Short Stories and Random One-shots

Past Encounter: Ren×Sayu {Rayu}

Sayu skipped down the passage and the symbols fade into the background until the walls seem to be made of greyish plastic or metal.

The area was like a maze, Sayu noted, wandering around the strange metallic machines and huge storage tanks with lots of pipes connected to the others.

"Where is this?" Sayu frowned, looking around for a friendly face.

"Huh? A customer?" A male voice asked out and Sayu turned, seeing a boy about 14 years smiling curiously at her.  He wore a medical eye patch around his right eye and his untamed hair curled around his face as he brushed them away from his eyes.

"I'm not a customer! Umm... Have I seen you before?" Sayu asked, wondering why did he seem so familiar to her.

"I don't believe we met." The boy laughed, tilting his head as he looked into Sayu's eyes.

"After all, I would have been blessed if I can meet such a beautiful girl like you more than once!~"

"Really?" Sayu giggled, covering her mouth, a light blush on her cheeks.
"You're pretty smooth!"

"It's true though." The boy said, putting on a serious expression.
"I would be pretty lucky, especially since I don't go out that much."

"Come with me! You'll probably get into trouble if anyone sees us here."

"Right." Sayu reached out to hold the outreached hand, and she let the boy guide her out of the maze.

Sayu followed the boy as he turned into a sharp bend, and he paused at a door to an office with the name "Sonozaki Ayumi" written on it.

"Well... You look like you might need help, so I bought you to see someone." The boy turned to Sayu, who was stare at the name intently.

Sayu frowned, worrying her bottom lip. She felt like she had known the surname, how familiar it was on another person's.

"Do you have any other family members?"

"Eh?" The boy looked up at Sayu through his messy bangs, startled by her sudden question.

"Sure. Just that I've never met them before. Why do you ask?"

"It's just... Never mind." Sayu shook her head, and the boy smiled, a little confused. He then rapped on the door, and entered it.

A young woman was rearranging files on her desk in the office.

The office was cosy, with several sofa-chairs and a coffee table at the side of the large desk and shelves full of files and books at the back.

"Mom! Didn't I told you that I'll sort those out!" The boy whined, walking towards the lady and snatching away the flies.

Sayu held back a gasp of disbelief. Mom? But she seemed so young.

Sayu watched the boy's mother gave a pout and sighed when her son had "robbed" her of the work she was doing.

"Geez, Ren! It's fine, I can handle this by myself!"

And just when Sayu thought things couldn't get more surprising.

"Wait a minute, your name is Ren?!" Sayu exclaimed, and the other two were shocked by the sudden outburst from her. Sayu covered her mouth in embarrassment, blushing shyly.

"... Yeah, that's my name." Ren sheepishly rubbed his head, smiling at Sayu.

And that's when Sayu realised that she was in Ren's past, and the boy in front of her was the younger Ren.

Both of them had the same smile, one that was cheerful but the present Ren seem to be hiding a hint of sadness behind it as compared to his younger self.