Cabinet of Curiosity (COMPLETED)

Chapter 21

Kireina's P.O.V. 

We walk in a comfortable silence for a while, each absorbed in our minds. Yoru breaks the silence. 

"What are you gonna say to him?" he asks, shoving his hands in his jean pockets. I open my mouth to reply when the sight a few meters away stops me in my tracks. Yoru lifts his head up,  making his black hair fall back, and stops too. 

"Is that..?" I question, trailing off. 

A boy sits hunched over what looks like a makeshift grave a few meters away. Sobs rack his body, making his shoulder shake violently. The red streaks in the boy's black hair are enough to tell the boy is Hiromi. Yoru takes a step forward, but I lay a gentle hand on his arm. 

"I will go," I whisper. Yoru looks reluctant, but nods. 

I take a few cautious steps forward until I'm only a meter away from Hiromi. 

"Hiromi?" I say.

 Hiromi's head snaps up and turns to look at me. I cautiously take a few more steps until I'm standing in front of him. His pale face is streaked with fresh tears. His grey eyes are red and puffy around the edges. 

"What are you doing here?" he rasps.

 "I'm sorry," I say, falling to my knees. "I blamedyou for something you didn't do, and I had my memories removed because of it. I should've talked to you first, before I jumped to the conclusion that you....killed Yoru's little brother." 

He tilts his head up. "So Yoru gave you your memories back," he whispers. 

I nod slowly. "I know you must've suffered these past years, and I know how much pain I put you through. I'm so sorry Hiromi," I say. 

"Are you here for my forgiveness?" he asks softly, his eyes suddenly changing to an unreadable expression. 

"Yes," I reply softly. 

"Why? You want me to forgive you so we can be a happy circle of friends again? So I can help you? If I wasn't the only one you could turn to right now for help, then you wouldn't be here, would you? You wouldn't care about me at all, you know why? Because you've never cared!" He says, voice rising with every painful word. 

"All you care about is yourself, Kireina," he spat. 

I recoil in shock. "Hiromi, I know I've hurt you before, but I would never have done that if I knew you weren't the one who-"

 "If you knew that I didn't kill Yoru's little brother. But you didn't stop to think, did you? If you thought that maybe, I loved him as much as Yoru did. I just didn't show it as much. Remember? The night before he died, I promised you that I would do my best to show that I loved him more. And you promised that if I gave him a chance, you would give me a chance. A chance for us to be more than friends," he says solemly.

 I nod, the memories slowly coming in fragments. "Do you have any idea how much it hurt? Seeing you leave with Yoru?" 

"I know I can't ask you to forgive me right now, but will you at least give me a chance? To make it up to you?" He stares at me for a long time before replying. 

"Fine. I can't garauntee that I can forgive you, but I will help you find your brother's and caretaker's murderer. And if things aren't settled by the time we solve this mystery, you will take Yoru and leave, forever," he says almost whispering the last word. 

I nod, accepting this for now. 

"What about Yoru?" I ask. 

He sighs. "I will have a harder time forgiving him, but I will try, for the sake of rekindling the flame of the friendship we once shared."