Never Let Go [Hiatus]

Part II, Chapter 2- Who Am I?

The Boy's POV 

'Gome, I don't remember,'

'Where are you from?'

'Wakaranai...'

'How old are you?'

A shake of the head.

I was getting embarrassed by my inability to answer the questions. The people around me sighed in exasperation. They were all of different ages. Some as young as four or five, hiding behind the grown-ups as they gaped at me in curiosity and wonder. A few were around the same age as me, or so I was told. The boys -two to be exact- were eager and excited to know more about me while the girl was shy, blushing everytime we made eye contact. The rest were adults, the youngest in his 20s and the oldest in his 60s.

'Hm..How are we supposed to help you if you don't even know yourself?'

'Go-Gomenasai..' I whispered.

Soft murmurs and shushed whispers spread through the crowd as I looked down at my feet uneasily.

'Nah..does it matter?' One of the boys of my age approached me. He had ginger hair and wore a loose green yukata. My eyes travelled to the huge band-aid on his right cheek.

'You don't have to go back to your past if you can't remember it. You can always live and build a new future here, with us! Ne, mina-san?' he turned around and flung his arms wide, addressing the crowd. He turned back, hands on his hips and flashed me a bright smile. 'Don't you think so?'

And then 'ITE!' he rubbed his head where one of the adults had smacked.

'Be more sensitive, child. You don't know how hard it is for him, suffering from amnesia. And who are you to make decisions, young man?'

The boy stuck out his tongue and pouted.

'Anyway,' he continued, dismissing the negative reaction he didn't expect, 'I'm Hide!' he grinned broadly and held out his hand enthusiastically.

'Erm.. Hi...' I was taken aback by his friendliness and warmth.

'And this is Gin! He's my best friend. Say hi, Gin!' he pulled the other boy by his elbow. My attention turned to his unique greyish-white hair.

'Ouch! Tsk. You don't have to tell me what to do, de.' Gin complained as he jerked his own arm away and arranged his dishevelled blue yukata.

'HI THERE! I'm Gin! Nice to meet you!'

Somehow, their energy and vibrancy rubbed of me and I piped 'Nice to meet you two as well!', happy to be accepted so quickly. They were so friendly it felt more like a reunion of long lost brothers.

'Hey, I just found a cave nearby yesterday. Wanna explore it together?' Hide rubbed his palms together, eyes shining with excitement.

'Erm.. I..' I considered the state I was in. I had just woken up the day before, my wounds taken care of by the chief's wife. I still had to wear the bandages around my head and across my chest. But although I could now move around without much pain, I don't think I was fit enough for an exploration.

'Ite!' another smack on Hide's head.

'Are you stupid? He has just recovered, Baka!' This time it was Gin who had hit him, much to the amusement of the crowd.

'Of course not! But with you guys hitting my head and killing my brain cells everyday, I'm bound to get stupid soon enough!' Hide retorted.

'Really? I thought you were already born stupid.'

The crowd erupted in laughter and I joined in, envious of their close relationship. The girl looked on anxiously, seeming to be on the verge of frantic.

'Oh no.. OK guys, please don't fight,'

I took the opportunity to look at her. She was pretty and dainty, her large dark eyes complementing the brown yukata she wore. Her chocolate hair was tied up in a messy bun, a few loose strands framing her face. But I found it odd because Hide and Gin were obviously having a friendly bicker, not fighting. And looking at the laughing faces of the rest, I also found it hard to believe, that these people, with their kindness and warmth, were the same group of deadly men in black who rescued me that night.

'Ding Ding! Breakfast's ready!' The chief's wife called out. I remembered her name. Michiko. She had asked me to call her by her name, and do away with the polite 'Lady-sama'.

'Makes it feel so formal, and distant,' she explained. Her husband, the chief, was Kaede and everyone here called him 'Kaede-sama'.

After a hearty breakfast of bread and soup, with Hide getting into trouble for pranking one of the adults and Gin chasing after him, the group quickly cleaned up and dispersed for their activities.

As everyone hurried to prepare for the day, a sudden thought intrigued me. Michiko had told me that they were a band of travelers. They were always on the move, travelling from one place to another for work, explaining for the tents, wood and blankets that they carried.

'So, there's no real place we call home. We live by the day, and stock up on necessities when we cross a town.' she had said. Yet, they seemed to be living quite comfortably, although I don't actually see them working, like preforming or constructing, or anything of the like. And what of that night? The way they killed so skillfully... and the need for them to hide their identity... Could they be---

'We're going to be punished for being late again! Hurry up, will you!'

I turned sharply but only saw people hustling about in different directions. Some disappeared into the forest while others made for the caves. Yet things still seemed rather organized. They all looked like they knew where they were headed and what they were supposed to do. Come to think of it.. I looked around, searching for familiar faces. Where did Hide and Gin go? Or even that girl?

'Hey.. what are you doing here? You should go in and rest...' I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to the touch.

'Oh hi Michiko! Don't worry, I'm feeling fine. But where is everyone else going?' I burst, curiosity getting the better of me.

'Hm..?' she seemed surprised by my sudden interest, and then her eyes grew soft.

'I guess it's time. But by now, you should have already figured it out?'

I gave her an innocent looked and feigned ignorance. Although I could live thanks to them, I decided that I should watch my words and behaviour if I didn't want to be seen as a potential threat.

'Anyway, do come in first. The morning is getting chilly. You don't want to catch a cold. It is perhaps time for you to decide.'

Decide what?

I followed Michiko into the tent, brimming with heightened curiosity and anticipation. I wanted to know who they were and what they did, and why they had saved me. I knew that the odds were slim but maybe, just maybe, their reason for helping me could be linked to my past? Maybe the leaders knew full well of my identity? I mean, why were they there in the first place, in the dead of the night at the deserted place? Could they have been hired to find me? Or kill me... No.. they saved me, and they had plenty of chances to finish the job.. Maybe I was a runaway child of some rich merchant or someone important then..

My thoughts raced and my heart pounded with each wild thought. I wanted answers. I wanted answers to everything that had happened to me. Nothing made sense! But as I searched through myself, I realized that my frustrations mostly boiled down to one thing. Wanting to know more about my saviors were perhaps just plain curiosity, the kind where you want to open that closed door you were forbidden to, the kind when you pry into the secrets of others.

Because in the end, the question that I desperately craved answers for...

was that of my own identity.