Chapter 1

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

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It was suddenly, almost shockingly abrupt.

As usual, I was sitting at my desk in the classroom, lost in thought.

“…!?”

Without warning, my vision wavered, and a strong dizziness pierced through the back of my head.

I quickly placed a hand on the desk, frowning as I held my head.

But instead of fading away, the dizziness only grew stronger… and stronger.

And then, the next moment.

Like a flood of flashbacks, long-forgotten memories poured into my mind.

—The laughter of childhood friends echoing through a park.

—A promise made while watching the sunset.

—And my own self from a time when everything was still pure.

What had been buried deep within my mind was now taking clear shape.

It was far too sudden for my mind and heart to keep up.

Yet the goosebumps running across my body, and the trembling deep in my head, told me something had undeniably changed.

Enduring the weight of these memories, I was slowly remembering who I had been.

I am Reita Kawakami.

A man who lost his memories in an accident four years ago.

After a year of confusion, I accepted that my memories would never return, and decided to start a second life three years ago.

I accepted my new self, my new environment, and completely cut off my attachment to the past, gradually regaining a stable daily life.

By now, I had already treated it as something from a distant past that had ended.

Or so I thought…

…to think I would remember it now, of all times.

And right after I ended up in the same class as all of my childhood friends.

Was this some kind of prank from God? Or something like fate?

It was possible that being in the same class had triggered something in me… but either way, it was an entirely unexpected event.

“…For now, I should go tell them.”

I did want to sort out my thoughts first, but more than anything, I wanted to tell my childhood friends as soon as possible.

Most of the memories I had regained were the days I spent with them.

Irreplaceable memories that would never fade.

What kind of expressions would they make when they heard my memories had returned?

Would they be happy? Would they cry?

Could we go back to how things used to be…?

Thinking like that, I stood up from my seat.

And then—

“Yo, Reita.”

Suddenly, a rough-looking brown-haired boy stepped in front of me, blocking my path as he called out.

Sharp eyes, a messy uniform, and the unmistakable aura of a delinquent… Ryosuke Yamanobe.

“Ryosuke… what do you want?”

Looking at his face, I felt as if I was pulled back into reality.

He's a long-time acquaintance from middle school.

Before I knew it, three years had passed. Now we saw each other almost every day.

We messed around together, did stupid things, and got scolded for it—that kind of relationship.

Even after entering high school, nothing really changed. We still caused trouble around us daily.

More like “bad friends” than just friends.

“Wanna go get lunch,” Ryosuke said, trying to drag me to the cafeteria as usual.

It was our habit to eat together, but today was different.

I had to go see my childhood friends as soon as possible.

“Sorry, I've got something to do.”

“Huh? Just leave that for later.”

“No, it's important.”

I brushed him off, saying I didn't have time.

But Ryosuke looked at me suspiciously.

“…Huh? Something's off with you today.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like… you've got this weird-a*s vibe.”

“…What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

It was probably because my revived memories were mixing with my current personality.

The present me was the kind of guy who would easily skip out on plans without thinking.

So if I suddenly said something seriously like “I've got something important,” it must have sounded strange to him.

…Still, maybe I should calm down first.

Honestly, I had been acting on impulse because of how shocking everything was.

Seeing his face helped me settle down a bit.

In this messy state, I might just end up making my childhood friends uncomfortable too.

And more importantly…

There was also the question of whether they would even accept the “current me.”

I had changed a lot since back then.

And not for the better…

I didn't think they would be happy to see someone like me.

Besides, now that I thought about it, what was I even trying to do by suddenly remembering?

To be honest, my connection with those childhood friends had already been completely severed.

If I went up to them all excited like, “Hey, my memories are back!” and they just responded with “Oh,” or “So what?”… I'd probably cry.

I knew they weren't that cold, but four years had passed.

It wouldn't be strange if I had already become just a forgotten name in the corner of their memories.

And above all…

It was me who cut ties with them in the first place.

So what kind of face was I supposed to make when meeting them now?

“…Guess I'll go to the cafeteria.”

The surge of emotion faded just as quickly as it had come.

And so, I walked toward the cafeteria with Ryosuke.