no Shuyaku wa Wareware da (Wrwrd)

Zomu~ Painful Memories

Zomu was exceptionally good at keeping secrets. He was a master at twisting lies to fit the truth or when that failed to work on you, coming up with excuses to distract your mind from the subject. You were his girlfriend for over a year, yet you knew just as little about him as a passerby on the street.
   
If there was anything you knew the least about, it was his profession. He was always bringing in money every week without leaving so much as a hint as to where he got it from. With his secretive nature, you couldn’t help but suspect his job was one that you wouldn’t approve of.

Black marketing? An assassin? You constantly questioned him of discretely taking part in either of those acts, but he always denied it with an amused look on his face as if those potential crude jobs were the least of your worries. Perhaps deep down, you were almost hoping he was taking part in either of those professions. After all, they weren’t nearly as dangerous as the other option that laid on the table.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Throughout all that time, you still had not a clue as to what he was doing to earn all that money. The fact that he hid it from you made you all the more nervous until one day, you couldn’t stand the gnawing anxiety you felt whenever he left for work.

Deep down, you knew it was wrong to follow him to work. The last thing you wanted to do was make him believe you were the kind of girlfriend who had no faith in him because it wasn’t like that at all. Despite his secretive nature, you trusted Zomu more than anyone else. You could easily put your life in his hands and trust him wholeheartedly to protect you.

His faithfulness wasn’t what you were suspicious of. All you cared to know was to make sure he was living a normal life - one free of any dangers.

It was certainly a shock for you when you found yourself following him straight to the hideout of the infamous Organization. You didn’t realize it at first until you spotted the gun-wielding men in the distance, welcoming Zomu like a respected higher up as he made his way further into the depths of hell.

You froze, utterly stunned by this sudden discovery. Had he been working for this Organization all this time? Is this how he easily managed to bring home so much money? But your biggest question of all:

How could you not notice?

You desperately wracked your brain for any possible sign that could hint at his dangerous profession, but nothing came to mind. No blood stains on his clothes, no injuries besides an occasional scratch or two, and you didn’t even know if he owned a weapon or not. There was nothing connecting the dots between him and the Organization, so how could this be?

The only possible thing you could think of doing was to go home and wait for his return so you could question him about it. He surely wouldn’t deny it once he knew you caught him in the act. Maybe then you would finally be able to learn about this other life of his that he tried so hard to hide from you.
 
Before you could turn back, a sudden pain burst in your head and you collapsed to the ground. All you remember before blacking out was the metallic smell of blood in the air and the wicked grin of the man who loomed above you.

~•~•~

“Ah, Zomu, you came,” noted Osuman who sat behind his desk, clearly waiting for his arrival.

It wasn’t like he had much of a choice after receiving notice that Osuman requested his presence to discuss an important issue. Random summons such as this were an uncommon thing for the leader of the Organization to do. As much as an inconvenience it was for Zomu to listen to his every beck and call, he didn’t have much of a choice.
   
"Why, of course!” Zomu said, putting on his usual carefree facade. “Is there something wrong? If I recall correctly, I believe you wanted me to give my utmost attention to training With Nii-san today.”
   
He waved his hand dismissively. “Yes, yes. That can always be resumed at a later date. A new situation has arisen. Earlier today, an outsider trying to sneak into premises was found and captured. It was rather unusual.”
   
“Rather unusual?” Zomu questioned, raising a brow at his superior. “Our enemies have attempted to sneak in several times before getting caught and executed on the spot. What’s so different about this case?”
  
Osuman clasped his hands together and an amused look appeared on his face, nearly catching the younger man off guard. “This outsider was completely unarmed when caught, not ready for combat at all. To top that off, when she finally came to, the first thing she did was request to see you.”
   
Zomu knew it was you before he even saw you. As much as he didn’t want to be right, there was no other possibility. The reality of the situation didn’t hit him until he saw you chained in the dungeon, waiting to see his face.
   
"Zomu!” you called as soon as he came within sight, perking up immediately despite the situation you were currently in.
   
“[name],” he spoke softly, his words nearly inaudible. Guilt rendered him unable to even move as he watched you take a step towards him only to be pulled back by the chains.
   
“Well, this is an interesting discovery,” mused Osuman as he quickly put the pieces together.
   
Without saying a word, he took the keys from the guard and unlocked the chains binding you to the wall before embracing your body in his arms. The second your hands were free, you wrapped them around his neck and nearly jumped right into his arms. Never before were you so happy to see him, even under the current circumstances.
   
“Why did you follow me?” he asked, pulling away just enough so he could look you in your eyes. Your [eye color] hues widened, worried that he’d be angry with your actions.
   
"I’m sorry…. I just wanted to know what you did since you never told me anything. Do you really work for this Organization?”
   
He pushed a strand of your hair behind your ear before hesitantly nodding. Zomu never wanted you to learn of this side of him in fear of your safety being compromised, but he never imagined that you would go out of your way to discover the truth on your own. He nearly chuckled at his own foolishness.
   
“Then I’ll work here too.”

“What? Absolutely not,” Zomu said, taking a step away from you in shock. He imagined you would be infuriated with him or even disgusted; certainly not eager to join, yet here you were. He knew from the moment he met you that you were someone completely extraordinary, but this only further proved this.
   
Before you could argue, Osuman interfered, reminding Zomu that his superior was still present in the room.
   
"Remember, Zomu: she’s already seen too much. She would need to swear her loyalty to the Organization otherwise, the only option left for her would be-”
   
“Fine,” Zomu said bitterly, left with no other choice. He refused to let any harm come to you, even if it meant allowing you to do something as dangerous as pledging your allegiance to the Organization. “But she’s not to go out in the field, Osuman. She can carry out whatever task you give her from within the building.”
   
The leader smiled, a smile that was twisted and cold. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
   
And so you did become a member of the Organization for better or for worse. Zomu was able to see you more often under these new circumstances, yet he couldn’t help but fear for your safety every time he left your side. Even within the confines of the building, your safety wasn’t necessarily guaranteed. You would always try to reassure him that you would be safe, but his worries were never quenched.

Little did you knew, he had every right to be worried.
   
It was the day Zomu was away from the hideout when they attacked. It didn’t take them long to be utterly defeated by the gifted members of the Organization who were still on the premises, but they managed to make several casualties out of the Post Organization members, one of them being you.
   
Zomu doesn’t recall a time where he ran faster than he did on that day. He stormed into the building and sprinted towards the medical, not knowing what to expect when he finally laid his eyes on you. All he heard from Emile was that you were one of the members attacked and he feared the worst finally came to pass.
   
He cursed himself countless times on the whole way there. You would’ve never gotten involved in the Organization if it wasn’t for him. If only he had told you sooner about his profession; if he did, perhaps you wouldn’t try to follow him. Even if you ended up leaving him, that would mean you were safe and living a perfectly normal life. He was too selfish, though. In the end, his selfishness is what harmed you the most.
   
He skidded to a halt when he reached your room, relieved to see that you were awake laying in the hospital bed. A nasty looking gash was visible on the side of your head, but you were okay. You weren’t dead and that’s all that mattered to him.
   
“[name],” he spoke softly, a breath of relief escaping his lips. Everything was okay, everything would be going back to normal.
   
But he relaxed far too soon. Slowly, your head turned to face him and he got a glimpse of your [eye color] orbs, yet they looked different than they normally did. They looked almost like a… stranger’s. A curious look passed over your features when you looked up at him and he felt his heart sinking at the sound of the words you would utter:
       
“Do… Do I know you?”

“Amnesia,” Shinpei God mumbled in Zomu’s ear, feeling remorse for his friend. Zomu didn’t need the explanation, though.
   
Everything was far too painfully clear in his eyes. Every memory he shared with you, whether it be good or bad, was completely forgotten in your mind. Although there was a chance for you to one day regain these memories, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was for the best. Since your memories of the Organization were gone, Gruppen would have no reason to execute you for leaving with knowledge of the Organization.

Perhaps this way, you could once again live a normal life without danger present.

“No, you don’t know me,” Zomu responded, his words so soft they were nearly inaudible.

His selfishness was what put you in harm's way to begin with. As much as it pained him to do so, he was doing the right thing.

You would live a normal life without ever regaining your memories of the man you loved most…