Chapter 18: Who. Are. You?

"W-Who are you...?" Zenkichi instantly stood up and faced the person behind him. Only for his mind to blank.

Standing in front of him was a girl with dark brown eyes and very long, dark brown hair tied up with two yellow ribbons. She wore girl's uniform of Hakobune Middle School, the middle school he once go to; a sailor uniform comprised of a light pink shirt with a dark red trim, and a matching dark red skirt. She also wears two pink wrist bands and thigh high black socks.

She was smiling at him. It was a smile full of amusement, sadness and affection.

But it was mostly a smile of sadness.

Seeing her smile like that, Zenkichi's first thought was that she was beautiful. Even probably surpassing Medaka! But a moment passed and he suddenly felt both his head and heart aching.

It was ignorable at first, but the aching started to become intense.

He grabbed both of the sides of his head and grunted in pain, with gritted teeth. He knew who she is. He should know! She was an old friend of his... right? He should know who she is! She's–

Zenkichi closed his eyes shut as he felt his head and heart aching even more. It felt like they were about to explode!

"AHHHHHHH! WHO ARE YOU?! Why can't I remember YOU!?" Tears started to appear in his eyes and staining his face.

Why?! Why does he feel so much pain, grief, sadness, regret and love for this girl in front of him but he couldn't for the life of him remember who she is?!

'Why do I feel that I know you? Yet I can't remember? I know you. I know you. I know you. I know you. I know you. I know you. I know you. I KNOW YOU!' Zenkichi felt the urge to bang his head on the floor but he tried to ignore it.

He searched the original's memories. He dived deep.

He wanted, no, he needed to know!

Yet, there was not a single memory he had with her. Nothing.

It was driving Zenkichi insane!

The unknown girl closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Even if you aren't him anymore, I just...." She trailed off, tear drops rolled down from her eyes to her cheeks.

For a moment, she was silent. She opened her eyes and frowned.

'I don't have enough time. The soul of Zenkichi and ***** is becoming more and more unstable. At this rate, he'll die!'

Meanwhile, Zenkichi's mind continued on being scattered.

'I know you, but we've never met.'

'I'm with you, but I don't know you're name.'

'Who are you? What's your name?'

'Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you–'

"WHO. ARE. YOU?!" Zenkichi stared wide-eyed at the girl, tears streaming down his face. His mind breaking apart from trying to piece together the information about who the girl in front him was.

Even with all the supernatural abilities that he has gained, it wouldn't be able to save his mind and soul from breaking apart.

It could only heal his body, but not his heart.

'Who....' Zenkichi's eyelids grew heavy but he gritted his teeth. 'What am I doing? What, in the hell am I doing?'

'I shouldn't be like this. I promised to myself that I wouldn't waste my second life and die a pathetic death! I die by my own rules! So, body of mine, move-!' Yet before Zenkichi could try to move his body, the mysterious girl's voice stopped him.

"That's enough." The girl said in a scolding tone. Before Zenkichi's mind begin overheating itself again from trying to figure out who she was, he suddenly felt himself being...hugged?

'What?'

"Zenkichi, that's enough. If you try forcing your body to move, it would further shake your still unstable soul and cause it to shatter; leading it to the total destruction of your existence."

Zenkichi felt his head being pushed into the softness of the mysterious girl's breasts and his neck being held by something both strong and soft.

'What-?!'

Wide-eyed, his brain short-circuited and remained frozen in the embrace of the girl. The familiar feeling intensified once more, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the pain that can almost kill him... only the soul crushing pain never came. Only that, he felt a complete sense of peace and calmness than never before.

It was like he achieved Zen, yes, pun intended.

Minutes passed and before Zenkichi knew it, his head was now resting on the lap of the mysterious girl. Her face hovering over his, her eyes closed as his, while her right hand slowly caressed his messy blond hair while her other hand caressed his cheek in a... loving sort of a way.

"...Who are you?" Zenkichi opened his eyes and finally asked the question that had literally almost made him go crazy. But still he continued on laying on her lap while being pampered by her.

As a young man with a twenty year old mental age, being pampered by a beautiful girl looking like she was five to four years his junior was embarrassing and degrading in some sort of way.

Zenkichi, as a young man with a twenty year old mental age, being pampered by said girl is the best thing ever in his entire two lives. Anyone who says otherwise can go die in a ditch about it!

The girl smiled as she tilted her head down a little bit, her dark brown hair bangs fell by her cheeks, her face just inches away from his; and it looked as if she was about to kiss him.

"I am, someone who will always be on your side, by your side, and in your heart forevermore; even if you don't remember who I am. No matter what you become or who you become, I will be here with you. After all, not even death can do us apart." She smirked and kissed his cheek before pulling her head back up.

Zenkichi's cheeks flushed red before shaking his head, a wary serious expression built on his face, "You didn't answer my question."

The girl smiled, amused, "Well, not everything in life has an answer. Also, isn't it rude for asking someone their name if they themselves don't state theirs?"

Zenkichi twitched his eyebrows, "Don't you already know?"

The girl still smiled but the warmth in her eyes vanished, replacing it with a coldness that would freeze hell over in an instant.

"Oh, let me phrase it differently. I know of the body you're occupying, and the soul you fused with, but not the conscious taking over it. So, let me ask again," Her eyes narrowed, a dark shadow casted over her face and a malevolent energy started to emit around her body as she stare directly at his eyes. "Who. Are. You?"

"My name is...." Zenkichi could never talk so fast and felt so much fear in his entire life as he is right now.

'I'm so dead...'