章 97: Worth Remembering
It's the next day, and Arata doesn't feel any closer to achieving his goal. Everything about this seems like an impossible situation for him, while sitting in class. However, what's been bothering him more, is definitely the secret those girls were keeping from him. What was it, that they didn't want him to know?
"I see things haven't gotten better yet." Yogi commented on his friend's stressed out face.
"You could say that." He replied. "Say, could you tell me why I started spending time with you guys?"
"Spending time?" Yogi thought about when it all began. "I don't know why you did it, now that I think about it. I just remember that you apparently became friends with Erina, and that was that."
"Really." So she was the first apparently. What did that girl want to do with him?
"I was glad too." Yogi continued. Surely, Arata assumed that it was because of the fact that it allowed the him to start handing with Yogi as he always wanted. "At least then, I thought it was because she moved on."
"Moved on?"
"You see, the truth is that she confessed to him, shortly before you met her." That was definitely news for Arata, at least the one that was sitting right here. "I had thought that maybe you two were-"
"Wait you rejected her?" He cut him off, shocked about the apparent decision. Arata also didn't want to hear the ending of that sentence. It made him feel a little self-conscious from the thought.
"Well, I don't have any feelings for her, so that's why." It didn't make him feel any better about his choice. He assumed that they'd be able to continue on as friends, which they did. But soon enough, Erina made it apparently clear that she was still pursuing him. Though he noticed that happening less and less as time went by.
"I see…" What was his relationship with that girl? Was it… That close? His phone vibrated in his pants, knocking him back to reality. It was that online friend again.
"I hope you are doing well." It read. As much as he'd like to reply, he didn't want to during class like this. However, seeing this message also reminded him of another problem he had about his relationship with this group.
"Hey, there's something that's been bothering me." He spoke up again. "So, I'm friends with all of you, right?"
"Well yeah, that's what we've been telling you."
"Then, how come I don't have your cousin's, I mean, Yuki's contact?" That was a good question indeed. Or at least, it would've been if he didn't already have her contact information. "I've checked, and I have everyone's but hers."
"But you already do." Yogi knew the truth. He always thought of it as a funny story.
"I do?" He looked at her, where she immediately recoiled. Arata found that hard to believe. That girl didn't even call him by his first name. "But, why do you call me Kashimura then?"
"Uh, uh…" Her eyes shifted back and forth. Yuki didn't want to lose the illusion that she had been hanging onto the last couple of days. Now she was regretted sending that message to him now. All she wanted was to try and start another conversation to get his mind of things.
"Well, for some reason. She doesn't like your name."
"Yogi, don't say it like that." She pleaded with her cousin. He wasn't meaning anything bad by it, but it was making her look bad. "I mean, I guess you're right. We don't have each other's contact." Yuki had to come up with a plan here.
"Huh? But aren't you-"
"I said, we don't have each other's contact…" She said again in gritted teeth, trying to get Yogi to understand her message. "Anyway, Kashi… I mean, Arata. We could trade contacts if you'd like."
"I mean, if you don't like me. You don't have to force yourself." He said. Since he didn't have any memories of her, it didn't really hurt him that much if that's how she felt about him. Though it would've been nice to know what he apparently did to feel that way. She turned to look at the window in shame. This interaction could've went a lot better.
The day went by as usual. Well, at least as usual since Arata lost his memories. That would be him spending time somewhat alone in the library with the library committee. Though during lunch, he noted that Yurime was not present. That was because of the little scheme she was working on.
"So, did you bring the pictures?" She asked Erina. The two of them were standing by the big oak tree behind the school. This meeting was heard here to maintain some level of privacy.
"Of course I did." Erina smiled, holding up an envelope with his name on it, that held all the pictures that included Arata she had taken in the last six months.
"Nice." She took a quick look at the set of photos that were brought. It was all of the images that covered the fun times Arata had with his friends. "Huh, he really looks different in some of them." The pictures that the newspaper had published with him in it had the same effect.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he doesn't really look that happy in some of these." A comparison that she made was the difference between his May dance picture versus the play. That there was a level of discomfort in the first one versus the second.
"I guess you're right." Now that Erina was taking a closer look. The other girl was right.
"Well, it doesn't really matter." Yurime returned the images. She figured that this would be perfect, regardless of the contents anyway. "I'll just sneak this into his locker, and he'll come for sure." She held up a note to tell him to come to your class alone.
"I hope he does." She was confident in that note working, since he seemed to be the type to respond to them given the other times she did so.
"Great, I'll see you later then." Yurime walked out of the room in glee. She had high hopes of her plan working.
So that was that, leaving Erina with the anticipation for the rest of the day. She was getting herself hyped for the moment, but it was a surprise when she ran into Arata during their second break.
"Oh, um, hello." He said to her awkwardly.
"Arata, I didn't think I'd see you here." She smiled, this was hopefully going to be the last time that he would look at her like he hardly knew her. "Funny running into you."
"Actually, I wanted to talk with you." He said. For a second, Erina smile turned into a frown of concern. Was he going to ask about earlier? "I talked with Yogi about my sudden socialization. Apparently I have you to thank for that?" It sounded like he was approaching that topic again. Erina twirled her hair nervously, expecting the worst.
"I did." She replied. "Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." He laughed, scratching the back of his head. Arata was aware that she didn't want him to know the specifics. Yet at the same time, when Yogi mentioned her moving on from being rejected. It made him feel something that he never thought he could feel from someone. "I just wanted to say that, I'm glad that I made you feel better back then. And, I guess if I really wanted to thank someone for everything, it should be you."
It was still weird to him to be with people that he hardly knew calling him a friend. At one point, being a loner, this was an inconvenience to him. But… Hearing the things that Yogi said, that she said. It sounded like the Arata of the last six months had a lot of fun.
"And, well… I also wanted to say I'm sorry." He also apologized. "I'm sure that you were all upset when I forgot about you, and the way I acted was wrong."
"You don't have to apologize…" Erina knew it wasn't his fault. None of what happened to him lately was within his control.
"No really, I think I should." He insisted. "If what Yogi said was true, which I'm sure it is, then you were my first friend." He took her hand, making a vow. "So I just want to let you know that I'm happy that you took me out of my shell. I never thought how nice it was to have people that care about me." To him, no matter how they met. He was certain that throwing away whatever relationships he had these past months, was the wrong move. Even if he never regained his memories, he would at least try and live this unknown life.
Erina was speechless from hearing his statement. She couldn't respond, nor did she have any time to reply to what he said. Break time was over, just a little bit of class left and the end of school arrived.
But what he said never left her mind, not even for a moment. Because… She knew the reason for the beginning of their relationship. He made it sound like it was so pure in intention, when the truth was she was just using him. That the only reason it was him, was because of where he sat.
Erina was all alone in her classroom. It was only be a matter of time before he arrived, but Yurime should come before him. Except now, the anticipation she had earlier was replaced with dread. And not because she didn't think this plan was going to work.
These pictures in her hands. She looked through each and every one of them. Twice even. It was as Yurime noted, he was definitely faking a smile in the early ones. Pretending to be happy, while the people watching had no clue what he was going through.
If he knew what truly happened, she believed he wouldn't be saying the same thing. That the last six months for him were probably filled with a lot of suffering. That if he wasn't being blackmailed, he wouldn't have had to go though such bad things for her selfish demands.
These pictures, the memories they held within. Were they even real? Sure they happened, sure people remember them fondly. But, did they hold any meaning? Or were they just like his smile then. False memories within these photographs.
A tear drop fell as she saw the picture of them on that mountain. The one when they were with Hine and the rest of the elderly. The two of them, side-by-side. Smiling.
"Why… Why do you look so happy?" She broke down, tears began to stream down her cheecks. "You were… I was still…" She couldn't finish her thought. No longer able to handle these pictures, she got up and went for the door.
"Hey, are you… Hey! Where are you going?" At the same moment, Yurime had arrived, but she greeted with this unruly sight.
"We're not doing it." Was the only answer Erina gave her, forcing the girl to follow. "Not anymore."
"What do you mean we're not doing it?" Yurime thought it was a bad time to get cold feet now. "We can't just back out now."
"What's the point?" Erina countered. "The only reason he did those things was because of me. Because I was blackmailing him." Even when she stopped blackmailing him, what good was it anymore. Even things that happened to him, her actions were partially to blame.
"…" Yurime could only grit her teeth in response. What was there for her to say? It wasn't like she didn't do that same as this girl in front of her. "So what? Are we just supposed to let him never remember anything?"
"It… Might be better that way." Erina conceded. "Because, he should live the life he wanted, not the one that I pushed on him." That was the last thing she said, before turning away and walking out.
Yurime didn't attempt to stop her. She had the same thoughts as the girl. Wondering if perhaps Arata's life might have been better without their interference.
"Hello, I…" Arata walked into the now empty classroom. Its silence cut him off. Odd, since he was certain that Erina wanted to see him, then something caught his eye. "What's this?"
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