Liebestraum (Kurama X OC)

Chapter 24: Dreams of Love

Once they were both outside, Kenji got right to the point.

"For the record, I never liked you."

"Yes well, that was obvious," Kurama bristled. "Why are you here?"

"I've never liked you, but Asuka on the other hand...." He looked far away. "I knew exactly how she felt about you. And I knew how miserable she was without you."

Kurama's heart jumped. What he'd nearly succeeded in suppressing down into his soul returned with a vengeance. He felt it spread throughout his body and bloom into a fierce longing.

Asuka.

Kenji looked at Kurama square in the eye.

"Asuka came to me five months ago and begged me that today, and this afternoon specifically, come to your house and deliver this to you." He reached into his bag and handed Kurama a note. "It's like she knew this would happen."

Kurama took the note gingerly in his hands.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Asuka is gone. No one—not the police, or anyone else who knows her, can find her. She disappeared shortly after giving me that note."

A thousand thoughts began to whirl in Kurama's mind.

While he had been running around the Makai, Asuka had gone missing. If he had known, he would have immediately gone searching for her. He would've done whatever was necessary to find her—Yomi's plans be damned.

Why did she instruct Kenji to give me a note now? I...

"You might think you have me all figured out, Shuichi," Kenji said cutting his thought off, "but you don't. I don't have any romantic interest in Asuka. I've never felt that way about anyone."

His response surprised Kurama.

Kenji's eyes narrowed. "But just because I don't love her like that, doesn't mean I don't love her at all. It may be difficult for you to understand, so let me emphasize: I care about Asuka deeply. She's my closest friend, and she saved me."

Kurama blinked. "Saved you?"

Kenji got a faraway look in his eye before a small smile fell across his lips.

"Ah, so she never told you. I'm grateful to her for that. The first day she came to school I was going to kill myself. I had it all planned out, and I stopped at my favorite café beforehand. One last visit, before the end. But Asuka, I can't explain it—she just, knew. She followed me and forced herself into my life. It's because of her I'm going to pursue a career in classical music."

Asuka. You saved so many people. Your selflessness and kindness changed a lot of lives. I hope you know that, wherever you are.

"I can't do anything more for her beyond being worried sick about her and giving you that note," Kenji said with a tremor in his voice. "But I have this weird feeling that maybe, somehow, you can do something. Please find her. The world would be a much darker place without her in it."

Kurama ran his fingers over the envelope. "Thank you. I'll do whatever I can."

"I can see myself out. Good luck, Shuichi."

Kurama hardly noticed Kenji leaving. All he could think about was the envelope in his hands. He gently tore it, and when he took the paper out he found his name written in her elegant handwriting.

Kurama,

There's a lot I want to say to you, but if I wrote down everything on my heart, it would fill a thousand volumes.