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"Master, please, behave!" I shouted. I made Shintaro turn the speakers on his phone on, so now, everybody could hear me clearly and not just him, that cheapskate.
"I-It's not my fault at all! I already told you!" he shouted back, frowning. Kano was laughing so hard that Kido came out of nowhere, as she usually does, and hit him with all her might, though, he didn't shut up anyway.
I giggled to myself.
It was a peaceful day, that one I always enjoyed, being accompanied by others from Mekakushi Dan. I'm not saying living with Shintaro was bad, but hey, not many funny happen with angry, anxious shut-in, right?
But everything has to end, and so, my good mood was ruined by a simple "Good morning, everyone,".
"Ah, morning Konoha!"
I shivered.
I didn't get used to it.
And I didn't think I ever would.
I still remember the first time I met him - like, met him in this "next life" or whatever would you call it.
"Hey guys, listen! This is Konoha, the new member! Greet him properly!" Kano said with his usual carefree tone.
"You're not the one to talk about proper greeting, Kano," Kido growled.
"Heeh~ You're so mean! I'm a gentleman, of course, so I obviously-" he pouted, but Kido smacked him.
"Just shut up, will you?" she sighed and forcefully closed his mouth with her palm when he started opening it again.
Konoha...
That name sounded familiar... way too familiar.
But it didn't actually have to mean anything, right? Maybe it was just coincidence.
Yes, that's it, definitely.
But then I looked at the new member... and I knew that it wasn't.
Because what kind of sick coincidence would this be?
He looked exactly like I remembered it. The game. Headphone Actor. Noone else could look like this, noone else could look like one of his drawings...
Haruka's drawings.
That name still hurt too much to even think of.
I have to say, I wasn't that surprised: rather, I was relieved.
I saw it. I saw him die.
But then again, I died as well, didn't I? And here I am.
So I was aware that it certainly wasn't impossible for him to come to life again.
I looked closer at him. He was tall, even taller than I remembered him, and seemed somehow overall... bigger?
He seemed... healthier.
So did he achieved it?
Did he got the body he always wanted, the strong and healthy one?
I was happy. I was so happy.
"Ha...Haruka," I whispered.
"Huh? Did you say something, Ene?" Shintaro asked as he raised his eyebrow.
"Could you... could you please hand me over to that new member? I-I would like to greet him..." I managed to say, my voice trembling.
"Oh yeah, sure," he nodded and did as I said.
It seemed so unrealistic when I settled in his hand, so small yet he so big. I would never thought something like that could even happen back in our highschol years.
How long has it been already since all this started? Two years? Thee? I couldn't remember.
But it didn't matter at the moment. Nothing of it has mattered.
Because it was Haruka. And maybe I will be finally given a chance to tell him, I thought.
"Um, he-hello... Do-do you recognize me? I know it may seem a bit weird, but oh well, I'm actually Enomoto Takane..." I took a deep breath. "...Haruka, right?"
I said it loud enough for only him to hear, but the others weren't paying attention anyway, because Marry tripped over her own feet again and while they were helping her, they also tried to hold Kido back so she wouldn't actually kill Kano who was lying on the ground laughing hysterically.
"Oh," said the "Konoha" guy after a while. "I'm sorry, but I... I don't recognize you."
Crack.
I felt my heart split in two at that moment.
I just stared at him, speechless.
No. I couldn't be mistaken. Noone could ever look like this.
"The truth is," he continues with an absent expression and emotionless voice I couldn't imagine Haruka would ever have, "I think.. that I have amnesia, since... since there are lots of things I can't remember. I don't recall the name you just called me. Sorry."
I couldn't believe it.
I felt every inch of my virtual body hurt - something I didn't think was even possible.
"A-ah, yeah," I stuttered and forced a smile on my face. "My bad. Maybe I have mistaken you with someone after all."
I didn't.
"Anyway, let's get on well from now on! I'm the sixth member, Ene!"
Lies. None of this is true.
"Oh, yeah, me too. I'm Konoha."
Oh my god.
"Could you please hand me back to my master? You know, that one who looks like loser..."
"Ene for god's sake will you ever stop!"
I giggled. Bur when I was back in Shintaro's hand, I had to turn the screen off so he wouldn't see the tears that started falling down my face.
It has already been a week since Konoha joined the Dan, and it has been hell for me ever since. I tried not to show it, of course, but I wasn't sure how successful I was. But I tried my best.
Still... it hurt so much.
He doesn't remember.
I was so happy to find him again... but I lost him at the very same moment.
You could hope for his memory to come back, but how sure could I be?
Also, there still was the possibility of him being a totally different person. I couldn't let left of that thought; was I actually going mad?
Whoever that person was, he reminded me of Haruka. Something I thought I coped with already. But now, it was all back. All the pain.
But it's not like I can do anything about it, right?
I miss him so much.
"Good morning, Konoha-kun!" I smiled forcefully and held back the tears I wanted to shed so much.