JPHiP Forum
AKB48 Fanfics => AKB48 Fanfics => Topic started by: Keiyuu on May 15, 2016, 01:29:48 AM
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Hey~ Back with another multi-chapter fic (tho it's really more of a super drawn out OS XD)
And the main pairing is SakuRuppi this time! I just had to write it after that MV came out, just had to :yep: (Brownies points if you can guess/know what song it is :roll:)
So ya it took a while cuz if you know me, I write every chapter before I start posting :P
And now there's another SakuRuppi/HKT fic to add to the collection! Hopefully more people will come to like them and produce more stories haha
Chapters are kind of short (sorry :nervous) but I'll try to update regularly (at the very least once a week or sooner)
Anyways, enjoy, leave a comment, anything I love to hear feedback XD
Forgotten Memories
Chapter 1: The Mysterious Stranger
“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Sakura reassured her best friend, Murashige Anna. Even though she wasn’t even sure herself if she’d be okay, she didn’t want Anna to worry about her.
The two girls stood in the doorway of Anna’s house, a suitcase in Sakura’s grip as Anna sent her off to who knows where.
Sakura had been staying at her friend’s house for the past two weeks, Anna consoling her as much as possible as she grieved over the fire that took her family and home away from her. For once, Anna actually took things seriously and tried to help Sakura get over the incident, holding her when she woke up in the middle of the night sobbing over the recurring nightmares, helping keep her mind off it with movies and constant jokes (that weren’t really funny but Sakura appreciated it nonetheless). And now Sakura had to go, she couldn’t move in with Anna no matter how much Anna insisted. Sakura didn’t want to burden her friend anymore, besides, it had already been decided that she would move in with a distant relative.
No one really asked Sakura what she wanted, but apparently custody over her had been given to a relative that she had never seen, never met, never even heard of before. But at least it was better than nothing.
A cab pulled up in front of the house, and Sakura knew that it was for her, so she bid Anna a final goodbye, hugging her tightly for a few moments and promising to keep in touch before she set off. Glancing out of the back of the taxi, she could see Anna waving vigorously at her and it made Sakura feel a little better, even if it was only slightly.
She watched the scenery pass by absentmindedly, barely noting the drab, dull gray sky outside. The forecast had called for sunny weather, but apparently the clouds had a mind of their own as they blocked the sun, the sky overcast yet somehow still shining blindingly bright.
Tall buildings of concrete turned into forests and countryside and Sakura wasn’t sure how long it had been by the time they pulled into a long curving driveway, she had been too caught up in her own thoughts but not really thinking of anything at the same time.
“We are here, Miss.” The driver’s voice snapped Sakura out of her trance.
“Oh okay, thank you.”
He held open the door for her as she stepped out, her suitcase already on the ground waiting. She tried to thank him again for the ride but he had already gotten back inside the car and promptly drove away, all in such a speed that Sakura still had her mouth open as the dust kicked up by the tires choked her a little.
Sakura coughed and her eyes watered from the dust, a little unhappy that he left so quickly. Then she realized that she never saw what he looked like, it was always hidden. The only sight of his face she caught was a glimpse of an amused grin peeking out from under the shadow of his hat. But his voice was slightly...feminine? And it sounded familiar...Sakura was a little confused, but this all left her mind as she turned and faced the house, no, it wasn’t really a house - it was a mansion.
A large dark brick building with enormous glass windows stared back at her in all its glory, designed in a classic Victorian style, it felt as if this house had been standing here for centuries. But although it was so grand, the estate seemed kind of...lonely, and the gray clouds in the sky didn’t really help in adding to the mood.
Peeking around the corner, Sakura could just barely see the edges of a few more structures, probably servant’s quarters or something, and Sakura wouldn’t put it past them seeing the rest of the rich estate with its neatly trimmed lawn and pristine hedges that lined the long u-shaped driveway.
After a bit of well deserved gaping, Sakura lugged her suitcase onto the porch, ringing the doorbell to get whoever was inside’s attention. The heavy oak door swung open few moments later, but oddly enough no one was behind it to greet her. Nevertheless, Sakura wasn’t fazed and stepped inside. Maybe it was automatic, she thought as she took in her surroundings once again.
It was a spacious room, the foyer she guessed, and the floor was so polished she could see her own reflection. Several doors both on the left and right led into separate wings of the place, and two sets of stairs curved around the sides of the room, meeting at the top where there was a balcony-type entrance to the second floor.
It was when her eyes drifted up to the banister where the stairs led that she noticed someone standing there – someone who was obviously staring right at her.
“Miyawaki Sakura.” It was a statement, not inquisitive in the slightest.
“Yes?” Sakura answered, not sure how she was supposed to respond to that. She only stood there awkwardly as the figure came down the stairs to the left, taking slow deliberate steps as if she had all the time in the world. But this gave Sakura time to observe the girl.
Sakura was pretty sure she was just a girl, around her own age Sakura presumed, and she didn’t really appear old enough to be a woman or lady in Sakura’s mind. Short, black hair came down to the girl’s neck and was tucked behind her left ear. She had a pretty face, mysterious as well, and was dressed in a sleeveless black one piece that layered out past the waist. Sakura found the girl positively...intriguing.
Is she the owner’s daughter? She can’t be old enough to be the relative they told me about...right?
Sakura wasn’t told much though, only that someone had volunteered to take custody of her, providing the proper paperwork and documents to prove that she was a relative, also that she was capable of taking care of the nineteen year old girl. But Sakura didn’t even know her name. The whole thing was very strange.
Finally, the girl stopped a few feet in front of Sakura, but didn’t offer a greeting or anything, just kept staring at her and Sakura couldn’t help but automatically stare back.
“...Follow me.” The girl spoke after a few moments silence.
“E-Eh?” Sakura watched helplessly as the girl turned and swiftly walked away, disappearing into another part of the house. She scrambled to follow her, the suitcase trailing behind as she hurriedly tried to catch up before she lost her.
Luckily she found the girl heading up another smaller flight of stairs that weren’t quite as grand as the ones from earlier, and Sakura headed up as well, trying to keep an adequate distance between them without losing sight of her again. For some reason, she felt that the girl wouldn’t like to be approached so easily.
A few twists and turns and long, thick-carpeted hallways later, Sakura found herself in quaint room. It wasn’t too big or too small, which Sakura liked, and it was simple. A queen-sized bed in the corner by the window, which was donned in stylish red lace curtains, and a wooden dresser and study desk on the opposite side, next to a door that led to what Sakura assumed would be a bathroom. It was surprisingly plain for a house like the one she was currently in, but she guessed that it was just a guest room so it didn’t need to be overwhelmingly fancy.
“I tried to keep it simple for you.”
“Eh?” Sakura almost forgot about the girl that was still standing behind her in the open doorway. “You mean that this was designed for me?”
“It’ll take a while for you to get used to living here. If you need anything, just call.” She didn’t really answer the question but started walking away again anyways, having said what she wanted.
“W-Wait!”
The girl stopped at the call, but not turning around.
“...What’s your name?” Sakura asked cautiously.
There was a pause before the girl answered, glancing over her shoulder and meeting Sakura’s gaze steadily.
“...Haruka.”
Then she left, the door swinging shut seemingly all on its own and leaving Sakura alone again with only her thoughts, but they were full of questions all about the mysterious girl this time.
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Very interesting somber start although I ponder how this story will pan out in general :nervous
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I love HaruSaku! X3
Already, a mysterious encounter~ o.o
Looks good~ Update soon! >w<
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Finally! Someone willing to write HaruSaku fic>,<
For the first HaruSaku fic I've ever read, this fic is cool!
Gonna wait the next chapter, author-san!^o^/
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I forgot to mention that there's 10 chapters total, plus an epilogue (cuz I just like epilogues I guess :P)
@kuro_808: Hi~ I remember you! I'm glad you found this story then, fellow HKT fan :lol: I don't know what to tell you but to wait and see how it pans out haha
@Ruka Kikuchi: Hey there Ruka! Recently met you on FB though I don't know if you'll recognize me haha :P And I love them too! That's why I wrote this lol But thanks and I hope this update's soon enough for ya~
@junchan48: Hi bud~ You never fail to comment on my stories huh? Haha I'm happy XD Although I'm happy to be one of the few people that write SakuRuppi/HaruSaku I can't claim to be the first. There's a few on here (that I haven't gotten around to reading them all) so you can check those out too! :lol: Thanks for reading though!
Chapter 2: Exploring the House
With nothing else to do, Sakura decided to just take a shower. Well, she could’ve unpacked her stuff and put it away but it had been a long day already and she figured she’d have plenty of time to do that tomorrow (plus that meant she’d have to accept that her family was gone and that this was her new permanent home, and she wasn’t ready for that just yet).
The feeling of hot water running down her back felt nice and refreshing, like washing away all her problems and anxiety. Also, it gave her time to think and reflect about what had happened. First she moved to this completely new, foreign place (that was a lot more expensive than anything she had ever encountered before). Then she met Haruka - this girl that Sakura couldn’t help but wonder about no matter how much she tried to get her out of her head.
As she stepped out of the shower, rubbing her hair with a towel, Sakura noticed something on her bed. There was a simple floral design dress laid out for her (the design similar to the patterns on a kimono but Sakura was glad it wasn’t because she could never put one on without help), and she figured that it was meant for her to wear. Putting it on, she was pleasantly surprised to find it very comfortable and exactly her size. But how did Haruka know her size? At least, Sakura assumed it was Haruka as she never saw anyone else in the house. But she didn’t think too much of it, she’d have plenty of time to ask the girl all her questions later.
Remembering Anna, Sakura decided she should mail her to let her know that she had arrived and was alright. But when she checked her phone, the words ‘no service’ glared at her from the top of her screen.
No service? Why? This is the twenty-first century right? How far are we out of town that my phone can’t pick up any signal?
Sakura just sighed and threw the phone back on the bed, she’d have to ask Haruka about that too. Anna could wait for now. Sakura decided to go exploring next since there was still time left in the day. She hoped she wouldn’t get into trouble for poking around, but if she was going to stay here then she had to get to know the place right?
Wandering through the various hallways, there were so many rooms that Sakura almost got lost (actually she did for a while until she somehow, quite luckily, stumbled back to where she started). Rooms led to other rooms that led to other hallways that Sakura got dizzy just trying to navigate it all. Most of them were bedrooms (that were a lot fancier than her own but Haruka did say that hers was simple and designed for her - which Sakura was grateful for) and then there were quite a few strange things that she found as well.
For instance, there was one room with large windows on one wall, a wooden horse, and some out of place red with white polka dot balls placed around the room.
Then one that had black and white checkered floor with a wooden cage, a dead tree with winding branches, and a broken clock hanging in the middle of the place.
Another was a ballet studio that was dusty from lack of use, lit by candles hanging from the ceiling in glass balls and tiny little white feathers covered the floor, piled up around the sides.
And strangest of all, Sakura felt drawn to these rooms. A weird sense of nostalgia washed over her and before she knew it she was already inside each of them, touching the objects and feeling like she knew them from somewhere, some time.
The last room she checked she found something that made her feel uncomfortable. It was another bedroom, exactly like hers in fact, except the curtains were a pretty blue green and there was a small ancient Spinet piano as well. But that’s not what made her feel weird inside, it was the painting on the wall above the bed.
A portrait of two girls, one in a red top with a blue-green flowing skirt and matching gloves, and one in a blue-green top with a long blue skirt and red gloves. Sakura stood there staring at it for a long time, trying to figure out if those two girls were who she thought they were because the one on her knees bore an uncanny resemblance to Haruka, then the one holding her hand was almost undoubtedly Sakura herself.
She couldn’t explain the feeling she was having at the moment, but Sakura knew she had to get out of that room. That’s when she decided that she wasn’t ever going to go back to that part of the house again. No matter what, she just couldn’t.
Going downstairs to fetch a glass of water or something to calm herself down, Sakura ended up in the dining room where she found Haruka sitting at the long oak table, waiting. She thought that maybe she wouldn’t want to see Haruka again after that weird encounter with the portrait, but strangely enough she found herself relax in the other girl’s presence.
Their eyes met and Haruka spoke, never breaking eye contact even as Sakura sat down across from her. “Dinner is at six every day.”
Sakura was surprised to hear that so much time had gone by already but then she realized how hungry she was when she saw the food on the table. She figured that Haruka was being nice and trying to help her get used to her new life here, because it was a traditional Japanese meal for dinner – rice with all kinds of side dishes for Sakura to chose from were laid out, and she could barely help herself from digging in. Luckily though, Haruka started eating right away so Sakura took that as her cue to dig in as well.
It was so good that Sakura basically devoured everything in front of her, then she almost felt embarrassed until she saw that Haruka ate a ton too. That was the first and basically the only thing she learned about Haruka – she ate a lot.
Then Sakura remembered that back at home they always had a late dinner because her dad wouldn’t get home from work until then, but Sakura always got hungry early and had to have a snack beforehand. A lot of times she would’ve preferred to have dinner earlier but she never complained because she understood why. And now she didn’t have worry about that anymore...
Tears welled up in her eyes and she put her chopsticks down, overwhelmed with a feeling of loneliness all of a sudden. Sakura thought she had gotten over it already, or that she was at least mature enough to push it aside, but apparently not.
“My little sister used to like having dinner early, so that’s why I got into the same habit.”
Sakura looked up and blinked a few times, wondering why Haruka suddenly spoke up like that.
“So if it bothers you, we can eat later if you like.” Haruka glanced at her expectantly.
“Oh! No this is fine, I like early dinners too.”
“That’s good.”
Sakura could have sworn she saw a ghost of a smile on Haruka’s face, but then she went back to eating so Sakura couldn’t tell. Then she realized that she had completely forgotten about her sadness for a moment, and also that that’s why Haruka had spoken up in the first place. Then Sakura smiled too.
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“Would you like a tour of the house? Though I suppose you’ve already done your fair share of exploring already.”
The tone was slightly teasing as far as Sakura could tell, and she blushed a little while nodding to let Haruka know that she would indeed like a tour.
They had finished dinner and Sakura was entirely stuffed, especially since Haruka had prepared some squid as a dish as well, which was Sakura’s favorite food and she really couldn’t stop herself from eating basically all of it. But Sakura wasn’t the only one who stuffed her face with food, Haruka had this cool and mysterious appearance, but she sure ate a lot for someone who seemed like the dark beauty type.
Then after relaxing (and some much needed digestion) Haruka led her around the house again, explaining where each of the rooms were and what they were for. Sakura didn’t have time to explore the first floor yet (yes all those rooms from earlier were all on the second floor, the place was just that big) so now she knew where the kitchen was, the three living rooms, and the library (which was huge enough all on its own as it took up one whole corner of the house, second floor and all), but Sakura doubted her ability to keep them all straight and not get lost again.
As they made their way up the stairs, Sakura wondered how Haruka would explain those weird rooms but it seems she wasn’t going to as Haruka passed by the doors without sparing a second glance. Then as they reached the end of that particular hallway, Sakura knew that they were about to reach the room with the portrait and she didn’t know how to tell Haruka she didn’t want to go in there again, but Haruka just stopped, as if reading her mind, saying that her bedroom was at the end, then she abruptly turned around and promptly headed back down the stairs.
So that’s her room??
“That’s the whole house for you. Anything else I can help you with?” Haruka questioned. She seemed almost...upset, but Sakura couldn’t exactly tell, let alone know why.
“Um I think that’s all... Thank you though.” Sakura bowed politely.
Haruka waved her off. “You don’t have to be so polite. We’re pretty much stuck here together from now on anyways.”
“Um okay...” Then Sakura frowned, “Wait you mean there’s only the two of us?”
“Yes.”
She did a double take and her mouth dropped open. “You mean there’s literally no one else around here?”
“Yes.” Haruka confirmed.
“But what about all that food we just had? And the building out back?”
“I made it all, and set the table. The building out back is the old main building until this one was built, but now it’s for storage or if we ever get guests.”
Sakura’s mouth dropped even more. “You’re kidding me...”
How did she do all that by herself?
“Ah I’m sorry! I’m asking too much aren’t’ I...” She suddenly realized, immediately feeling embarrassed for letting that last bit slip out.
Haruka was completely unfazed by Sakura’s reaction though, rather she was quite calm as always. And even though Sakura had only met the girl in the morning, she had already figured out that Haruka never showed much emotion, making the girl even more mysterious than Sakura had initially thought.
Haruka let Sakura squirm and sulk a bit before speaking up. “Hey...would you like to see something?”
“Eh?...Sure?” The question caught her off guard.
Haruka immediately walked away again without waiting for Sakura, who scrambled to catch up again for the second time that day. Going back through the kitchen and dining room, Haruka went out the back and followed the stone path towards the old building while Sakura pondered how Haruka could move so fast when she was even shorter than Sakura was.
Fast walking never took so much out of her as Sakura was nearly panting by the time she stopped right behind Haruka (but then again she was never really athletic in the first place).
But then as she looked up (because she was bent over out of breath), Sakura didn’t regret a thing.
A beautiful garden was laid out, half in the shade of the building and the sunset cast orange light over the whole scene. A large fountain stood proud right in the center as it sprayed water up in alternating jets. Several different species of flowers were planted in rows and all of them were in full blossom. Roses, lilies, tulips, carnations, petunias, hibiscuses, sunflowers, daisies, you name it, they were all planted in this garden. The stone path winded throughout the bushes, a bird bath here and there and it led all the way to the back of the building where a small pond was resting calmly.
Haruka motioned for Sakura to come up beside her, then bent down to pick a daisy, reaching and tucking it neatly behind Sakura’s ear. Sakura was a little surprised by the sudden gesture, blushing a bit and heart racing. But then Haruka started up again, and Sakura didn’t want to be left behind, so this time they walked side by side down to the pond. The path kept running along the edge of the entire oval lake, some lily pads decorating the tranquil waters near the side, but Haruka led her over to the shade of a large tree (which seemed to be some kind of fruit tree but Sakura didn’t know what kind) where a cute little bench was waiting for them.
They both sat at the same time, not too close or too far, watching the ducks wade through the waters and Sakura just let the sense of calm wash over her, it was quite a peaceful feeling that she hadn’t felt in a long time, though it was strangely familiar as well.
“So...do you like it?”
Sakura smiled, “Of course I do! It’s beautiful here!”
Then for once (and Sakura was sure it was there this time) Haruka actually smiled, “I’m glad.”
And along with her smile, a gentle breeze wafted past, but strong enough to sweep past Sakura’s hair and carry the daisy along with it. Sakura tried to catch it at first, but it slipped through her fingers and landed lightly on the calm waters of the pond, swirling in place.
She noticed then that it wasn’t white in color, but a strawberry pink. If Sakura remembered correctly, then daisies symbolized purity and innocence, especially white ones. But this one wasn’t so pure, it had been...tainted by a different color – the color of another. And Sakura couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the flower swirling alone on the water. Around and around it went.
As if it’d never stop.
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I'm loving this. Haruppi's character is so mysterious. I don't know why, maybe because I can't help but think about the SakuRuppi MV when I read this, but your story definitely gives me the creeps. :)
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Well~ I love this fic that's why I have to give my comment.
And this chapter is... Wow! Lol
I can imagine Haruppi's huge mansion.
Can't stop my 'wooaaah', 'wow', 'great', 'cool' when I tried to imagining Haruppi's mansion XD
Gonna wait the next chapter, Kei-san!^o^/
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Somehow I missed the first chapter (damn internet trouble!) so here is my first comment in the thread!
I like the melancholic nuance that you put into this fic. You must have been inspired by Taboo no Iro, which was a great MV imo, and I love how the pacing is flowing so well. I can't wait for an update!
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@gekikarabuACE: Ya I tried to make her as mysterious as possible :P Haha I'm glad you're creeped out? :lol: I will take that as a compliment *-*)/
@junchan48: Lol in my mind it was huge and luxurious so that's how I tried to describe it :P Happy you like it tho and I love comments!
@Yuki88: Hello! Thanks for commenting XD and yes Taboo no Iro gave me that feel so this story came out of it haha. I'm glad the pace is okay cuz I wrote this noncontinously (is that a word?) so the middle (short) chapters might get kind of slow and make you wanna skip to the end. Just saying~
Chapter 3: Angel and Demon
The second day, Sakura unpacked all her stuff like she said she would and ultimately settled in, ready to accept living at her home (she had her worries at first but found it wasn’t so bad now after she actually moved in – which may or may not be due to Haruka’s presence here).
Then the next days passed by in a blur and her schedule developed into an easy routine. In the morning she’d get up around the same time each day (Haruka never really set any rules for that kind of stuff) and breakfast would be waiting for her downstairs, then if she was early enough she could catch Haruka and talk with her a little before the older girl disappeared until lunch time.
Sakura found out that Haruka was a year or two older than her, but when she asked Haruka refused (or just ignored the question) to answer when exactly her birthday actually was. And once Sakura remembered, she had also asked about who the owner and relative was that had taken Sakura in. Contrary to her beliefs, it really was Haruka that had ‘adopted’ her even though she was so young herself. So that’s when Sakura figured that Haruka had to be at least twenty one years old while she herself was only nineteen.
And being nineteen years old, Sakura had already graduated high school and that was lucky because then she didn't have to worry about switching schools due to moving and all that. But at the same time it also meant that she really didn't have anything to take up her time during the day. So before and after lunch, Sakura always did whatever she just felt like doing, Haruka never said what she wasn’t allowed to do (not that she was ever around anyways). And for a while, Sakura just wandered around, first becoming familiar with the house before she ventured outside into the nearby woods and grass fields that seemed to stretch forever.
The estate really was huge, even bigger than she thought because not all of it was visible from the house. When she asked, Haruka also confirmed that she did indeed own all of that land and Sakura couldn't believe it. But then again, there were a lot of things that she couldn't believe about Haruka. One of them being how Haruka managed to convince those officials to let her adopt Sakura, or how she owned all this land when she was so young, and why Sakura had never heard of her before. Also where exactly did Haruka disappear to during the day because no matter where she looked, Sakura could not find the other girl. The questions were endless.
There were so many confusing things that in the end Sakura just gave up trying to make sense of it all.
But even though she barely knew anything about her guardian, Sakura was grateful to Haruka for taking her in when she had nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to, which kind of made up for all the mystery.
After the accident, Sakura had never felt more alone in her life. Sure she still had Anna, but it wasn't the same after she lost her entire family - her mom, dad, little brother - they were all gone, forever. And Sakura didn't know of any of her parents’ relatives that lived nearby, most of them living far away and overseas.
Fortunately though, she still had Haruka, and that somehow filled the void. After she moved in, Sakura felt a sense of peace living here, even if Haruka was the only other person around. This was another thing she couldn’t explain, but it just felt...natural. And Sakura let it slide as well.
Now a month had passed and Sakura was running out of things to keep her occupied, she thought about finding a job, or maybe going to college or something, but she didn't think that it would be a good idea to get back into studying so soon. Sakura wasn't ready to throw herself back into the constant stress again - she still had yet to adjust to her new life completely and get over her old one.
But one thing she always looked forward to, was talking to Haruka during their meals. Sakura also found out early that Haruka wasn't too much of an open person, but she allowed for one question to be asked per meal (or really she’d only answer one of the many that were asked), so that meant Sakura had three chances to ask the girl whatever she wanted each day.
It was like a puzzle in a way, everyday Sakura would pick and choose what she really wanted to ask (because she really just wanted to know everything about the mysterious girl) but Haruka wouldn't give up the answers so easily. Which meant Sakura had to rack her brain about the important stuff, but it had to be worded right because Haruka also wouldn't answer questions about herself - at least, not in a straightforward manner. Just like with Haruka’s age, Sakura would be given hints and had to figure it out herself, though whether she was right or not she would never know, she could only assume.
Now it was almost dinnertime again and around this hour, Sakura usually took a shower to freshen up (hiking through the woods really took a lot out of her). Then always, she’d come into her room to find a dress or some sort of attire waiting for her on her bed. It was always something somewhat casual but pretty at the same time, something she would never usually get to wear, and Sakura was happy to get these little presents every day.
Today, she was donned in a double-layer one piece (most of the time she received a one piece dress, maybe Haruka liked dresses), it was white and the outer layer was made with intricate lace, extending over her shoulders as short sleeves. Sakura found that it kind of resembled a wedding dress – a really simple but beautiful one.
Giving a twirl in front of the mirror, she deemed herself presentable and headed downstairs, the familiar excitement and nervousness battling in her chest.
So Sakura may have been impressed by the clothes picked out for her, but not as amazed as when she saw Haruka and how well the clothes fit her.
And it didn’t matter what she wore, Haruka would always be stunning, making Sakura stop and stare for a few moments before joining her at the dining table. The same went for today. Sakura could only gape at how pretty Haruka was in her navy blue dress that ran down to her ankles, which were barely visible from beneath the table. One shoulder was bare as it was a single strap dress and Sakura glanced at the exposed skin, wondering how it was so white and flawless. And as usual, she had to snap herself out of it, a blush lighting up her cheeks as she sat awkwardly across from the girl.
She must’ve been more nervous than usual though, because she made the mistake of letting the wooden chair scrape horribly against the hard floor, producing a loud screeching sound that made Sakura wince.
“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scrape up your floor!”
She immediately apologized while fighting the embarrassment of having done such a thing. Her mother always used to scold her when she scratched the floor with the chair.
But Haruka only gave a hint of a smile, not perturbed in the slightest bit. “It’s okay.”
“But—”
“And it’s not ‘my floor’. This is your house too now, so don’t worry about it.”
“H-Hai...” Whenever Haruka looked at her like that, Sakura couldn’t think straight. It was like falling into a trance when she looked into her eyes, which she just noticed were quite a light color – a pretty light hazel that Sakura had never seen before...
A face flashed before her vision, someone with short black hair and the same colored eyes as she was staring at right now. The person was really close, so Sakura couldn’t get a good look at their features, but a familiar scent enveloped her and it was absolutely calming, like a veil that kept all the bad things away. Sakura could drown in that scent it made her feel so safe...
The face moved closer and closer, as if about to kiss her.
Sakura watched those soft lips, slightly parted, as they neared and suddenly she had a sudden urge to kiss that person as well...
“Sakura? Are you alright?”
She snapped awake and blinked rapidly, the remnants of that scene fading away from her mind. “Huh? Did you say something Haruka-san?”
“I asked if you were okay.” Haruka looked at her worriedly, it was the first time that Sakura saw that kind of expression on her face, but she didn’t like it. She didn’t like it when Haruka worried about her.
“I’m fine...I think I’m just a little tired.” Sakura smiled weakly, still shaken from that weird dream. Was it a dream? Sakura wasn’t sure. But it felt kind of like something that had happened before...like an old memory... But there was no way that was possible. Sakura had never kissed anyone before (well she did kiss her little brother but he’s like four so that doesn’t count), and heck she’d never even been in a relationship, so that couldn’t be true.
“Maybe you should turn in early then,” Haruka suggested, “You do look a little pale.”
“Yeah...maybe you’re right.” Sakura frowned, but she didn’t have much of an appetite anymore anyways, so she just got up and went back up the stairs, dragging her feet as she went. That vision or whatever it was, really took a lot out of her and suddenly Sakura felt fatigued.
“Oh but, Sakura?”
“Yes?” She turned halfway up the steps.
Haruka’s gaze wandered over her unashamedly and Sakura nearly shivered from the cold breeze that seemed to blow past.
“You look beautiful by the way...” Haruka whispered softly, pushing her seat back as she gracefully made her way around the table, never breaking eye contact. “...like an angel.”
Sakura chuckled a little, finding it a bit amusing as she hardly thought of herself as even remotely resembling an angel. Haruka-san is more of an angel than I am. “But if I’m an angel, then what are you?”
All of a sudden, Haruka appeared in front of her. Sakura didn’t know how she covered that distance so quickly but it was forgotten as she noticed how close they were. Haruka was mere inches away, but Sakura didn’t really feel like backing up even though her personal space was being invaded. It was weird, like she actually...welcomed it.
Her eyelids drooped and she felt like falling asleep right there. It’d be okay though, she thought. Sakura trusted Haruka. Haruka would catch her, Haruka wouldn’t let her fall, she was sure of that. Because she would never Haruka fall either, especially because of her.
Fingertips trailed lightly over Sakura’s cheek and the tickling sensation made her eyes flutter as she tried her hardest to keep them open. Haruka leaned in and once again Sakura was mesmerized by those soft, ridiculously kissable lips. But Haruka didn’t kiss her, instead turning her head to breathe in Sakura’s ear.
“If you’re an angel...then I must be a demon.”
Then Sakura blacked out.
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It's getting more interesting! I'll be waiting for the next one!
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Is Haruppi not human? o_o
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Finally~ An update~
And it getting more interesting~
Haruka's personality just make me love her sooooooo much>o<
And she whispering in Sakura's ear, said she's a demon, that was cool!
Gonna wait for more, Kei-san>o<
Thanks for the update^o^
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Yes, it is! Lol! As I am a big fan of the suspense/horror genre in books and movies, I tend to be a bit more particular with it. But your story definitely had me intrigued... and a bit spooked, which is quite rare. :nervous
Anyway, I'm starting to think that Haruppi may not be of this world. No one can be that magnetizing, can they?
Can't wait for your next update. I'm really curious to see where this story goes. :twothumbs
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The analogy of angel and demon, huh? And then the very fair complexion of Haruka (which is the opposite of rl cuz Haruppi is actually rather tanned lol), perhaps she's a vampire? My theory is Sakura's reincarnating and somehow obtained her memories from previous life slowly, while Haruka, since she's a vampire, waits until Sakura is of age to take her back into her life...... But well, that's just me.
Can't wait for the next update.
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Hey this is a really short one :nervous so I'll see if I can update again sooner :P
@abcari: Great! Glad you think so! XD
@Ruka Kikuchi: I don't know you'll just have to see~ :roll:
@junchan48: Lol you sound way too eager for this haha :lol: I don't deserve such enthusiasm :nervous And I'm happy you like Haruka now (and hopefully later too) XD
@gekikararabuACE: Wow I must be doing a good job then huh? JK I wasn actually worried that this isn't any good XD And who knows, maybe she isn't~
@Yuki88: Lol you're right she's pretty tan, but for the sake of the story she isn't here :P Hmmmm......I really want to answer your theory but I can't XD It's a good theory, I see you picked up my heavy handed hints :lol: and actually there's a lot of hints that you probs won't catch/make sense unless you re-read it after it's over
Chapter 4: Real
Sakura can’t feel anything. There’s nothing. No, there is darkness. Darkness everywhere. Inescapable. Surrounding her. No way out.
Until she sees a light up ahead, it’s kind of above her, then Sakura feels like she’s floating upward with the current. At least it feels like she’s in some kind of body of water, and then she surfaces, but she isn’t wet.
She just lies on her back, floating in the calm waters and staring up at the sky, which is stormy with rolling clouds and flashes of lighting.
God must be mad. Sakura thinks, and then she frowns because she doesn’t know where that thought came from. She’s not the religious type, following set rules, let alone does she believe in some almighty being from above. Sakura would much rather take matters into her own hands, disobeying, even against fate if she had to.
Now she thinks about where she is. Maybe this is a dream? It seems to be one, but Sakura can’t remember ever having so vivid dream such as this.
She doesn’t even usually get dreams, or she can’t remember them when she wakes up. Sakura can recall weird little images of her dreams as a kid, but they’re all hazy and make no sense. And recently the only dreams she’s had were nightmares of her family’s death.
But after moving into this mansion with Haruka, the nightmares have stopped. She hadn’t noticed it at first (not that she’s not grateful), but now that she thinks about it, Sakura has been oddly relaxed ever since then. Maybe it’s because of Haruka, who always has this cool, calming aura that makes Sakura feel...safe, secure, at home.
Haruka.
Her face suddenly pops into Sakura’s mind.
Haruka laughing, Haruka crying, Haruka hugging her, Haruka planting flowers, Haruka holding her hand, Haruka tripping over herself, Haruka kissing her.
But none of that actually happened. Sakura doesn’t remember doing those things or seeing Haruka do them. And yet she does.
What does this mean?
None of this makes any sense to her.
Just who is Haruka?
How come she has those memories?
Have I met her before? Haruka...Haruka...Haru—Haruppi. That’s her name – Haruppi.
The name comes out of left field and Sakura doesn’t know how she knows it. But she knows it.
And before she has time to consider anything else, the water rises and swallows her up again, except this time, she can’t breathe. Sakura struggles for air, struggles to come back to the surface where the image of Haruka is waiting for her, but she’s running out of energy...
Sakura awakens with a gasp, having startled herself awake as she sits in her bed. Her hands grip the sheets tightly and she’s covered in cold sweat. Taking deep breaths to calm her rapidly beating heart, Sakura puts a hand to her cheek and pinches it.
“Ow! I’m definitely awake now...”
Breathing in one more time, she throws off the covers and swings her legs over the side of the bed, thinking that she’s in well need of a shower after all that sweating.
Something out of the corner of her eye catches her attention. There is a fancy tray placed on her nightstand, covered with a silver lid. Sometimes Sakura forgets how rich Haruka is, sometimes she seems like just another girl Sakura’s age, but then sometimes she’s this rich, beautiful (okay so maybe she’s always pretty), mysterious being that Sakura knows little to nothing about.
But Sakura knows that Haruka is nice, and caring, and thoughtful, or else she wouldn’t have left food for Sakura because she missed dinner.
Lifting the lid, she’s met with a decent amount of food and just the smell of it is already making her hungry. There’s even squid! Haruka must’ve realized she likes the dish a lot and left some for her to make her feel better. The thought makes her smile and Sakura is about to dig in when she notices a little note stuck on the side of the squid dish.
In fancy handwriting, it says ‘Enjoy’ and she figures that Haruka wrote it and is about to set it aside when her eyes catch something else - the little signature at the bottom.
From Haruppi~
Sakura drops the note, her hand falling limp to her side as the realization hits her.
That means those things really did happen. Those memories are hers. She knows Haruka.
But why? Where? How? When?
Haruppi...
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I have no comment until the next update cuz this one is too short for justice XD
But, well, Sakura's memories returning in the form of dream. People said dream is your subconscious thought, and everything that happens in it represents something that actually happens. SO I wonder what does it mean of Sakura floating in darkness with an unattainable light of Haruka.
The floating imagery reminds me of Mizu no Naka no Dendouritsu MV for some reason though lol forgive me *sweats*
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Uwaa~ they really did meet before! I wonder what secrets lie in their past! I can't wait! >w<
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I'll wait to the next chapter to write something that can actually have some sense lol, at the moment I only have more questions, so let's find out first a little more before say something lol
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So Sakura definitely have her past with Haruka, I mean Haruppi~
And Haruppi, being a gentle'woman' for Sakura>///<
Haruppi's romantic side with her own way just make me loves her more>o<
Well. I'm a very enthuastic reader, just sometimes too shy to give some comment. Lol
And this chapter is toooooooooo short for me-,-
Gonna wait the next chapter anyway~
Thanks for the update^o^/
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And now we're halfway through the story! Huzzah! Lol :P Just five more chapters and an epilogue to go~
@Yuki88: Lol you're right XD Ooh :lol: your theories are really helpful to me. I've never seen that MV before so thanks for introducing that too haha XD
@Ruka Kikuchi: Well, I guess that's not really much of a surprise anymore considering :lol:
@abcari: Haha sorry that one's short but it needed to be :P Thanks for commenting anyways tho! Even if you're just saying you'll comment next time, I love any kind of response XD
@junchan48: Haruppi's got her own way of going about things haha XD Oh same! I don't comment half as much as I read but I'm glad you chose to reply on my stuff XD
Chapter 5: No Answers
“Haruka-san? What is your last name?” It suddenly occurred to Sakura that Haruppi may not have the same last name as her.
Haruppi wiped her mouth with the serviette and set the fork down neatly before responding.
“...Kodama.”
A straight answer for once.
“Your name isn’t Miyawaki?”
“No, no it isn’t.”
“Then how are we related?” Sakura probed, after the dream she had the other day, she really couldn’t contain her curiosity much longer. She wanted to know, she wanted answers, and it seemed Haruppi was the only one that had them. Not that Sakura had anyone else she could ask anyways.
“We aren’t.”
“What?—Wait what?! We’re not related? Then how come you became my guardian??”
Sakura was utterly confused. How could Haruppi adopt her if they weren’t even related? Didn’t she have to provide some sort of proof first? Why did she do it in the first place? It wasn’t like she owed Sakura anything and how did she even know about Sakura anyways? Too many questions but not enough answers.
“Are you sure I haven’t met you before?” She insistently asked.
Sakura’s confusion must’ve amused Haruppi because the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips, “I believe you’ve just about reached your question limit for the day. Better save the last one for dinner or they’ll all be used up~”
In frank disbelief, Sakura froze for a few seconds, then reluctantly picked up her own utensil and began eating. Although unhappy with the outcome, at least it was a step in the right direction towards getting the answers she wanted. Sakura could wait for now.
---
Dinner couldn’t come fast enough in Sakura’s opinion, and luckily (she had never been happier about it) they had dinner early in this particular household.
She was so anxious about it that she had taken a shower already and lounged around her room for several hours in her dress, just waiting for six o’clock to come around. The minute the clock stroke six, Sakura leaped from her bed and sprinted down the stairs (but carefully, because we all know that Sakura would trip and fall if she wasn’t).
The table was always set by the time Sakura arrived. One time, she checked at 5:55 then went into another room, but by the time she came back in, everything was already placed and ready. That was another one of the things that Sakura never really bothered to ask about, but now she wanted answers to her questions, all of them. No more letting things slide, no more wondering without asking, she was going to make Haruppi tell her one way or another.
She sat in her usual spot, Haruppi there already and the meal proceeded quietly, demurely, Sakura too scared to speak up for some reason. All that curiosity and desire to learn the truth built up inside her but she couldn’t say anything, her courage suddenly all vanishing into thin air.
Part of the reason was probably because she knew that Haruppi was expecting something from her. Sakura couldn’t pinpoint what exactly, but ever since lunch there had been a certain tension between them and now the pressure was almost too much to bear.
What’s wrong with me?
Sakura’s hands were clammy and her heart beat quickly in her chest, her breathing irregular and raspy. She was getting all worked up for no reason but she couldn’t calm herself down and it got worse until the brink of hyperventilation. Black spots appeared in the edges of her vision as her lungs burned for oxygen.
“Relax.”
Immediately, the black spots disappeared and Sakura’s breathing evened out. Haruka’s face came back into focus and it was almost like a spell had been cast over her.
“That’s better,” Haruppi remarked, “I don’t want you passing out on me again.”
The words were cold but Sakura could feel the warmth behind them and smiled, “Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Still, thank you anyways.” Sakura was sure that Haruppi had helped her somehow even if she denied it. Haruppi always helped her, even if it was just being there.
Haruppi merely shrugged in reply.
However, there might have been a faint tint to her cheeks, faint but still there and Sakura found it adorable, giggling lightly.
“Is something funny?” Haruppi had a perplexed look on her face that Sakura had to try very hard not to laugh at.
“No, no it’s nothing~”
“Hmm...” Haruppi didn’t look convinced but she didn’t ask anymore either, instead clearing her throat. “Ahem, I believe you have something to ask me?”
The mood suddenly turned serious and Sakura stiffened even though she knew it was coming. Haruppi’s gaze boring holes through her head as she racked her brain for something she should ask. There were so many things she pondered about but due to all that anxiety she had completely forgotten to choose a specific one.
Oh my gosh I can’t believe I forgot! Ugh and I’ve been waiting all day for this...
Haruppi only waited patiently as Sakura went through this internal struggle. She wasn’t the one that was worried about this stuff, and Sakura wanted to hate her for being so nonchalant, so calm, so careless, but she couldn’t because Haruppi was so caring.
What should I ask? What do I want to know? What do I want to know most?
“...Why don’t we go to the garden? A little fresh air might help.” Haruppi suggested considerately, taking into account Sakura’s turmoil.
Sakura nodded in agreement and Haruppi rose first, extending a hand for Sakura to take like a gentleman would (meanwhile making Sakura blush like mad). And they walked towards the garden, hands swinging lightly between them, dim lights lining the path and the sounds of crickets and moving water in the darkness.
The night air helped cool her head and Sakura’s thought process became calmer and less hectic.
I have so many things to ask her though... It was impossible to choose just one.
They strolled slowly, taking their time as Haruppi didn’t seem to be in any kind of hurry anymore. The first time, she practically sprinted outside to show Sakura the garden, as if she had to prove something or impress her, but Haruppi seemed more relaxed now, more sure, at least that’s how Sakura felt about it. Something about the way Haruppi acted just seemed familiar, like when you’ve known someone all your life and you can’t help but learn their habits and behaviors. Sakura just understood Haruppi like that, but she couldn’t really say why, and Haruppi always seemed to know what Sakura felt as well. But maybe she should find out why, it seemed like an appropriate thing to question.
And then one subject popped into her head, something that she’d been wondering all along but never really put into definite words before.
Should I ask?
Haruppi always gave vague, clear as mud answers, so why couldn’t Sakura ask a vague question?
“Haruka-san...” She began.
“Yes?”
“...”
“...”
Looking up, their eyes locked and Sakura, the nervousness in her heart fading as she was utterly focused on Haruppi, finally asked, “...Who are you?”
Then Haruppi smiled sadly. It was the kind of smile that looked so painful it made Sakura’s heart hurt and she regretted ever asking in the first place.
“I think that’s something you should ask yourself.”
Haruppi let go of her hand and walked away, the sound of her clicking heels and the silhouette of her back fading into the shadows. Alone, Sakura pondered the real meaning behind that statement as well as felt horribly guilty for inducing such a sad expression and making Haruppi leave like that.
I don’t want her to be hurt...
All of a sudden it didn’t matter who Haruppi was, or what the answer was.
I want to trust her.
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EEHHH??? What's wrong here?
Why Haruppi? Just tell Sakura the truth!
And Sakura! Just ask her something like 'Am I your wife?' maybe. Lol
Kei-san, just gimme the next chapter as soon as possible!
Thanks for the update anyway!^o^/
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"Answers"? hell no! this is more like "Questions" lol
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I'm more and more inclined to believe my own theory that Haruka is a vampire (or at least a being with long age or eternal, even). That would explain the oddities surrounding her haha. XD
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Halfway already?? Here I was hoping you'll keep churning out these chapters for a little longer. :( Anyway, I still can't figure out what Haruppi's endgame is. Now she seems so human. I think I'll just sit here and wait for the other shoe to drop. : :lol:
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Hey guys! Sorry but I've been having some internet troubles :banghead:
This is a short chapter but I'll update again as soon as I can! (Hopefully I can get it to work) And honestly these should be counted as half-chapters, like chapter 5.5 or something but oh well I'm calling it chapter 6 anyways :roll:
@junchan48: Lol getting frustrated? This is only the beginning haha XD I don't think it's explained 'why' until the epilogue actually
@abcari: It's more like the 'Lack of Answers' lol :lol:
@Yuki88: Haha wish I could tell you but I can't cuz that'd ruin the surprise! :P It'll be revealed eventually (if you haven't figured it out yet bc I'm not denying/confirming anything :roll:)
@gekikararabuACE: Lol 'churning out chapters'? Haha XD But well, it's gotta end sometime (or will it? :P) actually ignore that cuz the fic does end :lol: And I'm glad that's how you're thinking cuz that's what I was going for. Can only wait now~
Chapter 6: Lost Dreams
From then on, Sakura started having dreams every night, and they were all very similar if not the same repeating ones. And there was an order to them, never breaking the chain, like a sequence of events.
Sometimes, Sakura couldn’t remember the whole picture. It would be snippets of a scene, snapshots of that time. It started with a pause of nothingness, darkness, then she’d see herself behind the bars of that wooden cage in the checkered room. Then after that, she’d see Haruppi alone and sitting by the window next to the cage (it being empty this time) and Sakura knew that it was another time period because Haruppi seemed older somehow (not physically but mentally) like something had happened to make her that way. And there was this longing look in her eyes because she’d seem so sad, so lonely, and all Sakura wanted to do was to fulfill whatever Haruppi wanted. She couldn’t explain why, but no matter what, whatever she had to do, she just wanted Haruppi to smile again.
In the first entire dream she could remember, Sakura was dressed in a skin tight white leotard and tutu, sitting on the floor in that ballet studio full of feathers. Haruppi was off to the side, stretching. She spread her legs, sinking into the splits and reached forward gracefully. Sakura remembered thinking how amazing it was that Haruppi was so flexible, even for a ballet dancer. While she, herself, was nothing compared to Haruppi.
Glancing down, a small white feather rested in the palm of Sakura’s hand and she observed it for a few moments, then closed her fingers around it protectively.
Next, in the room with the checkered floor, she and Haruppi danced and twirled around each other, the place actually seeming like a stage, and they were the performers. Dressed in Spanish-style dresses of blue and red, they flowed like water, always sure of their movements and the other person’s position. It was graceful, smooth, something Sakura never thought she was capable of but maybe it was because Haruppi was there. No, she was sure it was because Haruppi was there.
Then as their song ended, they reached out towards each other. Haruppi took Sakura’s hand and knelt down, ending in the same perfected position that they had practiced thousands of times before.
Lastly, Sakura sat on a swing. It was indoors, the seat wooden and the rope coarse and rough under her palms. She was feeling down, her face said it all, but that’s all it said. She didn’t know what she was sad about, she just knew she was sad. And just like all her other dreams, it took place in one of those strange rooms of Haruppi’s house that she told herself she would never step foot in again. It was the room with the dead tree. Except this time, the dead winding branches curved themselves around an old wooden frame that Sakura was facing right in front of her. It looked like a mirror, but it didn’t have any glass inside of it, yet the same image was reflected back at her.
How is that possible?
Looking through the frame, the same swing stared back at her along with the braches peeking around the edges. She could even see herself sitting there, but she was sure that there was no glass. She didn’t need to go touch it, it was obvious enough just from seeing it.
So how come I can see my reflection?
Then she realized that it wasn’t her reflection. The swing wasn’t there anymore, it was a small round stage with a small Spinet piano atop it. Sakura didn’t know when the image changed, or maybe it was the stage and piano all along, but now there was another figure sitting there, in front of the piano, staring at her.
Haruppi.
She didn’t have any expression, not as far as Sakura could tell. But Sakura felt weird not knowing what Haruppi was thinking.
I always know what she’s feeling...
But not this time.
Why?
The longer Sakura looked, the hazier her mind got.
What’s missing?
She couldn’t figure it out. Sakura was so lost.
Haruppi...Please...tell me.
A lone white feather floated down from above, landing in Haruppi’s awaiting palm this time, but she remained silent.
Then in the midst of that realistic dream, Sakura suddenly remembered that sad expression she saw from Haruppi the night before. It had been haunting her ever since, always at the edge of her mind, but she didn’t know why.
What does all this mean? These...These hints...
“You have the answers.”
Sakura heard the words being said and immediately glanced up at the frame, but Haruppi hadn’t spoken a word, still sitting in the same spot not having moved.
Where is that coming from? Sakura looked around the room next, eyes darting from wall to wall, hoping to find the source. At this point, Sakura was getting desperate. “Why can’t you just tell me?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
The voice didn’t respond.
Sakura then looked back at Haruppi again, her gaze pleading.
“Please...Please Haruppi! Just tell—”
Taken aback by the look on Haruppi’s face, Sakura couldn’t finish her sentence. Haruppi looked so...scared. Haruppi was afraid. But of what? Sakura? That didn’t make any sense.
But then the dream started fading into black again, and Sakura still hadn’t learned anything.
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*throws her lap top* I don't understand anymore!
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Yes! I'm getting frustated!
And now I'm getting more frustated!
Again. Its too short for me~~~
Sakura's lost dream make me lost too. Lol
And well, you keep give your reader a very great cliffhanger-,-
Gonna wait the next update, Kei-san!
Thanks for this update anyway~^o^/
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*squeals loudly*
MOAR MOAR MOAR!!!
I GOTTA KNOW, I GOTTA KNOW!!! >w<
HARUPPI, WHAT IS YOUR SECRET?!
UPDATE SOON!!! :bow:
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*flips table* Damn cliffhanger! This one, I believe, has nothing I can comment on cuz, duh, it's way too short! And leaves barely anything to analyze XD
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@abcari: I'm sorry bout that
@junchan48: Yes, the point of the cliffhangers is to add to the frustration, which I understand is really annoying but there's a reason for it. I'm trying to get the readers to feel what Sakura is feeling.
@Ruka Kikuchi: Haha I know how you feel! I understand but unfortunately I'm the writer not the reader right now :nervous
@Yuki88: Dang it looks like I'm pissing a lot of people off :nervous I'm truly sorry but I'll try to make up for it
Chapter 7: Almost There
Time went on, days turning into months until Sakura had grown completely used to (but never bored of) her new life. And once in a while, Sakura could manage to drag Haruppi out of her hole. Pretty literally too, since during the day Haruppi tended to disappear into her little study for hours. Remember when Sakura couldn’t find the girl no matter where she looked? Well that’s why.
It took her a long time, but eventually Sakura got Haruppi to reveal her ‘hiding place’. Haruppi argued that she wasn’t ‘hiding’ as Sakura put it. But if the entire room is conveniently placed on the second floor of the library, in the corner of the house, behind a secret bookshelf with a covered trigger button, then Sakura called it a ‘hiding place’.
So how she found it was she followed Haruppi secretly after lunch one day, because she was positively baffled as to how a whole person completely vanished from the hours of 1 to 6. Sure, the estate was colossal in size, but honestly where could she be? Sakura just had to know. And this was one thing that she could find out without asking.
So she trailed the girl (stalking’s more like it) and made it all the way up to the library’s second layer, but that’s where she lost the girl. But it wasn’t like Haruppi was intentionally hiding, she actually quite blatantly went to her study without covering up her movements. She just never bothered to tell Sakura about it (or maybe she forgot, you never know with Haruppi). And the reason Sakura lost her was her own fault. She got tired climbing the stairs, took a little break, and whoops Haruppi already made it inside with the shelf swinging shut.
Then Sakura finally got fed up and proceeded to bang on all the walls until Haruppi answered. It’s actually really scary when Sakura’s mad (wouldn’t recommend it).
“Where have you been?! You disappear every single day and you’ve never told me where you go!”
“S-Sorry.” Even Haruppi felt slightly intimidated by the fuming Sakura. Maybe Sakura shouldn’t have gotten so upset, but she needed some way to let out her frustration.
“You should be! I thought you were kidnapped the first few times! Do you know how worried I was?!” Sakura started pacing next to the banister (pacing’s never a good sign).
“...” Haruppi chose to stay quiet this time. Wise choice.
“That’s it! Come on, you’re going to get out of that little hole for a day.” Sakura grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs, she didn’t have a clear destination in mind but she was determined. Haruppi just let it happen and didn’t complain, because if she did then Sakura probably would’ve bitten her head off.
They made their way outside and Sakura automatically started following the path she walked every day - out the back, around the garden and through the woods, circling the entire grounds. Eventually, Sakura slowed down (maybe due to fatigue or her lack of aptitude for exercise) and the two walked at a leisurely pace side by side.
“So...what do you do in there anyways?” Sakura attempted to start a conversation, partially due to curiosity and partially because she just realized how awkward and embarrassing it was that she dragged Haruppi out here.
“Nothing really.”
Sakura narrowed her eyes.
“I really don’t do anything.” Haruppi reiterated. “I kind of sit around, or sleep.”
“Then why do you have to hide?” Sakura asked, finding it awfully suspicious.
“I just like spending time by myself. No offense to you or anything, but it’s relaxing in there.”
“But you hate being alone...” Sakura mumbled under her breath.
“What?” Haruppi just barely heard her. “How do you know that?”
Haruppi never mentioned that before, but somehow Sakura already knew.
“Eh? I don’t know...”
The conversation dropped after that, the two walking along the dirt path in silence, the only sounds accompanying them were of birds chirping and the fountain nearby. But Sakura didn’t pay any attention to them as she struggled to figure out how she knew that little piece of information though Haruppi never shared it. But no matter how hard she thought, Sakura didn’t understand why or where she heard it from.
Did I just make that up?
She was pretty sure she didn’t. But now her head hurt so she just gave up, chalking this up to another of those things she could never get an answer to. By this time, Sakura had given up on figuring so many things out, but they all remained in the back of her mind, building up and just waiting to resurface someday.
---
Now, every once in awhile, Haruppi would join Sakura on a little walk outside. It was like a mutual agreement without actually needing to say anything. Haruppi would just randomly appear beside her and they’d head out. Both enjoyed the refreshing air, nature, and best of all – spending time with the other person. And though Haruppi had been trying to avoid Sakura all this time, she couldn’t help but feel happy at the little time they spent together.
So it became a regular thing - another event in Sakura’s day, and she couldn’t help but feel content with her current lifestyle. And then besides her regular daily schedule, once a month, Haruppi would make something special for dinner - something exotic and fancy.
On those nights, Sakura would find a different kind of garment waiting for her. Like if it was a French dinner (which it was tonight), she would find clothes that fit France’s culture and style, the same went for just about every time they had a special meal. The dinner itself would be ridiculously authentic as well and Sakura nearly applauded every time at Haruppi’s diligence and skill in cooking (Haruppi liked to eat so it was only natural she knew how to cook her own favorite foods right?).
The night started off no different from usual, Sakura appearing at the top of the stairs like in those romance movies with Haruppi waiting for her at the table. Tonight, Sakura was dressed in a Lolita-style outfit (and it suited her very much) so Haruppi complimented her on it, still as cool as ever while Sakura was a blushing mess as always.
Haruppi herself, was dressed in an impeccable white suit. And this time it was Sakura’s turn to admit that Haruppi did indeed look stunning in white (but then again Sakura always admired Haruppi in anything she wore, Sakura just had trouble putting it into words).
“Y-You look nice too.” She managed to stammer out.
“Thank you.”
The cool smile Haruppi wore nearly overloaded Sakura’s mind and she almost passed out, but she didn’t. She couldn’t afford to – this was the most important dinner that she looked forward to every month.
The first dish was the pre-meal bread – the kind that made France famous for its bakeries and Sakura was in heaven after the first bite (it wasn’t even the main dish yet! Sakura just didn’t know how to pace herself).
“This is so good!”
“I had a feeling you would like it.” Haruppi mentioned as she spread some butter on her bread (that was flown directly from France for this occasion).
“How come?”
“Hmm I don’t know. Just a hunch~”
Haruppi was being as cryptic as always but Sakura was used to it by now. But that didn’t mean that she was giving up, not tonight.
“So why isn’t there any cell service here? I kinda forgot to ask earlier.” She offhandedly inquired as she nonchalantly as possible took another piece of French bread. Sakura had forgotten about that for a while, but another reason she asked that was to start off lightly, working her way up to the things she really wanted to know. It took her awhile though, speaking your mind in dreams is a lot easier than real life, all those months of sitting on her hands really got to her in the end however.
“There aren’t any cell phone towers I think. I don’t own one so I never really noticed before.”
“You don’t have a cell phone?!”
“Yes?” Haruppi answered, a little confused as to why Sakura had her mouth hanging wide open.
“Bu-But how do communicate with the outside world then?”
“Outside world? Isn’t that a little extreme?” Haruppi chuckled.
Then Sakura blushed a little and quieted down, now a bit embarrassed for her overreaction. They focused on eating for a few moments and Sakura was once again impressed by the layout. Next was soup (it wasn’t light either, something with onions in it and had more of a stew consistency), then the entrée - Coq au Vin – which Sakura butchered the pronunciation of but it was still delicious nonetheless. Haruppi really outdid herself again with the full course meal (not that Sakura didn’t enjoy it, she had long since grown used to the large portions could eat almost as much as Haruppi—almost).
Oh shoot! I’m supposed to be questioning her! Sakura had to remind herself and pull out of her food heaven. Wait, was that squid? Do French people even eat squid??
Clearing her throat, she tried again. “What about this place? Did you inherit it or something?”
“You could say that.” Haruppi smirked knowingly. “It’s been passed down in my family, but it’s been years since anyone lived here before I came along.”
“Why are you the only one? Don’t you have siblings? Do you really not have employees that take care of the place?”
“Nope.”
Sakura was getting exasperated. Haruppi was amused.
“Then where did you live before? Where are your parents?” The food had been completely forgotten now – at least by Sakura.
“They died a long time ago. I’ve been on my own ever since.”
Sakura felt bad for asking until she realized that Haruppi was (quite cleverly) dodging the question. She racked her brain, trying to think of what she actually knew about Haruppi (which wasn’t much to be honest).
Why can’t I come up with anything?
Sometimes she felt like she knew everything about the other girl, like they had been together forever, but then she’d remember that she had only met Haruppi a few months ago and all the details eluded her.
“Wait,” A light bulb went on. “Didn’t you say you had a little sister?”
“...Yes.”
There it was - Haruppi was getting cautious. Sakura was onto something.
“Tell me about her.”
Haruppi seemed to freeze for a second, as if considering whether or not it would be appropriate to tell, but then her gaze softened, like she was remembering something from long ago. She looked just like the Haruppi in Sakura’s dreams, sitting on that windowsill all alone. “...She died a long time ago as well.”
Sakura listened intently, utterly focused and anticipating what Haruppi would say.
“She was only a year younger than me, but she was a lot smarter, prettier, happier – just like the sun. An ironic comparison~” Haruppi chuckled.
Sakura didn’t get a chance to ask what she meant because Haruppi’s next words interrupted and stole all of her attention.
“But I really admired her, I loved her too. She was everything to me.”
Now Sakura was far too interested in this, mesmerized by the expression on Haruppi’s face as she spoke – an expression she’d never seen before – one that was sad, but happy, hopeful somehow but missing someone dearly. It was so nostalgic.
“Sometimes we’d stay at separate places due to family reasons, but I always got to see her again – it was what I looked forward too. But then...I was separated from her, completely. She was just...gone. And she’d never come back. It was horrible, I couldn’t live with myself because I promised I’d never let something like that happen. But she left. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.” Haruppi’s eyes misted over as she stared into nothing. “Then I made another promise – to her and to myself.”
“What was it?”
Haruppi smiled sadly, “I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Not yet at least.”
“Why not?” Sakura insisted.
“I just can’t.”
Something snapped. Sakura had enough.
“Why can’t you tell me?! You never tell me anything!” She stood abruptly, the chair tipping over in the process with a resounding crash, echoing through the emptiness of the house. “You never answer any of my questions! Always keeping me in the dark! Why can’t you just open up a little?! Why won’t you let me in?!”
How could she trust someone who didn’t trust her?
Haruppi sat stunned. “Sakura—”
“What are you afraid of?”
That hit her hard. “...Saku—”
“No!” Sakura slammed her hands on the table, shaking her head with eyes clenched shut with anger and physically shaking from rage. “...No, I’ve had enough. I’m done.”
That was the second time since Sakura moved in that she didn’t finish dinner with Haruppi.
---
A/N: So here's the deal, I know cliffhangers suck and all but that's how the story's set up, and I really hope you guys will keep reading this as I don't like making people upset. Therefore, there's going to be another short update tonight (bc that's how the chapters work) and then we'll finally get some resolution in Chapter 9, which I will post tomorrow.
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OMG
OMG OMG OMG!!!
Were they sisters?! O___O
I don't know!!! >-<
Update soon!
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Wow. Sure we can assume they are sisters based on what Haruka implied but there are still many unexplained things so I guess I should just wait for another update *sighs*
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Whaaaatt I didn't forget about promising another update tonight :nervous Well I remembered so it's all good! As I sit here at midnight in the dark having got back out of bed XD
@Ruka Kikuchi: Oh lol sometimes I forget that you guys don't know anything cuz I haven't told you yet haha :lol:
@Yuki88: Nothing really makes sense does it? Really sorry bout that but the next chapter (tomorrow) should clear up a lot. I'm glad for these replies bc I kinda assume you guys know, forgot about the whole 'explaining things as if the readers know nothing thing' :nervous Just goes to show how great of a writer I am (not).
Chapter 8: Back Again
Sakura had another dream. She was back in front of that mirror, the swing gone this time and all the previous dreams skipped - which was odd in and of itself.
Reaching out, Sakura trailed her hand over the strangely smooth branches of the frame.
Why am I here?
It was the question she asked during all her dreams, but this time another question took precedence.
What’s changed?
Dreams were supposed to be ventures into a person’s subconscious – Sakura knew that much, but she still couldn’t understand any of what was going on.
Where is Haruppi?
As if answering her call, Haruppi suddenly appeared, right on the other side of the frame – so close yet so far.
How?...
Her face was set in a sad, longing expression and she was looking in Sakura’s direction – no, she was looking past Sakura.
Why can’t she see me?
Sakura was afraid. But she also wanted to reach her. She wanted to reach Haruppi.
So stretching her hand out, Sakura's arm went through the frame, now sure that it wasn’t a mirror but indeed a door, and intertwined her fingers with Haruppi’s in midair, holding their hands there between each other.
“Sakura.” “Haruka.”
They spoke at the same time, Sakura raised another hand and trailed a finger down Haruppi’s jawline – light, feeling, confirming that Haruppi was real. But now Haruppi could see her, and she gazed intently into Sakura’s eyes.
“Why can’t you see me?”
“What? I can see you right now.”
“No, you can’t Sakura. You don’t see me.” Haruppi insisted. “You don’t see me at all.”
Sakura was confused, not sure what she was saying. “What do you mean Haruppi?”
“I miss you Sakura...”
“I...I miss you too.” She just realized this, that she had been missing Haruppi’s presence. Her dream self was a lot calmer and more composed than her real self because she probably would’ve snapped again had it been real. “But why do you avoid me? Why won’t you tell me?”
Haruppi remained silent.
“Haruppi! Answer me!” Sakura insisted, not really angry, more exasperated and pleading. Because even she realized how annoying it was that she kept asking, but... “What are you hiding? Why are you hiding? Please! I just...I want to know...I want to know you.”
“...You already know me.”
There it was again, that heartbreaking smile of hers that made Sakura want to hold her until everything else faded away while at the same time kiss her silly – which Sakura seriously contemplated at the moment.
“Please, just trust me Sakura.” Haruppi requested.
“I—I want to...” But all Sakura could think of was that Haruppi’s face was mere inches away, their breaths mixed in the air, only a measly distance separating them... Haruppi’s lips looked so soft...so enticing. That was it, Sakura had enough.
“Forget it. Just—Screw this.”
Leaning forward while pulling Haruppi close, she pressed their lips together tightly. It was gentle and slow, but it grew more and more insistent by the second. Sakura couldn’t help herself anymore, but Haruppi was the same. The kiss grew bolder and more passionate, Haruppi the one caressing Sakura’s cheek now and Sakura’s arms looping around Haruppi’s neck, but eventually they had to separate, breaking away but not too far, neither of them wanted to be too far. Their lips barely grazed each other’s lightly, teasingly.
Haruppi smiled – a genuine smile that Sakura had never seen before but she remembered it.
“Don’t forget. Promise me you’ll never forget again.”
Sakura didn’t know what Haruppi was asking of her, but she trusted her. “I promise.”
Then Haruppi stepped back, her hand retreating from Sakura’s cheek and leaving it feeling cold.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
Haruppi already seemed so far away.
“Don’t worry, I’ll see you again.” Haruppi smiled softly, it was still sad, but holding just a tiny bit of hope as well. “And you’ll see me.”
---
Sakura awoke with a start, but much less scared than the last time. A sense of déjà vu enveloped her as she sat up and spotted the silver tray again. She had missed dinner so it was almost a given that Haruppi would leave some for her for when she woke up.
Haruppi was always so nice to her, so caring, so thoughtful, but Sakura hated how mean, careless, and unconcerned she was at the same time.
Why do I even think she’s nice in the first place? It was just a feeling - something her instincts told her, but she really didn’t have concrete evidence of it. Sakura was getting tired of these dreams too. They were so repetitive it was infuriating and yet she still didn’t know what they meant.
“Well whatever,” Sakura muttered bitterly, now fully awake and still angry at Haruppi ever since their last encounter a few hours ago. “It’s not like I’ll ever find an answer anyway.”
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I'm not upset so don't worry my friend, is my way to express how exciting is to me this fanfic lol don't be sorry and make me suffer more without telling us more important details hahahaha
now, about this chapter... WHAT THE....?!
we need (not only sakura lol) answers haruppi!
Note: I was writing this and then BANG! new chapter
Edit: I still need more answers but... OMG THAT KISS!
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The memories slowly returning to Sakura but the most important part isn't coming back to her yet.
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I just want to check your fic and then I got double update. Cool! Lol
Too much mystery in chapter 7, but I'm glad when Haruppi start to join Sakura's little walk~
I can't suspect whether Sakura is Haruppi's sister or not>o<
I love the raging Sakura anyway! XD
And the dreams~ Its better now, THANKS FOR THE KISSING PART! Lol.
Gonna wait the next update!
Thanks for this double update, Kei-san!^o^/
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The kiss was perfection!!! >w<
Sakura, don't give up! Soon, surely, you will remember!
OMG update soon! This is getting more exciting! :bow:
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Alright here we go! I don't why I'm so excited but I'm really happy to be able to post this chapter XD
These last couple updates will be a bit longer than those short af middle ones :P
@abcari: That's reassuring! Phew! XD Haha suffering's pretty much over after this tho :lol: Oh lol good timing haha, and glad you liked that kiss~
@Yuki88: Well 'yet' is here now :P Sorry to keep ya waiting so long
@junchan48: Lol double updates are always good :lol: The sister thing will be explained in the next update and ya that frustration's gotta explode at some point right? XD Glad the kiss was good haha
@Ruka Kikuchi: Haha thanks, I'm not really good with scenes like that :nervous LOL It's about time right? XD
Chapter 9: The Story
The following weeks were...awkward to say the least. They didn't take walks together anymore, Sakura would just stay in her room and sulk, refusing to come out and Haruppi never called for her anyways so why should she? Only for meals would Sakura drag herself out of her room. She thought about skipping, but she wouldn’t be able to skip forever, and then decided it’d better to get it over with sooner rather than later.
Sometimes Sakura felt bad about it – for snapping at Haruppi. Whatever progress she may have made in her relationship with Haruppi seemed to be reset, and that made Sakura feel pretty depressed too. But then seeing Haruppi seem so completely unaffected by it, Sakura was pissed, constantly bitter and on edge. So most of the time now, breakfast, lunch, and dinner were quiet - the tension in the air almost palpable. And sometimes Sakura wouldn’t even see Haruppi the whole day (even during meals) and she figured that Haruppi was avoiding her again. Sakura felt hurt about it, something heavy in her chest weighing her down. But then again she was mad that Haruppi refused to even face her anymore.
Coward...
Sakura thought as she headed back upstairs, ready to drown in her covers once again. But then she changed her mind last second and headed for the library, thinking that maybe reading a book would help keep her mind off things.
She hadn’t really read any books since her school days, and had only skimmed the titles of Haruppi’s library, so might as well take this chance to catch up a bit now. Without even looking at the cover, Sakura grabbed the first book off the shelf. Outside was dark and stormy, rain pouring down on the windows violently and flashes of lighting illuminating the empty house as she sunk into a recliner and curled her legs up, ready to sit there for a good few hours immersing herself in another world.
The story she picked was one about an angel, a messenger of God that was charged with watching over the humans and taking them to heaven after their lives ended. Then one day, she met a demon who had the same job as her, but taking people to hell instead. The angel was scared of the demon, she had no intentions of getting along with her and had heard many stories, thinking of them as angels’ natural enemies. And this demon knew that, so she kept bothering the angel, always hanging around and teasing her, bugging her about every little detail.
But eventually, the angel grew used to the demon, the two always meeting up before going to Earth and doing their work. They became inseparable, and the angel learned that not all demons were as the stories told them, that this demon was actually nice (once the bugging stopped) and so they started meeting up whenever they could.
Every day, the angel would go down to Earth and meet the demon at their special place – a garden hidden deep in the forest. Every day, the demon would be there waiting for her, without fail, and the angel started looking forward to their meetings every day. Until it got to the point that the angel neglected her duties, skipping them just to see the demon.
And that was unacceptable.
God found out and was about to banish the angel for her incompetence, but the demon stopped it. She found her way into heaven, suffering heavy injuries that she would not survive from just to save the angel. She pleaded for God not to banish the angel, saying that she would take the punishment instead. The angel protested this but the demon wouldn’t have it, adamant in her decision. It didn’t matter to her that she would lose everything. So she reasoned that she would die anyways, and at least this way she could save the angel - the one she loved.
The angel burst out in tears and refused to let go of the demon, realizing that she loved the demon as well – that the demon was a special being in her life. Seeing this scene, God was moved by their feelings for each other and made a decision. Even though angels and demons were never even supposed to interact in the first place, the angel had been one of his best before, so he was willing to make an exception just this once.
Together, they would be banished to Earth, living out the rest of their lives as mere humans. However, he gave them one gift. After death, they would be reborn once again, and they would be able to meet the other in each lifetime, forever finding each other’s embrace. Their memories would not be retained until they met each other and after coming of age, but then they would be able to live happily together until the end of their days when the cycle began anew.
The angel and demon gratefully accepted this proposal and were sent to Earth, countlessly living out this routine endlessly. But their love never faded, and they always managed to find each other again no matter what happened.
At the end of the story, Sakura closed the book gently and set it down. She noticed wet spots on her shirt and realized that she had been crying, the silent tears flowing freely down her face. She couldn’t decide if she was sad or happy, but she did know that it was very a beautiful story. And with that last thought, Sakura glanced at the clock and saw that several hours had already past. It was nearly six o’clock - almost time for dinner.
Slowly, Sakura stood and straightened herself out. Tonight, she would face Haruppi. Hearing that story made her realize something, made her find her resolve again. Because Haruppi wasn’t the coward, she wasn’t the one avoiding conflict, she wasn’t the one refusing to answer.
It’s me.
But no more, Sakura was determined, resolve set and fists clenched tightly. She would find out the truth. Maybe she was scared too, just like Haruppi, scared of what the answer would be. But even so, Sakura was prepared to face it now.
---
Third time’s the charm right?
At least that’s what Sakura kept telling herself as she got ready. No more waiting. She can’t wait anymore. So instead of asking at dinner like always, Sakura stood outside of the hidden room in the library. And her definition of getting ready was psyching herself up before actually going in. She was sure that Haruppi was in there because there was no other place she could be. She also figured that Haruppi already knew she was there and was most likely waiting for Sakura to show herself.
There was no way that Haruppi hadn’t noticed her yet, no way, Sakura was sure because Haruppi was just like that.
“Come in.”
Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice.
“H-Hai!”
Pushing in the trigger, the shelf sunk in then swung to the side, revealing the hidden doorway. Entering cautiously because she never actually gone inside before, Sakura stepped into the furnished room. It was antique but not old, more books lined the shelves in the room and a dim lamp lit the place from the corner. A large mirror took up the entirety of one wall behind the large oak study desk that stood in the center, a fur rug decorating the hard floor in front of it, and a leather chair behind it where the girl Sakura was looking for was seated.
As usual, Haruppi wasn’t even looking at her. Instead, the girl chose to stare intently at the rug on the floor, hands resting on the chairs arms, seemingly lost in thought but also seemingly staring off into space without thinking of anything at all.
Why won’t you look at me? Is it because you can’t see me? Why can’t you see me? Is it because I can’t see you? Why don’t I know what that means? Is it because—
“Do you know what the date is? It’s the same date we have a special dinner on every month.”
Does that mean it’s already been a month since I snapped at her? “I don’t know, I forgot about dates since I never have anything planned.”
“Hmm.”
There was silence after that. Normally Sakura would feel awkward invading the room like that, but recently she felt kind of uncaring of anything at all. And she didn't feel like speaking up either, not right now at least. But it seemed that Haruppi wasn't done.
“Do you know what countries’ cuisines we’ve tried so far?”
“Eh?” An odd question. Sakura glanced around the room as she answered, nonchalantly taking in every detail. “I guess I could name most of them but some I didn't recognize.”
“Hmm.” The whole time Haruppi spoke to her, she didn't ever look up, as if she didn't really care to pay any attention to Sakura’s answers.
Wait a minute, why is she asking me all these things?
Obviously, this wasn't normal. Usually, Sakura would be the one doing all the interrogating but now it was Haruppi’s turn.
“Do you know when your birthday is?”
“What? Of course I know when my birthday is. What kind of question is that?” Sakura responded, her attention snapping back and she glared at Haruppi who still refused to look at her.
“Hmm.”
“...Would you quit it with the ‘Hmm’! It's getting irritating.”
“You know...today is the 19th. I assume you can figure out what month it is from there.” Haruppi finally looked at her, gaze almost penetrating into her soul.
The 19th? What's so special about the 19th?
It was just another day on the calendar, and days had even less value ever since Sakura came here and starting repeating the same routine endlessly every single day.
“Why? What’s so important about the 19th?”
Haruppi just got up from her seat and made her way towards the door.
I’ve been trying so hard to stay away...I won’t be able to hold back much longer.
Sakura heard the voice in her head – the same one from her dreams – but she knew it was real this time. In the back of her mind, she briefly wondered if it really was another’s thoughts or if it was her own. Then she stepped in Haruppi’s way, effectively blocking off the exit.
“Answer me.”
“...”
“Answer me, dammit Haruppi!”
“...Wh-What did you just call me?” Haruppi stared at her incredulously.
But Sakura was unfazed.
“I said, tell me Haruppi. I’m tired of your games.”
With each word, Sakura gradually stepped closer towards her, eventually backing her up farther until the backs of Haruppi’s legs bumped into the desk - she was trapped.
Haruppi was stuck between the desk and a very angry Sakura, but at this point, Haruppi would have even preferred being at the verge of falling off a cliff than facing her. Sakura wasn’t angry like last time when she exploded on Haruppi, no this time it was more of a quiet rage – the terrifying, seething kind.
Her eyes bore holes through Haruppi’s head, and it was obvious she wasn’t planning on moving anytime soon, not until Haruppi gave her some answers.
“Haruppi.”
“...” Haruppi still wouldn’t look at her, gazing down at the floor and cowering instead.
“Haruppi.”
“...”
“Haruppi.”
“...Sakura.” It came out as a quiet whisper.
“Haruppi, I’m done. Do you understand? I’m done playing your games.” Sakura’s voice was eerily calm and level. “Tell. Me. NOW.”
Suddenly, Haruppi froze. As if someone was controlling her like a puppet on strings, her eyes dark and pupils dilated, she looked up and started talking.
“We know each other.”
No longer was it ‘you know me’. Now it was ‘we know each other’. Finally she was telling Sakura something about herself.
“It’s been a long time. A long time since we last saw each other. I missed you. I want you.”
Haruppi spoke like a robot, monotone and without any expression.
“I tried so hard to stay away...I tried so hard to control myself...I could only see you in your dreams, but even then I couldn’t be myself. I couldn’t tell you, I couldn’t be with you—” For a split second, she almost came back, letting her emotions take over the control, but then she went back under.
“I-It’s been a long time...too long...since you died.”
Because?......Usually we grow old together...but last time...there was a war... The blood all rushed to Sakura’s head. I died even before I met her...
Abruptly, Sakura caught a glimpse of herself in the large wall mirror behind Haruppi. She couldn’t even recognize herself. Slight twisted horns protruded from her scalp, slitted pupils and blood-red irises shining faintly in the dimly lit room. She looked so...demonic.
Is that really me?
Then her attention was caught by something else - tears welled up in Haruppi’s eyes, the emotions overwhelming her. She couldn’t take it anymore. It looked like she was fighting, physically shaking from the effort, and fighting hard. She looked in pain because she couldn’t move, couldn’t even cry. And that snapped Sakura out of it.
In the blink of an eye, Haruppi collapsed and Sakura caught her in her arms before she fell.
Haruppi leaned against her for support and Sakura held her securely. All of a sudden Haruppi seemed so small, so frail and easy to be broken, and Sakura felt that she would do anything to protect her. Anything at all. She would even...die for her.
Sakura’s head was pounding, like a thousand drums beating next to her ear. Everything started going in and out of focus. Images flashed like a montage. The room was spinning. Her senses were overloaded, a touch here, a hushed whisper there. Darkness, then not.
I-I would’ve died for her......but we were lucky.
“Sakura.”
Then it went away again. Calm washed over her in waves and Sakura relaxed, feeling like everything would be alright, that it was alright. Because then Haruppi’s arms enveloped her and Sakura felt more safe than she ever had.
“I’m sorry...I’m so sorry Haruppi...”
There were so many things to apologize for that a simple ‘sorry’ definitely wouldn’t cut it. Sakura wanted to apologize for using her powers on Haruppi when she promised that she never would. She wanted to apologize for pushing Haruppi so far. She wanted to apologize for taking so long to remember Haruppi. And most of all, Sakura wanted to apologize for forgetting about Haruppi and the feelings she had for her.
But Sakura was a bit traumatized and couldn’t get anything else out, crying quietly and only repeating, “I’m sorry...”
Haruppi didn’t respond though, not with words, she just kissed Sakura on the head lovingly and rubbed her back in a reassuring manner. They stayed like that for a few moments, wrapped up in each other’s embrace, Sakura still shaking and sniffling, taking time to recover from the shock but she managed another soft whisper.
“I missed you too...Haruppi.”
---
Sakura awoke slowly, like she was coming out of a nice dream (for once). It was one of those sleeps where you can’t really remember the dream, only the feeling it left behind and she felt more refreshed than ever. But Sakura could just vaguely recall being surrounded by a shower of soft white feathers, and having her lips curved up in a soft smile.
Then she figured out why she slept so well. She was still on the floor of Haruppi’s study, lying on the furry rug which was nice and warm, her reflection in the mirror back to normal. But best of all, lying next to her (and somewhat under her) was Haruppi. Her face was so angelic and different as she slept that Sakura couldn’t help but stare for a while.
Haruppi was always so...guarded (at least recently). But when she slept, it was like she was open, relaxed, free.
Then Haruppi started stirring but Sakura didn’t notice until she found a pair of hazel eyes meeting her own.
“...”
“...”
“...I’m glad this rug is here.”
It started as soft giggling until Haruppi couldn’t hold it in anymore and full on laughed, which was music to Sakura’s ears as she hadn’t heard it in forever.
“Hahahaha! Hahaha~...Is that really the first thing you have to say?” Haruppi giggled.
This time there were tears in Haruppi’s eyes from laughing too hard and Sakura thought that she liked those tears a lot better.
“Sorry~” She apologized with a sheepish smile. “I just...couldn’t think of what to say.”
“Hehe it’s okay.” Haruppi smiled then – a real one this time.
And Sakura knew - she was forgiven.
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this chapter was so perfect...
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What a plot twist lol. So it was the demon, Sakura, who sacrificed herself for the angel, Haruka, in the past. Is that why Haruka was the one who remembers the past clearly?
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Yes! My frustation gonna exploding but thanks to this chapter, I'm fine now! Lol
So Sakura was the demon and Haruppi was the angel, right?
Sakura read the book that tell their story in the past, right Kei-san?
But well, I dont know if my speculation is right or not-,-
Gonna wait the next chapter and thanks for the update, Kei-san!^o^/
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What a plot twist lol. So it was the demon, Sakura, who sacrificed herself for the angel, Haruka, in the past. Is that why Haruka was the one who remembers the past clearly?
ikr. I thought it was the other way around!
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And the last chapter! Don't worry though, it's not the end just yet XD
abcari: I'm glad you thought so! XD Makes my day~
Yuki88: Lol ya, I'm kinda surprised nobody guessed it tho :P But then again I was sending mixed signals on purpose haha. Hmm, actually it's because Haruppi is older than Sakura, so she regained her memories sooner (at the coming of age, which is 20 in Japan)
junchan: Second account? lol Haha that's good, don't want people exploding on me :P Yes, and yes junchan you're right XD
Ruka Kikuchi: That's what I was going for :P
So I'm pretty sure all of you know this, but this story's based on the MV for Taboo no Iro (which I watched about 50 times for reference XD) and if you haven't seen it or need a refresher, here it is.
http://www.show48.com/hkt48-taboo-no-iro/#
Cuz as you can see from the title of this chapter...ya :P And the lyrics I wrote in here may be off a bit bc honestly I copied and pasted them cuz I was too lazy to actually write them out lol
Chapter 10: Taboo no Iro
“We missed dinner.” Haruppi remarked when they finally removed themselves from each other and left to head downstairs. Sakura hadn’t wanted to get up and Haruppi had been more than willing to comply, so they ended up cuddling comfortably on that rug for a few more hours. But eventually Sakura’s tummy grumbled too loud to be ignored any longer.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. Are you upset? Since your little sister...” Sakura drifted off.
But Haruppi shook her head. “Don’t worry about it~ I don’t really have a little sister anyways.”
“What? But I thought you said—”
“Nope.” Haruppi replied as she dug in the cabinets for something quick to eat.
“Not even in your last life? I mean, I had a brother in this one.”
“Sakura...” Haruppi paused and looked at her funny. “Have you really not figured it out yet?”
“Eh? Figured what out?”
She sighed, “The little sister I was talking about was you.”
“Eh?! Really??” Sakura’s jaw dropped.
“Oh Sakura...” Haruppi probably would’ve facepalmed had she not been busy looking for something to feed Sakura with. It was too late to make anything (since they slept through dinner and most of the night), so Haruppi had to find another solution. “I only talked about you as my ‘little sister’ so you wouldn’t get suspicious. Besides, if I had said ‘lover’ you would’ve been upset right?”
I was still upset... Sakura thought to herself.
But Sakura really hadn’t figured it out that Haruppi had been talking about her all along. Now, she stood there and contemplated how Haruppi had described her ‘little sister’, remembering that she had spoken very fondly of her - something that Sakura (will now admit) was slightly jealous of at the time. So currently she was very reassured and happy that Haruppi hadn’t found someone else that she...well, loved when Sakura was gone.
“Can you see if there’s anything in the fridge? All I have is cereal in the cupboards.”
“Yeah, sure~” Sakura swung open the fridge doors and was greeted with an odd sight. “...You have a gigantic ham in here.”
“Yeah? Where else would I put it?”
“...That’s not what I meant.” Sakura deadpanned.
Haruppi chuckled, coming up behind her and putting her hands on Sakura’s shoulders. “I know~ But anyways, look down.”
“Eh?” Sakura tilted her gaze downward and was met with something even more spectacular than the whole ham. “A cake? Why a cake? Don’t tell me...”
“Yep~ Happy Birthday Sakura~”
The 19th of March – Sakura’s birthday – her 20th birthday.
“Haruppi...” Sakura spun around and hugged her tightly, tears threatening to spill but she kept them at bay. “Thank you so much. You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know,” Haruppi sounded near Sakura’s ear. “But I wanted to.”
Some sniffling and tight hugging later, Sakura pulled away and smiled. “I love you, you know that?”
“Of course I do~” Haruppi giggled, “I know everything~”
Sakura giggled along with her and together they cut into the cake.
---
Also together, they managed to eat just about the whole thing. Most of the cake was gone already (and it was a large one) since both of them possessed ravenous appetites that couldn’t be tamed and then it somehow turned into a cake eating contest (which they later both agreed was a bad idea). But thanks to that, they were full and sleepy, lazily cuddling together on Haruppi’s bed (which smelled like Haruppi and Sakura loved that). Neither of them actually fell asleep though, due to the ridiculously long nap they took earlier, so that gave them plenty of time to talk and catch up. And they had a lot to catch up on.
“So you learned to cook from your mom? Or your moms?” Sakura asked as she played with Haruppi’s hand, the two laying side by side and legs in a tangle.
“Yep~ I guess I was really lucky because I always had a mom who knew how to cook some really good food.” Haruppi’s gaze drifted and her mouth nearly watered just thinking about the stuff that her mom made.
“Aww that’s not fair~ My mom never knew how to cook, and my dad could just barely get by.”
“But now I can cook for you.”
Sakura paused. They would live out the rest of their lives together, just the two of them. Haruppi would take care of her and she would take care of Haruppi, forever. But not quite. “...What’s going to happen from now on?”
“It’ll be the same as always. You and me until the end.”
“But why does there have to be an end? Why can’t we just be together forever instead of starting over every single time?”
“...”
“I don’t want to be separated again...”
“...I know.” Haruppi rubbed her arm reassuringly and kissed her forehead as Sakura burrowed into her side. “I lost you last time...I don’t want that to happen again either.”
Sakura nodded into Haruppi’s shoulder.
“And that’s why...I made some arrangements this time.”
“What?” Sakura’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Haruppi smiled, “This time, we aren’t going to be separated. This time, we will be together - forever.”
“But how?”
“Do you remember that one demon? The one that likes to mess around with girls and always crashed on our couch afterwards?”
“Yeah...” Sakura didn’t know what that had to do with anything though.
“Well she fell. Like, literally and figuratively.”
She frowned, “You mean she fell in love? I never thought that would ever happen, not with her at least.”
Both of them knew that demon long enough to know she was a total player and never liked to be tied down. So that was a shocker.
“Me either. But she knew how to regain her immortality, and her powers even after being banished. I don’t know if she was prepared for that to happen...but it works out for us because she told me how.”
“Really?!” Sakura was beyond ecstatic. She could stay with Haruppi for all of eternity if that was true.
Haruppi giggled, “Yes, but go to bed now, it’s late. We’ll talk about this more tomorrow.”
“Okay fine~” Sakura pouted a bit (which Haruppi found adorable) and snuggled closer to her.
.
.
.
“...Haruppi...”
“Hmm?”
“...I can’t asleep.”
“So what do you want to do?”
“Tell me a story.”
“But I don’t know any stories.”
“Then tell me about our story. I want to hear you tell it.” Sakura squeezed Haruppi’s hand in the darkness.
“...Okay.” Haruppi could never refuse Sakura anyways. “Where do I start?”
“Start from the very beginning.”
“But didn’t you just read about it in the library?”
“Yeah but I like your voice, and I don’t mind hearing it again~”
Haruppi chucked, “Okay, if you insist~”
She could feel Sakura shift into a more comfortable position, ready to listen before Haruppi spoke up again.
“It started long long ago, so long that the years were unable to be counted.”
Sakura hummed lightly, a song that both of them knew by heart.
“There was an angel, a naïve young angel that had just gotten her first job and was being sent down to earth to collect some human souls and bring them to heaven. She was so excited, but during the trip she got lost and encountered a demon, and then she was scared. Angels weren’t supposed to interact with demons, but this demon wouldn’t leave her alone, constantly following her and making her feel uncomfortable. The angel thought that the demon was just messing with her because that’s what demons do, but she was wrong. Eventually, the demon proved to be a great and sincere companion, even though the demon teased her all the time, the angel found that occasionally the demon would let her kind and sweet side show. And that’s when the two became the best of friends.”
When Haruppi mentioned that the demon was ‘great and sincere’ also ‘kind and sweet’, Sakura smiled, a little embarrassed but happy nonetheless. She tugged lightly on Haruppi’s sleeve and nodded, letting her know that she would tell this part.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura began, “Even though they knew they shouldn’t have, every day, they would meet up in their secret garden. All kinds of flowers grew there and they tended to it together. But then one day, the demon suddenly realized something – she loved the angel. In the beginning, she only approached the angel because the angel was beautiful, more beautiful than anything she’d ever encountered before.”
Now it was Haruppi’s turn to blush.
“But the demon didn’t know how to act around her. Angels were God’s messengers, and she was only a lowly demon, so she acted on only what she knew the angel thought of her. It was rocky at first, she thought the angel would hate her, but then against all her expectations, they became friends. The demon had no ill intentions or really any intentions at all in the first place, never meaning for this to happen, but she was very glad to have met the angel. And now it was too late, she had already fallen.”
I never meant for this to happen
Up to now, we were just normal friends...
Sakura paused and Haruppi picked up where she left off.
“The angel was at fault as well, she wanted to spend all her time with the demon until the point where she would sneak out, ignoring her responsibilities just to see the demon. She didn’t mean to, but she couldn’t help herself. And then God found out. He locked her up in heaven, forbidden from ever going to earth and seeing the demon ever again. There was nothing she could do, as an angel she couldn’t disobey God directly, though she did try to escape any number of times. However, all her attempts failed. Losing all hope, the angel cried and cried...until one day, something happened. There was a commotion in peaceful heaven and the demon was the source of it. A demon in heaven was unheard of, but the angel was beyond happy to find her there. Unfortunately, the demon had suffered heavy injuries from fighting her way in, as well as the pure air burning her horribly – another reason why angels and demons were never to mix.”
Sakura could still feel the pain of her skin burning and the memory made her grimace. But of course, she didn’t regret it one bit.
“Then a close friend of the angel’s let her out of her confinement and she immediately rushed to the demon’s side. God appeared, further infuriated that the demon did not know her place, about to sentence her but the angel protested feverishly. Even the demon couldn’t calm her down, trying hard to reason that she was mortally wounded and would never be able to make it back alive anyways, so at least this way the angel wouldn’t have to suffer any longer. The argument went back and forth until the demon said one final thing – I love you. Then the demon turned her attention back to God and pleaded to not to let the angel be hurt because of her, pleaded for him to erase her memories, as if none of this ever happened. The angel had been shocked into silence, but she realized one thing – she loved the demon too.”
I never meant for this to happen
But I’ve realized that you’re special to me
Against all odds, the two had met and became friends, then something more. They both knew that they shouldn’t have, they didn’t plan it, but it happened. Curiosity fueled them and they couldn’t help but to touch that forbidden flower.
You were a beautiful flower I must not touch
But I couldn’t help touching you
But love would be best represented by a rose, and roses have their thorns.
And so the thorn pierced my finger
“However, this display of commitment and sincerity moved God and he changed his mind. Even though it was taboo, it wasn’t common to find a relationship as strong and selfless as theirs, so he allowed it. He allowed the taboo of love, just this once.”
This taboo is the blood-red color of love
“God banished both of them. But he granted them one gift. Their lives would forever be connected, their fate forever intertwined. One would not live without meeting the other because their souls were already so close knitted, they were almost one.”
The blurring of borders between our souls
Barely audible, Sakura whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” Haruppi breathed.
“Forgive me.”
“It’s fine.”
“We’re both equally guilty.”
“It was the best outcome they could’ve gotten, they crossed a forbidden line, an absolute law that should never have been broken. But they did it out of love.”
This forbidden relationship is the color of love
A line that we have crossed
“So their story never ended, it went on indefinitely for the rest of eternity.”
“I want...”
“To be dyed...”
“In your arms...”
“Forever...”
“By the color of taboo.”
“They never thought it would end up this way, they never even dared to dream of it. But it was a miracle to fall so hard for each other, and another miracle to be allowed to be together.”
I’ve been hooked so deeply
I could never have imagined it
“Every lifetime possessed similar elements - the bitterness of being at odds with each other, the awkwardness of becoming friends, then the uncertainty of falling in love. It could only have been fate - the way they were so helplessly drawn to each other. And now their fates were inseparable, inescapable.”
I’ve been hooked so deeply
Having been blown by the winds of fate
“Their story was like a flower, destined to bloom and die and bloom again.”
You just happened to bloom next to me
Soon I was gravitating towards you
And our lips drew close
“Sakura...” “Haruka...”
It was wrong, they knew it was wrong. But they couldn’t stop themselves from falling.
You’re someone I must not love
But I can’t stop my feelings any longer
Haruppi finished the story but joined Sakura in the song.
“Is this okay?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Just like this...”
“The two of us...”
“Forever.”
Embracing each other in the darkness, neither of them could think of anything better.
You’re not someone tied to me
But even hugging you makes me so happy
“Let’s just...”
“Snuggle...”
“Quietly...”
“In the shade...”
“As the flower of taboo.”
Haruppi tilted her head down, meeting Sakura’s lips in a long-awaited kiss.
I don’t care...even if I lose everything else.
-
Is this final chapter? o.o
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I'll be in rage if you have no epilogue for this lol xD
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I was gone for barely a week and you're already done with your story?? I hope you write an epilogue for this. Or some sort of prequel. Their previous story seems as as interesting. :)
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this isn't the end right?
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Yes. I kinda forgot my first account pass. Lol
This chapter was fluffy~
And I'll exploding if you not gimme the epilogue! I demand a super fluffy epilogue! Lol
Thanks for the update, Kei-san!^o^/
Gonna wait the epilogue~
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@Ruka Kikuchi: Nope this is the end now :(
@Yuki88: Don't hurt me! Here's the epilogue! *hands it over quickly* Lol :P
@gekikararabuACE: Oh hi! I noticed you were gone :P Ya sorry, frustration was piling up and I didn't want people to kill me haha. A prequel sounds...really interesting actually. But if I do write one it'd be at the bottom of my list, I'll consider it tho XD Oh and btw...I'm hoping for an update on your story as well ;) No rush but I'm really too exited to find out what happens next XD
@abcari: It is now, sadly :(
@junchan: Oh haha I get that XD Glad the fluff was good, tried to make it happy after all that angst lol. No don't explode! That's not healthy! :P Hope the fluff here is up to yer standards (it's kinda got a little bit of everything actually)
Well guys, here it is, the epilogue I promised XD Unfortunately though, this marks the end of the story and I really appreciate you all reading and commenting! Keeps me happy and motivated and makes me wanna write more! XD So I guess I'll see ya next time~
I feel like I wrote the entire story just so I could write this epilogue lol :lol:
Forgotten Memories
Epilogue: Falling Into Place
It wasn’t happily ever after. It’s never happily ever after. There’s always bound to be some issues that arise and are just plain unavoidable.
Sometimes it’s something (somewhat) big, like how Haruppi had been avoiding Sakura ever since she moved in. It took lots of explaining in detail and pointing out all the hints Haruppi dropped before Sakura would forgive her.
For example, the special dinners they had on the 19th of every month, in reverse sequence of the countries they had met in every lifetime. Most recent was Japan, hence the kimono-like dress and dinner, then many other countries like France, and the last but not least - their first reincarnation - Spain (which was planned for Sakura’s birthday but was skipped due to oversleeping). And another one of the reasons Sakura forgave her was because Haruppi had taken so much care in memorizing each lifetime (and because Sakura forgot about their first life together as a pair of ballerinas, so she figured she’d let Haruppi off the hook).
But then the mention of Sakura’s birthday led to whole other issue about how they missed celebrating Haruppi’s (19th of September) which she didn’t mind herself but Sakura was quite upset about. The thing about regaining your memories after coming of age (at twenty years old) is that you had restarted your life from scratch, and twenty is when you’re just about getting over your hormonal teenage years. So that’s what Haruppi chalked it up to when Sakura freaked out about (a.k.a. slamming the door in Haruppi’s face so she had to sleep in another room) not celebrating her girlfriend’s birthday. Haruppi on the other hand, was a little better off than Sakura. She had gotten her memories back a good two years prior, so she had plenty of time to think and mature (compared to our little Sakura).
And they had different birthdays every lifetime anyways so what did it matter? Haruppi just happened to be a bit older than Sakura this time around (even though this would be the last time).
Also, (luckily) Haruppi happened to have those calming powers of hers to help Sakura relax a bit before she got out of hand. It worked wonders at first, but now that even Sakura had regained her abilities her demonic aura kind of canceled out Haruppi’s angel one. So that wouldn’t do anymore.
But the thing about them is that they always made up. Always. It’s a given after all. And it’s also very helpful in mending their relationship (not that it’s ever that broken anyways, Sakura and Haruppi are both too lovable and cuddly to be without the other for too long). They had too much to catch up on anyways, even recovering their immortality through a long and intimate ritual that Sakura seriously doubted was even part of it. Honestly speaking though, they hadn’t seen each other in over two lifetimes so it might’ve been needed (just imagine the tension after that long of a period!). They spent almost every moment together either asleep or awake, as if they didn’t have all the time in the world (again, too lovable). So half the time was standoffish and the other half they couldn’t get enough of the other, either cuddling in bed (they could never really bring themselves to separate), making dinner together (Haruppi tried so hard to teach Sakura how to cook), taking walks (yes they picked up that habit again), tending to the garden (which actually ended up being a dip in the lake because Sakura pushed Haruppi in, but Haruppi wasn’t all that unhappy about it because she dragged Sakura in with her who happened to be wearing a very thin white shirt).
For a while, it was all ups and downs, goods and bads, but of course they had fun all the while and could even laugh about the bads later. And it seemed like everything had settled between the two, but not quite. There were still a few things to clear up that had been left unsaid yet.
So then another thing about them is that they always find something else to bicker about. That’s just what happens when you have so much time to spend with someone.
“We won’t be reborn again, Sakura. This is it, our last life. No more starting over, no more being lost. We’re stuck at this age forever.”
“But why does that mean we can’t go shopping? I want to go into to town, take a walk, a change in scenery for once and you need some new clothes.” Sakura scooted away on the sofa to glance at the outfit Haruppi was dressed in – the same pieces of clothing that Sakura saw often, far too often.
Unfortunately, never venturing out of the estate meant that Haruppi never shopped much and only ordered the necessities. But Sakura was not satisfied with online shopping and demanded to go in person, which was what they were arguing about now.
Haruppi sighed, now a little exasperated from trying to reason with Sakura so often, too often. “We can’t interact with others so much. Eventually, they’ll suspect something. If we keep seeing the same people, they’ll recognize us and then realize that we aren’t aging, aren’t changing. Then we’ll be targeted again.”
It had happened once before, and Haruppi had lost Sakura then. She never wanted a repeat of that anguish again.
“But if we make friends with them, then I’m sure they’ll understand.” Sakura didn’t want to believe her. Surely if they revealed their secret to the right people – trustworthy friends, then they won’t be against them. Maybe it wasn’t obvious to Sakura, but it was obvious to Haruppi who Sakura was thinking of in that moment.
“And then what?” Haruppi was beginning to have an edge in her voice, growing more and more impatient with the naïve girl. “We’re all buddy buddy to the end? You know—that eventually we’ll have to leave them behind whether we like it or not.”
He gaze was cautious and warning, only trying to keep Sakura from getting hurt.
But Sakura didn’t like it.
“So I can’t talk to anyone other than you? Why are you trying to keep me locked up? Keeping me all to yourself? I have a life of my own you know, and right now, I don’t even want to talk to you at all.”
She pushed herself up from the couch and walked away, only stopping in the doorway to glare at Haruppi, then deliberately added salt to her wounds.
“I liked talking to Anna though, at least she was fun.”
The mention of that name hit her hard. Haruppi could only watch, the mixture of emotions growing stronger with each step Sakura took as she left. Haruppi was angry, sad, exasperated but most of all – jealous.
---
Sakura was rudely awoken the next morning with a loud knock and some clothes thrown at her head (having slept in her old guestroom because she was mad at Haruppi).
“Get up, we’re going shopping.”
She heard more than saw Haruppi before the other girl swept away again, Sakura still pulling the articles off her face (Haruppi had even taken the liberty of grabbing her bra). Then before she knew it, she was in the passenger seat of Haruppi’s car as the said girl drove towards the city.
There wasn’t a single exchange of words during the entire ride and Sakura felt like there was something...off about how Haruppi was acting. Sakura had grown terribly used to the silent and mysterious Haruppi during the first few months they reunited (before Sakura regained her lost memories), but this was somehow different from usual and it made her feel uncomfortable.
And honestly speaking, whenever Haruppi acted like this, Sakura missed the old Haruppi terribly - the one from all the lifetimes before that Sakura fell in love with, the one that would always giggle and talk about the most random things, the one that acted like a child most of the time and ate everything in sight (Haruppi still ate everything but it was more subdued now). Sometimes, that Haruppi would return, like the time when they wasted a whole day messing around splashing each other in the lake (it was probably the best memory Sakura had from this lifetime), and afterwards, they’d trudged inside, drenched in water and dripping everywhere but happy. Then of course, they took a warm bath together (Sakura couldn’t forget that, now that was an experience - they never tried that place before) and spent the night cuddling like always.
But usually Haruppi was so serious now, Sakura understood she was being mature, but she seemed so much more distant because of it.
Sakura sighed, as she took a furtive glance at the girl.
I miss Haruppi...
She had to get her back somehow.
But how?
Sakura sighed again. This is going to be a long day.
---
Surprisingly, things were as awkward as she expected it to be. Haruppi took her to the busiest part of town with all the shops, kiosks, malls, and they went in all of them. Every time Sakura would even look at something, Haruppi would buy it for her. She wouldn’t even ask if Sakura liked or wanted it, she’d just get it with no questions asked until their arms were loaded up with heavy bags and the trunk of the car was filled to the max. It was an immense waste of money, but Sakura was a little scared to speak up about it (and she was also secretly happy about all the gifts because what girl doesn’t love a little pampering?). So it’s a good thing they’re rich after saving up over the centuries.
But besides that, another reason why Sakura just went along with it was because Haruppi seemed kind of happy for once. It’d been a while since Sakura saw Haruppi enjoy herself and it brought a smile to her face.
Haruppi laughed and joked around, like she was worry-free and cheerful, trying all the food in the stands and even offered to feed Sakura (much to her embarrassment). And Sakura swore Haruppi’s lisp came out through a few words – now that brought back memories. Then it got to the point that Sakura forgot about it too, she forgot about all her worries and just had fun spending time with her girlfriend.
They laughed and giggled and stumbled their way into a nearby café for lunch (Haruppi being awfully clumsy today), Sakura tugging Haruppi into a booth. They were that couple – the ones that like to sit on the same side, pressed up next to each other and cuddling.
Sakura ordered quickly, requesting some melon pan (a favorite food she picked up from an angel friend of Haruppi’s she’d met once).
“I thought you like soft pan better.” Haruppi commented.
“Melon pans are good once in a while, and I feel kind of nostalgic today anyways.” Sakura shrugged, prompting Haruppi to turn her attention back to the menu. Sakura knew it’d take Haruppi forever to decide so Sakura had already sent the waitress away with her own order. Now she just had to make sure Haruppi didn’t get everything on the menu.
The café started getting busy but the two were too preoccupied to notice. Sakura was arguing with Haruppi because obviously as expected, she wanted everything on the menu. Sakura was telling her that even though Haruppi was sure she’d be able to fit it all in her bottomless pit of a stomach, it wouldn’t be healthy to eat that much and that’s when a different waitress decided to come over and check up on them.
“Hi! Can I take your order?”
“Oh! Umm...” Haruppi started, still debating over her decision.
“Wait—SAKURA?!”
“What?...” Sakura glanced up from the menu at the startled waitress, meeting a very familiar face. “Aanya?”
Anna had her mouth wide open in shock (no wonder she and Sakura were best friends).
“What are you doing here?” Sakura questioned.
“What am I doing here?! What are you doing here?!” Anna pointed at her. “I haven’t seen you in a year, not a single word to let me know how you’re doing or anything! I thought you were kidnapped!”
That sounded awfully familiar to Sakura, she had said the same thing to Haruppi not long ago.
“Or worse! I thought you were dead!” Anna cried. “You had me worried sick!”
Her loud voice was starting to gather the attention of everyone in the café and they were causing a scene. No doubt the manager or owner would come out soon and it wouldn’t be good for Anna if that happened.
Sakura had to stand by her choice. “Listen, Anna...”
“What happened to ‘Aanya’?” Anna quietly asked, a little emotional after seeing her long lost friend.
“Anna...” Sakura sighed, “I’m sorry. I never meant to do that to you...”
“Why do you sound like you’re leaving again?” Anna was being oddly perceptive today.
“Anna...”
“No, Sakura you can’t do this again...” Anna looked so scared and frightened. And there was a time when Sakura would’ve held her and calmed her down, but not anymore.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why?” Anna nearly sobbed.
There was no choice but to leave her behind, Sakura knew it’d hurt Anna but she couldn’t even see her anymore because Sakura would have to leave her eventually anyways. Better sooner than later. It was the drawback of the forbidden relationship – you couldn’t have any kind of relationship with anyone else.
I’m sorry Aanya, but I have to do this. I made this decision because I care about you. Please believe me. But I never thought I’d have to say goodbye this way...
Maybe Anna heard her because she froze for a split second before she put a hand up to her mouth. Sakura was sure Anna would break out crying and sobbing, but someone stopped her, someone who had been quiet this entire time.
Haruppi reached out and just barely touched Anna’s arm, immediately calming her down, her shoulders slouching and almost falling asleep on the spot. Then she did something that Sakura never would’ve seen coming in a million years.
Haruppi wrapped her arm around Sakura, planting a kiss on her on the jaw and smirked at Anna. “Sorry, but we’ll be going now.”
Anna’s eyes widened a slight bit, but she was still under the spell. And they left it at that, making their way out of the café without a backwards glance, Haruppi holding onto Sakura’s hand tightly.
Meanwhile, now Sakura was in a state of shock. She’d never Haruppi so...possessive. And she didn’t know how she felt about it. Did she like it?
“There’s a park nearby. Let’s go there.”
Sakura didn’t protest and just let Haruppi pull her along and soon they were taking a walk through a serene little park. But the tension in the air was not serene whatsoever. “Haruppi...”
“I can’t believe that happened!” Haruppi suddenly exploded. “I knew that we’d meet someone like that! I knew it! I just can’t believe that it just had to be her!” She gestured wildly without any meaning whatsoever, but Haruppi was obviously upset.
“What do you mean by ‘it just had to be her’?” Sakura frowned.
“Just that! Her! Your best friend or lover or whatever you want to call her!”
“Haruppi...” Sakura stared at her. They had stopped walking by now and were standing under the shade of a large tree. “...Are you jealous?”
“Wh-What?!” Haruppi stuttered. “Okay so what if I am?”
Sakura giggled lightly, finding it absolutely adorable the way Haruppi crossed her arms defiantly with a visible pout.
“Wh-What’s so funny??”
That only got Sakura to giggle harder and Haruppi started turning red.
“Sakura!”
Then Sakura leaned in and captured Haruppi’s lips in a kiss, effectively shutting her up. Haruppi was a bit surprised as she’s the one who usually does the initiating, but that didn’t stop her from returning the gesture. Sakura’s hands tangled in the short strands of Haruppi’s hair, briefly reminding her of how she loved that Haruppi’s hair was short but just long enough to play with. And Haruppi curled an arm around Sakura’s waist, carefully but pulling her closer tightly while her other hand made its way to the back of Sakura’s neck, pressing their lips together. They were in their own little world, just the two of them, and it lasted for quite a while before both took a break and leaned back against the tree trunk, chests heaving.
“...”
“...I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.”
“What?” Sakura looked at Haruppi incredulously.
“I mean, I quite like the way you got me to shut up.” Haruppi added with a cute wink.
“Haruppi!” Sakura blushed furiously and smacked her on the shoulder.
Then they looked at each other and giggled, before sliding down to the ground and leaning against each other this time. Sakura’s head on Haruppi’s shoulder, cuddling in the shade of that big tree.
“...Haruppi, I’m really sorry.”
“You sure are apologizing a lot today.” Haruppi sighed, having hoped to avoid the subject but wanting to talk about it at the same time. “I’m sorry too.”
“Why?”
“For getting mad. And for not telling you earlier.”
“You mean?...” Sakura obviously knew what she meant, but they had avoided the subject up til now and she wanted to hear Haruppi’s reasoning.
“I just couldn’t. I was afraid. Afraid that after so long maybe you weren’t the same anymore, maybe you didn’t want me in your life anymore.” Haruppi finally spilled out. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t love me anymore, that I’d lost you, and I didn’t want to force anything before your memories came back. I—”
Sakura cut her off with another kiss. It was weird how they never seemed to get tired of each other, kissing never seemed to get old and every one felt like their first.
“...Now I can’t decided if I like being interrupted or not.” Haruppi pouted when the two finally relented, but a smile tugged at her lips and that made Sakura laugh.
“Hahaha~ Ahaha ha...” The sound drifted off and both of them leaned back against the tree with a sigh.
“...”
“...”
But Haruppi had to confirm something. “About Anna...Did you...”
“Honestly? I don’t know, Haruppi...” Sakura sighed yet again, hands falling to her lap in exasperation. Now it was her turn to confess. “I did kind of miss her at first, but when I saw you, I don’t know...you just filled my mind. And then I got my memories back and Anna just...faded away.”
That sounded so sad, Haruppi knew that it could’ve easily been her that faded away like that instead of Anna. And if that happened, then Haruppi wouldn’t know what to do with herself.
She couldn’t live without Sakura.
“Ugh I feel so horrible for saying that!” Sakura groaned and buried her face in her hands. Honestly, it was really impressive how Haruppi could control herself for so long, keeping their memories secret, never touching Sakura until she had come of age - maybe it was due to her angel nature, but Sakura was a demon and she knew that she could never keep herself in check for all that time. “Bmffprmsheeshmnhwthaninsht.”
“What was that?” Haruppi only heard a muffled sound coming from Sakura.
Then she lifted her head and met Haruppi’s gaze sincerely. “But I promise I didn’t mean it when I said I didn’t want to talk to you and that I liked talking with Anna instead.”
That was something that had been haunting Haruppi for a while – those words that Sakura told her yesterday. Admittedly, Haruppi was jealous, but more so she was worried that maybe Sakura didn’t love her anymore and it pained her terribly. She loved Sakura more than anything, but what was she to do if Sakura liked someone else? Could she let her go?
But it seems that it wasn’t only haunting Haruppi – Sakura had been worried about it too, and that reassured Haruppi more than she would ever know.
“...Then it’s okay.”
“...What?” Sakura looked at her with wide eyes.
“I said it’s okay.” Haruppi repeated, a small smile breaking out. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Even if you still like her now, I won’t stop you.” She shook her head, “I won’t put you in a cage like that, I refuse to. I love you, Sakura.”
Seeing Haruppi smile like that, Sakura suddenly remembered why she fell for Haruppi in the first place, everything she loved about Haruppi flooding her mind and falling into place so perfectly that Sakura couldn’t help but smile as well. Haruppi didn’t fade away, and she never would from Sakura’s heart. She was simply...forgotten, but Sakura would never forget again. She would cling to all those memories with everything she had. Sakura loved Haruppi no less than that fateful day when she saw the beautiful angel wandering around alone and lost in the forest.
Sakura finally understood now - why Haruppi did what she did. Haruppi had always been the one protecting her, even when she was trying to protect Haruppi. Keeping Sakura safe, keeping Sakura happy, even at a cost for herself.
Everything Haruppi did was for her and only her.
Sakura couldn’t even begin to pay her back, but she could start now, and she had all the rest of eternity to try.
The place they currently resided was littered with flowers, and all of one kind – daisies. Strawberry pink daisies.
“Gerbera Daisies symbolize a number of things. For instance, the pink color represents admiration or adoration. The daisy itself symbolizes happiness, innocence, gratitude...”
“So all the things I feel for you...” Sakura leaned in to nuzzle Haruppi’s nose playfully, earning a cute giggle from the other girl.
The distant memory came back to her for a split second, and it made Sakura smile too. She used to think daisies had to be white, but then Haruppi explained it to her. And now she doesn’t think of them as tainted, just simply...dyed.
“Haruppi...”
“Hmm?” Haruppi watched her expectantly, waiting for an answer.
“You can’t compare us to anyone else...because what we have is special. Because...” Sakura leaned over once again, nuzzling in Haruppi’s neck once again and breathing in her calming scent. She felt like she could stay there forever – just with Haruppi and Haruppi alone – and Sakura wouldn’t mind, not in the least bit.
“We’ve both been dyed by the color of taboo.”
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And we finally have the end with Sakura solving her issue with Anna (albeit a little rushed but better than dragging it too long IMO) and she's finally happy with Haruppi :love:
Thank you for writing this epilogue! No I don't bite :panic:
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well... this is a better end but still... I want more lol
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Maybe make a sequel! >_<
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This chapter is fluffy!
THANKS FOR THE 'INTERUPTING' PART! (I mean kissing part) lol
I dont know why but my shipper heart still want more~
But well, I cant force you. Just a bit exploding maybe~
Thanks for this fic, Kei-san!^o^/
Gonna wait your next works or maybe a sequel in the future! Lol
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Lol, i wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the epilogue, but 'funny and fluffy' (which is how this turned out) were the last the last things on my mind. :lol: Thanks for writing this. It has been a great story and I really enjoyed it. And I also really liked that you were so quick with your updates. :D
Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update my story. I'm in the middle of something right now, and I can't really do anything except leave these comments. But I'll work on it as soon as I can. :)
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This fanfic was... THE BEST ONE EVER! Not only was it touching with a good plot, but it went along with the MV too! Especially since I love this song!!!! When I first came upon this fanfic, I was so excited to read it cuz this was literally the first SAKURUPPI fanfic I had ever seen!!! Please keep writing about these two and nice job with this one :twothumbs
I finished this in one day unit was so addicting!!! :):):)