Chapter 6: Trying to bring back the Memories

As Suzuno came home from Sakura road, she ran to her room and locked herself there. Akito was in her room sleeping, so she didn't notice Suzuno, five minuites later, Nami followed in looking for him, making sure Akito won't notice her. She looked for Suzuno everywhere, but went across Suzuno's room, she tried to open it but it was locked, so she knocked.

"Suzuno-chan...? Please open the door... It's me, Nami." Nami said while she was knocking on the door. Without hesitation Suzuno opened her door without a word and went back to her bed sobbing. Nami went in and closed the door. "P-please don't cry anymore Suzuno-chan... It's not your fault." Nami was terribly worried.

"Not my fault?! What are you saying Nami?! They're all sad because of me! Because I forgot all of them!" Suzuno started crying more.

"It's not your fault you forgot... I'll help you remember them Suzuno-chan..." Nami said in an assuring voice.

"Really... You would do that for me?" Suzuno sniffled looking at Nami with her teary eyes. Nami nodded with a smile. "T-thank you Nami...!" Suzuno hugged her and tears kept rolling down her face.

"Now... Please don't cry..." Nami said in a cute voice puffing her cheeks.

"O-okay...!" Suzuno wiped her tears and smiled. "But how...?" Suzuno looked at Nami.

"Um... Aha~!" Nami snapped and whipered to Suzuno's ear.

"Oh...! But..." Suzuno felt unsure.

"Don't worry! Trust me and it'll all be fine!" Nami said with an assuring smile.

"Fine... I trust you..." Suzuno smiled back still a bit worried.

The next day, Suzuno and Nami went out without telling Akito, they went back to Sakura road but went to the orphanage's playground, there they looked for Nagumo and the others. Then Hiroto saw Suzuno and Nami.

"Nami!" Hiroto caught her attention and waved his hand.

"Hiroto-san!" Nami waved back. "C'mon Suzuno-san!" Nami pulled Suzuno's hand towards Hiroto.

"Ah! Hello Hiroto...! Sorry about yesterday...!" Suzuno bowed.

"Hello Suzuno... Don't worry about it..." Hiroto bowed back.

"W-where's Nagumo...?" Suzuno started to blush hoping Hiroto won't make fun of her.

"Oh... Nagumo? Okay, I'll call him..." Hiroto turned around. "NAGUMO! SOMEONE'S LOOKING FOR YOU!" Hiroto shouted with one hand near his mouth. Suddenly Nagumo came looking down.

"W-what is i-" Nagumo's eyes where shocked seeing Suzuno's face again. "Y-you came back...!" he continued to be shocked. Suzuno looked at Nagumo with tears rolling down her face, then hugged Nagumo tightly.

"Nagumo! I'm sorry I ran away from you! I was just so confused... I felt guilty that I forgot everything! I'm so sorry Nagumo!" Suzuno cried burying her face on Nagumo's chest.

"S-Suzuno..." Nagumo stroked her head and hair, and held the shoulders of the crying girl pushing her gently in front of him. "Listen to me..." Suzuno looked at Nagumo with her teary eyes. "I'll do everything just to make you remember us..." Nagumo smiled.

"...W-what if I still can't remember? I'm just a burden to you all..." Suzuno looked down with tears still running down her eyes.

"I'll do everything, even if it costs my life..." Nagumo placed Suzuno's head up with his finger under Suzuno's chin, stroking her face wiping her tears, and hugged Suzuno.

"T-thank you..." Suzuno hugged back smiling with few tears still rolling down her face.

"Don't forget me!" Hiroto chuckled.

"Us too!" Saginuma and Midorikawa popped out from behind.

"Especially me Suzuno-chan!" Nami giggled.

"We'll help you remember!" Midorikawa said.

"We won't let you down!" Saginuma said clutching his fist near his chest.

"Hey... What if we play soccer, Suzuno might remember, right?" Nagumo looked at everyone smiling.

"...Yeah! That would be a critical move to make her remember!" Midorikawa looked at Nagumo.

"Hmm... I think you're right." Hiroto looked at Nagumo with a finger under his chin.

"Why not we play now?" Saginuma showed a soccerball. Everyone started smiling widely and ran immediately to the soccer field.

"C'mon!" Nagumo took Suzuno's hand and ran to the soccer field with her, Nami followed them.

When they arrived to the soccer field they arranged their teams.

Meanwhile at home Akito just realized that Suzuno and Nami went out.

"Those two... Where could they've been gone to...?" Akito said in an angry tone, then thought for a while. "No... NO!" she placed both of her hands on her head in fear. "She might be remembering stuff by now! I can't afford that! I CAN'T AFFORD TO LOOSE SUZUNO!" Then she thought again. "Nami..." she said in a low angry tone.

Then Akito got her coat and left looking for them.

"Okay! Two-on-Two! Midorikawa is on my side. Nagumo, You and Suzuno are against us, and you Saginuma, you'll be the goalee! Got it?" Hiroto shouted looking at them one-by-one stepping on the soccerball with one foot, everyone nodded, while Nami was on the bench watching them.

Hiroto placed his hand up facing the sky, then everyone got ready looking at Hiroto and his hand high up in the sky... Then in a flash Hiroto placed down his hand, Nagumo and Suzuno rushed Hiroto with the soccerball under his foot, when Hiroto was about to pass the soccerball to Midorikawa from behind, an angry voice shouted.

"NAMI?!" Akito shouted, she was really angry. Everyone looked at her.

"...M-mom...!" Suzuno looked back and started to be frightend. Nami ran quickly behind Hiroto in fear, then Hiroto noticed her and looked in her eyes again, it was the same like the last time he looked in her eyes.

"...Mom...?" Nagumo, Saginuma, and Midorikawa said in their mind shocked.

"Who's that...?" Hiroto asked Nami.

"M-my mom..." Nami started trembling. As Akito went closer Nami gripped on Hiroto's jacket and started hiding.

"DON'T HIDE FROM ME! I SEE YOU!" Akito was about to pull Nami's hand in a harsh way, but Hiroto defended her.

"Don't hurt Nami." Hiroto said in a demanding way glaring at Akito.

"I have the right! Because I'm her mother!" Akito shouted at Hiroto.

"But you didn't have to do that in front of us." Hiroto answered back.

"I don't need this!" Akito grabbed Nami's hand and pulled her away from Hiroto. Nami started crying.

"Hiroto-san!" Nami shouted stretching her arm towards Hiroto as Akito pulled her away from him.

"N-Nami... I'm sorry, she's right, she's your mother." Hiroto looked down.

"Mom! Don't embarrass Nami in front of them!" Suzuno stood up for Nami.

"You're coming with me!" Akito harshly grabbed Suzuno's arm and pulled her.

"M-mom!" Suzuno started tearing up. "T-that hurts!" she tried struggling away from her grip, but everytime she struggled, the tighter Akito grips his arm. Suzuno's tears wouldn't stop coming from the pain and embarrassment. "Mom! Please! You're hurting me!" Suzuno struggled more.

"Don't drive my patience Suzuno!" Akito gripped her harder.

"M-MOM!" Suzuno shouted and fell down on her knees in pain. "...Please... Let go..." she held his arm in pain crying.

"Mommy! You're hurting Suzu-"

"SHUT UP! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING! STAND UP SUZUNO!" Akito pulled Suzuno harder.

"STOP!" Suzuno gave a shout terribly in pain.

"HE SAID LET GO!" Nagumo pulled Suzuno away from Akito and hugged her. "DON'T YOU SEE HE'S IN PAIN?!" she shouted.

Suzuno was holding her arm in pain and couldn't stop crying, suddenly Nagumo noticed blood appearing under her jacket, exactly where Akito gripped her.
Nagumo immediately removed her sleave to the top, and saw a serious bruise that just started bleeding.

"...!" Nagumo and the others were shocked that Akito managed to make Suzuno's arm bleed.

"WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU?! YOU ACTUALLY MADE HER ARM BLEED!" Nagumo shouted angrily at Akito.

"IT'S HER FAULT! IF SHE DIDN'T STRUGGLE SO MUCH I WOULDN'T GRIP ON TO HER ARM TOO MUCH!" Akito shouted back. Nagumo thought for a second.

"...Wait... I remember Suzuno's story when we were young." Nagumo gave a glare at Akito. "Her mother died and she didn't even have a sister!" he added.

"Fuushyoka is not his real mother! I am! I lost her after my brother stole her from me!" Akito felt fear, it's like her plans are failing little-by-little.

"I know how a real mother acts towards her own child! And I'm saying right now, you're not Suzuno's real mother!" Nagumo shouted.

"How dare you say that I'm not Suzuno's mother! I AM HIS MOTHER!" Akito shouted back.

"Then you should have chased your brother from stealing Suzuno!" Nagumo answered.

"He gave me a dead baby and I thought Suzuno was dead!" Akito answered back.

"Well you should have known that wasn't your baby! A mother knows when the baby's alive when she gives birth and hears the baby cry! That's the first sign that you should know that your child is alive!" Nagumo was still hugging Suzuno.

"But I didn't hear any cry! I-"

"Then, Suzuno isin't your son, he's alive. And I think that your brother and this, Fuusyoka is his real parents'." Nagumo butted in.

"But they left her! Her mother died, and her father sold her to his friend!" Akito felt she was out of lies.

"Then you shoul-"

"N-Nagumo... Please don't shout at my mother..." Suzuno stood up wiping her tears, then held her bleeding arm.

"S-Suzuno..." Nagumo looked at her.

"I've heard enough... For my mom's sake, I think I shouldn't remember my past anymore... I mean, this is the present, and that was long time ago... It doesn't matter anymore..." Suzuno looked down.

"Suzuno! Don't give up! Please! I want you to remember me! Us!" Nagumo started tearing up.

"...I'm sorry." Suzuno shed a tear and turned away. Nagumo was staring at Suzuno with shocked eyes.

"S-Suzuno-chan..." Nami whispered with few tears rolling down her eyes.

"Let's go." Akito said. "Heh, good thing Suzuno trusts me... If not, I could have been held by the police by now..." she said in her mind smirking.

"Yes, mother..." Suzuno glanced at Nagumo following Akito. They started walking home fading in the snow.

"SUZUNO!" Nagumo shouted and tears started rolling down his face looking at them fading away before his eyes. "...P-please... Tell me... This isin't the end... Suzuno... Please don't give up on us..." he whispered sadly.

As soon as they got home Nami immediately ran upstairs to her room crying.

"Nami!" Akito shouted to bring her back but Nami just locked her self in there. "...I just wanted to say sorry to her..." Akito said.

"It's okay mom... She'll get over it by tomorrow..." Suzuno was still holding her arm.

"Suzuno...?" Akito said a bit worried.

"Hm...?" Suzuno turned to Akito.

"Sorry for hurting you... I was just so mad and worried in the same time... How's your arm...?" Akito asked.

"Oh, it's okay... I know how you feel... Oh and my arm? It stopped bleeding anyway... I'll be fine." Suzuno smiled at Akito. Akito hugged Suzuno.

"I didn't really want to hurt you Suzuno... I was just scared that I might loose you..." Akito stroked her head and hair.

"Lose me...? For what?" Suzuno started to grow a little suspicious.

"I thought you might get lost! You didn't ask permission to leave the house remember?" Akito smiled.

"...Aren't you even worried about Nami?" Suzuno grew more suspicious.

"O-of course! Why wouldn't I?" Akito smiled. "God... I was thinking of Suzuno so much... I even forgot my own daughter!" Akito said in her mind. Suzuno just smiled.

"I-I better go check on Nami... Okay?" Suzuno said as she was going up the stairs.

"O-okay sweety..." Akito smiled.

Suzuno walked to Nami's room but knocked a lot of times but there was no reply, so she realized that Nami fell asleep so she went back downstairs. As Suzuno was going down, she stopped upon hearing Akito talking to herself.

"I don't know what I'll do if I loose Suzuno's trust... or even him! I'll have to stop her from meeting those kids again... Ha, ha! Yes! That'll make her stop remembering more nonsence! I won't make her remember them ever again!" Akito smirked

"Mom...? W-what are you talking about...?" Suzuno was looking at her shocked.

"S-Suzuno!" Akito walked closer to her.

"D-don't go near me...! You're a liar! Nagumo and my father was right! You're not my real mom! Fuushyoka is my real mother!" Suzuno stepped away everytime Akito went closer to her.

"Suzuno!" Akito was out of lies.

"...So if my father is your brother... Then that means... Nami isin't my sister, she's my cousin, and your my...! NO! I don't want to be related to you! You're a horrible person! I don't want to be your nephew!" Suzuno was still backing away.

"SUZUNO!" Akito grabbed her arm again.

"LET ME GO!" Suzuno struggled even if she grabbed the same arm earlier, she didn't mind the pain, she only cared about getting away from Akito's hands.

"...Suzuno, I'm sorry... I didn't want to do this, but..." Akito harshly dragged Suzuno to her room and locked him in from the inside.

"No... Let me out! LET ME OUT!" Suzuno shouted banging the door, Suzuno didn't hear any reply, so she stopped banging the door and became silent. Suzuno started crying in fear. "...Somebody... Please help me..." she whispered as he curled up on the floor shivering.

After Akito locked Suzuno in her room, she did the same with Nami, but she didn't wake her up.

"Everything's going according to the plan..." Akito smirked and walked away from the two bedrooms leaving Suzuno and Nami in them.

-End of Chapter 6-