Pain. There is pain that throbs dully from somewhere.

Where? My leg …Noises…coming from somewhere. Muffled sounds. I open my eyes tentatively. I’m in some sort of room. There are people all in white. They walk around silently…as if they are scared to make a sound. My head…where am I? What happened to me? As I try to remember, my head bursts in an explosion of agony. I cry out softly as tears spring to my eyes. A gentle hand pats my shoulder. I shrink from it and jerk my head up to see who it is. There is a face peering anxiously down at me.

“Are you alright?” he asks me.

“What-What’s going on?” I ask in a small, trembly voice, “W-who are you?”

“Don’t you remember me? I’m Yamapi. I carried you here last night after I found you. Remember?”

I try. I really try to remember. But the pain splits my head open again. I cry out clutching my head. But what scares me more than the pain, is the black void.

“I-I can’t remember!” I scream terrified, “I can’t remember anything! Where am I, who am I?”

The stranger leans over me worriedly, then seeing I’m serious, he jumps up and calls for help. Some people rush over and start to examine me. I am probed. I am asked questions…about my past. Questions I can’t remember because of the pain.

The people in white step back and talk to the stranger. The stranger has a worried expression. For some reason, this makes me really scared. The stranger nods and turns to walk towards me. I stare at him afraid of what he is going to tell me.

“Well, it looks like you have lost your memories. Apparently, your brain couldn’t take the trauma, and your subconscious shut away all your memories. You have amnesia,” the stranger said to me slowly, kindly.

“I do? But…Mr.-”

“I told you. I’m Yamapi,” Yamapi smiles sadly.

“Ya…mapi?” I ask. He nods encouragingly at me.

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Ya…mapi…um…are you my friend? Do you know who I am?” I ask desperately.

His deep, brown eyes looked sad.

“Yes, I am your friend. I will always be your friend. But I don’t even know your name.”

“But-why?” I cried tears coming, “Why am I like this? What if I am really a horrible person and I did something bad? What if I can’t make it right? What if I never see my family again?...Do I even have a family?”

“Don’t worry.” He embraces me tightly as my tears stain his shirt, “I’ll protect you,” he promises. I sniff and nod.

“T-thank you,” I sniffle.

I look over his shoulder and straighten. Through my bleary eyes, I see someone standing outside my room peering in. He is staring at Yamapi. I can’t see his expression because of the tears, so I blink. When I can see him clearly, he is looking at me. My eyes widen in fear as his gaze bores intensely into mine.

“W-who’s that?” I whisper to Yamapi. He stiffens and spins around, but the face has disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.

Maybe I was just seeing things? I tremble slightly. A nurse comes to look at my leg, before she begins unstrapping me.

“Your cast is on now, you are free to be discharged. But be careful with that leg alright? It could easily become more damaged if you’re not cautious.” She says kindly.

I nodded shrinking toward Yamapi’s reassuring touch. I cling to his hand so hard, my knuckles turned white. It must hurt, but he doesn’t say anything. Then carefully, he helps me out of the bed.

“Since we don’t know anything about you,” I have arranged for you to stay at my place. My mother and sister are very nice people. They will definitely help you with anything you need. Alright?”

“Will you go?” I ask worriedly. He laughs.

“Actually, I am a very busy person with a packed schedule 24/7. But I promise that I will come see you tonight, alright? I will try to drop by whenever I can.”

“No, please. Don’t leave me alone,” I whisper softly, “You’re the only one I feel safe with!...Please?” He looks down at me for a moment, before he answers me.

“I’ll let you come with me to work today. Then I will take you to my house, alright? They are very nice people. Nicer than me. You will be just as safe with them as you will be with me. And I promise that I’ll visit you whenever I can.”

I don’t really believe him, about anyone being nicer than him, but I didn’t really have a choice here. So I nod and say, “Ok. I’ll do it,”

He nods and continues helping me to the elevator. As we exit the hospital, a man runs up to us. When Yamapi sees him, he smiles widely.

“Hey Ryo-chan!” Yamapi calls.

“Hey Yamapi!” Ryo greets back. The man called Ryo looks at me curiously. I clutch at Yamapi’s hand and try to hide behind him, but Yamapi just laughs and says to me, “This is my best friend Ryo. We grew up together. He doesn’t bite, I promise.” I nod but still stare worriedly at Ryo. Finally Ryo looks back at Yamapi to my utter relief.

“Oi Yamapi, your show with Kamenashi-san is in half an hour. Kame said he’d come by to see if this girl was alright, so I if you could get him, then you guys should hurry over to the set.”

Yamapi looked confused. “Kamenashi-san wasn’t here,” he said. “But maybe he’s already there.”

Taking my hand gently, he walked me toward a cab with Ryo trailing close behind. I didn’t say I was uncomfortable because Yamapi trusts Ryo and I trust Yamapi. But no one feels safe except for Yamapi to me.

When the cab reached the set, Yamapi and Ryo jumped out and helped me out too. I stare at the big building in front of me where there were a million people (mostly girls) crowded around outside. Yamapi and Ryo went through a hidden side entrance so they wouldn’t have to go through all those girls. I was really glad about that. Yamapi sat me down in the back of a crowded room where many girls sat chattering excitedly. He gave me a blanket so I wouldn’t get cold and told me that he would be on stage talking with a guy called Kame.

I don’t want him to leave but he promised me he wasn’t going anywhere. So I don’t say anything and stay where I am trusting that he’ll come back to me when it was all over.