The mind can forget... but the heart never!

Chapter 45

While Bunny lay alone in her room, she desperately tried to remember what had happened. But no matter how she turned it around, her last memory was of the long-haired guy pressing her against a wall in an alley and kissing her. How long ago could that memory be? And what had led her to get involved in it? She and Mamoru had been happy, after all.

It didn't take long before there was a hesitant knock on the door. Mamoru cautiously poked his head in. Before entering the room, he glanced around to make sure they were alone.

"Oh, my Bunny. I'm so sorry about everything." He sat down on the chair next to her bed, gently stroked her forearm, and sought her eyes. Mamoru looked terrible. Deep black circles adorned his eyes, and a three-day beard covered his face. Bunny made an effort to give him a smile. "What are you sorry for?" she whispered in a scratchy voice. Mamoru handed her a glass of water. "For everything, I didn't want something like this to happen to you." She gently placed her hand on his unusually bearded cheek. "I want you to tell me what happened. Everything," she urged with some emphasis in her voice.

Mamoru sighed. He wasn't quite sure where to start.

"Bunny, I have a past that I'm not particularly proud of and that you don't know about..." He didn't get any further, as at that moment the door opened, and Seiya burst into the room. "You?! I told you I never want to see you near her again! How dare you even enter her room!"

Mamoru stood up, and the two now faced each other directly. Bunny was in her bed, looking from one to the other.

"I summoned him here. Since apparently no one wants to tell me what happened. Somehow I have to get answers." Seiya sucked in a sharp breath. "Where are Ikuko and Kenji?" "I sent them out to buy ice cream... Wait a minute, you're on a first-name basis with my parents?" "Yes, we had enough time to get to know each other while you were asleep," he winked cheekily at Bunny. "And you're leaving her room now," he addressed Mamoru. But Mamoru remained calm. "If she wants me to stay, I'll stay." The men turned to Bunny, looking at her eagerly. However, she didn't know how to decide. It was difficult, very difficult indeed. She didn't even know why she and Mamoru were no longer together, and she only knew the first name of the other man. But this Seiya seemed to be her new boyfriend. She sensed that she could trust him. Bunny was torn. It took a moment for her to make a decision.

"I want both of you to stay and finally tell me what happened here," she said.

Seiya's eyes widened, and he stepped closer to the bed. Mamoru didn't seem very pleased, but he nodded eventually.

Seiya sat down at the foot of Bunny's bed, and Mamoru took his place on the chair again. "Why aren't we together anymore? We were in love, weren't we?" she asked Mamoru after a few minutes of oppressive silence. Mamoru couldn't help but let out a cynical laugh. "You're asking me that? Of all people?" Then he looked into her searching eyes. Only now did Mamoru realize that Bunny truly couldn't remember. "Yes, my last memory of both of us is you inviting me to the ball. From there, it's a complete blackout. So please help me remember." Mamoru couldn't look her in the eyes. He turned his head in the other direction, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"You cheated on me with him," Mamoru hissed, hurt.

Bunny swallowed. "But it was just a kiss." She looked to Seiya for help, who shook his head while suppressing a grin. "You mean, we had sex?" Bunny blushed and stared at Seiya in disbelief. "Yes, you did," Mamoru muttered, annoyed. Within seconds, Seiya's grin vanished. "How did you know about it? We were alone, and we hadn't told anyone." "Angel, she was eavesdropping on you. So, I could hear you too, as well as her saying she wanted to leave me the next day." "Eavesdropping? You and your criminal friends should all be locked up."

"Wait, wait, I can't follow you again. Who is Angel? Why was I eavesdropped on? And what criminal friends?" Bunny interrupted the two.

Mamoru pondered how best to explain it to her, but before he could start, the room door opened again, and Bunny's parents returned.

"Get away from my daughter immediately! Get out of here!" Kenji thundered as he recognized Mamoru. To avoid further arguments, Mamoru raised his hands in a pacifying gesture. "I think it's better if I go now. Bunny, I'll explain everything to you someday, but first, focus on getting well again." Bunny watched Mamoru as he left the room, then looked at her father and finally at Seiya. A gloomy atmosphere emanated from all three men.

Mamoru headed straight to his apartment. This conversation hadn't gone as he had expected. It would be bad enough to tell Bunny the truth, but he certainly didn't need Seiya there for that. He wouldn't give him a second chance. This had been his only chance, and he had blown it. The only thing he could do now was wait to see if Bunny would reach out to him again.

Stressed, he ran his hand through his hair and looked in the mirror. Had he really been at the hospital just now? He looked just as terrible as he felt. His phone rang, Celeste, once again. Hadn't he made himself clear? Why couldn't she just leave him alone? That was the moment when Mamoru made a decision.

He would leave Tokyo, or even better, leave Japan altogether. There was nothing holding him here anymore. Bunny had chosen Seiya. As a doctor, he could work anywhere, and outside of Japan, Celeste wouldn't bother him anymore. That would be the best solution. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Just start fresh somewhere else. But he owed Bunny answers, and she deserved to get them. He sat down at his desk, took out a notepad, and began to write. He crossed out and started over several times. It wasn't easy to find the right words for everything. Once he had written down everything that seemed important to him - it had turned into several pages - he neatly folded them and put them in an envelope. "For Bunny," he wrote on it in his neatest handwriting.

Then he brought out his suitcase, packed the essentials, and searched for his passport. He turned off his phone and placed it on the dining table, along with the apartment key. With mixed feelings, he turned around once more and closed the door.

He made a brief detour to the hospital. He handed the letter for Bunny to the reception and then headed to the airport. He knew that if he didn't fly now, he would change his mind again. Celeste would surely keep trying to convince him to return, and he couldn't bear to see Bunny with Seiya. He stood in line at one of the many counters and booked a one-way ticket on the next flight leaving the country.

As Mamoru sat in the airplane, slowly distancing himself from Tokyo, he couldn't help but glance out the window. A mixture of nostalgia and relief washed over him. He had decided to find himself, leave his past behind, and start anew.