Haikyuu Creature Collection

Remember (Kenma Kozume)

"So pretty..." She shouldn't be out here this late in the evening. She knows this very well, but little Kozume cannot resist chasing after the fireflies. They lead her off to a small clearing in the forest. It's a lovely little place, but in the darkness, it's also a bit scary.

Suddenly, something behind a nearby tree catches her eye. It's a little boy about the same age as her. Maybe early elementary age at most. He peeks out at her, curious. The boy isn't human; he's a nymph: a nature spirit. He wonders who this girl is; this little girl in his forest.

He's been all alone until now, so he doesn't know how to act. But he doesn't need to do anything at all because little Kozume is already standing in front of him.

She smiles at him. "Hello! What's your name?" She's an innocent little girl, completely unaware of the dangers of being out alone so late. The child has no idea that this little boy before her is not what he seems.

The boy starts to answer, but then he realizes he does not have a name. He has no family, no friends... no one to call him by a name nor to even give him one. "I... I don't have a name."

Little Kozume is surprised by this. What person does not have a name? However, she will not let this get in the way. She twirls around in a circle and giggles to herself. "If you don't have one, then I'll give you one!" she decides. "I'll call you Kenma!"

He likes this name, he decides. It has such a nice sound that he can't help but smile.

And so Kozume and Kenma's friendship began. She took him home with her and he soon because a part of the family. Kenma even made friends with Kozume's other best friend Kuroo. All was happy.

But like all good things, that happiness would come to an end.

"Hey Kenma," Kuroo calls to his best friend. The two boys have grown older now. Kenma is now in his second year of high school: Kuroo is in his third. "Do you know who this is? I found it while I was cleaning out my closet."

In the elder's hand is a photograph. It shows three young children: a shy Kenma, a mischievous Kuroo, and a sweet little girl. Kenma knows this girl very well. How could he possibly forget the one who gave him not only his name but also a family?

"You don't remember her?" Kenma knows that the two of them had been really young, probably too young to really remember her, but it hurts to know that the one who'd known her the longest had forgotten his best friend.

Kuroo has always known Kenma better than others, so it surprises him to see Kenma showing that bit of emotion so easily. "So you do know."

Slowly Kenma nodded. Calmly, he tells Kuroo the story. He begins with that night in the woods and ends with the fate that befell the poor Kozume girl. As he tells the tale of how she'd gotten really sick one winter, the wheels in his friend's mind begin to turn.

One cold winter, little Kozume had gotten sick. As time went on, it slowly got worse and soon she ended up in the hospital. But that hadn't been any help; no matter what they did, she wouldn't get any better.

When she died, her parents were heartbroken. Unable to handle the painful memory, they stored away their lost daughter's things and everything that reminded them of her. They hoped that with time, they might be able to forget; Kuroo's parents had hoped the same, removing all memory of her so that Kuroo would never remember. And until now, it had worked.

Of course, as Kuroo heard the story now, he stared at Kenma in confusion. "Wait, so your last name isn't actually Kozume?"

Kenma only smiled. The girl's family had taken him in as a child. He'd eventually taken her last name as his too. This way he would never forget.

Maybe it's because of that, that sometimes he thought he saw her: that little girl would twirl around, and then he thought he heard her giggle. Sometimes, he even thought he heard her speaking to him. And every time, he'd smile and remember that she's always with him as long as he remembers.