Challenge Wide-Warning: Possibility of boy love, adult concepts, adult language, A/U, A/R, etc.
Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You other than the actual item to play the game.
For this chapter: Canon, a couple weeks after the Game
11. Memory
"But Neku, I thought you couldn't afford to lose."
Joshua's voice echoed in the reaches of his mind, distracting him from homework. It was so stupid, he knew it happened, and he was over it. Way over it.
"It was me, I'm the Composer."
Every time his mind replayed his memories of the game, Neku wanted to cry. Again and again. The betrayal hurt no matter how much time had been since then. Maybe a year, or two… Who was he kidding? Neku was able to tell the exact day and time since he was given back his life and yet his friends, the ones he struggled through the game with (all but one) didn't remember. They'd talk about how they met at Hachiko, but they couldn't remember why they met there.
Walking past Ramen Don made Neku hallucinate, made him believe he was seeing Joshua, sitting inside eating his shoyu ramen and making obscene noises. He avoided walking anywhere near Dogenzaka or A-East if he could. Sometimes he couldn't avoid it, not without being a total jerk about it, so he always had his gaze averted. Focused on something else, like Mr. Mew or his mp3 player or would attempt to steal Beat's hat and run with it, if only to get away quicker.
It was torture, it was bittersweet, it was one of the happiest moments of his life. Or unlife.
Trust your partner.
It was nothing more than a memory now, and nothing could change that.