"It didn't happen overnight," Amane quickly reassures Kou, his hands shifting in front of himself, a nervous habit he had recently developed, "Honestly, I'm in the trying to figure out what happened– but like I said, we absolutely cannot tell Hanako about this," he says, emphasizes the latter half of his sentence.
Kou clicks his tongue, "I don't see why not; she has to know why we feel something is wrong! She–" Kou groans slightly, unable to properly articulate his thoughts, grabbing the back of his neck," She could help us, you know? Hanako isn't as bad as you make her out to be,"
Amane rolls his eyes, "Have you considered that she might be responsible for our memory issues?"
"Of course, she's not!" Kou snaps back.
"And why not?" Amane steps closer, "Surely you know what she could be capable of?"
"I–" Kou stutters, "She wouldn't do anything! Hanako-san is way too kind to do that!"
"Aren't you awfully trusting," Amane sneered, "You sure didn't give me that luxury."
They both stop at Amane's words,
"What?"
Amane scrunches his eyebrows together, confused, "I'm not sure why I said that?"
"What do you think you mean?" Kou countered, crossing his arms.
Amane looked both concerned and confused, "I'm not sure?"
"I doubt that."
Amane meets his eyes, shocked at Kou refusing to believe him, "Boy! I– Kou, I'm being serious! I don't!"
"You're always hiding things from us!" Kou snaps back.
"Ah," Kou steps back, shocked at his own words, "I didn't–"
"See! You're experiencing the same thing I am, and I don't know why but I am sure it has to do with Hanako!"
"No, it doesn't!"
"Why wouldn't it!"
Kou pauses. "Because!"
" Because what?"
"Because she isn't like you!"
Amane steps back, his eyes widened,
"She hasn't lied to us! You– I don't know what you did!" Kou winced at how loud his own voice was. His head pulsed with pain the more he thought or spoke about it, but he continued,
"You've always been so secretive, and you tried to–" Kou's hand grabs at his head, trying to stop the pain, "You– You never say what you feel, and it feels like you always know more than what you say! And you feel like you're better because you know more!"
Kou takes a deep breath, unsure where this rage came from. The anger was true and real, hidden deep below his skin.
...
Kou stares at him before huffing, "I think I can't trust you."
Sharply turning around, Kou walks away, ignoring Amane's calls for him to stop.
