Dangerous Identity 2

Sento and Sawa met downtown the following day, their rendezvous set amidst the vibrant pulse of the city. They found a spot beneath the sprawling metro tracks, where the rumble of trains added a dynamic soundtrack to the already bustling atmosphere of Touto.

It was a lively day, with throngs of people weaving through the streets, their movements painting a vivid tapestry of urban life. Sento scanned the surroundings, taking in the sea of faces and the kaleidoscope of activity that surrounded them, while Sawa casually leaned against a sleek glass partition, her gaze drawn to the serene pond on the other side. This little oasis shimmered under the sun's warm glow, a stark contrast to the concrete giants that towered overhead.

Touto was known for its thoughtful integration of nature within the urban landscape, with many beautifully designed green spaces like this pond scattered throughout the city. These pockets of tranquility were meticulously maintained, providing a much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle, breaking up the monotony of gray concrete and elegantly accentuating the towering skyscrapers that defined the city's skyline.

More importantly, they served as a nice distraction from the Skywall that defined Touto's border.

"How do you even know that they know me?" 

Sento took a break from looking at the crowd to walk over and question Sawa.

The prior night, she had burst into Café Nascita with the bombshell information, claiming that she had found someone that recognized Sento's face.

Sawa clicked a few spots on her phone and brought up an image of the man in question.

"I was showing your picture around..."

She turned the phone around for Sento to take a look. The screen lit up with a snapshot that immediately elicited a chuckle from him. The image was of Sento sitting down, wearing his beige trench coat, to top it off he must have been excited that day, his hair was standing on end near the back of his head. He also had a goofy grin plastered across his face.

"...The owner of a music venue helped me find one of your band members."

Sento's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"What!? I had a band!?!"

Sawa nodded her head in confirmation. "Yeah, you sure did, you were in it with Tatsuya Kishida, an underclassmen from your school days."

"Bro!" 

A loud, squeaky voice called out in Sento and Sawa's direction.

A short, chubby man with an afro was grinning widely, looking right at Sento. He had a black tank top on, with a set of orange coveralls overtop, the coverall sleeves were tied around his waist. The odd looking guy had on some flashy red glasses, a dog collar with a bell and to top it off, his feet were showcasing a set of green crocs.

When he noticed that Sento had seen him he got extra excited, jumping up in the air and pumping his hands. "BRO!"

He started sprinting towards Sawa and Sento, repeatedly calling out. "Bro! Bro!"

The man nearly twisted his ankle as he ran, bumping into random strangers as he tried to get to Sento. "Oh, sorry, sorry!"

He went full tilt at Sento, still screaming 'Bro' at the top of his lungs. Arms went wide open for an embrace as he neared.

Sento's reflexes kicked in just in time. As the eccentric man raced towards him, a whirlwind of excitement with his arms outstretched, Sento felt a rush of adrenaline. "Bro! Bro!" echoed in the vibrant air as people turned to glance at the unfolding spectacle.

In a split second, Sento strategically grabbed one of the man's arms and executed a seamless judo toss, sending him gently but firmly to the ground. The unexpected move caught everyone off guard, and a loud "Whoa!" rippled through the small crowd nearby.

The man landed softly, his face still lighting up with excitement despite the sudden change in momentum. He looked up at Sento, momentarily surprised but instantly bursting into laughter. "Dude! That was awesome!" he exclaimed. He laid on the ground and looked up at the sky for a few moments before getting back to his feet. 

...

"Taro Satou?!" Sento repeated what the funny looking chubby fella in front of him had just said.

Tatsuya leaned in close and poked him in the chest. "That's right! That's your name bro!" Sento, shook his head and tried to absorb this new information, this wasn't exactly what he had been expecting.

"Come on, follow me!" Tatsuya started leading them away from the bustling downtown area into a more secluded part of town, full of older apartments and aged duplexes. They walked down a long set of stairs, Sawa caught up to Sento and curiously asked, "So Sento Kiryu isn't your real name?"

Sento shrugged, "Nah, the shop owner named me that. When he took me in I had no ID... But, man... Taro Satou? Doesn't ring a bell at all."

Sawa giggled, thinking that maybe if not a bell, a different instrument.

Tatsuya paused and turned back to look at Sento, "Wow, you really did lose your memory...maybe this will change that! We're here! Check it out Bro!"

His afro bounced up and down as he pointed at the tiny little duplex they were standing in front of.

"This is the apartment we lived in together! Well, I still live here anyways." He started heading up the stairs at he front of the building towards the open door.

Sento looked the decrepit place up and down, his eyebrow raising. "No way... really?"

...

Inside, Tatsuya turned a key in one of the doors, popping it open. "Come on Bro! Right this way...Welcome home Bro!"

As they entered the room, Sento and Sawa recoiled at the overwhelming stench that hit them like a thick wall of decay. It was the sort of smell that clung to your nostrils and made your stomach turn. Tatsuya, however, seemed blissfully unaffected, his expression excited rather than disgusted.

"Wow, this place is a mess," Sawa coughed, pinching her nose with one hand while trying to wave away the offensive odor with the other. The sight was almost surreal; garbage bags spilled over like they were bursting at the seams, and remnants of forgotten meals dotted every surface. The floor was nearly invisible beneath the layers of refuse, each step crunching ominously on hidden debris.

"Is that… is that mold?" Sento grimaced, eyeing a suspiciously darkened corner where remnants of old food mingled with the bags, creating a mystifying patchwork of unappetizing aromas. "Who lives like this?"

With a shrug, Tatsuya stepped further inside, seemingly comfortable rather than repulsed. "You do Bro! Well, it's definitely been like this for a while, but look at all the cool stuff!" He gestured toward a shelf crammed with old electronics, comic books, and various knick-knacks, each draped in a layer of dust that only added to the sense of neglect.

"What could possibly be cool about this place?" Sawa replied, grimacing as she gingerly stepped over a toppled pizza box. "It looks like a hoarder's nightmare, absolutely filthy!"

Tatsuya grinned, peering into one of the garbage bags as if searching for treasure. "Sometimes the best finds are hidden in the mess," he said, a twinkle in his eye. "You never know what you'll uncover...So, are you remembering anything?"

"No...All I know is that I wouldn't want to live here! I'm a clean freak."

Sento gazed around the cluttered, disgusting room, trying to jog his memory. "This really can't be right, there's now wa..."

He stopped mid-sentence as his gaze landed on one of the walls. On it, at least twelve or more posters and pictures of different sizes were hanging there, all with a similar theme. It was a band of four members and in every picture, Sento was front and center, holding a guitar in his hands. He was wearing a red set of coveralls with the zipper partially open, his hair was spiked into five or six big clumps and one of those clumps covered his left eye. It was unmistakably his face.

Sawa noticed the posters at this point too, and skipped over several garbage bags to take a better look.

"You really were in a band!"

Tatsuya piped up, excited that they had finally seen the proof that Sento was his 'Bro'. "Were called 'Lynks!' Yeah! Pretty stellar, right?"

Sawa's eyes widened in excitement. "There's no doubt about it!"

Tatsuya stepped past a old blanket on the ground, nearly tripping on it as he approached Sento. "Bro, you always used to say...'If the band's a hit, I wanna marry a newscaster chick, eat a thousand beer bowls with eggs, and buy up 1000 buildings!"

Sawa tapped Tatsuya rapidly on the shoulder. "Wait, question."

"Yeah?"

"When did Taro Satou disappear?"

Tatsuya thought about it for a few moments, his pupils looking towards the ceiling as he counted in his head. "Umm...I think it was September 5th, yeah."

Sento looked shocked when he heard the date being mentioned. "That's the same day the owner found me."