Memories To Remember

It sure was a depressing thing to hear those words from a mother he loved so much.

Momiji peeped inside the room from the door frame. Hatori was talking to her mother about erasing her memory of him. It happened to be the last thing they could to to help her getting over her mental problem. "No other way," they said.
Momiji didn't let one second pass without looking at his mother.

Hatori was asking if she wouldn't regret having her memories of her son erased. Her mother lifted her head up, so slowly before she said, that the only thing she regretted was to bear Momiji to the world. She regretted it to have Momiji as a son.

Then her memory was erased.

Momiji's mother was brought out of Hatori's room in an unconscious state. Exactly the way Kana was. But.. Kana was crying. Crying because of her lost memories.. or at least because of Hatori? Noone cried for Momiji. Momiji was alone.

His mother was getting better along with the time passed. His father was.. more than happy. They were getting along much, much better.
Momiji always looked from far away, because Hatori said that it was better if he didn't show up in front of his mother very often. It might reawake the memories... But it would be okay when his mother didn't see him right? It was even better when noone knew about him doing such thing at all.

Momiji never really knew since when he felt sad and abandoned. It was on his consent that her mother's memories were erased. He agreed to it. He did agree.
But now as he looked at his mother from this distance, he couldn't help but feel very lonely. So lonely...

"Momiji,"
It had been quite a long time since someone called his name that way. Momiji needed some minutes before he finally realized that it was his name being called. Turning around, he faced Hatori kneeling behind him.
Hatori had always been Hatori. The Hatori who erased his mother's memories.
"I am so sorry," said Momiji automatically. "Have I done something wrong? I will not look at her that often anymore, I.."
"Momiji."
Momiji stopped talking and looked at Hatori's deep eyes. These eyes hadn't lost their sadness since Kana left. Sadness, which was carved so deeply in Hatori's soul.
Hatori didn't continue speaking. Wasn't he going to scold Momiji after all? Didn't he know about Momiji sneaking around his mother secretly? But why did he confront him this time? Were someone's memories going to be erased as well? Whose memories then? Did he have to agree too?

"Momiji, let's go. It was cold here."
Hatori stood up and looked at Momiji over his shoulder. His look said that Momiji ought to follow him. The latter followed, asking himself all the way where Hatori was taking him to. The answer wasn't really surprising. Hatori invited him for a hot chocolate at his place.

Holding a warm mug of chocolate in his hands, Momiji realized that it was indeed cold outside. So cold that now snow began to fall.
Hatori walked to the door and faced the falling snow outside. Now that Momiji looked carefully at him, Hatori didn't look as strong as he supposed he was. He was.. exactly as lonely as Momiji, probably. Momiji never really knew about it.

"How does it taste?"
Momiji looked up so suddenly that he nearly spilt the chocolate on the floor.
"Oh it's really good!" he answered with a bit more excitement than he wanted to. "Thank you."

Hatori nodded in silence and turned to sit in front of Momiji.
"How are you doing all this time?"
"Eh...?"
"Are you feeling well?"
Hatori's question was odd. Momiji didn't feel like he was having cold or what. What was Hatori actually referring to..?

"Momiji, your mother.. is going to give birth in about eight months. I am sure you know it already."
Momiji clutched on his shirt.
"Since all jyuunishi have been born, there is no worry that she will go through the same thing likelast time."
Momiji tried his best not to listen, not to look at Hatori. He concentrated on the tiny black spot on the floor. He wondered where it came from.
"She would be allright from now on, I guess."
No. No. Hatori's words were like a drill which made their way to his head easily without any problems. Momiji's eyes were closed tightly. But his voice was never clearer.
Momiji put both hands on each ear. No. No.

"Momiji! Momiji!"

As Momiji opened his eyes the next second, Hatori was pulling his hands of his ears.
"Eh...?"
Hatori looked at him, with such an undescribable expression. Then he put his arms around Momiji and embraced the boy heartily.
"It is okay..." he whispered.
"You don't have to suppress your feeling."
But I am not suppressing anything...
"It is okay... it is allright.."
A tear dropped from his eyes, wetting Hatori's shoulder.

What are you talking about? I am fine, I am never better! Never...
But Hatori was right. He never felt that miserable. So lonely... so sad...
Before he knew what happened afterwards he was crying on Hatori's shoulder. Crying like a baby. Even if he tried his best to be strong.. to be strong...

"Can you please.. erase my memory?"
Momiji clutched on Hatori's sleeve.
"Please... if you can do it to mom, you can do it to me too, right?"
"Momiji..."
"Please... noone have to know about it. It is better for me to forget her as well, isn't it..?"
"Momiji.."
"Please... please..."
Hatori wiped the tears from Momiji's cheeks, while the boy didn't stop crying. He cried and cried so mournfully. And yet it wasn't enough to make Hatori grant his wish. But why? Even if it wasn't right, it might turn out to be the best.

"Momiji, I.. didn't erase people's memories because I wanted to."
"It was.. because I had to."

Momiji stopped crying and looked at Hatori, who turned his face away from him.
"Why..?" he asked. "You have helped many people through many problems with your ability. Wh..."
Hatori smiled at him. But Momiji could sense nothing but regret and sorrow in his smile. He wasn't feeling good at all, to have an ability to remove people's memories.

Why? Momiji had always thought that if Hatori were only able to, he would erase his own memories of Kana as well. If only he were able to. But he couldn't hypnotize himself could he..

Now that Momiji looked around... he spotted Kana's photograph in a frame on the cupboard. Momiji stood up very slowly and walked to the cupboard.
He picked the picture frame and let his hand brush over Kana's face.
"You still... keep her picture?"
Hatori didn't answer.
"You still want to remember?"
"Doesn't it... hurt?"

Hatori looked up to the ceiling.
"Someone has to remember," he answered softly.
Momiji's eyes were wide opened.
"Someone has to remember all the things that happened between us. Sad or happy, someone has to remember."

Momiji stared absent-mindedly at Kana's photograph.
Someone has to.. remember.
Even if Mom didn't remember me, I have to remember. I have to remember the whole thing. Sad or happy.
"Is it because each memory is precious?"

Hatori looked at him surprisedly.
Momiji smiled. His face muscles felt so hard to move.

"Is it because you treasure each memory between you and Kana-chan?"
Hatori smiled as an answer. That was all Momiji needed.

It was never easy to deal with the fact that his mother had not the fadest memory of him left anymore. But if only Momiji was strong enough to keep the memories inside... not to run away from them... who knew? Perhapsthey wouldsomeday be a wonderful memory. A memory precious enough to treasure, to remember at.

"The sun is shining again." remarked Hatori.
"What a weather," he sighed smilingly.

"Hari, thank you,"
Momiji put the frame back on its place.
"Thank you for everything! I am allright now!"

Hatori put one hand on the youth's head, feeling so relieved to see the boy return to his normal state.
"Eh-he," grinned Momiji.

"Hari, Hari, tell me. Is it going to be a boy or a girl?"
"Momiji I am working."
"Come on you did a check up for her yesterday didn't you? Come on tell me tell me!"

"Honey..? Come, let's go. Aren't you feeling cold here outside? You've got to come in."
The blond woman didn't let Momiji out of her eyes. Momiji-chan wasn't it, she thought. She just knew about him lately, but deep inside her heart she felt like they had a close relationship. A very close relationship. But what?
Her husband dragged her inside but she didn't look away from the boy.
The boy called Momiji was hangingaround Hatori-san's neck. He looked so healthy and cheerful... the blond woman couldn't help to smile.
"Are you allright?" her husband asked worriedly.
"That boy there, Momiji-kun," she said carefreely,"I really hope our child will be as cheerful and healthy as he is."

"Hari, Hari, you are so meaaann..!"
"Stop calling me Hari, what kind of nickname is that!"
"Aaaaahhh but it is so cutee..!"
Momijithrew a side lookat his mother secretly. His mother was now going to another direction with his father. Momiji smiled gently at her back.
So that someday, it will be a wonderful memory...