Author's Note: Hope you guys liked my Chapter Seven. I hope you like this chapter as well. Thank you, thank you for all your reviews – quite busy to send you all PMs to say thanks for the reviews so just thanks! You know who you are! Reviews are extremely helpful to me!! Arigatou!

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Chapter Eight: Painful Memories

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Natsume's POV

That night, I couldn't sleep. Memories of that disgusting kiss she gave me lingered. I tossed and turned, I remembered that she stared blankly into my eyes – not seeing anything at all, then she closed them, revealing long eyelashes and then took me by the shoulders and kissed me. Chocolate lip gloss… I hate chocolate. That was one memory I didn't want to remember. But if it was so sickening, I should've pulled back – and I didn't. I don't know why.

I opened my eyes, dawn was breaking. I could see the sun peeking behind the tall buildings of Tokyo, painting the sky with periwinkle and a few touches of pink. I checked my alarm clock, it read six ten.

I stood up and looked out the window, people were walking on the sidewalks – getting on taxi cabs, passing the pedestrian lane… I opened my drawer of clothes and threw in a t-shirt. I got kinda hungry, I went to the refrigerator. It was stocked with beer and cola, I gagged at the thought of drinking it again. Somehow, my cravings for beer and cola were disappearing. I remembered that my dad stock noodles in the cupboard before, so I went to check.

There were no noodles, but I found a shoebox. There was a paper that was taped to the top and it said: NATSUME'S MEMORIES. I don't remember getting this shoebox, or even labeling it. I took it out and opened it.

In it were plenty of photographs, there were photographs of me playing soccer…me in my first trick-or-treat…hey…there was a picture of me and this brown-haired girl. We looked about eight years old…the girl had brown eyes. We were riding on a merry-go-round… I emptied the shoebox. There were more photographs of her and me. I didn't know this girl. This was the first time I've ever seen her. Cousin, probably? I doubt it.

There were more and more photographs coming out of the shoebox. There was a photograph of her and me playing in the beach, we looked about five years old in that picture. There was a black and white picture of me and her swinging in what looked like to be a park. There were different photographs, I was getting confused. I was getting a headache.

There was a small yellow envelope that fell out with the photographs. I opened it, the letter inside it was crumpled and soft. It said:

Dear Natsume,

I'm going to miss you a lot. You've been my bestest friend forever. I'm going to treasure our memories for the rest of my life. Even though you're far away in Tokyo, I'm going to be here. I'm going to be waiting for you. Do not forget me Natsume. I love you.

The name of the person who wrote it was blurred with smudged ink. Who wrote this letter? I felt sad and angry, I checked the back of the photographs – it just showed the date and where the picture was taken…and then…there was a picture…it was written in red ink…it had my dad's handwriting in it. It said….

NATSUME

AND

MIKAN

I tore the photograph in to two. What the hell was going on? Tears streamed down my eyes. Why was I so angry? I don't remember knowing Mikan when we were small. I tore the rest of the photographs apart. My eyes were blurred with tears when I ripped something that wasn't a photograph. It was a newspaper clipping.

I wiped away my tears of anger…and regret and read the newspaper clipping. It was a clipping from 3 years ago, February 6.

A seventeen year old girl, identified as Mikan Sakura was hit by a speeding truck. The driver was identified to be seven teen year old Natsume Hyuuga. Bottles of beer were found in the vehicle that was rammed into a wall. Mikan and Natsume are now in the Tokyo General Hospital. The two were reportedly suffering from amnesia due to the accident…

I tore the newspaper into a million pieces. I ran over Mikan! I destroyed her memories! I smashed the shoebox with my hand and threw it out the window. Damn this box! Damn these photographs! Damn that newspaper!! Go to hell, Natsume!! GO TO HELL!!

"Natsume?" Mikan said, coming out of Hikari's room. "Is everything okay? I heard someone crying…was it you?"

"NO!! AND GET OUT OF THIS APARTMENT BEFORE I HURT YOU AGAIN!!!" I yelled back.

"What are you talking about?"

I took her by the wrist and pushed her out of the door. "Natsume?!? What's the meaning of this?!?!? You know I have no place to go to!! Natsume?!?!!"

"GO AWAY BEFORE I HURT YOU!!!"

"Natsume!! Are you on drugs or something??"

I didn't reply. I kicked the photographs and sighed.

I already hurt you once.

I already killed your memories once

I already loved you once.

I don't want that to happen again.

I sighed. The headache was getting stronger and stronger.

Yes.

I could feel it.

The memories were…

Returning.

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END OF CHAPTER EIGHT