From Distant Lands - Juro's Return

Chapter Eighteen

The next day I meet my father and sister at the hospital just in time to get him discharged and take him home and once the three of us arrive at the house, my sister pulls me aside, waving our father in with a smile on her face before she turns on me.

"What's going on with you?" she demands as soon as he's out of ear shot. I shake my head at her tiredly, feeling like I've been hit by a semi.

"Nothing, it's fine" I mutter, shrugging her off and trying to start inside myself. Shiori shakes her head, stepping in front of me and giving me a hard glare.

"You've been acting like a disaster since you got to the hospital and you literally started crying in the bathroom before we left. What's up?" she reiterates, refusing to let me pass. I pause, staring at her for a long time before answering. I honestly don't know where to begin or how Shiori's going to react... I don't even know if she liked Bakugo... I sigh heavily, feeling the exhaustion starting to seep into my bones.

"It's Bakugo..." I begin and she makes a weird face, brows pulling together.

"Bakugo? You haven't called him that in..." she trails off, a suspicious look coming into her eyes.

"We all went to check out a location yesterday that someone had reported seeing Juro at... me, Shoto, Tsu, and... Bakugo. We tried to stick together, but we got separated and..." I hesitate, feeling like the whole story makes me sound insane, but Shiori's eyes are glued to me, concern and worry making her entire face vibrate with the emotions.

"Juro erased my memories somehow... he... he made me forget Bakugo" I finally tell her and her eyes widen, shock coloring her features.

"He... what?" she breathes and I shake my head, still feeling like shit from last night.

"By the time everyone found me... I barely even remembered what happened, but... Shoto kept telling me the story over and over again after we left and Bakugo was so upset... I don't remember him, Shiori. I don't remember loving him at all..." I tell her, the panic from the last week catching up to me all of a sudden. An incredible sadness crosses over my sister's face and before I know it, she's yanking me into a hug, holding me tight. I suck in an unsteady breath, hugging her back lightly. I'm not usually so affectionate, even with my sister, but right now she's the only familiar thing in my life. Everyone else remembers me mostly as Bakugo's other half... knows us as a package deal. Shiori's the only one who really knew me before that.

"I'm so sorry" she whispers and I don't know why I suddenly feel like crying again. It doesn't make sense. I don't remember Bakugo, so why? Why am I in so much pain?

"Was I... was I happy?" I ask her, pulling away and Shiori's face changes, a broken look coming into her eyes.

"You were..." she tells me honestly and I nod slowly, looking away.

"I looked like I was" I reply softly, thinking back to the photos on my wall. I didn't have the heart to take them down yesterday, but I know I have to now. Now that Bakugo and I have... what? Broken up? Can we even call it that if I don't remember ever being with him?

"And you don't remember anything?" Shiori asks gently. I sigh heavily, folding my arms against myself.

"Nothing at all... I just feel empty. I remember everything else of the last five years, but every time I try to picture Bakugo in any of it... there's just a void" I answer. I remember so little of him, in fact, that this morning when I finally opened my early birthday present, morbid curiosity winning over my anxiety, I didn't understand what was so significant about a black and red hoodie and a hot springs reservation.