Crimson & Clover

In Bloom

Josuke couldn't believe the words that had fallen from Rohan's mouth.

"I'm going to erase your memories of ever starting this affair with her in the first place."

The lump in Josuke's throat felt like stone as he gulped it down. Josuke looked down at Yukako's sleeping face, beautiful even when encapsulated in paper. Her features have translated into delicate origami which urged him to be brave. "Rohan," he coughed out. "You've gotta think this over," Josuke took a breath before staring him down. "You can't—you can't just do that—erase our memories, I mean."

"Why not?" Rohan remained unmoved as Josuke met his sharp eyes. "If being your friend and her boyfriend makes Koichi happy then I'm willing to do what it takes to protect that."

He's fucking lost it... Josuke sighed.

It was as if Rohan was holding Josuke at gunpoint. Any sudden moves, any wrong words and...

BANG!

He and the other hostages are shot dead by the rogue artist. But rather than die, his memories are stolen. The girl he loves is ripped away from him with neither of them even knowing it. He wondered if that was a fate worse than death.

Is this my punishment for what I've done...? Is this what I deserve?

Rohan quietly stalked toward Josuke. He held up his metaphorical gun before he pulled the trigger and blew them all away. The teenager's face slowly started fluttering open when he said,

"I think I'd rather die."

His face flew shut as Rohan jumped backward. "Y-you would rather what...?"

"I said, I would rather die than let you take her away from me."

Rohan felt himself shift from captor to captive as he became entranced watching the boy calmly talk. He cradled the girl's cheek in his hand, not once looking up from her face.

"I've been a shitty friend—a fucking terrible friend, actually," Josuke chuckled as he shook his head. His bitter tears fell from his eyes and onto her face below. "I think I thought about his feelings maybe once this entire time. I honestly don't deserve to have a friend like him," Josuke laughed again. "I almost fucking hate him for being so unhateable, y'know? It's no wonder she fell in love with him first... Right?" He stared up at Rohan's face. Josuke's forced smile fractured into a sob as he placed his forehead onto hers. "This is so fucked..."

Rohan fell to his knees as he watched the boy cry. The boy whose memories he came prepared to wipe clean. The boy he resented for beating him to a pulp over a comment about his stupid hairstyle. The boy he absolutely fucking hated. That same boy was crying and crying over that girl.

That girl...

How could that girl have the ability within her to make these boys act completely beyond themselves? It bewildered Rohan. From what he understood, Yukako Yamagishi was utterly insane. Besides her tendency to be violent, she was brash, insecure, jealous and a laundry list of other unpleasant character traits a person could have. So, what was it about this shrew of a girl that made these boys lose themselves over her?

Could it be that she has changed?

He tried to connect the dots between the scribbled lines of the unfinished sketch Josuke left in front of him. The undone line work needed color, something so this picture could come to life. Something so this could all make sense.

His eyes focused when he heard the boy sniffling as he lifted his head to look at him. "Rohan, I know," he inhaled deeply before continuing. "I know I don't deserve it, but, please, please don't take her from me."