The mind can forget... but the heart never!

Chapter 4

The picnic lasted much longer than originally planned; it was already dark, and the friends were still sitting comfortably together. Bunny got up slowly; she was simply exhausted."It was a very beautiful day with all of you, but I'm going to say goodbye now. I don't know why, but I'm really tired."Mamoru also got up and took her hand.

"Alright, then I'll walk you home." They said their goodbyes to everyone and set off together. Hand in hand, they strolled through the streets, with the starry sky and the full moon above them.

"You, Bunny? Is everything okay between us?" Mamoru suddenly asked her.Bunny stopped and looked into his eyes.

"Why do you ask that?" she wanted to know, surprised.Mamoru scratched the back of his head, smiling down at her.

"I don't know, I had this strange feeling earlier... I don't really know."Bunny snuggled up against his chest. Her heart skipped a beat; she enjoyed spending time alone with him, but she knew exactly what he meant. She had also felt that dull feeling earlier.

"Everything is fine as long as you're with me," she whispered to him. Mamoru gave her a light kiss on the forehead and wrapped his arms around her. When Bunny looked up again, she noticed the beautiful night sky."Look, Mamoru, how beautifully the moon is shining tonight. It looks fantastic, as if it's so close." Mamoru loved listening to her when she got excited about something; her eyes sparkled with a special glow. He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders, then he hugged her from behind, and they both looked up at the stars. "Look, a shooting star," Bunny exclaimed with joy. "And another one... and there's another."

Mamoru leaned his head close to her ear. "Then you can make a wish now," he whispered softly and kissed her tenderly on the neck. Bunny started giggling; his kisses tickled her. Of course, Bunny knew that Mamoru had been ready for the next step in their relationship for a long time, but she wasn't there yet. He respected her boundaries, but there were always these subtle attempts, and she didn't know how to react.

She turned away from his embrace and laughed at him. "Are you coming? Otherwise, we'll be standing here until tomorrow morning."

Mamoru shook his head briefly but then also laughed. He quickly rejoined her and held her hand tightly. When they arrived in front of Bunny's parents' house, they stopped for a moment. Mamoru gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. Bunny's eyes searched for his. His eyes, which had given her strength so many times. Slowly, he bent down to her; his lips were just a breath away from hers when Bunny suddenly felt that dull feeling again, which she couldn't place. Quickly, she closed her eyes and covered the remaining distance. When her lips met his, she felt her heart warming up and her pulse quickening. Mamoru said goodbye to her, and she opened the front door. Ikuko already had her head sticking out into the hallway. When she saw the smile on Bunny's face, she breathed a sigh of relief. Bunny started humming a melody as she went up the stairs; the melody just came to her mind, but she didn't know where she knew it from. She got ready for bed and fell asleep within minutes.

Taiki, Yaten, and Seiya had landed in the meantime. Princess Kakyuu had sent them directly to their apartment. Seiya's vision was still blurry, but when he finally recognized where they were, he widened his eyes in shock. "Where are we?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. He turned around in disbelief, wanting to make sure that they were really back on Earth. "Yes, we are back on Earth," Taiki confirmed his suspicion. "When were you planning to tell me that this mission would be on Earth?" Yaten shrugged. "You didn't ask."

Nervously, Seiya patted his pockets, then pulled a small flask out of his pants pocket and took a generous sip. He was back on Earth, the planet responsible for his situation. Why did the princess send them here of all places? Weren't there enough other planets or solar systems? All the memories he had desperately tried to forget came rushing back to him. Another sip.

"Seiya, that's enough, put the bottle away. We're only here because of that shit," Taiki scolded him. Seiya looked from one brother to the other and finally at the bottle in his hand.

"What do you mean, because of that shit? You told me the princess has a mission for us! What kind of mission is this? No demons, no monsters... What the hell are we doing here?" Seiya shouted, getting angrier as he spoke. Rage and pain were battling inside him.

"You are our mission! The princess couldn't bear to see this misery any longer. That's why we're back here. And now give me that damn bottle! This will be our first step," Yaten snapped back and snatched the flask from Seiya's hand. Before Seiya could react, Yaten poured the last remaining contents onto the pavement. Seiya now understood nothing at all. He stared at the ground, which was now damp from the last drops of alcohol. In a trance, he swung and gave Yaten a punch to the chin. Yaten rubbed the spot where his brother had hit him and licked his lower lip. When he tasted fresh blood, he also swung and hit back. Taiki calmly ran his fingers over his eyebrows and waited for his brothers to stop fighting. "When you're done... can we go upstairs?" Taiki asked, observing both of them.

Seiya staggered a few steps back and forth. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I want to go back home," he grumbled. Taiki ignored his protest, wedged himself under Seiya's arm, and dragged him into the apartment, closely followed by Yaten. As they entered their apartment, everything felt so familiar, as if they had never been away, and yet it was different. Taiki sat Seiya down on a chair at the table and stood in front of him.

"Are you listening to us now?" In response, Seiya just snorted contemptuously. Again and again, he reminded himself that he was back on Earth, very close to her, yet he would never hold her in his arms again, as she loves someone else.

"The princess said that we left too hastily back then. That's why she sent us back here, so we have time to resolve everything that remained unresolved. But before we can start with that, we need to get you sober first. You can't face anyone like this," Taiki continued.

"Resolve? What is there to resolve here? She loves him, she said it often enough. So I don't know why I'm here." "Seiya, at least try to have one last clarifying conversation with her. Sober!" Yaten interjected, leaning against the wall opposite him.

Seiya knew he could only escape this situation in one way because he had absolutely no desire for these conversations. He got up, went into his room, and locked the door from the inside.

Then he let his tears flow freely. He covered his face with his hands and slid down the door towards the floor. "Darling," he whimpered softly through his hands into the darkness.