Matsumoto Jun was a young man who did nothing but smile at everyone who passed by him. They were all so kind to him too so they smiled back without saying anything. He was the child that any parents wanted to have, and he was proud to be his parent’s son. He was told just earlier that he had done so many things to make them proud but he had no clue to what they were saying. This was because a long time ago, when he was in middle school, he had an accident that caused him to forget a memory every single time. His mom told him that they’ll never know when he’ll start to get better. Otherwise, they just waited. He would start new ones, that eventually went away altogether, but he would forget everything like they never happened in his lifetime. Now that he was an adult, he still had someone besides him that helped him when he needed it.
When venturing through the grocery market, he would buy some food for him and his helper. However, his helper pointed out that he didn’t like all of the things he bought so he put them back where they belong. Being a kind person, his helper picked out everything he liked and with that, they went home and ate the meal together.
This person, as he was told, was his best friend Ninomiya Kazunari who did nothing but stick by his side. There were times when the next morning, he would just completely forget who he was, but Nino told him their whole life story and he didn’t believe him at first. After looking at the other room in the small house that he woke up in, he saw that he was telling the truth. He even felt like he knew him forever. So however many days his memories won’t fade the next moment, he knew him as his best friend.
While Nino cooked their meal, he walked around his house and examined at every picture on the wall. He recognized them as himself and some people he never knew. But what was strange was that he was smiling as huge as the other unknown person on the walls. Maybe he used to know him, but his head couldn’t tell him who it was. Giving up, he moved to the next picture.
There he was, a bit older than the last one, smiling with his best friend Nino. He tried to remember this scene, when it happened, what happened, and what words were being said. However, he just couldn’t.
“Ah, that was after we graduated high school,” his friend sighed, “We met right after and went out to celebrate our adult life.”
“Really?” Jun raised his eyebrows. “We did that?”
“Yep. Now come on, food is waiting.”
After Nino had disappeared into the dining room, he stayed for a while, staring hard at the picture. The way Nino’s eyes were twinkling in the photo as he looked him in the picture, was the same when he was looking at him earlier. Jun thought it was strange, but he didn’t let it bother him when he heard his stomach make a loud growl.
As always, the food Nino cooked was delicious. He thought this because he ate his coking yesterday. It tasted so new in his mouth and he understood now why he liked this. While he ate, he noticed that Nino wasn’t eating with him; he did the same thing during breakfast too. Instead, his friend was watching him eat which made it all the more awkward.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” He asked him after slurping the miso soup.
“I’m good,” he answered, “I just want you to eat what I made for you.”
“But--”
“I said I’m good,” he repeated. “Just enjoy it.”
Then Jun started to remember the picture in the hallway. He was meaning to ask Nino earlier, but the food was so delicious like his mouth was made for it. But the food can wait, and he wanted to know now.
“Nino, earlier at the picture, why were you looking at me like that?”
“...”
“Is there something I’m supposed to know other that what happened that day?”
“...”
“Please tell me, I won’t finish this food.”
Nino turned his head away but he heard what he was saying under his breath.
“So what if I won’t remember? Please, just tell me,” He begged.
“I-it’s nothing,” Nino stuttered, “My eyes were just teary that day.”
Jun could tell he was lying and he couldn’t stand it if he kept doing this to him. When he was about to ask him again, his friend stood up and left him to go to his room. Jun had long forgotten the warm food on the table and he stood up and followed him. They ended up going inside his room, and he saw so many photos of him with Nino together.
“You won’t remember it anyways so I think it’s better I tell you now. I... I like you ok?” Nino told him, his back facing in his direction. “Satisfied?”
Jun didn’t say anything, but he found his hand reaching the man’s shoulder. When his hand came in contact with his small frame, he turned him around and gave him a hug. For some unknown reason, Jun was starting to cry when it was supposed to be Nino who was doing that. He felt bad enough that he would forget this in the end, but as he pulled away, he looked him in the eyes and pecked his lips. They stayed in that position for a while and Jun felt something wet on his face. Taking the smaller man towards the bed, they snuggled together until they fell asleep.
Jun woke up the next morning, his memories of the past few days gone, and asking why he was hugging a crying man.
