years ago, Rena left her home to England. And about half a year ago, she suddenly disappeared from media. Her Twitter and Instagram was dry of fresh updates, no news of her had come out in neither Japan nor England. She went missing in action completely.
At the time, I started to worry and let the anxiety of it get to me. The fear of where Rena might be, if she was okay, or if she would ever come back, ate away at me. Even now, I’ve had my doubts as to whether or not Rena is really still in England. Something terrible could’ve happened… or she might be…
“...No! Don’t think that!” I said, jumping up from the bed. “Rena’s okay, I’m sure of it! She’s going to come back! I just know she will!”
I felt tears fall down my cheeks.
“She… she just has to… I can’t live without her.”
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As the place flew to her destination, Rena relaxed and studied her native language a bit more, starting to remember more of it as she went on. She had a few snacks once in awhile and listened to music or watch a movie every now and then.
Eventually, she started feeling tired and went to sleep with her earbuds in, still playing the music. The melody took her back to distant memories of her past. She was remembering herself and Jurina, from their debut performance, to their first big concert, their TV performances together. Everything was so nostalgic to her.
“Rena!”Rena’s eyes opened a moment. She saw herself at an empty theatre, sitting at the edge of the stage. Jurina was on the other side of the room, running down to her. As Rena stood up, Jurina immediately hugged the older girl.
“J-Jurina… what are you doing here?” she heard her own voice say.
“I had to see you off… just one last time,” Jurina looked up with teary eyes.
“Congratulations on your graduation.”
“Jurina, don’t you have work tomorrow? It’s late--”Rena felt the girl’s hold on her tighten.
“Please… Rena.. just let me have this. Just a little longer…”She felt her lips curve in a smile. She held the girl’s head and comforted her.
“Alright.”
“Rena… daisuki.”
“I love you, too, Jurina.”Jurina looked up again and smiled. She then had an idea and took out her iPod, playing a song.
“Let’s dance!”
“Eh? Right now?!”
“Un!” Jurina took the girl’s hands and started dancing with her, humming along to the song. Rena couldn’t help but smile and dance with the girl.
After that memory, she faded into a new one. It was the same memory she saw when she remembered Jurina’s name. The memory of them at the airport. Just like after her graduation concert, Jurina was the last one who saw her off. She gave Rena the necklace, hooking the small chain around her neck.
“Make sure you always have it around your neck.”
“Alright.”After that, everything turned white again.
….
“Miss…” The flight attendant shook Rena’s shoulder lightly, trying to wake the girl from her slumber. “Miss.”
Rena’s eyes fluttered open. “..Hm?” She took the earbud out.
“Miss, we’ll be landing soon.”
“Oh. Thank you,” she said.
She yawned a bit and stretched as she felt the plane starting to land. After the plane, successfully got down, she carried the present in her arms, grabbing her things and packing them into her purse. She dropped her Japanese language book and knelt down to pick it up. She was approached by Naito again and he picked it up for her, handing it to her.
“Thanks, Naito,” Rena said.
“I saw you sleeping earlier. You looked very peaceful.”
The girl blushed. “W-why were you watching?”
Naito chuckled. “Lemme guess, you were dreaming about that friend of yours.”
Rena simply nodded.
“Huh. She must be pretty special to you if you’re dreaming about her. Especially since you got amnesia. I hope you find her.”
“Thanks again.”
Rena got all of her things and left the airplane. Once she entered the airport, it felt like she was in another world. It felt both familiar and unfamiliar to her all at once. She got her luggage back and got herself a map so she wouldn’t get lost in the big city.
After stepping out of the airport and seeing the sights of Japan after so long, she smiled.
“I’m home.”
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To Be ContinuedHope you all enjoyed Part 1~
Topic: [COMPLETE] Remnants of You (WMatsui) - Part 3 {170811} (Read 32866 times)