I ran back to the mountain.

  The moment I heard them saying my name to Ly Giai, I couldn't bear it anymore. My heart was not strong enough to hear how she would react when hearing that Grass, that horrible of a human being, was me.

  This time, I ran straight back to the mountain, not stopping or turning my head a single time.

  Once I got back to where I was, I began to cry.

  No, I sobbed.

  "I shouldn't go down," I regret. "My image in her was good, but now... I've destroyed it." I kept repeating and beating my chest.

  I imagined what Ly Giai's face would look like when she heard that Grass was me. The disgust she would show. The urge to puke once she realized she had lived days with a rapist. I couldn't stop seeing those images in my head.

  Even when night came, I continued sobbing. There was no one left on this mountain anyway. I was the only person left. So why should I stop crying?

  I held my legs tight to my chest and looked down the village. "I..." my voice cracked from the crying. "I... couldn't remember..." I mumbled among the loneliness.

  When I came to South City, I was as shocked as everyone when I saw myself on the posters. Before I could understand anything, people started chasing me and beating me up.

  Throughout the years, I've just accepted that their hatred was justified, that I was a criminal even though I couldn't remember anything.

  "Tell me! Did you really do that!" I banged my head on a tree, forcing myself to remember.

  "Something! Anything! Why can't I remember anything!" I hopelessly yelled while blood flowed down from my forehead.

  "Why can't I remember anything?" I collapsed to the ground, sobbing. The pain and suffering were unbearable. "Am I guilty?"

  My body fell, and my eyes fixed on the sun changing its color from yellow to red to orange.

  I watch as it slowly comes down the horizon, disappearing.

  "Take me with you," I exhaustedly whispered and lost consciousness.

  ...

  ...

  ...

  "Am I dead?" Was my first thought as I tiredly opened my eyes.

  Darkness was the only I saw. I thought I was already dead at first, but it was just midnight.

  "Don't give me false hope like that," I chuckled bitterly.

  Still lying on the ground with no reason to get up, I stared down the village.

  "No light, no sound, no movement. They must be evacuated with the villagers already. That means..."

  "That means... no more Ly Giai."

  I said and covered my eyes, laughing, "Haha. I never knew I was such a crybaby."

  ...

  "Why are you crying?"

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  My tears stopped. "There shouldn't be anyone left on this mountain."

  I quickly wiped my eyes and looked to see who was talking. I couldn't believe my eyes.

  "Ly Giai?"

  "Yes, Do? What's wrong?" Ly Giai replied. She breathed heavily from just coming up the mountain. I was speechless seeing her put down a heavy bag and come sit beside me.

  My heart was filled with joy and happiness. "Are you real?" I asked out loud, not just to her, but to myself as well.

  Ly Giai tilted her head a bit. Confused, she held my hand and said, "Yes, I'm real."

  "A real hand," I mumbled, smiling, still couldn't process the reality. "I'm not hallucinating. You are the real Ly Giai. You..."

  | "What is this Grass's name?"

  | "Do. That's his name."

  I immediately took my hand back and crawled back to a corner of a tree. I hid my face and spoke uncontrollably, "You... you know who I am now... Go! Go away! Don't come here!"

  A long silence fell on me as I waited for a response, but there was nothing.

  I slowly let my hands down and opened my eyes, thinking Ly Giai had quietly left. But she was still sitting there, facing me. The moon was behind her so I couldn't see her face. But after a while of seeing her not moving, I became worried.

  "Ly... Ly Giai? Are you alright?" I reached out.

  But she didn't react. Her figure was still amidst the windy night. Her dancing hair was the only part of her that was alive.

  I slowly moved back to check on her.

  "Ly Giai?" I called, but no response.

  I moved a bit closer.

  "Ly Giai?" Again, no response.

  A bit closer.

  "Ly Giai. Can you hear me?" I asked. Nothing.

  By then, all my fears went away. I stood up and ran to her.

  Shaking her shoulders I yelled, "Ly Giai! What's wrong!? Why are you not responding!?"

  And by that time, when I was close enough that the moon couldn't hide her face anymore, I realized. The whole time, she was crying.

  "Why... Why are you crying?" I was scared and afraid. I couldn't bear to see her cry. I wiped her tears and looked her in the eyes. "Did something happen?"

  Ly Giai, with her gaze that was partly confused, sorrowful, and angered, asked, "Why are you avoiding me?"

  "A... avoid you!?" I was shocked. "I would never avoid you!"

  "Then why did you run away just now?" she sulked.

  "That was... I thought..." Each time I wanted to explain, my throat stuck. "Ly Giai, why are you here? Don't you know who I am?" My eyes looked to the ground as I asked.

  "Who are you?" she asked back.

  I smiled bitterly. "Why did you ask when you already know the answer? Didn't they tell you? I'm Grass."

  Ly Giai shook her head. "You are not Grass."

  I laughed, "You can't just deny reality like that. I'm Grass. I know it. They know it... And now, you know it too."

  "Do, look at me," she softly said.

  I turned and locked her eyes. They were so warm, so gentle. For some reason, I teared up again.

  "Tell me, are you Grass?" Ly Giai asked softly.

  I shook my head while wiping my tears, "I don't know! I really don't know! I couldn't remember anything!"

  Ly Giai smiled. She wrapped her hands around me and placed her head on my shoulder. "They say that you sexually assaulted a lady, but you never placed your hands on me. So how could I believe you are Grass."

  "You came back just because of that?" I was shocked. "You are too naive Ly Giai. What if..." I shut my mouth instantly.

  Ly Giai lifted her head and looked at me, "What if?"

  "Wha... what if my memories came back... and that I am Grass? You... will be in danger."

  "Why would I be in danger?" she asked again. I could see the slight smirk on her face.

  "What... Whatever! You know what I mean!"

  Ly Giai shook her head, acting clueless. "I don't know what you are talking about."

  We looked at each other for some time then both busted laughing. Somehow, Ly Giai made all the awkwardness and negative feelings go a way with just a few words.

  "Did the people from South City not try to stop you from leaving?" I asked.

  "They would. That's why I traveled with them to the next mountain and waited until the night when they slept, so I could quietly leave," she replied.

  "That must have been tiring from so much walking," I felt bad.

  "And the first thing you did was running away from me?" she sulked again.

  "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," I said honestly with all my heart.

  She switched smiling in an instant, "Apology accepted."

  "By the way, are you going to continue holding me like this?" I asked as her hands were still around me.

  "Do you hate it?"

  "I don't not like it," I replied cheekily.

  We smiled and let us both feel the warmth of the other person.

  "But seriously, Ly Giai, are you sure you want to stay with me?" I asked softly.

  "Yes," she said without hesitation.

  "I'm sure you will regret it."

  "If you happen to be Grass?"

  I shook my head, "Even if I'm not. Many people hate me. Ly Giai, you are a respected person. Being with me will turn others against you."

  Ly Giai smiled, as if nothing I said weighed on her at all, "You saved my life, Do. Without you, I would still be under that well, rotting away. I will stay with you, no matter what people think."

  I put my hand on her hair and gently brushed it. "Thank you Ly Giai, for trusting me."

  In return, she patted my back. "Thank you Do, for saving me."