𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝 -𝘼 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘-

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔

"Erase her memories."

Where did I go wrong? Why am I reliving the same things over again? How much pain must I put people through for the sake of happiness?

"You promised me, Hatori, that you wouldn't get with another snake, like her. Yet here we are? What do you have to say for yourself?" Akito sneers.

You should be in a pit, a dark abyss with no happiness. You should be dead.

"I'm sorry, Akito. I promise it won't happen again." No matter what I wish for, I am still bound to this god-forsaken curse. I'm not allowed to go against Akito's wishes.

"Good boy. I hope this doesn't happen again. Otherwise, I might have to start punishing you."

I'd gladly take hell from you if it meant that I could have protected Kana or Yuihiso. You're a devil who prowls on the weak and hopeless. Yet you receive no pain.

"I'm so gracious and kind to you. Don't forget that, Hatori." I want to smack her cold hands away from my face. I want her to feel some of the pain I feel now.

"I won't."

But I can't hurt Akito as much I want to. This screwed-up curse binds me to her. It's what keeps me from being free. This curse is what keeps me from reaching happiness, from a life with her, Yuihiso.

"Hatori?" I almost expected to be seeing Kana in this situation. My whole body was confused with the similarities.

When I see Yuihiso's face, I realize how much of a difference there is. Gashes are ruining her perfectly round cheeks, and the amount of tears she's shed have turned her eyes puffy and pink. "It's okay, Yuihiso, I'm here."

"Do you have to erase my memories?"

I look away from her and nod, daring not to say the words myself. "This is my fault, Yuihiso. I should have known better."

"Please, please don't do that. Not yet." She quips, digging her nails into my thighs. "Please don't regret any of this because I don't regret any of it. I knew what I was doing, falling in love with you. And I don't want those memories I made with you to turn bitter yet."

"The only thing I wish I could have changed is that I tried harder to break the curse." She begins to sob again.

I find myself in tears as well at the thought of that being her only regret. I never even asked her to care about my curse, yet she did.

"It's not your fault. You have nothing to regret, Yuihiso. Sometimes, life doesn't go as planned. And we have no control over it."

"I love you, Hatori, so much. I thank god that it was you of all people with who I could first experience love. Thank you."

"As much as this hurts me, take this new life as a gift from me. As a final gift of my love."

And with that, I suppress her memories. I take all of the love that once belonged to us and keep it as my own. "Thank you, Yuihiso. I love you."

God, give her love that doesn't cause her grief. Let her be... let me be happy.