"Did you forget already? The more you use your elemental split, the more you'll lose your memories!
"I know that, okay? It's not like it hasn't happened before. Besides, I did managed to overcome it."
Part 3: Keychain
As always, Kokotiam is busy again, as more customers start to pour in and order the famous Special Hot Chocolate courteousy of Tok Aba himself.
He wonders how come despite of the rush hour, the old man still manages to entertain lots of people with a smile while he, on the other hand, though much younger in years, is already exhausted from running around.
He also wonders about that small yellow robot who's working along side with him. (How the old man got one to assist him, in the first place, is beyond him.) If he remembers it correctly, his name is Ochobot, a Power Sphera. He's really quiet and hardly interacts with him after what happened that day when he woke up. But still, he had caught the robot staring at him a few times.
Just like what happens at that exact moment, by the way. He tries to smile back but then again the Power Sphera only ignores him. He doesn't understand that.
"Tired already, my boy?" Tok Aba asks him as the elder pours another iced choco on a small cup for Table 3. He makes a mental note about that.
"A little bit." He sighs but smiles back as he sits on a stool and places the empty tray on the counter. "I can't believe how you managed to do all of these, datuk. You must be a superhuman or something."
The old man only chuckles then proceeds to wipe the empty cups and place them on a rack. "Well, I've been doing this for as long as I can remember and I do get help from time to time." He suddenly smiles wistfully like remembering a fond memory.
"Oh, you mean your grandkid, right?" Then the young boy frowns. "What was his name again?"
CRASH!
The cup that Tok Aba was holding suddenly slips and falls to the floor, shattering into tiny pieces. He immediately goes to get the broom and dustpan and scoops the debris away. When he looks at the old man, the latter is still frozen shock which worried him while Ochobot also hovers in front of Tok Aba.
"Tok Aba, are you alright?" He asks while sweeping the debris.
"Y-Yes." The old man tries to smile but clearly he's been shaken quite a bit. "I'm sorry about that. Let me..." Tok Aba grabs the broom from him but he only shooks his head.
"It's okay, datuk. I can do this." Then turns to the Power Sphera with them. "Can you give him some water, Ochobot?"
The little guy also stops upon hearing his name from him but eventually follows his request without a word.
He can only sigh at that. He really can't understand why the robot still ignores him even at this point. As far as he can remember, he didn't do anything wrong to him... Well, maybe that's just cause he doesn't remember that much to begin with but if he's mad because of something, why can't that guy just tell it to him to directly? Is it still because of that day?
Suddenly someone taps on his shoulders, taking him back to reality. Tok Aba smiles at him knowingly then give him a comforting squeeze.
"Just give him some time. He's still taking this the hardest. Anyway, why don't you go deliver some orders for me?"
He looks at the old man and sees that despite of the warm smile, there's regret in his eyes, too. But he chooses not to bring that up again and only nods.
That's when he realizes, Tok Aba hasn't answered his question either.
The first time he opened his eyes, he was lying on a bed inside what seemed to be a teenager's room. He didn't know where he was but he could swore that the place was achingly familiar.
Suddenly, the door burst open and a group of people entered the room.
"Boboiboy!" The huge teenager wearing a green buttoned-up jacket was the first one to greet and tackled him with a hug which almost crushed him while bawling like there was tomorrow. "I-I thought my bestfriend is gone forever. Huhuhu."
"Gopal, stop that! You're killing him!" A younger teen wearing a yellow overalls scolded the older guy. But when she turned to him, she also had a worried-look on her face before scowling. "You seriously made us worried there, you idiot! Going on your own without informing us. What were you thinking?!"
He could only gape at them in confusion. Who are these people? Does he know them?
"Hey, calm down. You're also scaring him to death with your shouting." The other guy wearing a dark violet coat rolled his eyes while his arms folded.
"I did not!" The yellow girl quickly denied.
"Did too."
"Did not!"
"Did too."
"Stop it, you two!" The girl wearing a pink hijab finally intervened. "You're not helping here."
Before they could argue back, the pink girl glared at them and that made them shut up. She also turned to him and was about to say something but changed her mind. She only smiled at him warmly and asked, "A-Are you feeling better?"
He blinked. Finally, there's a more decent one among them. "Uh, yes."
"Thank goodness." She sighed in relief.
"Boboiboy..." That name again. An old man also approached him and held his hand worriedly. For some reason, the warmth coming from his hand somehow calmed him despite of his initial confusion. "If you're still tired, just rest for a while, okay, my boy? You don't have to force yourself."
"Um... Okay."
Then a yellow robot floated to his side him which surprised him. Unlike the rest, the little guy was clearly upset with him. "I warned you, didn't I? But you didn't listen to me. Now you nearly died and..." He didn't finish his sentence and suddenly hug him. "Just don't do that again, okay?"
Something stirred in him because of what he said and unconsciously he also hugged back. He didn't quite understand it but something was telling him that he should say something at the very least. "I'm sorry."
"Well, I think we should leave Boboiboy alone so he could rest. He's still recovering," the old man said and everyone agreed.
But something was bothering him ever since he woke up so he asked them. "Uh, excuse me..."
They all looked at him so he continued.
"Who is this 'Boboiboy'?"
Everyone froze.
He stares again at the list on his hand. He was supposed to deliver three cans of coco powder to the Yah's residence. And if he remembers it correctly, this is also the home of that pink girl who visited him after he regained conscious.
However, even if he's already standing outside for a while, he's still hesitating on ringing their doorbell.
Well, it can't be helped. Ever since their last visit to him, he never saw her again even at the Kokotiam, where he heard that she's a regular like Ying and Gopal, the other two who also visited him before. It's probably because of what he asked in the end.
He hardly remembers what happens afterwards though. It was all a blur. The only thing he remembers is that they all panicked and asked many questions until his head hurts so badly that he lost conscious. The next time he woke up, everyone was careful around him for the fear of him collapsing again. They told him that Boboiboy was Tok Aba's missing grandson and he just happens to look like him.
That was all he needs to know.
However, Ochobot started ignoring him ever since and Yaya never visited him again.
"You don't need to worry about it." Ying said while trying to console him when she came to Kokotiam along with Gopal one time. "Ochobot just miss him so much. So it's hard for him to look at you. He was the closest one to him after all.
"Aside from me, of course," The older boy insisted then slurped the hot cocoa he ordered. "I'm his No. 1 Best Friend, okay?"
"Yes-yes. We all know that, Gopal." Ying rolled her eyes while absentmindedly fiddling the straw of her own drink.
"Except for this guy right here." The molecule manipulator pointed at him accusingly and the only girl of the bunch couldn't help but grimaced.
He, on the other hand, didn't know how to respond to that either.
"Do you really not remember us? Even a bit?" Gopal asked desparately.
At that, his head started to throb dangerously which made him wince. He tried to recall anything but the more he delved into his forgotten memories, the more it hurt him.
Seeing his pained expression, Ying shook her head in exasperation. "Stop it, Gopal. We've talked about this. We can't force him to remember his past unless we want him to faint again."
"But—"
The Chinese girl looked at him sternly and the older boy could only sulked.
Not wanting the two to argue any further, he decided to change the topic.
"What about that other girl?" He asked worriedly.
The two teenagers looked at each other. They had this silent argument for a few seconds until it was the older teen who sighs in defeat. "Yaya probably still blames herself for it."
"Huh?"
Ying shook her head. "But it isn't her fault, you know."
"Um, what exactly happened?"
"Well, it's—"
"Boboiboy? What are you doing here?"
He blinks and realizes that a woman, who looks a lot like Yaya but much older, is now standing in front him with the front door wide open. A young boy was also staring at him curiously behind his mother.
"Um, I'm here to deliver some coco powders for you, Mrs. Yah." He says awkwardly. He's still not used to being called by that name. But it's a lot more complicated to correct them and explain so he just let it be. Even though it does strangely sound familiar.
"I was thinking on getting those at the shop myself but you greatly help me. Thank you. Here's the payment."
"Thanks, Ma'am." He says but he unconsciously searches for a familiar pink girl inside.
The woman smiles knowingly. "She's upstairs." Then turns to her younger child. "Totoitoy, go call your sister."
"Ah. No, it's okay, Mrs. Yah. I won't stay long, anyway. I still have other deliveries." He declines politely. "Um, I should get going."
The woman frowns a bit in confusion but finally smiles again. "Alright. If you say so. Thanks again, Boboiboy."
"Bye-bye," the young kid also waves at him.
He smiles back then starts to walk again towards the pathway. But he suddenly stops and stares at the Yah's residence the last time. He sighs before trudging again to the next house.
Guess, he won't be seeing her today either...
... Or maybe not.
He didn't expect to see her outside on his way home after all the deliveries.
She was carrying a basket of biscuits on her arms and was humming happily when she sees him. She immediately stops on her tracks.
It took a few more seconds before he finally smiles and greets her first. "Hey."
"Oh. H-Hi." She responds with a smile but even he can tell that it's a fake one. But he chooses to ignore that.
"It's been a while, isn't it?"
"Yes," she says softly and he immediately notices her grip on her basket tightens. "H-How are you doing?"
"Much better, I guess. I'm helping Tok Aba at his shop now."
"That's great... I'm glad." She trails then avoids eye-contact. "Um, it's really nice to see you again but I need to go home."
"Wait. Want me to help you with that?" He gestures on her basket of biscuits.
"It's okay. I can manage. I'm a lot stronger than you think, you know." She kids but then whispers. "You don't have to help me all the time."
Although he can barely hear those words, he still understands that she also meant something else.
He smiles. "You really don't have to carry all this burden by yourself, Yaya. It's okay to ask for help sometimes and it's not a sign of weakness."
She turns to him with her eyes widen.
He laughs then continues. "And I don't mind helping you because you are now my friend, too. Isn't it normal for friends to do that? Now give the basket to me."
"Will you regret it?"
"What? Of course n—"
"Will you really not?" she cuts him off as she grips on the basket's handle like her life depended on it. "Even if one day I will only become a burden to you in the end?"
He blinks when he realizes how serious she is. He knows she's not referring on the basket, anymore. He also wonders if, all this time, she thought of it that way especially towards that person. But Ying was right. It isn't her fault.
"No. I won't," he says firmly. "And even if that will happen, I will never blame you because I was the one who chose to help you in the first place. You didn't force me to do that. That's why you don't have to blame yourself anymore. I'm sure that guy will also say the same."
Tears start to form on both if her eyes and he takes that opportunity to grab the basket from her and hands her a handkerchief.
"Let's go, Yaya." He smiles then starts to walk towards the direction if her house.
After wiping her tears away, the female teenager beams back at him. "You're really the responsible one, huh?"
"What?"
"I said thank you."
"Well, you're welcome."
Then something catches his attention since it is really out place from all the biscuits inside the basket. He takes it out. "A keychain?"
Even Yaya herself is surprised to see the small black ninja trinket on his hand. "That's..."
He hands it her and she takes it absentmindedly.
"I thought I lost this."
"Where did you get it?" He asked curiously.
"When I was in Japan. It's a souvenir. I was supposed to give it to—"
He becomes confused when she suddenly paused. "To whom?"
She doesn't reply but continues to examine the keychain carefully before handing it back to him.
"Huh?"
"It's yours now."
"Wait? Didn't you just said that you want to give it to someone?"
"Yeah." She grins. "To you."
"Eh?"
"Come on."
"But—"
"Keep it or I won't see you again," she threatens but she was smiling.
"What?!"
"Seriously, just keep it. It's yours." Then she pauses for a bit. "As a 'thank-you', I guess."
"For carrying this basket?" He holds it higher to emphasize the point.
She only laughs and he notes that it really suits her more.
"For everything. And, yeah, that includes the basket."
He scratches his temple in confusion but relents. "Alright."
They continue to walk until they stop at the pedestrian lane while waiting along with other people to cross the street.
The traffic light was still glowing red when he sees him at the other side.
He freezes on the spot.
That person doesn't seem to notice him as the former continues to walk on his way albeit sleepily until he is gone among the crowd.
"Hey, are you okay?"
He finally snaps back from his trance and turns to Yaya, who's clearly worried about him.
"Y-Yeah. Just a hallucination, I guess."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Definitely," he assures her but it also sounds like he's assuring himself.
The light turns green and they also stride across the road but he still can't forget what he just saw...
...
...
...
That guy looks exactly like him.
A/N: Hello! I'm really sorry for the delay. I really had a hard time writing this even though I already know what's going to happen. Lol. I don't even know if it's great—But I hope you still enjoyed reading it. Hopefully, this will answer some of your questions? If you have one that is. XD Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. I really want to hear your thoughts and opinions so far towards the story, too. So don't hesitate to leave one, okay? :3 Anyway, sorry for ramblings. Thanks again!
PS: As for the keychain, just watch "Fly With Yaya - Ada Apa Di Asakusa?/What's In Asakusa?". :3
