The Color of Our Memories Chapters 1 …late lol

Okay, so you remember when I made that post about posting up my fanfic here? Well it’s come! xD and 4.5 chapters late too Well better late than never right? and this might seem pointless since some of you have already read all 4.5 chapters lol!

Btw, the original title of this fic was supposed to be “The Color of Our Memories” but since I thought it was too depressing I changed it to “Hey! Just Smile.” After a while I thought the previous one was better (and the current one sounds to cheesy), so I changed it to that one.

From now on, on this blog I refer to this fic “The Color of Our Memories”

Enjoy! (and expect a barrage of posts after this xD)

The Color of Our Memories

Chapter 1: When I Met You

No – a simple word, with one definite meaning. It bothers me how some people can’t understand it when others say “no”. So now here I am, cornered into a wall by a first year waaaay too over his head (geez, they’re tall this year). Who does he think he is trying to flirt with me? I mean its flattering at first but now it’s just getting…

“Uncomfortable?”

I lifted my eyes to stare angrily into my suitor’s eyes. Well, no, that wasn’t the word I was looking for more like…

“Annoying.” I said moving my head to the side and gritting my teeth.

“Tsch.” He backed away his head a bit and looked to his friend that was with him. They exchanged looks of annoyance and returned their attention to me.

“Hey, just say yes an-”

“You’re wasting my time, will you just let me go? Seriously, take a look at yourselves and then take a look at me, what were you thinking?”

Both of them backed away annoyed. Did I say something bad?

I scratched my head and looked up to the sky in thought and after a while I shook it off and shrugged my shoulders. With a blank look I scanned each of their appearances. Without care I began to walk away, when suddenly one of them spoke up. What’s with them, they sure are weird.

“I guess the rumor is true. Kusumi-san hasn’t accepted one single date invitation ever since her father, how should I say it… jumped over to the other side?”

I stopped in my tracks and furrowed my brows in disappointment. Why do they always bring this up? I don’t reject them because of what happened before. Ever since, not once have I said ‘yes’ to anyone’s invitation! But… it’s not like what my father did doesn’t affect me.

Slightly, I turned my head around to look at their faces. The look in their eyes was pretty self-explanatory… they think they got me. They didn’t have to do anything else. This is more than satisfactory for them. I stared at them. Not with anger or hints of irritation, just the usual blank stare I always have. I shrugged my shoulders and walked away. As I turned around I could hear them becoming confused with what just happened.

Father, how selfish could you be?

*BEEP! BEEP!*

Why did you become weak and take a shortcut?

*BEEP BEEP!*

Whatever.

Although I think that what happened to father had nothing to do with what just happened, I can feel that tiny bit of doubt burning in my chest.

“Ahh!” I threw my hands up in the air and shaked them about. “What are you being sad for!” That’s right. I can’t let what they say get to me! So what if my father left this world! I still have my life to live and I’m sure going to live it to the fullest! “Forget about him!” That’s right, I have to try my best.

Suddenly I felt a burst of energy running through my veins.

“IT’S OFF TO WORK!” At top speed I ran to where my bicycle was parked, hopped on and began to pedal as hard as I could. Relieving stress like this is the best!

The wind in my hair felt refreshing. As it caressed my skin with the petals it carried from the sakura trees, I began to feel relaxed and soon enough everything that just happened was forgotten in the moment. I tilted my head up and closed my eyes, concentrating on this short feeling of serenity.

Just for this moment let me be in my own world, just until my foot sets upon land again and I return once more.

“KOHARU WATCH OUT!”

Slowly opening my eyes, I saw the blurry image of a motorcycle driver driving towards me. Huh, doesn’t he know he’s driving on the wrong side of the road?

… oh … OH!!!

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“Goodness, how much of an idiot can she be?” Sayumi, Koharu’s coworker at her family’s small bakery shop, scratched her head in an irritated manner. Although Koharu had been the appointed store supervisor by her mother, Sayumi began to question such a brash decision. After all, today was the third time she rode her bicylce on the wrong side of the road.

“Wouldn’t she atleast have more sense to know what side to ride on when the road is empty?” Settling her head on her two palms, she quietly watched Koharu doze off, moving her head to the side in a curious manner. Seeing how the store supervisor could change moods so quickly she thought about how that part of her coworker was so, like her.

“Huh, the only time she’s quiet.” A smile began to creep up on Sayumi and soon enough she reached out her hand to pat Koharu’s head. “Even though she’s supposed to be working the cash register right now, I can forgive her.”

In response to the movement of Sayu’s hand on her head, Koharu shifted her head to the right facing her fellow coworker. Sayumi lifted her hand slightly startled at the sudden motion and focused on Koharu’s face.

“Ge. I almost forgot for a moment how dead she looks while sleeping, with her eyes open and everything.” Sayumi searched around for a small piece of cloth, first searching her apron pockets, then her jean pockets until she finally noticed a pink checkered handkerchief hanging off one of the shelves behind the cash register. She tugged on it quickly and placed it on top of Koharu’s face.

“YAHO~!” Pushing the doors wide open, creating a strong force of wind, a close friend of Sayu’s, Reina, burst through the doors as if she was expecting some sort of huge welcoming party to greet her. With her hands on her hips she scanned the quaint little bakery with a large smile, her eyes twinkling. Throughout the week Reina was busy with schoolwork and part-time jobs. After getting fired from her fourth part time job, Reina thought that it would be nice to visit her friend to get her mind off of things.

“Shhh!!” Sayu said with a frown and a finger over her lips. She knew Koharu should be getting back to work but that thought seemed to have been dismissed.

“Mou, I haven’t seen you for a week and this is the greeting I get?” Reina made a mock pouty face while crossing her arms. “What’s up with you two? Eh? Why does Kusumi-chan have a cloth over her face?” Slowly lifting the cloth and peeping under it, Reina took a short look at Koharu’s face before screaming and backing away towards one of tables behind her.

“If you killed Koharu you should’ve atleast done a better job at hiding her!” Reina said trying to catch her breath, with her hand over her chest.

Little did the both of them know, that under that pink checkered piece of cloth, Koharu was fully awake. She remained still, blinking a few times to regain the scenes from the dream she had. A dream that was a bit too insistent, repeating itself for the third time that week. She sat still pondering at what it could’ve meant.

“Off in the distance there was a happy family… suddenly, his voice called out my name.” Remaining, in the same train of thought, Koharu gradually lifted her head up. “His voice sounded a bit too real to be just a dream. But, it couldn’t have been him, he’s dead. Father is dead.“

“Huh?” Sayu and Reina who had been preoccupied with catching up on each other, turned to Koharu who was now standing up. For a few seconds they both stayed silent watching their friend look at the ground. As random as Koharu’s actions were, the way she stood there, her face in deep thought hinted with frustration, wasn’t Koharu-like at all.

Becoming concerned, Sayumi decided to speak up walking up closer to Koharu. ”U-umm, Koharu are you ok-”

“Excuse me, I need to go out for a minute.” Making her way around the counter and hurriedly past the two university students, Koharu went out of the bakery nearly bumping into the doors before pulling them open. The voice she heard earlier, a voice that sounded so real and so much like her deceased father’s, was the thing she was trying to search for. Even though it wasn’t there, deep down Koharu wanted it to be there. Soon enough after wandering around aimlessly she arrived at a nearby park, the place where she could always clear her mind.

She looked for a bench to sit on and as soon as she did she dropped her body onto it. Staring at the huge sakura tree in the center of the park, she sighed releasing her stress.

“Maybe I’m just hearing things. Still, why did I get my hopes up when I know he’s gone?” Her focus was still fixated on the sakura tree. She watched it glow from the park lights in the night scenery, making it look majestic. This was her way of taking her mind off of things. To just simply enjoy the atmosphere around her and to ignore whatever problems she was facing. Yet, why wasn’t it working this time around?

“Huuu~ If everyone at school saw me like this, for sure they wouldn’t stop talking about it.”

“Hello miss, what are you doing out here by yourself?” Out of the blue, and at a time when not needed a young man about Koharu’s age appeared before her. With a grin on his face and his hands in his pockets, he sat down beside Koharu his intentions becoming obvious.

“You should enjoy yourself. Say, how about coming with us?”

“Excuse me, but I would really like to be alone right now.” Koharu said firmly. She stood up to leave when she bumped into another person who appeared before her, forcing her to sit back down again.

“Hey, come on we’re politely asking you here.” Another boy about the same age as Koharu spoke up. Grabbing Koharu’s wrist firmly tugging on it, he tried to persuade her to join him and his friend.

Koharu didn’t know what to do now. The thoughts she had before and the events happening were a bit too sudden for her to handle. Her mind blanked and all she could do was pull away her hand. She once again stood up to leave and even tried pushing the two away, but they wouldn’t let her go. She became annoyed, scrunching up her hands into fists letting out an aura of anger.

“Leave.Me.ALONE. Why are guys like you so persistent? Can’t you understand what I’m saying? NO. Get it?” Failure. None of the words she said had an effect on the two. Instead, one of them grabbed her hand and began to drag her to their destination. She gave up, Koharu gave up. She was annoyed at how often this would happen to her at the most unnecessary times. All she could do was state her opposition. “Let me go! Let me go!”

“Shut up and just come with u-”

“A-ano!” The three looked behind them and saw a girl about twenty-years-old or so clutching onto her books tightly.

“I know I shouldn’t be speaking, but maybe you should let her go? I mean she doesn’t seem like she wants to join you anyway…” She said, speaking up in pity for Koharu. Her medium-length black hair, shined from the light in the park making her seem like she had a halo around her (well atleast to Koharu). Her glasses often slided down her nose bridge making her push them up every while. She seemed shy and delicate, fidgeting with her fingers while she looked up at the three and down at the ground again. Because of her appearance, Koharu wonder why this type of person was her savior.

“Hmph.” The two looked at the girl, one rolling their eyes and the other loosening their grip on Koharu. “Whatever. She wasn’t that hot anyway.”

Just before the two left, one of them pushed the girl out of the way as an act of annoyance. She fell to the ground, the slightly damp soil dirtying her white skirt. She remained sitting there, in a state of shock. A few minutes before she spoke up, she stood there watching the scene between the three unfold. She debated many times in her mind whether she should act or not and without thinking she let out her voice. Finally, she pushed away her timidness and did something right. The girl felt proud for herself and her shocked face showed her disbelief.

After watching the two boys walk away and turn a nearby corner, Koharu turned her attention to the girl on the ground. She bended down to help her up feeling guilty for what had happened to her. “Are you alright? Sorry for involving you in what happened…”

“I-I… I finally did it!” The girl said revealing her teeth. While still sitting on the dirt she looked up at Koharu and began tugging on Koharu’s sleeves repeatedly in excitement. “I finally did it! I finally did it!”

“A-ahh? I-is that so?” Koharu didn’t know what was happening to the girl.  She raised an eyebrow and began to pull her up. “Well then, I’m happy for you! shy, yet crazy?“

As soon as the girl stood up, Koharu immediately felt the need to thank her. “Is there anything you need? I’ll gladly give

it to you as thanks! I hope she doesn’t ask for anything big.“

“Hmm, a cake… If thats fine with you?”

“A cake? OF COURSE IT’S FINE! My family runs a bakery so I can get you one for free!”

“R-really? But it’s okay if you don’t want to…” The girl lowered her head to the ground, and smiled timidly as she played with her fingers.

“Sheesh, you sure are shy. Don’t worry about it and just follow me!” Koharu took the girl’s hand and ran towards her family’s bakery almost too fast for the girl to catch up. As they were running Koharu stopped and lifted her eyes up. She forgot to ask a very important question first. “I’m sorry I forgot, but what is your name again?” She said turning around while still holding the girl’s hand.

“A-ahh, K-kamei Eri desu…” She said hestitatingly.

“And I’m Kusumi Koharu!” Koharu said putting her hand on her hip with a wide grin.

“…Is it okay if we not run? As you can see, my shoe’s heel kind of broke off…” Kamei grabbed onto Koharu’s arm, using it as support and lifted her leg up to show Koharu her broken shoe.

“Oh I’m sorry!” Koharu bowed multiple times, causing Kamei to chuckle a bit. Seeing Kamei’s smile, she felt an unusual feeling. Koharu looked into Kame’s eyes. The feeling she felt was undescribable. It was as if time froze and all she could see was the girl before her. Her mind blanked and she began to feel a strange warmth throughout her body, a warmth that she would later find the meaning of. “This feeling is… am I supposed to be feeling like this? WHAT am I feeling anyway?”

Regaining her senses, Koharu blinked her eyes a few times and cleared her throat.

“If that’s the case please hold on tight.“

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The sun shone through the blinds from a nearby window onto my sleeping face.  Soon after my alarm went off telling me to wake up.  Huh, I thought I reset it to wake me up at ten.  No school today for me, or for the coming months to come for that matter.

Slowly, I lifted up my hand and dropped it without care onto my clock to shut the alarm off.  I took a nearby slipper and chucked it at the blinds, closing both of them miraculously with one throw.  Ahh, that’s better.  I cuddled into my blanket and tried to sleep again.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-

“Argh!” I can’t fall asleep anymore. I took my pillow and threw it away from me. Stupid sun. Later I need to have a talk with Lin about switching rooms. I think she’d loooove to have the sun wake her up everyday.  She seems like a sun person. Sun, sun, sun~ Sunny, sun, sun, sun~!

“Oh well, may as well get up. It’s not like I’ll get a job by just sitting here.” I hopped up off my bed and began to do a few short stretches. After that I went to our small, very cramped bathroom to brush my teeth and take a shower. Suddenly I heard my phone vibrate on top of my nightstand. I wonder who sent me a text?

I went over to my phone rather excited. New texts are always fun to read!

I picked up the rectangular device and flipped it open. “Ah! Reina da.”

「Baka-Jun!! (ｏ`皿′ｏ)。。。

I’m asking you nicely

please don’t drop out of school! (＾□＾*)」

I closed my phone and laid it back on my nightstand. She shouldn’t have wasted the effort by sending me that text, it’s useless, I’m not going back to school. But maybe I should be thankful that she at least cares about me.

I began to take off my tank top, when my phone again vibrated. “Mou, she’s so persistent!”

I stomped back towards my room again and took off my tank top so that I wouldn’t keep getting interrupted. I flipped my phone open, not very excited, and began to read the new message I received.

「 Thankful my ass.

Get yourself down here before I have

to drag you myself.」

“Wha…?” How did she know what I was thinking?!

Whatever. Reina doesn’t scare me. I’ll do whatever I want to do and right now I’m going job hunting! But maybe I should go explain myse-  no Junjun don’t let her guilt trip you. Stay strong Junjun! Stay strong!

“Yosh! Today Junjun is going to get a job!” I stood proudly looking up to the sky (err, ceiling) and smiled to myself.

…

Maybe I should go explain myself afterall?

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