To Love's End | Shigure Sohma

Chapter Seventeen

Amai sat on her bed, hugging her knees as she stared off into nothingness. She was all cried out. She had cried so much that she just felt numb inside.

Seeing the things in his office made her remember everything. She remembered how they met, living with him, his family, the curse, their first date, the first time they made love, their last kiss. She also remembered Akito and what happened that day. She could clearly recall begging Shigure not to take her memories away but he still did it. She spent a lifetime all alone before she found him. And then he left her alone again. And then he acted like she was a stranger. For almost four years, she felt an emptiness. A void in her life she couldn't fill. And in that time, he knew she was alone but he never went to her.

But something else also returned. Love. She loved him more than anything. She didn't hate him at all. Not one bit. Sure she was mad at him but she couldn't hate him. She loved him.

With that feeling returned, she began crying again.

***

Shigure stayed in his office as she left. It didn't make sense to her. Hatori specifically told him that it was impossible for her to remember but he saw it in her eyes. She had remembered everything.

And he didn't know what to do. She hated him and he deserved it.

Kyo stormed into his office and grabbed him by the scruff of his kimono. "Go after her!!" he yelled angrily. "What the hell are you just standing here for?! Go get her!"

Yuki pulled Kyo away from him while Shigure just stood there numbly. It was almost as if history was repeating itself. Kyo had reacted with the same rage the day her memories were wiped. Tohru stood back with tears in her eyes as she looked at Shigure. She had never seen him so emotionless. He was usually their voice of reason but it was like he wasn't even there anymore.

"Calm down, Kyo," Yuki said before turning to Shigure. "I'm sorry. This was my idea."
Tohru stepped forward. "No, it wasn't. This is all my fault."
Kyo growled. "It was all of us, dammit! She finally came back into our lives after four years! We weren't just going to let her go again! She-"

He suddenly stopped when he saw a smile appear on Shigure's face. They were all confused as he lowered his head and laughed lightly.

"You kids..." Lifting his head, he looked at them. "Adults always think with their heads. But you guys made decisions with your heart. That day, I thought with my head and not my heart. So, thank you. All of you." He turned to leave the office. "I'm going out."
"Where are you going?" Tohru asked as they followed him to the front door.
"To get Amai." He put his shoes on. "And I'm not returning without her."

And then he left the house and made his way to his car before getting in and driving away. The three of them watched him leave.

"It worked..." Yuki said quietly before smiling. "It actually worked."

***

Shigure drove to Amai's apartment block. He didn't call Hatori and he wasn't going to. The impossible just happened and he didn't want anyone to tell him that he couldn't go to her. He didn't know what her apartment number was but he didn't care. He would knock on every door if he had to.

Arriving at the building, he rushed inside and started knocking on every door. The moment he would see it wasn't her, he would move onto the next apartment. He continued doing so until he was done with that floor before going up to the next floor.

Amai was laying in bed, her fingers playing absentmindedly with her necklace. She remembered the day Shigure had given it to her. She closed her eyes. She missed him so much and she wished she could see him again.