The Boy I Met That Summer | COMPLETED

2. Happiest Memories

Killua gets back home with a wild smile on his face. Tsubone heads to the butlers quarters with the camera in hand to process the many beautiful photographs she took of Gon and Killua.

"How was his day?" Gotoh asks.

Tsubone smiles. "See for yourself." She hands him the camera. He opens up the folder of pictures from that day and sees there's hundreds.

His eyes tear up. They only ever take pictures of Killua when he's happy. They've never had even close to this many pictures in one day. Some days, due to his secluded and  introverted nature, it's difficult even getting one picture. He's not exactly peachy very often. But who can blame him? Killua's world is empty, with no memories to guide him through life.

Gotoh smiles, taking his time to gaze at each and every beautifully joyous photo. "So, we have a lot of moments to choose from."

"I've already got the perfect one for the collection." Tsubone hands him the photo.

Gotoh takes it. "It's perfect."

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Next Year

Killua's excited for his eighth birthday coming up in two months. He wonders how his last year went. Killua suffers from long-term and occasionally short-term memory loss. So he only remembers emotions, and things that are constant. Like his butlers, siblings, parents. He remembers that every year he receives his best memories via photographs thanks to his butlers.

He remembers one other thing, though.

He met a boy last year that he somehow couldn't forget. Killua can't remember his name or face, but he remembers him. They only spent one day together, but somehow... Killua just couldn't forget. There was this boy he met one day, he doesn't know when. But he remembers a faded, obscure smile. Blurred words of enjoyment. The adrenaline from the excitement and overwhelming fun he had.

Killua hums, swinging his little legs back and forth while he sits on the swinging bench on his bedroom balcony. He sees the nearby town, and wants to go and explore it again. He can't remember anything about it. But yet he remembers. He can't explain it, but he remembers. This strange inexplicable thing.

"I wawnna gow ver agaiwn." Killua whispers to the sky. "Can I?"

Killua looks down and notices his parents getting into a car before leaving. Approval from the universe. Killua grins, running downstairs. His little feet rumble as he heads out. He runs out the front door and watches their car vanish from sight.

He squeals, bolting off into the forest, running in the direction of the little town. Each step he takes, he remembers taking before. Much akin to Deja Vu. Killua screams and giggles, remembering how amazing that place is without remembering what about it was amazing. He remembers the feelings he had, the joy, the adventure. But he doesn't remember what exactly he did. Killua breaks through the forest, stepping onto a sidewalk. His eyes light up as he looks around. As if it were his first time there. But there's a familiar feeling about it all.

He excitedly runs further into town, wanting to explore every last bit of it. And to find the boy he met last summer.

As Killua runs by, a goofy grin on his face, giggling and squealing, he collects stares and gawks. People had never really seen a little boy so dazzling. Except for once. Killua never noticed the stares he collected the last time he was in town. Though, being the center of attention isn't exactly a good thing when the little boy is alone. Unsupervised. He snuck out without the butlers noticing.