Chapter 162 (2/2)

「Yuuto…」

「Uuuuh… Thank god. Really, thank god.」

「Aah, Uuh, …O Yuuto, to start crying, how pathetic of you. We shall bestow another chance on you.」

「KaAiitoOoo?!」

「Ah, Wa, Give up, I give up!! A jo, it’s a joke.」

Yuuto got seriously angry and I ended up tapping on his hand that was grabbing around my neck until he finally released the hold.

「Phew, finally released. Actually, Yuuto, why are you here? What about the school?」

「This morning I received a message from Mai-chan, saying that you regained consciousness. So I just skipped half of the classes.」

「Mmm? Message from Mai? …Tell me Yuuto, I highly doubt it but could it be that while I wasn’t there, you sank your poisonous fangs into Mai as well? Her big brother would not mind some carnage, do you want to die?」

「Yea, that’s the part you would bite into. Your sister complex clearly worsened, or rather, are you getting defiant?」

「Yea, shut up.」

Considering the events from yesterday, I was aware of it but did not want others to poke there.

「Relax, the only one with whom I am gonna enter into such a relationship in my life is Shiori. I won’t do anything to Mai. You know, right? I am madly in love with my sweetheart.」

「Yuuto… Eerr…」

His laughing face as if he made a joke for some reason gave me a stiff and heavy impression.

I can guess the reason.

「Aah, I see, you already know who has disappeared.」

「Shiori-san is still missing as well…」

Yuuto’s lover was a lovely person from one grade above.

They knew each other even before we became acquainted and were childhood friends. In middle school, Yuuto decided to confess to her and turned to us for help. So Suehiko, Kenta and I provided him with various forms of assistance.

In truth, we had a secret alliance with Shiori-san that little sister loved so much.

And her name was on the list I saw yesterday.

「Say, Kaito, I heard from Mai-chan that you have no memory about that time you were missing. But how much do you remember about that day?」

「By that day, you mean when disappearance incident occurred?」

「Yes, that day.」

「That day I remember until the point where we were talking dumb stuff with Kenta and Suehiko. We also were making bets on how many minutes will it take you to return from upperclassman’s floor.」

「…Haha, that’s what the three of you were doing then.」

With a nostalgizing face, Yuuto closed his eyes.

「What about what happened after that?」

「…No, I heard the story, but to be honest my memory gets hazy from there.」

「Is that… So… I still remember it clearly. Suddenly it was shining and then Shiori-san was locked inside the magic circle, her face with eyes wide open from surprise was rapidly turning into particles.」

Yuuto’s voice was monotone, I guess the way he talked, suppressing himself, showed the difference between us created by this one year.

「Sorry, Kaito. I understand that it is a cruel thing to ask. When I rushed in here for the first time, you were all tattered and with bandages all over you, I understand that you had to go through something terrible enough to lose memories but…」

With a face like he was embarrassed by himself, Yuuto lowered his head.

「Please, I want you to remember about the time you were missing. Though it might be painful for Kaito, I want something that would allow to get to Suehiko, Kenta, and Shiori, no matter how small that might be.」

「…It’s fine. Even if you didn’t ask me, there is no way I would be content with the current situation. Such a bomb should just be exploded as fast as possible.」

「Kaito… Sorry.」

「Like I said, don’t be… Even so, It’s regrettable but it’s going to take some more time though.」

Of course, I was also thinking about getting back those missing memories.

I had plenty of time alone to sort out my thoughts.

But no matter how hard I try to remember, no matter how long I follow that guiding thread into the darkness, it all ends in nothing.

「I tried to recall something many times, but I can’t remember anything no matter what. Sorry.」

「I… See… No, I should be sorry, I was too hasty. It’s not like things are so simple that you can recall it just by wishing hard enough.」

I felt a little wave of guilt washed over me while looking at Yuuto that was shaking his head.

Because I had a bit of reluctance about recovering missing memories.

It is not a lie that I tried to recall something.

And as I saw the depths of the dark void, I was scared of what was surging in there.

If I try to haul something out of there, I might get pulled into the darkness myself instead.

『Next is the featured news. Today, we invited a criminal psychologist, doctor Kuroi.』

A TV echoed in the hospital room as if it were trying to fill an awkward silence.

The TV screen was showing a newscaster that I never saw before and an old man with a balding head.

Looks like the soap opera that I was watching ended without me realizing.

I reached for a remote to change the channel and then stopped.

『Now, this month another incident took place, presumably a group known as『Transference Applicants』was behind it.』

「…Transference Applicants?」

For some reason, those words created a lump of uneasiness in my heart.