Howdy!

Here I am, posting a story.

...

Yeah, feels weird.

This is my first time writing in a long while. Tons of reasons, few are excusable. Alright then, I'll just leave you with the story. A Oneshot for the awesome movie called Kimi no na wa. I'm still hungover from it.

I stuck in a reference somewhere in there. Well then, I hope you enjoy.

...

If you have time, please read the short sequel, "Christmas with the Miyamizus"! And if you have even more time, please review!

The Memory Of Your Name

Once in a while when I wake up, I find myself crying. The dream I must have had, I can never recall.

But…

The sensation that I've lost something lingers for a long time after I wake up.

I'm always searching for something, for someone. This feeling has possessed me, I think from that day. That day when the stars came falling. It was almost as if… a scene from a dream. Nothing more. Nothing less. Than a beautiful view.

…

It's been eight years since that day.

My name… is…!

Sweat, cold sweat, ran down his face as he rose up abruptly from his not-so-peaceful slumber. It was that dream again. And it's always been like that. It never got past that point, and he never knew who it was he was talking to. Try as he might, he just couldn't, for the life of him, remember who it was. The only thing he knew was that this someone, was very important in his life, that something was telling him that searching for that someone, was what he needed to do. But he couldn't because he doesn't have the faintest idea who he was supposed to be searching for. The name, the appearance… nothing. The feeling of dread and loss was becoming exponentially harder by the day, and doesn't seem like it'll stop soon. Gripping his head in frustration, he slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead as he began to prepare for another long day.

And such was a typical morning in the life of a young man named Tachibana Taki.

It wasn't as if Taki was depressed to the point of refusing to go on with life. In fact, he was giving his all to find a job. Of course, it wasn't easy, and the knowledge that his former crush, Okudera Miki, already has a job, and his two best friends, Tsukasa and Shinta, were already receiving multiple job offers, eight and two, respectively, while he has yet to receive one wasn't really making it easier. Maybe it really was the suit?

But even then, he wasn't planning on stopping soon because he was determined to leave his imprint on everone else's memories. And being someone part of a construction company seems like a perfect one for him. It was because of his desire to help build landscapes that leave heartwarming memories, because no one knows how long it will last. Even Tokyo might suddenly disappear one day, just like his memories, just like Itomori.

Itomori.

The town that vanished.

It's been eight full years since the comet disaster, where Comet Tiamat broke down and rained meteors all over the Earth. In one stroke of misfortune, one of the fragments struck Itomori and just like that, a huge portion of the once beautiful and peaceful town was erased off the map. Fortunately, most of the population was miraculously left unscathed because of a perfectly timed… coincidence of holding an emergency drill.

Thinking back, Taki once went to Itomori, along with Tsukasa and Okudera when he was still in high school. He has no clear idea why he went there in the first place. All he remembers is that his companions went back to Tokyo ahead of him, and he spent the night alone on some mountain, waking up to a horizontal stroke of black ink on his palm.

But at one point, he was inexplicably drawn to the events surrounding that comet and Itomori. The sheer luck of the survival of an entire town's population from half a comet crashing down sparked various rumors about the place, and it for some reason, it tugged at his soul. He had intently read those articles back then, but what had caught his interest so much was now a mystery to him.

One that he was dying to solve, but had no means to.

He didn't even know anybody in the town.

He feels like he's always searching for something, for someone.

Just like the fluttering snow, Taki's emotions were all over the place. He gets rattled every morning by the same incomplete dream. He feels a sense of familiarity upon hearing a totally, completely random stranger say the name Tessie. He feels intense heartache upon passing a girl wearing braided cords on the streets.

And it all leads to a memory of the town named Itomori.

Everything was so vivid, yet at the same time, blurry. He remembers the trees, the shrines, the lake, the school, the lack of a café, and the existence of two pubs. He never even got the chance to visit the town when it was still alive, so how does he have such vibrant memories of a place as if he lived there?

He keeps asking himself the same question. Why does the scenery of a town that no longer exists wring his heart so?

…

And it begins again.

Another restless morning and Taki was already on his daily routine. Ignoring the ever-growing sense of loss, he started his day. He walked out of his apartment towards the train station, intent on finding himself a job, while waiting for a call from a company that might or might not come.

But that wasn't the point.

He's going to do his best. It wouldn't be fair to himself, it wouldn't be fair to Okudera, who told him to be happy too, someday. It wouldn't be fair to what he was searching for.

What was he searching for?

Was it a person? Someone he's met before he can't remember? It wasn't possible. If that person was so important to him that it'd cause him such an immense sense of loss, there was no way he wouldn't at least remember the name.

Was it a thing? What could possibly cause such an attachment?

That's right. Maybe he was just overthinking it. Maybe he was just searching for a job. Maybe it was time to let go of hopeless searching. As he watched the scenery from across the train doors change as the locomotive reached its full speed, Taki looked down to the sunlight that was bathing his palm and closed his eyes. Better think of things to say to appeal to job interviewers.

...

My name… is…!

…

He jolted his head up when an intense heartache accompanied the unexpected resurfacing of the dream that haunted him for so long, and upon having his senses returned to him, he was met with something even more unexpected, and his senses left him again.

His eyes widened to an extent he didn't believe was possible until that moment as the familiar cold sweat trailed down his face. Founding no strength to produce words due to the lump forming in his throat, it took a while for his brain to register what his eyes were laid upon.

It was… someone.

He didn't know who it was, but the sense of familiarity was far too overwhelming for him to believe that the person from other train across was in no way related to him.

It was the girl with braided cords on her hair, and she had the exact same reaction that he did.

Almost as if their minds were one and the same, they immediately exited their own trains at the very next stop.

...

My name… is…!

…

Taki immediately went running, his mind dead set on meeting her. He doesn't even know her, but he kept on running. The sense of dread and loss returned, but along with those familiar emotions, something else entered his conscience.

The feeling of… "I don't want to lose you again."

…

He ran and ran, bumping into people and immediately apologizing after without decelerating. He couldn't let anything slow him down. The thought that he might finally find what he was searching for fills him with determination. He couldn't let this chance go. Not in a million lifetimes. Even when he was sweating profusely like it was the middle of summer. Maybe it really was the suit.

...

Connecting people is musubi… The flow of time is musubi…

…

Turning quickly around the corner, he narrowly avoided another pedestrian as he brushed off the unexplained memories that began flooding his head.

…

Braided cords are a perfect representation of the flow of time itself.

They converge and take shape. They twist, tangle, sometimes unravel, break, then connect again…

…

She was the one from his dream. The one he was searching for. The one he doesn't want to let go again. Even if she was someone he met before, even if she was someone he met in a past life, heck, even if she was a complete stranger, he couldn't fight the sense of relief, joy, and anxiousness threatening to break free any moment. He just had to meet her. He just had to have her back in his life again.

He wanted her back.

And there she was.

On top of a flight of stairs, looking down towards him while panting heavily. Was she running too?

He began climbing the steps, and the girl descended soon after.

…

And they passed each other wordlessly.

…

He felt the need to punch himself. What on earth was he doing? Grief became even more apparent on his face as soon as he reached the top, his fists clenched and his teeth grit.

She was right there. What was he doing? What was he DOING?

…

What WAS he doing?

What was he afraid of?

There was nothing to lose.

…

"Um…!"

He called out as he turned around to face her. And she immediately heeded the call. She turned her face towards him as tears threatened to fall off her eyes.

"Haven't we met…?"

There. He said it.

And there were the tears.

She was crying.

And even though he was no expert on reading people, he could most certainly tell that they were tears of joy.

"I… I thought so too…!"

She answered back, as she completely refused to fight back her tears as a smile spread on her face. And immediately after that, the greatest sense of relief overtook their entire beings. Waking up to a perennial sense of loss, the struggle to live with the grief of the feeling of having lost someone, searching for someone, something.

Those days of agony were over.

And there was only happiness.

""You name is…?""

…

And the occurrence of speaking at the same time didn't even bother them and instead, choosing to laugh softly.

"I'll go first. My name is Taki."

Upon hearing his name, the girl suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia envelop her.

…

"I can't remember your name with this…"

…

The tears returned. Only this time, she was close to sobbing. It was him. He was someone dear to her. Someone she shouldn't forget. Someone she shouldn't have forgotten. But she did. And guilt took its way there.

"H-hey, are you okay?"

Came the panicked voice of Taki as he hurriedly rushed to her side, her reaction to him saying his name catching him completely off-guard.

"i-I'm alright… Sorry for worrying you…"

She replied while wiping the tears off her face, bringing relief to Taki.

"I see… I'm glad... um…"

My name… is…!

"Mitsuha. Miyamizu Mitsuha."

Mitsuha! My name is Mitsuha!

…

And the puzzle was completed. And it was his turn to let the dam break.

"H-hey, why are you crying?"

She asked, worry evident in the tone of her voice.

"… I've been searching for you… for a long time…"

She heard him say, and it was all she needed to hear for her to start tearing up again. To his surprise, she began laughing softly. But it wasn't a mocking kind of laugh. Rather, it was that of relief.

"Again… when will the crying stop? This is all your fault, Taki-kun."

Mitsuha said while giggling like a giddy child, earning a confused look from Taki before he too, broke down in laughter. The way she just addressed him, it just felt like that's how it was supposed to be, and that's how it should be.

"My fault? How is it my fault?"

"Because… you took so long to find me. You know I'm bad with directions."

For some reason, he just had to agree. For all he knows or remembers, this was their first time meeting and yet he just feels that he knows what she just said is true. It was strange, but it was a good kind of strange. And as for Mitsuha, it just felt right saying that. She never even told him about her getting lost easier than an average person but saying it like that, it just felt… right. And seeing as he didn't look puzzled or try to argue only served to further her point. What he did do was flash towards her a sweet smile that was far more vibrant and lively than all the smiles he has ever made before.

"Alright, alright. My bad. Sorry for making you wait… Mitsuha."

To say that things took a turn for the better that day would be a massive understatement.

Just a week ago, Mitsuha was vastly different from the cheerful and carefree girl her family and friends, Sayaka and Tessie, have come to know back when she was still in high school. For all they know, she started becoming gloomy right after the tragedy in Itomori, and so they immediately assumed that it shook her far more severely than it really had. They believed it was the reason why she seemed to be crying every time they call her in the morning. That it was why she frequently spaces out and stares into the sky, as if she was searching for something. Even when Mitsuha herself denied the thought and insisted that she has already accepted the loss of her home, they still couldn't stop worrying about her emotional well-being.

So when she suddenly returns with a smile as bright as the most luminescent star, they were dumbfounded. It wasn't as if they disliked her having her old personality back, in fact, they were beyond ecstatic and happy that she finally broke free from her unexplained depression.

They were just glad that Mitsuha was back.

As if he still wasn't used to waking up without an overwhelming sense of loss in his heart, Taki spent a good five minutes staring at the wall, wondering, thinking, smiling. He was happy so it's only natural to smile. Of course, no sane person wouldn't be happy when they finally find what they have been desperately yearning for.

He's never felt so back on track before. He actually received a few job offers from some small-time construction companies and an interview request from one with a more well-known name. He was still a long way to go from his dream, but he's not one bit perturbed. Everyone started from something, and the thought that he might one day be someone who helped lots of people create long-lasting memories makes him feel more hopeful than ever.

But of course, it all paled in comparison to what had happened a week ago.

The nightmares and the restless mornings stopped, and he no longer wakes up with tears in his eyes. He was far more energetic and finds himself unconsciously exerting more effort into everything he does.

It was all because he finally found her. The girl in his dreams, the name he can't ever recall.

"… What's with the hair…?"

And that was all Taki was able to say before promptly getting stomped on the foot. The culprit then folded her arms and pouted. He deserved it after all.

"Hmph. You could have at least complimented me before being an insensitive jerk, you know."

Mitsuha said in reply, not bothering to look back at the boy who was currently attempting to nurse his painful walking appendage. Taki chose to glare in response, although after a few seconds of Mitsuha not budging from her position, he finally caved in and sighed in defeat.

"Alright, alright, sorry about that."

"Hmph."

Seeing as the girl in front of him still had no plans of speaking, he decided to chance something.

"You look great with that, Mitsuha. It suits you perfectly."

And that was what it took for her to widen her eyes in shock, a luminescent blush enveloping her facial features. She attempted to say something in return but after she found herself unable to produce any form of coherent speech, she turned away again, much to Taki's amusement. It was exactly what she wanted to hear him say, but for him to actually say it word for word, she was caught off-guard. Unable to look him in the face, she returned to pouting, but it was a flustered one instead of the previous displeased look.

"… took you long enough… dummy…"

To this, Taki let out a soft laugh, earning a death glare from Mitsuha. But when she saw his laughing face looking so genuinely happy, she just couldn't find it in her to stay mad at him. Thinking of how she is feeling the same as him right now, cheerful and childish, she couldn't stop her face from forming a smile and laughed along with him.

And then he opened his eyes, and was greeted with the sight of a beautiful young woman with a smile sweeter than a dozen cups of sugar. Finally getting the opportunity to study her more carefully, he was able to further identify what was different with her. She had her hair cut right to chin length and was wearing braided cords as a ribbon. He felt so deeply familiar with it, somehow, but he just couldn't put his finger on where he had seen it before. Nonetheless, it had such a youthful feel to it, and coupled with the sun's gentle rays and the wind's breeze, made his heart pulse rapidly.

She was gorgeous.

And now it was his turn to blush.

Now, he felt a little bad for complimenting her before taking a closer look. Regardless, it wasn't a lie. She would look good in anything, he thought. Even her bed hair. Probably.

"Taki-kun? What's wrong?"

Taki was called back to earth when Mitsuha's voice broke his silence, concerned that he was spacing out.

"Oh, nothing, sorry to worry you. Shall we go ahead?" He asked with a polite smile, causing Mitsuha to giggle in response.

"Of course~"

And the sense of familiarity and nostalgia keeps growing. Meeting up when their schedules allow them, taking a stroll around Tokyo, finding food to gobble, it fills his heart with such a pleasant feeling that he just can't help but wonder where she had been all his life. And the more time they spend with each other, the more he finds out about her. Some things she say, some he figures out on his own. But even when she doesn't inform him, he can just take a guess and it would always be right. But it wasn't just him. Mitsuha herself has always seemed to know a lot about him. It was strange for the both of them, as if they were lovers in their past lives. But they're not complaining one bit. They just let the blissful days pass by and enjoyed the other's company whenever they were together.

And then the memories started returning.

They were vague but together, they were able to make heads or tails of what they recall. Their seemingly shared dreams of switching bodies, and the feelings they had for each other. It was why Taki was so drawn to Itomori. It was how they know so much about each other, even though they seemingly just met. And it was why they had a severe case of yearning for each other, despite involuntarily forgetting who the other was. It was the reason for the sense of loss that overtook them ever since the day the stars came falling. And it was the reason why, despite having no remembrance of each other, they instantly knew that they had found what they were deeply missing.

Taki readjusted his scarf as he continued staring into the night sky, snow fluttering down on from above. He took a deep breath and watched it form into a small cloud of fog, reflecting the frigid atmosphere Tokyo was having at the moment.

It has been going great for Taki lately. He finally got a job, and one that he had no regrets over. Maybe in the future, he would be able to fulfill Mitsuha's dream of owning a café. On to the topic of Mitsuha, they have been going out more frequently the past few days, always making time for each other no matter how busy they seem to be. She had formally introduced him to her family and friends and because of his amiable personality, he had no problems earning their approval, giving him one more thing to be relieved about. Her sister, Yotsuha, even remembered him as her sister's apparent "boyfriend in Tokyo". Their future kept looking brighter each day and they were forever grateful for that.

He and Mitsuha had also been remembering more about their past, further tightening their already strong bond. Now, all they had left to do was to look to the future and prepare for whatever it may hold. Their memories of the past, along with the experiences of their present, will surely be invaluable lessons for the both of them.

Speaking of the present.

It was December 24th.

He had called out Mitsuha some time ago to meet him at the park, and he came a little bit too early. But he's not going to complain. A couple minutes of waiting were nothing compared to five years, after all.

He looked back at his watch. She was now eight minutes late.

"Taki-kun! Sorry I'm late!"

Would you look at that.

"Oh, it's alright, Mitsuha."

She let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that he wasn't at all mad and continued panting before straightening herself.

"Tokyo's a big place. It's not that hard to get lost so I understand."

Taki suddenly said, his mischievous side appearing. And then he got a kick to the knee for his trouble.

"Hmph! You're a real jerk, you know that?"

"Hahaha, I'm sorry, please forgive me."

He apologized, while rubbing the sore spot his knee.

Choosing to let it go, for now, Mitsuha relaxed her expression and turned her gaze towards the night sky, complemented by the glowing stars and the bright lights of the city. She caught a snowflake on her palm before looking towards Taki again, who was now relieved of the stinging pain of her kick.

"It's almost Christmas… "

"Yeah…"

For a short while, nobody said a word. Instead, they chose to just enjoy each other's presence and the warm feeling they both had within their chests. A little later though, Taki chose to break the ice, because a little more of not doing anything will result in breaking actual ice. It was freezing.

"Hey, Mitsuha…"

"Yes, Taki-kun?"

"Uh… I remember… everything now."

"Yes. Me too… actually."

Taki remained silent for a few seconds before turning towards Mitsuha again, who was patiently waiting for him to speak.

"Even… what I wrote on your palm instead of my name?"

…

…

…

"… yes."

Instead of answering back, Taki, as well as Mitsuha, looked down towards the ground, small blushes evident on their faces.

"You know… that hasn't really changed."

The blush on both their faces went up a few notches in the redness meter, along with Taki scratching his cheek awkwardly and Mitsuha playing with the end of her scarf. It went that way for a solid minute before someone finally decided to do something. Mitsuha slapped her cheeks with both hands, earning a bewildered look from Taki, but before he could inquire, she turned towards him with a beet red face and inhaled a large amount of air before looking him in the eye and-

"Taki-kun, I love you too."

Time stopped momentarily for Taki as he processed what he had just heard. And after that course of action, his eyes went a little misty. Unable to resist the overwhelming feeling of joy, he unceremoniously pulled Mitsuha into a tight hug, causing her to emit a surprised squeak but ultimately, she didn't resist. She instead hugged him back as tears also threatened to escape from her eyes.

Happiness was all the two could feel as they felt each other's warmth. After all the time and distance that separated them, they were finally able to reunite, and never again will they be pulled apart from each other, if they had even a tiny say in it.

"Mitsuha, thank you… you don't know how happy I am to hear that."

"Thank you too, Taki-kun, for coming into my life. For giving it a new color… for helping to save everyone important in it… for letting me love you… and for loving me back. I'm… unbelievably happy right now, and it's all thanks to you… so… Thank you… Taki-kun."

The both wiped their tears as soon as they released each other from their embrace and looked at each other, with nothing but joy visible in their eyes.

"We've been through a lot… distance separated us… time separated us… even our own memories played a hand in pulling us apart… so… Mitsuha…"

"Yes, Taki-kun?"

He didn't answer, causing her to get a little worried. But when he pulled out something from his pocket, al she could do was gasp as tears again formed.

"Here, Mitsuha… I want you to have this."

He said as he took her hand slid a golden ring on the appropriate finger. Mitsuha covered her mouth with her other hand while she inspected the jewelry on her. It wasn't stylish. It was just a plain gold ring. But what made it far more special than any other ring she had seen in her entire life was that there were two names engraved on it.

| Mitsuha | Taki |

No longer able to hold it in, she let it all out. The tears that represented all the sadness, grief and yearning. Now they no longer matter. The only things that remained was pure bliss born from love.

"And I'll wear a matching one, so we never forget."

Taki said as he slid an identical ring on his finger.

"Never… forget…"

"Yeah… I'll keep this on me all the time, so I'll always have… the memory of your name."

"Taki-kun!"

Now it was Mitsuha's turn to hug him. Smiling, he returned the hug tenderly while stroking her hair.

"Taki-kun… I'll never forget… I won't ever forget… never again."

She said between sniffs, no longer caring whatever happens outside. For now, all that mattered to both of them was each other.

And as the snow kept falling, they held each other like there was no tomorrow. Neither of them wanting to let go. This was how it was supposed to be, basking in each other's warmth. They were each other's greatest support and nobody can take that away from them. After all, being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

Their story is like no other. They will always have the memory of each other's name, along with the love that was born from across space and time.

"Taki-kun…"

"Mitsuha…"

…

""I love you.""