Natsume's eyes narrowed with cruel satisfaction. He knows they had taken the bait.
It had been nearly a month since he broke the story to them. On the perplex of considering, the meeting had broken up quickly. But he knows that it is a matter of time before they agree.
" We need to go through a series of hypnotism sessions. The hypnotist will recall our memories and reinstate them."
" Do we really want those memories back?" Tsuyoshi wonders aloud.
" It's not the memories of that night. It's the memories of our friendship I want." Takuya said with determination.
" The hypnotist is on his way." Natsume said hurriedly.
" He's going to do it here? Today?" Shingo asks in surprise.
" Yes! Yes! Let's have a drink while we wait for him." Natsume's voice raised to a fevered pitch. There's only one chance so he mustn't bungle up the job. Quickly he got up from his seat and went into the kitchen to get the drinks. No one offered to help him, much to his relief.
He had recovered all his childhood memories even before they had the first meeting. It is true like the old owner had told him, the 5 of them were the best of friends. He could recall all the deeds they had done and he is even prepared to admit that they truly love each other like blood brothers. Precisely so, that's why he insists on finishing his badly interrupted plan.
With a smile cold enough to freeze hearts, he poured a bit of the vital liquid into each of the drink. His eyes burned with wild fire as he imagine the success of his plan and its results. As he watches them took a sip each, he smiled benevolently before touching his own. " Very soon now ~" He murmured into his glass.
" When is the hypnotist coming?" Shingo asks looking at his watch impatiently.
" Patience." Natsume replied with a mysterious smile as his eyes roved among his guests. To his satisfaction, Tsuyoshi's face is turning quite pale and Goro is rubbing his temples mutely as color slowly drains off his face. Takuya's head has flopped over the top of his seat with his dazed eyes fixed on the ceiling. He is obviously fighting unconsciousness by prying his closing eyelids apart repeatedly.
Shingo is the only one who remained unaffected as he studies the reactions of the others around him. Fear overcame him and rendered him immobile. His mind has reached a conclusion just as a fainting spell tries to rob him of his defence.
" What did you give us?" He thundered at Natsume who is slumped against his own seat with a blissful smile on his ashen face.
" There ~ is ~ no ~ hypnotist!" Takuya spit out each word with extreme difficulty. His neck is by now too weak to hold up his head.
" You poisoned ~ us!" Shingo cried just as his eyelids began to droop. With great effort he force them open again.
" Why?" Tsuyoshi asks although his words came out as a drunken slur.
" Very soon now ~" Natsume smiled sleepily.
They say at the brink of death, one's life replay itself to minute accuracy. Goro could see all the way far back into his childhood now, even without the help of a hypnotist to unlatch his suppressed memories. He realised too late why his childhood memories of Nakai were buried so deep. With a dejected sigh, he lost the last threads of his consciousness, knowing that the others will follow him soon.
