"Wakie wakie. Are you in there? Hellooo..." Akane working up Haru who seems to be enjoying her rest.
In Haru's head "Suddenly I found myself back in the I share with Akane but the way she's waking me up right just honestly feels like she is repeating my name a lot on purpose to annoy me, I haven't no choice but to work up eventually." Haru opens eyes slowly as she finds Akane sitting next to her on the bed where she was sleeping.
"Great you're awake" She says as she smiled softly.
Suddenly a memory comes in Haru's mind.
An image of a face hidden by golden light of the sun at dawn.
"You in there?" Akane asks because Haru suddenly spaced out at that flash of memory from before.
"Huh? Oh yeah.. I am fine." She responded quickly but a bit startling.
"Great because you kinda spaced out for a moment there." She completely sounds like a sister to me.
"Anyway how are you feeling." Akane asks Haru while still holding her soft smile.
"You seem to be in a good mood." Says Haru and she adds. "Yeah I am feeling better." She suddenly raises her hand to cover her four-head. "I just can't remember how I got here." While still in her bed sheets she wonders even more.
"Well...." Akane swings her finger around like a clock before saying anything that she was clearly excited to share.
"It was right after the sun had went down and the young master brought the maiden (A.K.A. Haru) on he's arms like a sleeping princess, He carried her all the way to her room." It honestly sounds like a narration in the way she said it.
Flash back... . . .
As the sun hand gone down only a faint of golden light had remained as someone also nocked the door.
"Hang on I'll be there." Akane opens the door and finds a situation she didn't expect she could see that she suddenly remained speechless.
"Good evening Young Master Zaikai..." Haru greats the man with respect.
"Yes Good evening Miss Nozomu." He says.
"Is she okay?" Akane asked while her eyes where slowly drifting away from her usual joyful look.
As for the man who carried Haru, he smiled suddenly enough to change Akane's mood making her only assume something else better.
"Excuse me Miss Nozomu but if okay with you could you let me ask for permission to help her get to her bed?... Of course if can manage to carry her by yourself I'll leave you to it." He shifts he's gave to focus on Haru's face as she was completely asleep.
"She suddenly collapsed in the carriage on our way home. I guess I kinda asked her for a lot for a person going through what she is in huh?" He says so comely.
"Yes I'd very much appreciate your help Young Master Zaikai, please come in." Says Akane who is still a bit lost in thoughts.
In Akane's head "Mr. Zaikai Takanori has always been a kind man. As far as I can remember he has been looking up to he's father and wants to become like he's father."
The Young Master walked in the room and stood in front of the bed then slowly rested Haru on the bed while Akane prepared the blankets.
"I'll tack her in." She tells Mr. Zaikai and then continues her monologue in her heard. "But after he's father died he's grandma had to step up and lead the Family name for the family's sake until Mr. Zaikai is old enough to lead it and mostly because she is the oldest in the family. But it also brought some attention from another family, the third family to the throne. They arranged a marriage between Mr. Zaikai and Ms. Kōchō the daughter of that family. It's not like Mr. Zaikai had a choice at the matter, due a single air of the Zaikai family if he was to die then the name goes with him and so to prevent that he mast marry and leave behind airs for the continuation of the Zaikai family." Akane was still in thought that she accidentally said something out loud.
"Is it supposed to be a royal?" That's what she said out loud but no too loud above an inside voice.
"No it wasn't a problem carrying her, royal or not if it's just in my strength I can't just idly watch." Says Mr. Zaikai responding to Akane thinking it was question.
"Mhm?... Oh aah.. Thank you for helping me." Says Akane.
" I'll go now." He says and as he stands up with a gentle smile he continues by saying. "Please take care of her"
" Oh. Thank you again." She says while addressing him respectfully.
Back to the present... . . .
Akane suddenly giggles just tease Haru. "Hehehe" Haru chose not to react but instead sighed.
"Come on tell me what happened? Since I wasn't there I won't know, unless you tell me" She says playful.
"But if you don't want to tell me, I'll force it out of you" She suddenly said it but with a scary face as if she is making a threat making Haru wonder why she's so eager to know.
As calmly as Haru could be at the moment she answers by saying. "Nothing happened really so don't know what to share with you besides I and the Young Master riding the carriage together on our way home."
Akane relaxes her tension for a bit as she says. "Ok. If you're able to remember the young master I take it you didn't lose your memories." Then she stats to wonder.
"was it because of the memory loss that caused you to collapse?" She asks Haru.
"...." Haru remains silent for a moment.
In Haru's head she says. "She really hasn't changed huh... Akane has always been someone who is always with me for a long time now it wouldn't be a stretch calling her my unrelated sister and a closet friend... ... . Wait?... Did I remember that or ... Did I know that. I felt like I lived all those moments that those moments are too many to make sense of since I have only been here for a few days. I can't completely recall all the memories but is this how it feels to remember?.... *A slight headache* "I'm Akane nice to meet you..." . "Hey check it out!" . "Hahaha!" . "Are you okay, let me see" . "Hey not bad, it tests good." It felt as if I lived those memories which are not even mine. Does... This mean I remember?" Haru suddenly starts breathing unevenly.
Akane who noticed the change in Haru's breathing quickly moved closer to her. "Hey!... Are you ok? Say something..." Akane started panicking. "Should I get you some water?... Hold on I'll go get help." As she was about to run to go get help Haru grabbed her hand.
"Wait I'm fine now. Huff huff.. I'll fine now." Says Haru.
"You're clearly not so you should say that right now." Akane is completely worried and frighteningly shaken by what just occurred as she slow sat down next to Haru.
In Haru's head she says. "Everytime Akane has free time she would just look for a reason to spend her day with me, and honestly from how the memories look I really wasn't a person to say much and since I was a quiet person and she kinda took the advantage and I ended up not going against her."
Haru looks at Akane who still looks worried then she continues on in her head. "I ended up getting involved with whatever she did and so on I found myself spending my break and other times with her. I guess she became more of a sister figure to Haru in the end." Haru's face turns sad for the owner of her body.
In Haru's head. "But after knowing about the poisoning I don't know what to do or who to trust because not even her part of memories tell me anything connecting to the incident... Haru died because of poisoning but who poisoned her, why and for some reason I'm in her body now.. does she want me to find her killer... Though it mast be bothering Akane a lot that a close friend forgot her memories and their time together but should I trust her not knowing the complete facts about her..."
In Akane's eyes tears start to form then in Haru's head she says. "I'll choose to put my trust in her and tell her."
"Akane... I kinda remember now. Not all of it but I do remember some things." Says Haru while smiling slowly and shivering a bit but she continued on by saying. "Honestly I don't think it will take long for the other memories to comeback to me and for some reason the person the memories mostly came back of is you. Our time together mostly not all the memories but I guess some important ones."
It was easy for Akane to notice that Haru was shivering through the conversation but Haru continued on by saying. "So yeah I remember you Akane."
In Haru's head she says. "I honestly feel sad and sadness is all I can think of... I feel really sad for Haru right now but for some reason I'm smiling... is it because Haru would have felt happy at this moment if suddenly remembered and didn't meet her death? To be here right now... It's this body's will pushing me saying that it's the right thing to do and just smile"
"It's ok you know... You don't need to lie to me." Akane looks down and with a serious also sad tone in her voice she continues by saying. "You don't need to push your self for my sec, still I am worried... But it doesn't help me if you're pretend to feel better just so you can make everything seems as if it's okay. I am grateful though because you remember our time since the tree incident? For the moment I'm happy and hoping it stay and doesn't become more serious." Akane's voice stacks to crack a bit as she says. "I don't understand... Why did did it had to happen to you.."
"Akane!" Haru had to stop Akane because she was getting to emotional.
Akane realizations her state and says. "Oh... Sorry" the she remains silent.
"Look... What I said isn't a lie. I actually do remember even more now than just the days after the incident. Some of my memories came back so I remember somethings now..." Haru got suddenly jump while she was talking by Akane who was left a bit speechless for a bit when she rashly stood up.
"Oh really." Says Akane and adds. "So you remember everything? If so and you're sure that you remember some memories and including the things before the incident that means there is a chance you remember." The tone of her voice suddenly changes to a bit serious.
She looks Haru directly in her eyes then moved in closer and held her head by the cheeks. "Well then tell..."
In Haru's head. "The fact that I find Haru scary right now for some reason I'm actually calm though she is scarring me. I wish at least the memories came fifty - fifty... That way if I remember some memories from this life I should also get some memories from my previous life which are completely blurry like fog."
"So then if you remember like you say?..." Akane still in the process of asking Haru who is slowly learning because of the tension she is feeling.
Meanwhile in the Zaikai mansion in the Mansions main office.
"I've talked to the people in the city and lastly the village as well as you instructed me too... But I still don't understand why you won't just continue do it yourself since you can't stop getting yourself involved." Says Mr. Zaikai.
And he continues by saying. "They agreed to follow my choice. And that choice of mine is to let you run the land at least until you're done. He said as he walked close to the window.
"Takanori do you plan to work this old lady to death? Please spare this old lady at her prime." She smiles.
"You're only 64 grandma" Says Mr. Zaikai. "Do you not want me to enjoy my youth before I'm married and buried under work."
"Oh please don't make it sound like I'm against you right now... Honestly in any case you'll still need to marry I being here isn't as a lord of the mansion but instead a cover up for you until you're ready to accept this position at any day you would feel like it. But you think just because I'm sitting here it would delay your marriage you're mistakenly wrong because that's how you clearly think." Said the madam.
"But you do know that by following your selfish ambitions in this position you're in would be an insult to your family and your father's dieing wish right." Says the madam and she adds. "Not to add off but including the kingdom at this point as the second family to the throne please think it through, I'm only here to look after you and tomorrow I can finally let these old bones loosen up."
"This part of the kingdom laws I dislike, it isn't fare I find it ridiculous. How can I not choose whom to be regardless of what I choose to do... to get there regardless of my position." So he says as he builds a fist on he's left hand.
"Just be honest and say you find the unfair because of your own rights. It just keeps the balance between nobles and nothing more but even I found it unfair once but I learned the reason why so you mast also find what you're actually looking towards to not "back to" yah?... Though you're making the law sound a bit more twisted than it actually is. You and that girl, I thought you two had become great friends, did I get the wrong impression?" So she asks him.
"It hasn't changed... Only for me that is.. . but due to her case she'll never see me the same again." He responded.
"Just because she lost her memories and forgot the times you spent playing together it doesn't make a difference in how she would feel against you you know... Take it from another ladies word yah, same as a chick that just hatched, it doesn't know who the mother is but just by the site and the feeling of comfort towards it's mother just with it?"
"You don't need to worry yourself for now she's managing just fine and the doctor said it wasn't too serious, no internal problems I assume since she didn't injure herself when she fell." So the madam says and she adds. "And due to your recent visit to the capital, you haven't spent a lot of time together with your bride so I arranged a day for you two to get along with a side of relaxing yah. And please mind your manners there okay no running around attracting the wrong idea." So the madam says.
"Grandma I'm not a little kid anymore." Says Mr. Zaikai and he adds. "Though it is rather strange falling from a tree without even a scratch on her." He says as he thinks deeply about it.
Meanwhile in Haru and Akane's room.
"What is my favorite food?" So she asks Haru who didn't expect a question like it.
"Lemon cake, if I'm not mistaken right?" Haru never really knew that but she felt she needed to answer her question even though it was a gamble.
After Akane head the answer she rashly hugged Haru. "Correct... I'm glad." She said and adds. "I can't believe you actually remembered... I thought you might never... .. Nevermind" So she says as she hugs Haru even tighter.
Akane pulls away from Haru a bit enough for her to breathe.
"I case it's celebration time! Yeah!" Akane's screaming voice is like a mega phone loud enough to reach the Madam's office in the mansion.
The madam irritatedly she says. "That girl has no limit to how much noise she can make within a single day can't she?."
"You should probably lower your voice down before the Madam gets angry." Says Haru.
"You remember that too." Says Akane as she hugs Haru again.
"What else do you remember? Hmm-Hmm." So she's asks with sparkling eyes.
In Haru's head. "I'm glad she's happy and somehow my answer was correct. For a moment there I thought she's the one who killed me now I feel guilty for thinking the face that holds stars in her eyes could do such a thing... But I shouldn't tell her about the poisoning incident, at least that will draw the line on who the person this is." End of Haru's inner thoughts.
"I remember everything about my life up to how I got here and from there I remember all the memories within the time I was with you but with the others it's kinda blurry a bit." Says Haru then in her thoughts she says. "I won't tell Akane about the poisoning until I catch the person or when I find some leads to whoever it might of been since it would be a risk to tell her as well.".
The following day the madam gave Haru and Akane time to head into town to prepare for coming trip to the beach where they where going to the beach the day after today to get whatever they need before heading out.
In Haru's head. "I asked Akane not to tell anyone that I regained some of my memories but she was kinda wondering why so it took a while to convince her without a proper reason why. I told her I'll tell them when I regain some more memories later and after playing a bit of had to get with me, she agreed to stay quiet."
"Hey.. Thanks for waiting for me." Says Akane.
"No it's not a problem... I mean it's not like we can leave without you when the only available carriage we can take is this only one after all." In Haru's head. "Though the last question Akane asked me during our conversation last night only made me think more of which role I'm supposed to be playing now in order to brend otherwise it won't take long for someone else to notice the change in personality."
"I guess you're right." Says Akane respond to Haru about the carriage fact.
Flashback to Akane's words. "You know, besides your memorie loss, I thought you would behave the same way but I guess memories shape who you are huh... You instead actually started talking more than you usually used to. Is that a fact about forgetting... huh." So she said as she started thinking more about what she just said.
In Haru's head. "As the sain goes... "No matter how many lemons a lemon tree produces, it will never produce any other besides lemons."
"Ok let's go." Says Akane.
"Ok." Haru responded and off they went towards the entrance of the Zaikai family.
In Haru's head. "Haru Yasashisa who is now me, A quiet person and an opharn, who was taken in by a noble family to work as a maid in one of the 16 houses in the Kingdom. But then one day died due to poisoning which nobody was a witnesses to besides "Me".... Only I and the murderers know of it but now the situation is that Haru Yasashisa is somehow still alive... Are they going to try and kill her again before the bomb tied to memories ignite."
As Haru and Akane arrived at the carriage of the Kaze brothers that was going to take them to their location, from a far someone was watching in the shadows behind the clothes on the window on the second floor.
"Did I do the wrong thing?" This mysterious woman on window asked herself.
In Haru's head. "In order to find the people responsible it will require more knowledge of the people capable of getting close to her, I'm assuming that's the case since she died inside the mansion fence walls and as big as they are.... I'm starting to sound like an investigator... She could have just killed herself too that's something to assume, from what I understand from my memories of her I don't think she's capable." Haru still in thoughts.
To pass the time Haru spent her time in her head revising on possible ways during the trip to their location in the carriage.
In Haru's head. "Besides being almost closed off what else can I recall about you/me. ... Never liking being around people or not liking the attention... ., She never talked much and for some reason never expresses what she feels about anything.... Almost emotionless. Never cared of how she'll look as long as she's helping out. I gotta keep it in mind and blend in If I wanna know more about her and find the murderers but then again maintaining a different personality would make things easier and my excuse would just be that I lost my memories like Akane said." Haru completely forgot that she wasn't alone alone in the carriage.
Akane throwing a fit with her dimples puffed up. "Are you done now."
"Hm?" Haru is confused.
"You suddenly started spacing out to "Nowheresisland" then completely left me stranded here." Says Akane.
Akane Nozomu, she's really a good and great friend to be besides Haru I can see why... she has such a bright personality. Sometimes she seems as if she has many colors to her personality than she shows. What I know about her is that she's another worker of the Zaikai house hold and she has no bad intentions or bad reputation from what I remember about her. Her background involving her parents is still a mystery or maybe she doesn't have any like Haru, is that why she tries to find comfort in Haru since they might relate?... She never gives up trying."
During the time Haru was explaining things in her head about what she knows so far of her life in this world, she was also paying attention to Akane and what she was saying.
"-then Mr. Kenji had to pull me out before I got stamped by the cows." Says Akane who was enjoying the conversation.
"Apologies for listening in girls but Akane I do remember that, after that you came back the following day and asked for a duo to fight the same cow that attacked you for a one on one." Says Mr. Kenji then started laughing because of Akane did.
"I still got my revenge on Kresmir." Says Akane who looks so proud of herself.
(Apparently "Kresmir." Is this world's Christmas.)
"You sure did, if I had to describe how you did your revenge would be... Imagine placing a wild hungry wolf in a barn of goats. Hahaha." Says Mr. Kenji who entered the conversation and from there own the journey was field with laughter until they arrived at their location.
"We're here." Says Akane as she adds. "I got kinda lost in the fun there we almost missed our stop. I guess time does move faster when you're having fun. Thanks again for the ride."
"No problem we'll see you girls latter." Says Mr Sora who was also there with them but he didn't talk much during the trip.
Akane and Haru started moving through the village.
"Where exactly are we?" Haru asked Akane.
"HillVo village, that's where we are." So she says.
"Ok." Says Haru while in her head she said. "Another name I don't recognize."
"Hey Haru... Do you still remember which color you like?" Akane asking away.
"Blue... I think." Says Haru.
"Really? So you actually do have a favorite color, everytime I asked you, you would pause and think but you never actually gave me an answer in the end." So she says as she giggled a bit.
"So can I ask why you chose the color blue?" Akane asks Haru.
"I guess it's the color of the sky. It makes me imagine what freedom actually is... I guess." Haru looks up with Akane. "If it's free as the sky, as free as the ocean sea, then the color of freedom should be blue, that's why I like blue." She said as she continued in her head. "Suddenly after saying all that my head started hurting as if a drill was passing right in the middle of it I kinda feel a bit dizzy." So she says but didn't make it too obvious besides one of her eye-lead twitching."
Akane noticed the eye twitching then tears started forming in her eyes which Haru also noticed.
Haru started panicking fidgeting. "Ah? I'm sorry did I say something bad I wasn't aware of." So she asked in a panic then Akane suddenly turn around facing her back.
"Mm.... that was so cute." She says in whisper but Haru head her, Haru completely became stiff as the wind blew pass them.
Haru clapped her hands together and say. "I'm sorry for worrying you... And look... We're already here, over there." She said as she pointed towards the location.
They entered the store and was welcomed by the shop keeper.
"Welcome welcome... Oh Akane it's you, it's been long how are you down." Says the owner of the shop who is very happy to see Akane again.
"Hey Mrs Yamamori, how have you been?" Akane asks the shop keeper.
Mrs Yamamori Vale, the shop owner of "Silver Silk House" a style shop for clothes and she has had it for about 14 years.
"I'm doing fine it's just slow business and I noticed you brought Haru with you." Mrs Vale asks Akane.
"Yeah." Says Akane with a smile on her face.
"Well... What do you have share with me." Mrs Vale asks Haru.
"Oh uhm... Fine I guess." Haru has a shy side it seems.
"You're still as shy as you always have been huh Haru? Hahahahaha. You're a good example for people who don't change." She says and laughs a bit more.
"Actually Mrs Yamamori. A bit of days back Haru actually lost her memories during an incident." Says Akane.
"Huh.... You're serious.... .. Now how the long needle did that happen?" So she asks Haru who was busy in silence and not looking directly.
"Well it's kinda of a long story." Says Akane.
"Tree.... (bla bla bla), Head (bla bla bla), Memory (bla bla bla), Now we are going to the beach Beach so we came here for swimsuits... that's about it." Said Akane.
" Hm.. Okay I under now, not the memory part that's confusing but anway I'm glad you're ok though Haru, just don't push it ok. They'll return to you when you keep getting better. As I always say, a thread has both a beggining and an end so the memories will come back eventually keep hoping." Says Mrs. Vale.
"Now let's get to those swimsuits." So says Mr. Vale.
"So who's gonna go first?" Akane asks.
"You go I'll be fine." Says Haru.
"Oh I see, you wanna see which ones I peak so you can pick a better one huh?" Akane implies.
"No, it's because I already have one that's all." Said Haru.
"Really, how come I never seen it before." Akane asks.
"That's because Mr. Zaikai bought me one yesterday." Says Haru as she rethinks it in her head. "Don't know if that was the right move to tell her about it but he's battler knew so maybe..."
"..." Akane is speechless all-over the sudden.
"Haru are you trying to get yourself executed?" Akane asks.
"What?" Haru answers.