The Blank Space of Memory
A blank space in my memory. Anywhere from a week to three weeks at most. A hollow emptiness occupied a corner of my chest. What on earth had I been doing all this time? Judging by everyone else's reactions, it didn't seem like I had done anything particularly strange.
The training ground we arrived at together boasted a space even larger than the gymnasium. It felt like a place meant for much more serious ability training than a mere gym. Mysterious machines were lined up everywhere, and people in white lab coats bustled about. As I stood there with my mouth agape at the lights flashing from all directions, Shine grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
"This way, Jeff."
I followed her as if accustomed to her behavior. While I didn't exactly hate how Shine tried to take care of me from head to toe, it did feel a bit overwhelming. Gently untangling my hand from hers, I fell in step behind her.
The moment I released her hand, the smile vanished from Shine's lips, but as I drew closer, a smile graced her face once more. Her expressions shifted rapidly. Even more so than before. Shine had changed.
"Shine. What do we do here?"
At my question, Shine stopped in her tracks.
"We're training to get stronger."
"Training...?"
"Yes, Jeff."
"Like what we did with Victor?"
"No. We learn something a bit different here."
I looked at Amy, hoping for an explanation. But Shine reached out, cupping both of my cheeks to lock my gaze onto her.
"Jeff. We've joined the Resistance now."
"The same place as Amy...?"
"Yes. We've officially enlisted. The two of us."
I desperately searched my memory at Shine's words. A blurry image of Jean flashed by. The memory of my last encounter with him slowly surfaced. Hay...? In my last memory, Jean was chewing on rabbit hay. Did I talk to him?
As I frowned, Shine extended her fingers and gently pressed down on my furrowed brow.
"Jeff. Don't frown."
"Okay."
"It ruins your pretty face."
Shine's fingers, which had been pressing on my brow, slid down. Her touch, gently tracing my skin, felt strangely ticklish. When I flinched and tried to pull back, she stretched her fingers to pull the corners of my mouth upward.
"See? You look so pretty when you smile like this."
"Yeah."
I smiled just the way she wanted. Shine nodded, returning my smile with one of her own. The close distance between us widened slightly, and Shine's sweet scent drifted away. As I fiddled with the tip of my nose, Shine spoke to me.
"Let's start training!"
The training Shine spoke of consisted of exercises to improve physical fitness. Shine, Rain, and I got onto treadmills and began running at a somewhat brisk pace.
"Since when... pant... have we been doing this?" Since I still had some breath left, I asked Shine while panting heavily.
"Since last week!" Shine answered energetically. I stared at her with a bewildered look. Perhaps not noticing my gaze, Shine ran vigorously with a bright smile. A bead of sweat forming on her forehead trickled down, brushing past her eye.
"Is Rain doing this with us too?"
"Yep!" Rain ran while vigorously swinging her bandage-wrapped arms. Her running speed was barely any different from mine or Shine's. Her golden hair bounced energetically. I turned my gaze from Rain to look at Amy.
Her long legs stretched out in long strides. The treadmill Amy was on spun at a speed far faster than the ones we three were using. It was amazing to see Amy maintaining a steady pace on it without even her breathing getting disrupted.
Though I had no memory of it, my body seemed to remember, allowing me to handle the grueling training without much trouble. Most of it was cardiovascular exercise aimed at building physical stamina. As I panted and wiped my sweat-drenched forehead, Amy handed me a small water bottle.
It wasn't just any ordinary water bottle. It was a dinosaur-shaped water bottle. A bumpy body wrapped in a long tail. It prioritized style over practicality, which was exactly to my liking. I flipped back the dinosaur head that served as a cap. With a soft pop, a small straw sprang up. I sat down on the spot, holding the dinosaur by its arms, and sipped from the straw sticking out of its head. A sweet, refreshing, and cool drink washed over my entire body.
"Phew!" I let go of the straw and looked around. Rain and Shine were throwing punches next to people wearing martial arts uniforms. Though their movements looked clumsy, a certain passion burned in both of their eyes.
"Amy."
"Yes?"
"Did you notice anything strange about me recently?"
"What do you mean by strange?"
"Well..." I mumbled, fidgeting with the dinosaur water bottle. I had a feeling that something was off, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. There had to be something in that blank space of missing memories.
"To be honest... I don't remember anything from the past few weeks."
"Your memories?"
"Yes."
"Did I act weirdly or anything during that time?"
"Hmm..." Amy, who had been sitting next to me wiping her sweat, leaned in and placed her hand on my forehead. I closed my eyes at the soft sensation of Amy's large hand.
"I don't think so. You seemed perfectly normal. More importantly..." Amy added softly, pulling me into her arms and settling me onto her lap. Embarrassed by the strangely ticklish sensation, I flailed my arms and legs in resistance, but Amy wouldn't let go. The tips of my ears flushed red. Feeling the soft warmth against my back, I hung my head and held onto Amy's arms.
"Do you really not remember anything?" Amy's voice was filled with deep concern. Her words made me hesitate.
"Well... it's just a bit blurry."
"Are you sick somewhere?"
"I don't think it's that."
"Mmm..." Amy let out a soft hum, gently stroking my hair. I flinched at her tender touch, but Amy didn't stop. I quickly surrendered to her petting and let my body go limp.
"Amy! Jeff!" Just then, Shine and Rain, who had been learning martial arts alongside the people in uniforms, ran over to us. Seeing the surrounding crowd dispersing, it seemed their training session had ended.
"Are you all finished?"
"Yep!" Shine, running over energetically, threw herself into my arms. It became a chain hug, with Amy holding me and me holding Shine. Watching this from a slight distance, Rain's eyes sparkled, and she practically flew over to join the pile.
"Hug me too!"
I gave an awkward laugh and hugged Rain as well. With two people in my arms, it felt a bit overwhelming. Holding the two girls close, a question popped into my mind. Looking at the people dispersing in the distance... Rain and Shine had been training right alongside them. But what about me? After finishing my simple physical conditioning, I had immediately walked over and sat on the bench next to Amy. As if it were the most natural thing in the world. Even though my mind didn't remember, my body did.
"Shine, am I not doing that training?"
"Nope. It's too dangerous for you, Jeff, so you can't."
"Really...?"
"Yes."
I looked up at Amy, silently asking for an explanation. However, she gave the exact same answer as Shine.
"You shouldn't do anything dangerous, Jeff."
"Is that really dangerous?" I asked, recalling how Rain and Shine had looked. Watching them swing their short limbs around looked more cute than dangerous. But Amy shook her head.
"It can be. They spar sometimes."
"But..."
"Jeff." Something... something was definitely off. Weren't they treating me too much like a child?
"But Shine does it too."
"That's because I'm your older sister, Jeff, so it's only natural." The answer came from Shine. She was looking at me with an unwavering, confident gaze. Under that look, I shut my mouth.
"Understand?" A strange pressure weighed on me. Before I knew it, I was nodding my head.
"Because I'm going to protect you, Jeff."
"Shine, you're such a cool big sister."
"Hehe, yes!" Amy patted Shine's head, praising her.
"Um, Amy...?"
"Yes?"
"About what I said earlier..."
"What you said earlier?"
At Amy's question, I closed my mouth. My lips twitched slightly. My tongue, moving weakly, failed to form the words and went limp.
"What did Jeff say?" Just then, Shine, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, raised her head and asked. Her gaze was locked onto me. Feeling a strangely suffocating, clingy sensation from her eyes, I turned my head away.
"Jeff. What did you say just now?"
"Just... that my memory feels a bit weird."
"Your memory?"
"Yeah... I don't remember anything that happened over the last few weeks."
At my answer, Shine's expression began to shift subtly. Her lips twitched. Her eyes curved slightly. She was definitely smiling, but I couldn't shake off a strangely sticky, unsettling feeling.
"You really don't remember?"
"Ah..." I let out a deep sigh. I felt like I had stepped into a trap. "Yeah."
"Jeff." A voice whispered in my ear. At her voice, I reflexively tried to channel my ability.
"It must have been so hard for you all this time, right?" But I couldn't use my power. Rain, Shine, and Amy were clinging so tightly to me that they might get hurt.
"So many things happened in such a short amount of time."
"Did they...?"
"Yes. You're just confused, Jeff."
I nodded blankly at Shine's words. "I'm confused."
"Yes, Jeff. There's nothing strange about it at all."
"Okay."
"Amy thinks so too, right?" Shine slowly lifted her gaze to Amy. No answer came. Amy simply reached out and firmly pressed down on Shine's head.
"Shine."
"Yes?"
"What did I tell you to do first when you finish training?"
"To wipe off my sweat..."
"Then you should go wipe it off quickly." Amy said, handing her a towel. Taking the towel from Amy, Shine muttered softly under her breath.
"That didn't work."
What wasn't working? As I stared at her in confusion, Shine rubbed the towel she had used to wipe her own sweat all over my face.
"I'll wipe Jeff's too!"
The sweat-soaked towel felt damp and sticky.
After a brief rest, the second training session began. Unlike the first, this session focused on controlling and utilizing our abilities. However, Shine did nothing. She just sat there quietly, staring at me.
"Jeff! I'm starting!" I had been looking at Shine, but I nodded at Rain's voice calling out from a distance. What was she starting? Yet, as if my body remembered, I took a ready stance.
"Fire!" Rain raised her hand energetically and slammed down on a small button in front of her. The machine she was sitting on began to rattle, spitting out countless small balls.
Thump-thump-thump-thump! The speed wasn't particularly fast, but they weren't easy to dodge either. Startled, I curled my body inward. Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack! A barrage of small balls rained down all over me. My entire body throbbed, feeling as if I had been flicked on the forehead multiple times.