A/N: After this chapter…you'll be satisfied. PLZ ENJOY ;3
Yoshiki can…take memories.
*SLAM!*
With my thoughts ringing loudly in my head, I ran out of Sachiko's room and shut the door behind me, looking for Yoshiki.
«Yoshiki! Wait!» I yelled when I saw him running out of the estate. I didn't even bother to put on a pair of shoes as I followed him outside. He was fast and I couldn't really keep up with him, but I didn't loose sight of him.
…
I don't know for how far we both ran. Apparently, we were by a meadow with several trees, lit up by the full moon. I could clearly hear his panting, even though I was several meters behind him. He was exhausted after running, so he stopped for a minute to catch his breath. Finally!
«Y…Yoshiki…!» I yelled, really exhausted myself. He turned around, his eyes filled with despair and frustration. «Yoshiki…» I whispered, getting closer to him, trying to grab his arm. «DON'T!» he yelled and shook me off him. I jumped in surprise and quietly looked at him as he roughly ran his hand through his hair.
N-Now… I don't know if I should ask him right away… He looks so angry that I now know that… «Can…Can I ask you something?» I quietly asked him, as calmly as I could. His silence kinda told me that he allowed me to, so I took a deep breath and asked:
«Yoshiki, did you…take my memories…?»
He sighed and turned his face to the moon. His saddened eyes were lit up by the moonlight as he whispered: «Ever since that day… I thought that I would be able to let us both…start over again. Not getting too close and not trying to treat you nicely so that…the same thing wouldn't happen again…»
«H-Huh…?» I mumbled questiongly, trying to face him. «Ayumi… Firstly, I want to tell you that Sachiko wasn't lying,» he said, very straight-forwardly. «So… You did take my memories…?!» I asked, shocked. He shut his eyes tightly and said: «I did it to protect you.»
My breath hitched and I had to cover my mouth as the truth I feared was confirmed by the person…I didn't want to hear it from. «N-No way….! Yoshiki, this can't be true… !» I stuttered out. He groaned and said: «See? This is what I feared.» But…! Did Morishige and Satoshi know this?! Then why did they treat me like a stranger?! Because…Oh….
«Ayumi…» Yoshiki put his hands in his pockets and asked: «I have to tell you, I guess. You may think that you know everything just by hearing what my power is. Well, you don't. I know that all this is «new» to you, but please let me tell you.» My heart was pounding and my entire body was shaking… Yet, I want to know why he did that…so badly. «Then…Please,» I begged him. He nodded, but didn't face me as he said:
«Me, Sakutaro and Satoshi were all 3 years old when Sachiko for the 4th time found a lone child by the porch to her estate. But that time…was different. It was a girl, around 2 years old we assumed, who was left alone, only a note accompanying her. Apparently, her parents were travelling and they decided to just drop you off by a big house, leaving a note telling this and just saying your name. To this day, it still disgusts me…»
«And that girl… was me…?» I asked, gradually catching up. He nodded and chuckled as he continued:
«You were different from us. Not just because you were a girl, but Sachiko didn't grant you any powers. She didn't want someone as fragile looking as you to be mixed up in all that. Yet, she still shared our secret with you, only fascinating you. Since we barely had gone outside the estate you were…new to us. You eyes were big and blue while your hair was so long… Ever since you started living with us, I immediately felt captivated by you. You were insecure, kind and…so pure. You didn't talk much, but I got to know you pretty quickly. I thought it was weird… Just by living with us, my life got so much brighter…»
He was smiling and even blushing a bit as he asked me: «Do you remember your childhood…? When you used to play by these autumn trees…?» He went closer to me while messing around his pocket. «Huh? How do you know that I-….» I couldn't finish my sentence before he took out his hand and showed me…a ring.
Don't tell me that Yoshiki is….
«You're the…child…!» I gasped out while looking at the ring. He cocked his head to the side and asked: «The child… So, you saw me as a child in your memories?» «N-No, only in the first memory I got back… But since I didn't know your name, I just named you «the child,» I explained. «I see…» he mumbled, putting his ring back to his pocket.
Wait… If Yoshiki was the child in my memories…that means…
«Yoshiki… Did we have a relationship?!» I asked, shocked at the realization. Yoshiki shut his eyes and ran his hand through his hair again, even more frustrated. He didn't directly answer me, but he continued telling:
«You grew up Ayumi… All that child-like innocence turned into the honest beauty and sensuality of a young woman. The way you looked at me… You became like a demon who taunted me every time I thought about how much you had changed. And I suppose you…have memories about how that ended…?»
«You…You eventually confessed to me?» I asked, remembering how Yoshiki had confessed to me on the rooftop. He nodded and muttered sadly: «I was sure that you would get some memories back eventually, so I made sure that you wouldn't see my face… But I didn't want that. I mean…what's the point of a precious memory when you can't even see why it was so precious…?»
«But why…Why did you take my memories?!» I yelled, almost terrified. I had gotten most of the answers, but I still didn't understand why he would do that! He thickly swallowed and said, pain ringing in his voice:
«Sachiko started noticing that we… were a bit close. However, she didn't mind, since she believed that we would stay here even though we were lovers. But… after a few years, I made that huge mistake….»
«Which was…?» I asked. He gritted his teeth and hissed out: «I proposed to you.»
«Oh…» I breathed out. He nodded and continued:
«I didn't expect that Sachiko would let us move out, but I was sure that she would allow us to marry at least! Yet…! She did all that to you with such evilness in her eyes…»
«W-What did she do…?» I asked. He shook his head and said: «You don't wanna know… I had to stand there and just watch as you had to suffer from the consequences of me wanting us to marry…» «Y-Yoshiki…» I whispered. He sighed and said:
«I didn't give a shit about my own feelings. If my feelings for you would only hurt you, I would just put them to the grave. I told everyone including you that it would be better if I just erased your memory. That we would start over again, from the time we found you by that porch and got to know you. But this time, I would try to avoid getting too close to you. So we did, and I promised that we would «find you» three days after I took your memories, so that I would get over you during that time. But your mind was strong, so you woke up only 7 hours later. I was not prepared for it, which ended in me not welcoming you when I came home that day…»
I was sure that my brain would pound itself out of my skull at that point. So that's why Satoshi was fidgeting when I entered the mansion! So that's what they meant by that he had been through hell! I kept going on a tour in my mind, finally discovering every small clue they revealed. So… It was Yoshiki's voice who apologized to me when I woke up…I looked at his face from the side, admiring how earnest he seemed just now.
He finally faced me and reached out his shaking hand to touch my cheek. His eyes were warm, warmer than I've ever seen them, even though they were filled with tears… I looked up at him and stared into them. I can't believe I've been so ignorant. I know that I couldn't help it because I couldn't remember anything, but I feel guilty that Yoshiki had to do all that…just to keep me safe.
«The truth is… I've always loved you, Ayumi. I'm so sorry that I pained you so much that time, just because I didn't want to lose you,» he whimpered out, stroking my cheek. «Yoshiki… Is that why you kissed me that evening…?» I whispered. He covered his mouth shyly and muttered: «I thought you would just let that pass… I just missed that feeling. Plus, that was the same place we had our first kiss…» I giggled at his flustered figure and went closer to him. Now… I know what I want. I grabbed Yoshiki's hand and begged him: «Please…give me back my memories…!»
He knitted his eyebrows together and sighed before muttering: «Sachiko will notice… And your memories are very painful, Ayumi.» «I know, but…» I looked up at him earnestly and said: «I just want to remember you, Yoshiki. Remember us. I want to remember what you meant to me and all those moments we shared together.» «Ayumi…» He cupped both of my cheeks and whispered lovingly: «Try to keep it hidden for Sachiko.»
That was the last thing he said, before the overflow of emotions almost made my mind stop working.
…
All of these moments…
All the pain…
All of the times where Yoshiki imprinted his love into me…
…They filled my mind and made me believe that all of those were real memories… All of this has happened to me before.
But it wasn't that that made me tear up in joy.
Those memories with the child… The child's face was now crystal clear before me… It was Yoshiki Kishinuma.
My heart immediately started beating fiercly as the affection I had for the child once again returned, making me love him even more. «Yoshiki…I…I…» Overjoyed, I ran into Yoshiki's arms.
«I remember your face!»
«Ayumi…!» he whispered out, burying his face in my neck. Even though those painful memories of being hurt by Sachiko was remembered as well… They were nothing compared to my memory of just how much Yoshiki meant to me. Now, as I know… I don't want to be seperated from him…Not a second.
«It'll be hard to keep this away from Sachiko…right…?» I asked. «Yeah… But I trust both Sakutaro and Satoshi, so…» he mumbled, taking in my scent. We just stood there embracing each other, as if once again sharing our feelings to one another.
I should've thought about some of the other memories… And I would, if Yoshiki wasn't here with me. At that moment, nothing else mattered. I just wanted to be wrapped in his arms…
I know… I have once again fallen for Yoshiki, my bodyguard.
A/N: Dem twists doe. Hope you enjoyed this chapter though! Once again, please review and fav and follow and stuff and I'll see ya next time! UNTIL THEN ;3
