It worries at him, though, hovering at the edge of his thoughts, and he can't leave it alone. Perfectly free and clear to go on with the rest of his life like the Game never happened, and maybe that's what he's supposed to do even if he's still seeing – what, ghosts? Aftershocks? Neku can't do it, can't walk away even if he's been blatantly given the out, and when he meets Shiki and Eri for lunch the next day he's fighting to keep his voice casual, focusing on the flavorless burger in his hand.

"You know Shiki, just yesterday, I was trying to remember – did I bump into you in the record store? The first time we met?"

Hachiko's statue, it was Hachiko's statue and he still doesn't like going there, watching more than one ghostly, frantic face searching the crowd for a partner. Seeing the bright, blinding jolt of light that binds them together, just as dazzling from the outside as it had been to stand in it. - and then there'd been a girl, one time, desperately looking, panicked, and Neku had looked too, but hadn't seen anyone nearby.

He'd been walking towards her, no idea what good it could do but unable to stop himself. Halfway across, the crowd surged, and she disappeared from sight. By the time Neku had gotten clear, pushed to the other side, there was no sign of her, nothing at all, and he'd sat by the statue for a while trying not to feel miserable.

"Oh, wow." Shiki frowns, honestly thinking back, before she shrugs and smiles. "You know, I don't even remember. It's been so long."

Which is total crap, he didn't know her a month ago and even then for barely a week, but Neku only shrugs and changes the subject. He asks a few more questions here and there, if Beat's ever heard of Reapers – "what, man, like that stupid fortune telling thing people used to play?" – or what happened to Def March – "there was some fight and I heard they all split up" – and there's his answer, and he can stop whenever he wants. No one remembers the Game, no one remembers what happened, and Neku feels something sour twist in his stomach but he can't help asking the last question, has to hear the answer.

"Hey, did I ever introduce you to Joshua?"

He's not that surprised, that neither Beat nor Shiki have any idea what he's talking about, but he is surprised by the sudden, sharp rush of anger, so violent it leaves his hands shaking. How could the prissy bastard do something so stupid, and selfish? Yank himself out of everyone's memories, like they didn't have the right to know him, like he wasn't worth remembering? Some kind of gift, to forget him. An old ache there, from even before the game, and Neku shoves it to the side, not willing to give Joshua more than he's earned.

"Neku?" Shiki, worried again, and Neku has to force his hands out of fists, to manage a smile that doesn't really fit, but if Shiki suspects anything she doesn't push him – and what could he tell her, anyway? They've moved on, obviously, and he's sure as hell not going to ruin their second chance.