THE LOVE WE NEVER FORGET

EPISODE SIX

The Memory

Juliet Brian remained frozen beside her desk.

The phone was still pressed against her ear even though the call had already ended.

You're finally remembering.

The words echoed in her mind.

Who was that man?

And what exactly was she supposed to remember?

Juliet slowly lowered the phone.

Her eyes moved toward the photograph lying on the floor.

She bent down and picked it up.

Six children.

Seven names.

She stared at the seventh name again.

Lucas Vale.

Something about it felt familiar.

Not familiar like a name she had heard recently.

Familiar like something buried deep inside her.

Something she had once known.

She closed her eyes.

Another flash came.

A little boy standing in front of her.

He was crying.

"Juliet, don't tell anyone."

She opened her eyes immediately.

Her breathing became uneven.

"Who are you?"

The room was silent.

She looked around as though someone might answer.

Nothing.

Then there was a knock on her door.

Juliet quickly hid the photograph inside her notebook.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

Julius.

She swallowed.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Julius King, the confident twenty-one-year-old main vocalist of their group, stepped inside. He was carrying two cups of hot chocolate.

"I brought you this."

Juliet smiled faintly.

"Thank you."

He handed one to her.

Then he noticed her expression.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

Julius stared at her.

"Don't."

She frowned.

"Don't what?"

"Use my answer against me."

Juliet almost smiled.

"You said it first."

"Exactly."

He sat beside her.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Julius looked at her carefully.

"Are you okay?"

Juliet hesitated.

"I got a strange call."

His expression immediately changed.

"What kind of call?"

"Someone called from an unknown number."

"What did they say?"

Juliet looked down.

"They said..."

She stopped.

Julius waited.

"They said I was finally remembering."

His fingers tightened around the cup.

"Remembering what?"

"I don't know."

Julius stared at her.

He suddenly remembered the message he had received.

Ask Juliet what happened when you were children.

His heart began pounding.

"Did they mention a name?"

Juliet looked at him.

"Why?"

"Just answer me."

She hesitated.

"Lucas."

Julius went completely still.

Juliet noticed.

"You know that name."

He looked away.

"No."

"Julius."

"I don't."

"You're lying."

He sighed.

Then he pulled out his phone.

He showed her the photograph.

Juliet's eyes widened.

"You have one too?"

"Yes."

She reached for it.

"It's the same."

Julius nodded.

"I found it yesterday."

"Where?"

"Director Vale had it."

Juliet's expression changed.

"He had one?"

"He had a file about me."

"A file?"

"Yes."

Juliet stared at him.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Neither of them spoke.

Then Juliet slowly opened her notebook.

She pulled out her photograph.

Julius looked at the back.

His eyes widened.

The same seven names.

"Lucas Vale," he whispered.

Juliet nodded.

"Who is he?"

"I don't know."

Julius looked at her.

"But someone thinks we should."

---

The next morning, the six friends met in the cafeteria.

Jaden Knight was eating breakfast like he hadn't eaten in days.

Joan Robbert stared at him.

"You're going to make yourself sick."

Jaden shrugged.

"Food is important."

Jessica Coal laughed.

"You're impossible."

Jake Williams wasn't paying attention to their argument.

He was looking at Julius and Juliet.

They were unusually quiet.

Jake finally asked,

"What's going on?"

Julius looked at him.

"Nothing."

Jake sighed.

"Again?"

Jaden looked between them.

"Okay, everybody is acting strange."

Joan nodded.

"I noticed too."

Jessica looked at Juliet.

"Are you okay?"

Juliet smiled.

"I'm fine."

Jaden put down his fork.

"Nobody is fine."

Everyone looked at him.

He shrugged.

"What? I've known you people too long."

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Julius placed his phone on the table.

"We need to talk."

Jake leaned forward.

"About what?"

Julius looked around.

"Lucas Vale."

The reaction was immediate.

Joan's smile disappeared.

Jessica's eyes widened.

Jake slowly put down his cup.

Jaden frowned.

"Who?"

Juliet looked at the others.

"You've heard that name before?"

Jake shook his head.

"No."

Jessica looked confused.

"Why would we?"

Joan looked at Julius.

"What's going on?"

Julius showed them the photograph.

The table became silent.

Jaden picked it up.

"That's us."

"Yes," Julius said.

"And who's this?"

He pointed at the seventh name.

"Lucas Vale."

Nobody answered.

Jake examined the photograph carefully.

"Where did you get this?"

"Director Vale."

Jake's expression changed.

"Adrian Vale?"

Julius nodded.

Jake leaned back.

"Then we have a problem."

Jaden frowned.

"Why?"

"Because his surname is Vale too."

Nobody had considered that.

Juliet looked at Julius.

Julius looked back.

"Exactly."

---

After breakfast, the six friends went to the library.

Jake searched through the academy's public records.

Nothing.

No Lucas Vale.

No old student.

No former performer.

Nothing.

Jaden leaned over his shoulder.

"Maybe he never attended Harmonia."

Jake shook his head.

"Then why does the academy have his photograph?"

"Maybe he's Adrian's son."

Joan looked at him.

"Then why would his name be connected to us?"

Jaden opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

"Good question."

Jessica turned toward Juliet.

"Did you remember anything else?"

Juliet hesitated.

"I saw him."

"Lucas?"

She nodded.

"In a memory."

Everyone became quiet.

"What happened?" Julius asked gently.

Juliet closed her eyes.

"I don't know."

She tried again.

"I saw six children."

Jaden leaned forward.

"Us?"

"Yes."

"What were we doing?"

She shook her head.

"I don't remember."

"Try."

Juliet closed her eyes.

A flash.

A hallway.

A locked door.

A little boy.

Julius crying.

She opened her eyes.

"He told me not to tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?" Jessica asked.

"I don't know."

Juliet touched her forehead.

"My head hurts."

Julius immediately moved closer.

"That's enough."

"But—"

"No."

His voice was gentle but firm.

"Don't force yourself."

Juliet looked at him.

Something about the concern in his eyes made her chest ache.

"Thank you."

Julius smiled.

"Always."

Jaden watched them.

He looked at Joan.

Joan looked at him.

Neither said anything.

But both were thinking the same thing.

Those two were definitely hiding something.

---

That afternoon, the six friends were called into the director's office.

Adrian Vale stood behind his desk.

His expression was unreadable.

"I understand you've been asking questions."

Julius stepped forward.

"About Lucas."

Adrian's eyes hardened.

"I told you not to mention that name."

"Why?"

"Because it has nothing to do with your training."

Julius placed the photograph on the desk.

"Then why do you have this?"

Adrian looked at it.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Juliet stepped forward.

"And why do I have the same photograph?"

Adrian looked at her.

Something changed in his expression.

"You have one?"

Juliet nodded.

Adrian slowly walked around the desk.

"Where did you get it?"

"It was in my notebook."

"Who gave it to you?"

"I don't know."

Adrian stared at her.

Then he looked at Julius.

"You shouldn't have come here."

Julius frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Adrian looked toward the door.

"Because someone has already started looking for you."

A cold silence filled the room.

Jake asked,

"Who?"

Adrian didn't answer.

Instead, he opened a drawer and removed another photograph.

He placed it on the desk.

It showed the same six children.

But this photograph was different.

There was a seventh child standing behind them.

A little boy.

Juliet stepped closer.

Her heart stopped.

She knew that face.

Not from a photograph.

Not from a story.

From her memory.

"That's him," she whispered.

Julius looked at her.

"Lucas?"

Juliet nodded slowly.

Adrian watched her carefully.

"You remember him."

Juliet's hands began trembling.

"I..."

Another memory struck.

A little girl crying.

A boy holding her hand.

A door opening.

A man's voice shouting.

Then Lucas whispering:

"Promise me you'll forget."

Juliet gasped.

She grabbed Julius' arm.

"Julius..."

He held her.

"What is it?"

She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes.

"I remember."

Everyone stared at her.

"What do you remember?" Jessica asked.

Juliet looked at the photograph.

Then at Adrian.

Then at Julius.

Her voice barely came out.

"Lucas wasn't our friend."

The room went silent.

Juliet swallowed.

"He was..."

She suddenly stopped.

Her eyes widened.

A memory she had never seen before was coming back.

A hospital.

A woman crying.

Six children being separated.

And Julius standing beside her, screaming her name.

Then the memory vanished.

Juliet stumbled backward.

Julius caught her.

"Juliet!"

She looked at him, terrified.

"There was a hospital."

Adrian's face went pale.

Julius noticed.

"You know what she's talking about."

Adrian didn't answer.

Julius stepped forward.

"Tell me!"

The director finally looked at him.

And for the first time since they had met him...

Adrian Vale looked afraid.

"Because if Juliet remembers everything..."

He glanced at the photograph.

"...the six of you may finally discover why you were brought together."

A loud crash suddenly came from the hallway.

Everyone turned toward the door.

Someone had been listening.

Julius rushed outside.

The hallway was empty.

Except for one thing.

A small envelope lay on the floor.

Julius picked it up.

His name was written across the front.

He opened it.

Inside was a single photograph.

Julius stared at it.

It showed him and Juliet as children.

Standing together.

Holding hands.

But on the back was a message written in red ink:

"You were never supposed to remember each other."