Full Moon wo Sagashite 2

Chapter 1: "Hostile Honeyed Meetings!"

"Takuto," said Mitsuki again, the tears overflowing from her heart and spilling softly onto the concrete below.

Takuto merely glanced at her for a moment, his shocked expression becoming one of puzzlement, then a feint of disinterest as he looked away. The feather in his hands slowly fluttered to the ground as his brief flash of recognition faded, "Are you a fan of Route L? You seem a bit," Takuto paused and returned his gaze to Mitsuki, "young."

Mitsuki was shocked at first, evidenced by the widening of her eyes and the stopping of her breath.  Comprehension soon dawned on her, and she hugged Takuto tightly, exclaiming loudly, "Takuto! You said you would never forget me!"

Surprised, Takuto pulled away, or rather tried to, as for some reason her scent, her eyes, and most of all, her voice, dredged up strong emotions within him, and he ended up flailing his arms about wildly as she held on tightly to his torso.  A minute passed, and finally Mitsuki pulled back, her blushed face turned towards the ground where her right shoe was gently scraping.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Mitsuki spoke softly, almost to herself, "I thought I would never see you again, Takuto."

Suddenly on the verge of anger, Takuto shouted in her direction, "And who are you anyway?  Stupid kid, do you think you can just go up to any person and grab them like that?!  I gave up singing," his angst was audible here, as he emphasized this last sentence, "and now you just hug me as if you've known me all your life!"  and with these final words he began storming past Mitsuki, only to find that her body was blocking his path.

"Takuto," she said softly, slowing the tears of hurt from flowing down her face, though a few slipped by to run down her pale cheeks, and hugged Takuto again, holding him in a gentle contrast to her earlier bear hug.

"Notice me." she said to herself.

Takuto stood stiffly as she held him, staring down at this pathetic fan girl as she clung desperately to him, and muttered under his breath, "Stupid kid."  His hands finally grasped her shoulders and pushed her away from him.  "How do you even know me, anyway?  You look like you're ten years old..."

At this, Mitsuki puffed her cheeks as so traditional of her being upset, and finally raised her voice in return, though the recent surgery left her squeaking hoarsely more than actually shouting, "Well, I'm not ten, and you saved my life, and you can just go on being like you are, because... I love you and ..." at this, she faltered for words and turned away, until her emotions finally brought coherence to her thoughts and returned softness to her voice, "you made me Full Moon, and gave me Eternal Snow and . . . my life, Takuto.  You don't remember being a Shinigami at all, I guess."

"Shini-GAMI?!" asked Takuto, bristling.

Mitsuki's eyes widened, and she crossed her hands in front of her mouth to cover it as she exclaimed, "Oh! Maybe you're not supposed to remember!" and with the realization that she may again be attempting to defy fate, she determinedly turned back to face Takuto, searching his averted eyes for some hint of recollection. "But I want to tell you, and I want you to remember.  You can't forget Meroko, and Full Moon, or even Izumi, or Ooshige-san, and Wakaoji-sensei, and..." so softly she spoke the final word that she could barely even hear herself "me."

Finally Takuto was able to gather the bits of impatience which had been building up since his sudden reemergence, primarily internal frustration at the huge void in his memory, and focused his anger on Mitsuki with the force of a tidal wave, "You're just a crazy little girl, what are you talking about! I don't know you, I don't know any of those names," though Wakaoji's seemed familiar, "and I don't... really... care!  I came here to get away and start a new life, now... Leave ... me... alone!!!"  and turning back towards the shop where he was staying, Takuto left Mitsuki standing bewildered, clutching her hands to her chest.

Not three steps apart, Takuto was suddenly overcome by a coughing fit as pain wracked his throat.  Shocked and hurt as she was, Mitsuki's hushed sobs of pain quickly became a cry of concern as she watched Takuto fall before her.  Rushing up to him, she held him as his spasms abated, only to have him roughly shove her aside as he attempted to regain his composure.  He stood up weakly, and only glared at her meekly before walking off towards the flower shop.  Mitsuki stood frozen in place watching him walk off, confused and hurt and too undermined to be able to take even the simplest action. 

Soon, however, she quietly walked over to and sat down on the bench where Takuto had been, gazing towards the sun as it sank to the beach below, gently enveloping herself in its warmth and allowing her emotions to be calmed by the soothing waves as they slid ashore.  The lapping rhythm as each crest struck slowly eased her pain, and not long passed before she began singing as softly as her voice would allow.

Doushite doushite suki nan darou konna ni namida afureteru... emanated from her, true emotions mixing with tears as each verse comforted her excitement and mixed agony over her first reencounter with her beloved.