Introduction
Everyone knows how bad a memory Itsuki has. He has the unwanted ability to forget even the most unique events of his life…a fact that Shino knows too well. Everyone knows that Itsuki forgot Shino and his crush…but what else did Itsuki forget? What made Shino love him so much anyway?
It's Shino's turn to tell the story…
Chapter Two; Hello Again
"Ok, class, we have a new student joining us today! He's just moved here, and he'll be with us for the last year of middle school…I'm sure you all remember how hard it was starting off in a new school, so I want you all to give him a nice warm welcome! Come on in, Fujikake Shino-san!"
The door slid open and Shino nervously entered the classroom, dark eyes flicking almost constantly around the room, seemingly unable to ever stay focused in one place. It was a reflex born from the abuse at his old school – unless you were on constant alert, you were likely to get the crap beaten out of you before you even had time to blink.
Swallowing hard, Shino took in the faces of his new classmates, uneasily noting their curious, analysing gazes. He could practically see the thoughts spinning around in their minds. Who was he? What was he like? Why did he move to Nara? And why had he moved in the last year of middle school, such a critical time before the entrance exams?
Clenching his fists tightly, Shino took a deep breath before bowing respectfully to his classmates, tensely murmuring the traditional greeting. And all the while conscious of how exposed he was at the front of the class, a perfect target for any projectiles his peers felt the urge to throw at him…
"Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself with the class, Fujikake-san?" The teacher asked kindly, smiling comfortingly at Shino. He returned the grin weakly, feeling the ball in his stomach tighten even further. >Hmm…how about 'I'm gay!', judge me now or forever hold your peace?> Even the thought made him cringe.
"Not really…I'm just an ordinary guy." He said quietly.
"Hey! You speak with an Osakan dialect!" Someone exclaimed, and Shino bit his lip, nodding.
"Yes, I was born in Osaka…I only moved away recently."
"How come you moved?" Another person asked, and Shino felt himself freeze up at the question, quickly adopting a look similar to that of a deer trapped in the headlights of a car.
"Umm…I, that is…" He stumbled, trying to think of something that would sound halfway like the truth.
"Yes?"
"Oh, leave the kid alone Kana-chan! Can't you see that Bamboo here isn't comfortable talking about it?"
Shino froze, brain furiously working as the words sunk in. No one had ever picked up on his name's meaning before…no one other than…heart pounding, Shino glanced over the room again, finally coming to a rest on the boy who had just called out. A boy who had a green frog pencil case perched on his desk…
Shino's eyes widened slightly. It couldn't be…and yet all the clues added up to it. Hurriedly bringing a memory of Itsuki to the surface, Shino silently compared it to the boy in front of him. His breathing quickened as he realised that the tousled dark hair, brown eyes and easygoing smile were all a match.
"Fujikake-san? Are you alright?" The teacher asked in concern, and Shino stiffened, reality crashing back down onto him as he snapped back to the present. Shooting his new teacher a weak smile, he nodded faintly, relieved when she turned her attention elsewhere.
"Now where to put you…hmm. It seems the only free space is the desk in front of Kagami-san. He's the one with the frog pencil case." Shino swallowed, slowly moving across the classroom to seat himself in the chair in front of the boy who reminded him so much of his childhood crush. The last name meant nothing to him – he couldn't recall Itsuki ever telling him it when they'd met.
"So, now that Fujikake-san is all settled, I think it's time to begin our lessons, don't you?" The teacher grinned. Open your history textbooks to page 199…you'll find yours in the desk drawer, Fujikake-san."
Forcibly immersing himself in the paragraphs of text on the Feudal Period, Shino tried to pretend that there wasn't a Kagami-san behind him at all.
As the bell rang, signifying break, Shino breathed a faint sigh of relief and put away his books. He briefly wondered what there was to do around here between lessons, but the thought flew out of his head the moment someone moved to stand in front of him and block his way out of the classroom.
Unable to restrain the small cry that escaped him, Shino stumbled back only to crash into the desk behind, causing him to overbalance and slam down onto it.
"Man, I'm sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare you." A hand reached out to accompany the warm voice, and Shino flushed as he took it, realising exactly who it was. Allowing the person to pull him to his feet, he bit his lip in embarrassment, refusing to meet the other boy's eyes.
"It's not your fault. I…I just overreact sometimes, that's all." Shino stammered, hurrying to put the other boy right. Kagami-san wasn't to blame for his stupid instincts, after all. No, Shino placed the blame for that firmly on his own shoulders.
"Or maybe it's just a reflex caused from experience? Is that why you left your old school?" Kagami-san guessed. Shino didn't answer, the room seeming to darken unnaturally, the air becoming suddenly stuffy. Sensing the new student's reluctance to answer, Kagami-san shrugged and filed the question away to ask another day, before sticking out a hand. Blinking, Shino took it shyly, unable to stop himself thinking back to a very similar scene from years ago.
"The name's Itsuki Kagami. How do you do?" If Itsuki noticed the suddenly almost painful tightening of Shino's grip, he didn't say anything. Instead, he just waited patiently for Shino to get a hold on himself and possibly reduce the size of his eyes down to something approaching normal. Realising that he was staring, Shino started to babble incoherently, inwardly mortified at the words spilling out of his mouth.
"It is you! I never thought…well I did, because you were so similar…but I couldn't believe it…I'd never have hoped that…it's incredible…just…just seeing you again…"
Itsuki frowned, managing to make just enough sense of Shino's rambling to work out what the other boy was trying to say.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up Shino-kun! I don't ever remember seeing you before in my life!" He exclaimed, cutting off the flow of words escaping Shino. Shino froze, words rapidly dying as the information registered.
He…he didn't remember him? Shino was sure now that this was the same boy he'd met all those years ago…how many other Itsukis were there that looked so similar and seemed to share the same passion for frogs? He'd cherished those memories without question, and now to learn that the other boy had actually forgotten all about him…
It made Shino's heart ache.
Pasting a small, self-conscious smile across his features, one that was barely more than a slight quirk of the lips, Shino bowed apologetically to Itsuki, allowing the polite Japanese manners instilled in him by his forbidding grandmother to guide his actions as he numbly tried to get his head round this new, painful information.
"I apologise, Kagami-san. You reminded me of someone else – I must have mistaken you for him." He said stiffly, and with not just a hint of detachment. Apologising was something he was used to by now, and he was very good at it. He'd got a lot of practice over the years, after all, what with both school and his strict upbringing.
Itsuki's eyes widened, and he reached out to grab Shino's arms, pulling the boy upright and gently forcing him to remain that way. He'd never seen anyone Shino's age apologise so formally for anything in his life, and he wasn't going to let his new classmate be the first.
"Hey it's cool man, don't worry about it." He reassured Shino quickly. "And don't call me that – call me Itsuki." Shino's eyes widened again.
"I can't call you that! It…it would be too familiar!" He protested. Itsuki shrugged, releasing Shino's arms to stretch.
"Who cares? Everyone else calls me that." Seeing Shino's vaguely panicked expression he sighed, rolling his eyes slightly.
"Fine then. Call me Itsuki-kun. Or even Itsu-kun if you're feeling particularly daring. Is that better, Shino-k…hey, do you mind if I just drop the '-kun' part? I'm really not used to using it…"
One look at Shino's face told Itsuki not to make any plans to be calling him that anytime soon.
"Geez, you really did have a strict upbringing, didn't you? Are your parents diplomats or something?" He exclaimed sarcastically. Almost instantly the room, which had gradually been changing back from hot and stuffy to something vaguely resembling normal temperature, seemed to drop several degrees, and Itsuki was sure he'd just felt a few spots of rain on the back of his neck, even though they were inside. Weird. But there wasn't time to worry about something like that – Shino's expression was reminiscent of a puppy that had just been kicked, and it was making Itsuki feel more than a little uncomfortable.
"Right! Well, uh…since you're new here, why don't I go introduce you to the others? I mean, if you're going to be here for the whole year then you're gonna have to get to know them, right?" He offered, hoping that that would be enough to lift the other boy's mood.
Luckily for him it did, and Shino nodded hesitantly, following Itsuki out of the classroom silently.
Itsuki may not have been able to remember him, but he could forgive the other boy for forgetting something that had happened nearly seven years ago.
They could always make new memories together.
Author's Note
Aaargh...that was way shorter than I wanted it to be. But at least I updated...really wanted to post before I go back to school tomorrow...and in case anyone thinks so, this isn't the end! Loads more to come yet! Read and review please!
(And before I start replying, I would like to thank all the people who are not only reading this one but my other fics too - you make it all worthwhile!)
Blood Tears Dying Angel - I'm glad you thought it was interesting! Was that update fast enough? Over a month, I know, but this isn't a priority fic for me!
Draca Longwing - Oooh! Please finish and post! Or even just post with a note they're discontinued! I'd love to read them! Did you know, I've only been able to find 6 stories about Shino or Itsuki, not including my own? Gah! (But if you don't mind M rated stories I recommend Warm Me Up and Flora's Secret - cute, cute, cute!)
dimonoya-anghel - Hmm...that's one way of looking at it! (Laugh) But I guess you could say it's his fault...
GreenEyedFloozy - Thanks! Glad you like it!
hentai-monkey - Probably not the best chapter I could have written, so I hope this doesn't disappoint you! Thanks for those lovely comments!
rachelthelynn - This isn't a priority fic, so it may not be updated regularly - but rest assured, it WILL be finished! And they're my fav pairing too - we should form a club! (snicker)