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Since Akito had abandoned his feelings and left Vivid BAD SQUAD, it had become quite apparent that something about KAITO had changed. Toya had been the first to point it out, ever observant as he was. It had started out small, with the occasional zoning out or random bouts of silence.
But it quickly became evident that KAITO was getting worse by the day.
He gradually started to lose interest in his hobbies, first with cooking and raiding the fridge, followed by DJ-ing. Then music entirely. Then he began to forget the things he cared about. It started with small things, like a mug or his laptop. Then it became people, both names and faces. He would wander aimlessly through the winding alleyways of the SEKAI, seeming to search for something yet nothing all at once.
It was frankly quite troubling.
“He’s watching the door again,” An noted as she sat at the Crase Cafe counter, a worried expression on her face.
“Mm, he’s been doing that for a few hours now.” Toya gave a quick swirl to his coffee before taking a sip.
“Do you think he’s waiting for…?”
“I’m sure he is. I… I don’t think he realizes that Akito isn’t coming back.”
“Poor guy. He reminds me of a sad puppy,” An sighed, watching as a mug of coffee was set in front of her.
MEIKO began working on cooking something to keep herself busy, her hands far from steady as she prepped. “He hardly even sleeps in our bed anymore. He either falls asleep on our couch, or doesn’t sleep entirely. I’m really worried about him.”
“Hopefully he’ll go back to normal soon. It’s really creeping me out.” An rested her head in her hand, looking quite pensive.
“I don’t really know if that’s possible.” Toya set his mug on the counter. “He’s attached to Akito’s feelings. Since those disappeared, it seems like KAITO will just continue losing more of himself until those feelings are either reintroduced or he just disappears entirely.”
“Dude,” An looked at him with a disgruntled expression, “Can’t you be even the slightest bit positive here?”
“Ah, sorry.”
As the three of them were talking, they suddenly heard the cafe’s door chime, simultaneously turning to look.
KAITO was no longer sitting at the table, seemingly having walked out of the cafe.
“Should we… go after him,” An asked aloud, concern edging her voice.
MEIKO shook her head. “It’s nothing new. He’ll find his way back in a couple hours, I’m sure.”
An and Toya exchanged nervous glances before silently returning to their respective drinks.
KAITO wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for in these looming alleys. He’d found himself drawn to them lately, hoping he could figure out just what he was forgetting. But all he would get from it was the looming feeling of the brick walls closing in on him.
As he meandered his way through the winding streets and alleys, he attempted to wrack his brain once more, trying to get even a sliver of a memory. But all he could conjure to his mind was emptiness, a ghost of a feeling.
KAITO huffed, kicking a pebble out of frustration. For some time now, the pavement had been deteriorating, cracks and potholes forming where there had been none before, making the ground uneven and jagged to walk on. He didn’t pay it much though, as he felt it wasn’t really of his concern.
He stopped in place, sighing before turning to make his way back to the cafe. But before he could continue, he saw a blur of familiar color out of the corner of his eye.
A familiar bright orange.
He jerked his head around, seeing it just disappear around the corner. Before he could even process what he was seeing, he felt his body moving, beginning to chase after whatever had darted around the corner. He made the turn, spotting that color right as it turned another corner, vanishing from his line of sight.
“Wait, hold on,” he loudly called to it, continuing to chase it.
Whatever this color was, it had to be connected to what he was missing. He was sure of it. But as he continued running, following it through corridors and alleys, he felt no closer to it, always seeing it duck just out of sight, leading him on an endless chase.
“Wait, please! Don’t leave me,” KAITO yelled as he ran faster, trying so desperately to catch up to it. “I need to remember you! Please!”
Faster and faster, it felt completely never-ending no matter how close he felt or how many corners he turned. He was in a full on sprint now, desperate to catch up to that color.
“Slow down! I need to remember! Please don’t leave me! Aki-“
KAITO felt his foot catch on the pavement, sending him sprawling to the ground, just about eating the concrete as he hit the ground. He laid there, completely spent, watching the last of that orange fade from sight.
He wasn’t sure how long he laid there for, but he soon felt hands on him, pulling him to his feet and supporting him to keep him standing.
“Deep breaths, KAITO. It’s just me. It’s Luka. You’re safe now,” he heard a woman’s voice say.
The rest of the evening was a blur, being fussed over and patched up by various people. At some point, he ended up back in his apartment. He hadn’t even realized MEIKO had been talking to him until she tried to get his attention.
“Are you sleeping in bed tonight, honey,” she asked him again, just as she did every night.
KAITO didn’t answer her, turning away and staring out the window, watching as the dusk turned to twilight. MEIKO sighed, grabbing a blanket and gently placing it around his shoulders.
Just as she did every night.
She turned away, beginning to walk away towards her room. She stopped when she heard KAITO speak.
“Do… you think I’ll be able to remember what I forgot…?” His voice was hollow, empty, lacking all emotion.
She turned back around, just watching him for a moment. “I… I don’t know, sweetheart. I hope so. I really do.” She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep herself from bursting into tears.
He slowly turned away from the window, now meeting her eyes with his own tired ones. “Do you… know what I’ve forgotten?”
She pondered her options, trying to decide if it would be more harmful to tell him. But instead, she shook her head. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
KAITO didn’t say anything, just turned back to the window. MEIKO sighed, going back to her room, shutting the door for the night.
The blaring morning alarm woke MEIKO bright and early, which she silenced in a matter of seconds. She rested her eyes for a few more minutes before deciding to get up, yawning as she donned some slippers. She then left her room, going to use the bathroom before making her way to the kitchen.
She started making some coffee, grabbing some beans from a cabinet to grind for a fresh cup.
“KAITO, honey, do you want some coffee,” she called out, waiting for an answer.
On a regular day, it would’ve taken him a minute or so to respond to her. But after five minutes of silence, she grew concerned, walking away from her tools and into the living room.
“KAITO, honey, it’s time to wake up-“ she stopped in her tracks, frozen at the scene before her.
The couch was completely empty, save for the blanket she had put on his shoulders the night before. It was as if he had just up and left, not a trace of him remaining.
But this time, it seemed like he wasn’t ever coming back.