Act 1: If I Were to Repeat My Mistakes
That day was especially hot.
It was a late July afternoon. With my formal marriage greeting to Uncle just around the corner, I was feeling one of the most intense bouts of nervousness in my life.
The setting was a high-class ryotei, in an elegantly traditional tatami room. Just being in a place like this—a place I had only ever seen in dramas and thought I’d never have any connection to—made my nerves even worse.
I suppose I had no one to blame but myself. After all, I was the one who chose this restaurant. Yuzuhana had told me, “You’re overthinking it,” and “A cheaper place would be fine,” but given the purpose of this meeting, I wanted to do it right.
Of course, with the wedding coming up—a far more expensive event—I should have been saving money. But this was a major milestone in life, so I was determined to go all out.
Naturally, I had put effort into my appearance as well. Yuzuhana had said, “You have your work suit, so you don’t need to buy a new one,” but in the end, she accompanied me and took her time helping me choose the perfect suit with great care.
Everything was prepared. All that was left was to wait for Uncle’s arrival… but the thought of finally facing him made my stomach ache from nerves.
“…Hey, are you okay?”
“What?”
“You look pale. If your stomach hurts, you should go to the restroom now while you can.”
“I’m fine.”
“…Alright. But don’t push yourself, okay? We can always reschedule if we have to.”
“It’d be rude to make him come all the way here for nothing.”
“I’ll talk to my dad about it. Honestly, being late to such an important meeting is what’s really rude.”
“The roads are probably just congested. I don’t mind waiting.”
We were supposed to have already met thirty minutes ago, but whether it was a delayed train or traffic, Uncle still hadn’t arrived. Even when Yuzuhana tried contacting him, there was no response.
This would be my first time meeting Uncle.
I had been so nervous that my stomach had been hurting for three days straight. And sure, I did feel like I needed to go to the restroom, but if we ended up missing each other and I kept him waiting, it would leave a bad impression. Since I had already gone to such lengths in choosing the location and my attire, I wanted everything to go perfectly until the very end.
…Still, he was really late.
“Maybe I should’ve gone to meet him at the station after all?”
“There’s no need. Dad said he’d come on his own.”
“But wouldn’t it have made a better impression if I had?”
“You’re worrying too much. Right now, Kohei, you look like the perfect young gentleman. In fact, you’re such a good young gentleman that you’re starting to turn pale.”
Yuzuhana spoke in a teasing tone, maybe trying to ease my nerves. Thanks to her, I felt a little more relaxed.
She really is kind. I love the way she looks, of course, but more than anything, I love what’s inside.
I love her with all my heart. I want to marry her, no matter what.
I want to marry her and spend a lifetime of happiness together.
For that reason, I need to earn Uncle’s approval.
Yuzuhana had mentioned it before—how it was her dream to express her gratitude to him at the wedding.
Uncle raised his daughter all on his own. From what I’ve heard, he’s truly a great father. Of course, she would want to thank him. Even I feel grateful to him.
Thank you for raising your daughter so wonderfully.
From now on, I will make her happy.
I want to convey those feelings and receive his blessing for our future.
That’s why I’ve spent so much time preparing for today. I may be nervous, but more than anything, I want to greet him properly and ask for his permission to marry her as soon as possible.
As if responding to my determination, I heard footsteps approaching… There was a brief pause before the sliding door opened.
My first impression was fear.
A wrestler-like physique, radiating raw strength… and more than anything, an overwhelming sense of intimidation. It wasn’t just his sharp gaze. Yuzuhana’s eyes are sharp too, but she’s not scary.
The difference was in the emotion behind them.
Unlike the photo I had seen before, Uncle’s hawk-like eyes now burned with fury.
Even before he spoke a word, I could feel it. The heavy aura of anger surrounding him made his thoughts crystal clear.
"I have no intention of accepting you."
I instinctively shrank back. But… this was all just my own assumption. It had to be.
It’s our first meeting, and we haven’t even exchanged greetings yet.
First impressions are crucial in situations like these.
I quickly stood up and bowed deeply.
“Thank you very much for coming all this way today! My name is Kurose Kohei, and I have the honor of dating Yuzuhana-san!”
My voice cracked from nervousness, but at least I managed to get through it without stumbling.
First hurdle cleared.
Now, I just needed to wait for Uncle’s greeting, hand over the gift, engage in some light conversation, and then bring up the main topic.
I had chosen his favorite snack as a gift based on what Yuzuhana told me. I had even prepared a few casual conversation topics. If everything went according to plan, by the time we got to the main subject, the atmosphere would be much more relaxed.
At least, that’s what I thought—
“I don’t need your greeting. I came here to take my daughter back.”
“…Huh?”
His cold words left me stunned, and a foolish-sounding noise escaped my lips.
I looked up in confusion… only to be met with Uncle’s glare, filled with open hostility.
“W-Wait, take her back…?”
“Dad! What the hell are you saying all of a sudden!? That’s beyond rude!”
As Yuzuhana tried to mediate, Uncle spoke with an air of indignation.
“I don’t care what this man thinks of me! As long as it’s for Yuzuhana’s happiness, that’s all that matters!”
Taking her back for her happiness…?
That’s basically the same as saying that marrying me would make her unhappy.
I always thought the whole “I won’t give you my daughter” thing was just fiction. Never in my life did I expect it to happen to me.
Faced with a reality so different from what I had imagined in my mental rehearsals, I panicked. The stress and shock made my eyes sting with tears.
“…Hmph. Crying over something like this? How pathetic. You’re far too immature to be getting married.”
“T-That’s… isn’t that a little harsh? You don’t even know anything about me yet…”
“I already know enough. Enough to see that you can’t make my daughter happy. Now, come, Yuzuhana!”
Uncle grabbed Yuzuhana’s wrist.
“H-Hey! Dad—”
“S-Stop it!”
“Stay out of this!”
When I tried to pull them apart, Uncle shoved me aside with his hand.
With a dull thud, his palm struck my chest, sending me stumbling into the table.
Tea spilled everywhere.
The suit Yuzuhana had carefully picked out for me was soaked through—
“You’ve gotta be kidding me! What the hell is wrong with you!?”
My head burned with anger. Before I realized it, I had grabbed Uncle by the collar.
“This is about my daughter’s future!”
“Then don’t resort to violence!”
“You’re the one who kept clinging on!”
“Of course I did! I’m going to marry her! I’m marrying Yuzuhana!”
“A weak man like you could never make my daughter happy!”
“What do you know about happiness!? You ruined what was supposed to be a special day! If anyone’s making Yuzuhana miserable, it’s you! You’re a failure as a father!”
A dull sound rang out.
For a moment, my vision went white.
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and I realized—I had been punched.
And before I knew it, I had punched back. (T/N: Damn)
Punching, being punched, Yuzuhana’s desperate cries of “Stop it, both of you!” echoed around us.
She pulled me away, and we left the ryotei behind—
*
“…This is the worst.”
The moment I wake up, a heavy sense of gloom settles over me.
Getting into a brawl with my wife’s father—it’s like a nightmare. But that wasn’t a dream. It really happened. Instead of receiving his blessing, I was completely rejected as a person, and the whole thing ended in bloodshed.
My pathetic punches didn’t faze Uncle in the slightest, and I was the only one who ended up bleeding… But the pain from that day still lingers vividly.
Not physical pain.
Emotional pain.
Having my marriage denied was painful, but more than anything, it hurt that I made Yuzuhana suffer.
Her husband and father became bitter enemies, shattering her dream of expressing her gratitude at the wedding.
Maybe if we’d had friends there, it could’ve distracted her a little. But it was a small, intimate ceremony with only family. Everyone there was a relative of mine—Yuzuhana had no one.
My family treated her like their own daughter, but because of me, she grew distant from her real family.
Yuzuhana told me, “I don’t mind, so you don’t have to either,” but of course, she minded. I carried that guilt with me the whole time… It wasn’t the direct cause of our divorce, but there was no doubt that day had cast a shadow over our marriage.
This time, in my second life, I swear I’ll make Yuzuhana truly happy.
But to do that, I need Uncle to accept me. And if we meet again, he’ll reject me just like before.
How am I supposed to change his mind…?
Besides… in the end, Uncle was right.
I couldn’t make Yuzuhana happy.
I used work as an excuse to neglect her. Before I knew it, we had grown apart. We started arguing over trivial things, constantly fighting—until we divorced.
I swore to myself that I would learn from my mistakes, but the fact that I had made her unhappy once could never be erased.
When Uncle looked me in the eye and said, "You're going to make my daughter miserable."—
Could I truly respond with confidence, "I will make her happy"?
Would he see right through my lack of confidence, reject me, and end up taking Yuzuhana’s family away from her again?
"...I should stop thinking about this."
The first time I meet him will be after I graduate from university.
Right now, I’ve only just entered high school. It’s a path I can’t avoid, but it’s way too early to feel this depressed over it.
Though my heart remains heavy, the room has brightened while I was lost in thought. A faint glow of daylight seeps through the curtains, and I can hear crows cawing outside.
I flip open my phone—seems like I could still sleep for another hour. But I need to head home to get ready, and I don’t feel like going back to sleep anyway. Might as well get up.
Careful not to wake Yuzuhana, I quietly slip out of bed.
After using the restroom and washing my face, I idly watch the morning news, and before I know it, thirty minutes have passed. It’s still a little early to wake her up, but since I’m already up, we might as well have breakfast together.
Having made up my mind, I step into the bedroom and call out to the sleeping Yuzuhana.
"Hey, it’s morning."
"……"
"Come on, let’s wake up and eat together."
"……"
She doesn’t wake up, so I pull the blanket off her and shake her shoulders gently.
At that, Yuzuhana slowly cracks her eyes open. She looks at me with a sleepy, unfocused gaze—
Then her eyes widen in shock.
"I-IEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"
"Whoa!? H-Hey, don’t just start screaming!"
"S-STOP! STOOOOOOOP!!"
Letting out a shriek, she rolls out of bed and dashes out of the bedroom as if running for her life.
I chase after her into the kitchen, only to find her brandishing a frying pan at me.
"D-Don’t come any closer!"
"Wait—stop swinging that! That’s dangerous!"
"W-What!? WHAT THE HELL!? Isn’t this place supposed to have auto-lock!?"
Why is she suddenly worried about the locks? Did she watch too much Leon last night and start seeing invisible intruders?
"Hey, calm down. It’s just me. There’s no one else here."
"IEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"I said calm down!"
"H-How the hell am I supposed to calm down!? How did you even get in here!? And WHY are you wearing my tracksuit!?"
Yuzuhana glares at me like I’m some kind of pervert. Her face is pale, tears brimming in her eyes, and her delicate shoulders are trembling.
Not to brag, but I’m weak. My appearance isn’t remotely intimidating, and even when Yuzuhana and I fought as a married couple, I was always the one overwhelmed—never the other way around.
Yuzuhana was looking at me in fear.
And not just any fear—her tone was as if a burglar had broken into her home.
"H-Hey... do you really not know who I am...?"
A terrible feeling crept into my mind. Clinging to a sliver of hope, I desperately asked her—
But Yuzuhana only glared at me, eyes filled with terror, and—
"Of course I don’t know you! Who the hell are you!?"
Her words struck me like a bolt of lightning. My mind went completely blank. The strength drained from my body, and I collapsed to my knees.
She remembers the tracksuit... but not me?
"Y-You're joking... right...?"
"I’m not joking! Get out of here! R-Right now, or I’ll call the police!"
"Are you serious!? You really don’t know who I am!?"
"I don’t know you!"
"It’s me! Kurose Kohei! Your boyfriend!"
"S-Stop it! You’re creeping me out!"
"D-Don’t say that...! I’m not some stalker... I’m your boyfriend... I swear...!"
Still on my knees, I tried to crawl toward her, but she wildly swung the frying pan in all directions.
"D-Don’t come any closer! P-Please, just get out!"
I couldn’t understand what was happening.
Why is she crying?
Why is she so afraid?
She wasn’t making that face yesterday.
She was all over me, telling me how much she loved me.
So why…? Why did she wake up and suddenly forget about me?
My mind is spiraling into panic. Please—just tell me this is a prank. A cruel one, sure, but I’ll forgive you. I won’t get mad.
I want to say that to her. But… Yuzuhana is genuinely terrified.
I don’t want to scare her any more than this.
I don’t want to see those fearful eyes staring at me any longer.
"O-Okay... I’ll go. I’ll leave..."
"H-Hurry up and get out!"
Urged on by Yuzuhana, who was still clutching the frying pan, I left the apartment, barely holding back tears.
As soon as I stepped out of the building, I stopped in place.
I wasn’t in any state to walk. More than that—I thought maybe, just maybe, Yuzuhana would come running after me.
But no matter how long I waited, she never appeared.
If this was a prank, she would’ve revealed it by now.
Then… as much as I don’t want to believe it—did she really lose her memories?
No, no way. That’s ridiculous… because losing memories like that… it doesn’t just happen.
Yuzuhana has an incredible memory—she scores perfect marks on tests. She used to rub her high scores in my face all the time.
So why the hell would she get amnesia!? That makes no sense! If anything, I should be the one losing my memories!
This has to be a joke! If she lost hers, then take mine too! Please, I’m begging you!
"Please... if this is a dream, let me wake up..."
I pinch my cheek as hard as I can. Pain shoots through me, but I don’t stop. I pinch harder.
I’m a deep sleeper—this little pain won’t wake me up.
If I pinch hard enough, hard enough to tear my cheek apart, then maybe I can escape this nightmare.
I’ll wake up, gasping for breath, and Yuzuhana will be right there, worriedly asking, "Did you have a bad dream?"
And yet—
"Ugh... damn it! Damn it! Damn it, damn it! Why won’t I wake up!? Wake up already! Hurry up and wake up! This has to be a dream!"
There’s no way this is real.
There’s no way all of our memories could just disappear overnight.
"Are you okay, dear?"
As I sat there, tears streaming down my face while tugging at my cheek, an old lady walking her dog spoke to me with concern.
It was our first time talking, but I knew who she was. I remembered Yuzuhana teasing me once, saying, "That dog is more fashionable than you are."
The thought that I’d never hear her playful jabs again made my lips tremble, and the tears wouldn’t stop.
"D-Did something happen? Does your stomach hurt?"
"No, don’t worry… really, it’s nothing…"
Nothing would change if I stayed here. Moving wouldn’t fix anything either, but… if I stuck around, I’d eventually run into Yuzuhana again.
If she screamed at me, looked at me like I was some kind of stalker again… I don’t think I could take it.
Wiping my tears away, I walked away from the apartment.
Under the bright sunlight, I dragged my heavy feet all the way home.
"I’m home..."
"Welcome back, big bro!"
In stark contrast to my miserable mood, Sana greeted me with a beaming smile.
My little sister, a second-year middle schooler starved for romance gossip, was beyond curious about her brother coming home in the morning.
"Spending the night out—now that’s youth! So, what’d you guys do?"
"Nothing special..."
We had dinner together, watched some anime, took separate baths, and slept next to each other. Just normal couple stuff.
So why… why did she forget everything?
"Hey… I am Kurose Kohei, right?"
"What’s with the weird question? Of course you are. You’re just you, big bro."
Sana gave me a confused look.
At the very least, it wasn’t like all of humanity had forgotten Kurose Kōhei.
The only one who changed… was Yuzuhana.
If anything, even if the whole world forgot about me, I wanted Yuzuhana to be the one who remembered.
We promised to be happy together, but now she’s forgotten me… They say that as long as you make up after a fight, everything will be fine.
But what am I supposed to do about this?
"Hey… just hypothetically, what would you do if I forgot about you, Sana?"
"I’d smack you until you remembered."
"I’m not an old TV, you know…"
"Then I’d tell you stories. Like the time you stepped in dog poop the first day you wore your new shoes, or when you pretended my training-wheeled bike was a motorcycle and broke your arm."
"Not exactly fond memories…"
"It’s called shock therapy."
"Pretty sure that’s not how it works… Wait, I did that?"
"Yeah, you did. You were little, but I remember. You were going, ‘Extreme cornering!’ and shifting your body side to side… then you fell and broke your arm."
"Ah… yeah, now that you mention it."
I remembered breaking my arm during summer break in second grade, but I’d forgotten how it happened.
Maybe I was so embarrassed that I managed to block it out.
If that’s the case… maybe, just like Sana did for me, telling Yuzuhana stories from our past could help her remember.
Going to her apartment again might just get me arrested, but luckily, we’re still high school students.
I don’t know how much of her memory is gone, but if she still remembers her tracksuit, she should at least remember that she’s a student.
If she goes to school, I’ll have a chance to talk to her.
I doubt just bringing up old memories will magically fix everything, but right now, that’s all I’ve got.
It’s not much, but even the slimmest hope makes things feel a little lighter.
"Thanks, that was actually really helpful."
"You’re welcome! I’ve got plenty more stories if you wanna hear ‘em!"
"Maybe if I’m in the mood."
Alright, now that I’ve got a plan, I need to get ready for school.
After quickly finishing breakfast, I changed into my uniform and headed out the door.
Even though the distance was the same, walking to school alone felt much longer than usual. The scenery hadn’t changed, yet everything looked gray and blurry. The silence was suffocating, the monotony unbearable.
What used to be an enjoyable commute was now nothing but misery.
If this was how life was going to be from now on… I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
I needed Yuzuhana by my side.
No matter what, I would make her remember.
I’d remind her of everything—every moment we shared since we started dating. I’d tell her stories so embarrassing she’d have no choice but to blush and scold me for bringing them up. I’d bring back the memories, one by one, until she remembered me—until she smiled at me again.
Resolving myself once more, I pushed forward, the sticky June air clinging to my skin.
I passed through the school gate, changed into my indoor shoes at the entrance, and headed for my classroom—Class 1-1.
About sixty percent of the seats were already filled, but Yuzuhana’s was empty. I took my seat, directly in front of hers, and waited for her to arrive.
But—
“…She’s late.”
She was nowhere to be seen.
While my classmates chatted and laughed around me, I anxiously bounced my leg, glancing toward the door. But one by one, every other student arrived—except Yuzuhana.
…Was she not coming?
Maybe she realized something was wrong with her memory and decided to go to the hospital instead.
That had to be it!
We didn’t interact much in high school, but in college, we saw each other every day. If all memories of me had been wiped away, then the timeline in her mind must be full of gaps—so disjointed that it couldn’t possibly make sense.
Or maybe it wasn’t the memories themselves that were missing, but rather the identity of the person in them. Maybe she still remembered being close to someone but just couldn’t recognize that person as me.
Either way, there was a way in.
If her memories were fragmented, all I had to do was fill in the blanks with our shared experiences.
If the memories were intact but blurred, I just had to prove that the person in them was me.
And more than anything—Yuzuhana and I shared a bond that no one else did.
We had time-traveled together.
If I reminded her of that, if I brought up the memories we forged in that impossible experience—she would remember how important I was to her.
She had to.
"…Yuzuhana?"
I called out to her hesitantly.
Yuzuhana turned toward me—
"Hi…!"
—letting out a small yelp and stepping backward.
"Wh-why…? Why are you here…?"
"Calm down. As you can see, I'm a student here. I'm your classmate, Yuzuhana."
"W-what are you planning to do to me here…? I-I'll call a teacher if you try anything weird…!"
This is bad. She's completely terrified. On top of that, her shyness is kicking in, too.
If she doesn't trust me, nothing I say will get through to her.
Then, I just have to show her undeniable proof!
"I'm not going to do anything weird. I just have something I want you to see."
"Wh-why do you keep calling me Yuzuhana…?"
"Because we're a couple. I was at your apartment because I'm your boyfriend. I'll prove it to you now."
I took out my phone from my pocket and showed her a photo.
It was a picture I secretly took of Yuzuhana horseback riding at the zoo.
"T-this… you took it without me knowing, didn't you…?"
"Well, yeah… I guess this one was taken secretly, but…"
"Why would you secretly take pictures if we're dating…?"
"That's… Well, to be precise, we weren't officially dating at the time… After taking pictures with my digital camera, I kind of wanted one just for myself… If I set it as my wallpaper, I could see you anytime I wanted… But asking you to let me take a picture was embarrassing, so… I decided to take one secretly instead."
I never thought the day would come when I had to confess my feelings from that day to her. My embarrassment flared up, and my face grew hot.
"……"
Yuzuhana stared at me with a dampened gaze. She clearly didn't believe me. She probably thought she had gone to the zoo alone, only to be stalked and secretly photographed by me.
But I had more photos!
"Th-then, look at this!"
The next one I showed her was a goofy face photo of Yuzuhana.
It was a photo she had sent me back when we still didn’t get along, trying to make me laugh on the train.
“Wh-why do you have a picture of me making a kissy face…?”
“No, to be precise, it’s more of a fish-lip face…”
“W-what are you talking about? It’s clearly a kissy face… We’re a couple, and you don’t even know that?”
Damn it. Why do I only have misleading photos!?
“It’s the opposite. It’s because we’re a couple that I know this is a fish-lip face. Besides, whether it’s a kissy face or a fish-lip face, a guy who isn’t close to you wouldn’t have a picture like this in the first place.”
“W-well, that’s true, but…”
“Right? This is undeniable proof that we’re a couple.”
She seemed to believe me a little. At the very least, she no longer thought I was a stalker. But her shyness remained. In a hesitant voice, Yuzuhana murmured,
“But… I just can’t believe it. Me, getting a boyfriend right after starting school…”
“That’s because you were brave. On the first day of university, during the first lecture, you spotted me—your old classmate from high school.”
For both of us, that was a precious memory.
That day, because Yuzuhana had the courage to talk to me, we became close.
We became friends, then lovers, then husband and wife… Even though we broke up once, we managed to become a couple again.
I told her about our important memories, hoping—just maybe—it would help her remember. But—
“…University? What are you talking about? We’re in high school…”
With those words, my faint hope was shattered.
I was plunged into despair.
“Wait… You don’t remember our university life?”
“There’s no way I’d remember something I never experienced.”
“Never experienced!? You forgot not just me, but our time in university!? Our married life too!? Even the fact that we time-traveled together!?”
“Wh-what are you even saying…?”
Fear returned to Yuzuhana’s eyes.
She looked at me like I was insane, her expression filled with unease.
“W-what do you mean? Our shared memories—”
“There’s no way. Memories from the future? The only thing I’ve forgotten is the past two months.”
“Two months!? O-only two months!?”
“It’s not ‘only’ two months. Today was supposed to be the entrance ceremony, but before I knew it, it was already June… I don’t even know my class or my student number… If I’ve lost my memories of the most important time after starting school, how am I supposed to have a proper high school life…?”
Yuzuhana let out a gloomy sigh—just as the chime rang.
“Oh no, I have to hurry. …Hey, Kurose-kun, right? Do you know my class and student number?”
“…First-year, Class 1… Number 10…”
“Thanks. Also… I know I’m not one to talk, but you should probably see a doctor too. There’s no way time travel actually happens in real life.”
Denying our memories outright, Yuzuhana ran down the hallway.
I didn’t have the energy to chase after her… and stood frozen in front of the shoe lockers until a patrolling teacher found me.
Worried about my pale face, they told me to rest in the infirmary—
And before I knew it, it was after school.
Lying on my back in bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling. My vision had been blurry since morning, and even when the school nurse called out to me in concern, all I could manage were vague responses like “ahh” or “mmh.”
I was never particularly religious, but lately, I had been grateful to the gods—for giving me a chance to relive my life with Yuzuhana.
But… this is just cruel.
It’s far too cruel.
Bringing both of us back in time, only to erase Yuzuhana’s memories…
There may be a Yuzuhana in this world, but the Yuzuhana I know is gone. It’s no different from me having time-traveled alone. It’s no different from me being the only one who survived that accident.
“…Why are you crying?”
Just as despair overwhelmed me, I heard a familiar voice.
The curtain was drawn open, revealing a long-haired girl with glasses and black hair, looking at me with concern.
“Akabane-senpai… Are you feeling unwell?”
“My health is perfectly fine. I was just planning to take a short nap before starting my sketch. More importantly, why are you crying? Isn’t Koikawa-san with you today?”
At the mention of Yuzuhana, tears spilled from my eyes. She handed me a handkerchief and spoke gently, telling me she’d listen if I wanted to talk. In a trembling voice, I replied,
“Yuzuhana… she’s forgotten about me…”
“Koikawa-san has? When you say forgotten… do you mean memory loss?”
“Yes…”
“Did she hit her head or something?”
“No, that’s not it… She came to school normally, and she didn’t seem to be in any pain… Senpai, could you hit me on the head as hard as you can? I want to lose my memory too.”
Hearing my weak plea, Senpai reached out and gently patted my head.
In reality, I was 27 years old—at least ten years older than Senpai.
But maybe because she had such a mature air about her, or maybe because I was just that broken, the warmth of her touch gave me a strange sense of comfort.
“I don’t know what happened to Koikawa-san… but isn’t it too soon to give up? She only ‘forgot’—her memories haven’t been ‘erased.’”
“That’s the same thing…”
“They’re similar, but not identical. Unless her brain was physically damaged, human memory can’t be completely erased. And if she’s only forgotten, then there’s a way to help her remember.”
“There’s… a way to make her remember…?”
I had no idea how medically accurate Akabane-senpai’s theory was.
But to me, she was the most respected literary genius of all.
In the future, she would become a great mangaka. It was through recommending Akabane-senpai’s—no, Akatsuru-sensei’s—works to Yuzuhana that we had quickly grown closer.
If she had once been the Cupid who brought Yuzuhana and me together, then maybe… just maybe, she could do it again.
Maybe she really could help Yuzuhana remember.
“But… how do I get her to remember?”
“The first step is identifying the cause.”
“The cause…”
“Do you have any ideas?”
I searched my memories, recalling what had happened yesterday.
Up until right before bed, Yuzuhana had been acting completely normal.
It definitely wasn’t a physical injury.
If she had fallen off the bed and hit her head while sleeping, she would have woken up on the floor. And if she had woken up in the middle of the night and tried to get back into bed, she would have noticed me and screamed.
Yuzuhana had stayed in the bedroom the entire time. There was no doubt that whatever happened, it happened there. That much was certain.
But I still couldn’t figure out the cause.
“What else besides a head injury can cause memory loss?”
“Psychological shock—anxiety or stress.”
“Anxiety or stress…”
…Now that I thought about it, right before bed, Yuzuhana had looked at her phone and her expression had darkened.
She hadn’t looked like she was under enough stress to lose her memories, but if there was any possible trigger, that had to be it.
And as far as I knew, there were only three people who ever sent Yuzuhana messages—me, Sana, and her uncle.
Of course, I hadn’t sent anything.
If it were a message from Sana, Yuzuhana would have looked more cheerful.
That left only one possibility: her father.
But he was a good person—a loving father figure. When Yuzuhana had asked to leave the countryside, where there weren’t many high school options, and move here for school, there had been some arguments at first. But in the end, he had done everything he could to make sure she could live comfortably in a nice apartment.
I couldn’t imagine a father like that sending a message that would cause her stress.
Which meant… the message itself was just a trigger.
The real source of her stress had to be something that happened afterward—something in our conversation.
"I have a question. Is it possible for someone who has gone through a painful experience to forget all memories related to it, just to escape the stress?"
"I don’t know of a case exactly like Koikawa-san’s, but I do know of similar ones. For example, some soldiers who have experienced harsh battlefields end up forgetting the entire period of time they spent there. Their minds likely activated a kind of defense mechanism, sealing away painful memories to protect themselves."
"A defense mechanism… to protect the heart…"
It was just a hypothesis, but if Yuzuhana really did lose her memories as a way to protect herself—
Then that would mean she was so afraid of me and her father becoming hostile again that she locked away those memories.
Which means… If I had just confidently told her, ‘I’ll get along with your uncle!’ and reassured her, she wouldn’t have been so stressed, and she wouldn’t have lost her memories.
But instead, I kept putting off meeting him. She saw right through me—saw that I didn’t want to go, saw that I wasn’t confident. And that made her uneasy.
I knew she was anxious… but I never imagined it was bad enough to make her lose her memories. Sure, our marriage had suffered because we never got his approval, but that alone wasn’t what made our relationship fall apart.
The real reason for our divorce was how our lives gradually drifted apart—how I stopped making time for her like I used to, using work as an excuse.
But that wasn’t how Yuzuhana saw it.
She must have thought that if we started over the same way, we would end up at the same destination. That if I clashed with her uncle again, we wouldn’t have a happy life together. That just like before, small fights would pile up, our relationship would grow cold, and eventually, we’d get divorced again—
While I was sleeping soundly, Yuzuhana had been fighting her fears all alone. Her mind must have been spinning, unable to escape the thought of ‘divorce’—
And to keep herself from being crushed by that fear, her subconscious activated its defense mechanism, sealing away her memories—our first time falling in love and these past two months—deep within her mind.
I could hardly believe it. That she would lose twelve whole years’ worth of memories over something like this… But then again, we had just traveled twelve years back in time.
The memories that Yuzuhana and I share were never meant to exist in this world.
Maybe they hadn't fully settled into our bodies—so fragile that the slightest disturbance could tear them away.
But anyway—
I knew what I had to do.
If things went on as they were, my relationship with her uncle would turn sour. If that was the trigger for her memory loss, then all I had to do was reassure her.
If I could make her believe—truly believe—that I could get along with her uncle, then the memories she had sealed away should come back.
I couldn't say for sure that it was the right approach, but after experiencing something as impossible as time travel, it wouldn’t be surprising if things beyond conventional medical understanding could happen, too.
The problem was that Yuzuhana now saw me as someone strange and unsettling.
Far from listening to me, she didn't even want to be near me.
But even so—
Even so, I would make this work.
Because we had sworn to be happy together.
To bring back her precious memories, I had to start by getting close to her all over again!
"You've got that fire back in your eyes," Senpai said, peering at me with a smile.
"It's all thanks to you! Giving up on Yuzuhana before I even tried to do anything… that was just pathetic of me. I swear, I’ll bring her memories back!"
"That’s the spirit. If there's anything I can do, just say the word. And once everything’s settled, come read manga with me again. I'll be happy to welcome both of you."
"Yes!" I responded with determination, then dashed out of the infirmary.
Act 1 END
Why is she so afraid?
She wasn’t making that face yesterday.
She was all over me, telling me how much she loved me.
So why…? Why did she wake up and suddenly forget about me?
My mind is spiraling into panic. Please—just tell me this is a prank. A cruel one, sure, but I’ll forgive you. I won’t get mad.
I want to say that to her. But… Yuzuhana is genuinely terrified.
I don’t want to scare her any more than this.
I don’t want to see those fearful eyes staring at me any longer.
"O-Okay... I’ll go. I’ll leave..."
"H-Hurry up and get out!"
Urged on by Yuzuhana, who was still clutching the frying pan, I left the apartment, barely holding back tears.
As soon as I stepped out of the building, I stopped in place.
I wasn’t in any state to walk. More than that—I thought maybe, just maybe, Yuzuhana would come running after me.
But no matter how long I waited, she never appeared.
If this was a prank, she would’ve revealed it by now.
Then… as much as I don’t want to believe it—did she really lose her memories?
No, no way. That’s ridiculous… because losing memories like that… it doesn’t just happen.
Yuzuhana has an incredible memory—she scores perfect marks on tests. She used to rub her high scores in my face all the time.
So why the hell would she get amnesia!? That makes no sense! If anything, I should be the one losing my memories!
This has to be a joke! If she lost hers, then take mine too! Please, I’m begging you!
"Please... if this is a dream, let me wake up..."
I pinch my cheek as hard as I can. Pain shoots through me, but I don’t stop. I pinch harder.
I’m a deep sleeper—this little pain won’t wake me up.
If I pinch hard enough, hard enough to tear my cheek apart, then maybe I can escape this nightmare.
I’ll wake up, gasping for breath, and Yuzuhana will be right there, worriedly asking, "Did you have a bad dream?"
And yet—
"Ugh... damn it! Damn it! Damn it, damn it! Why won’t I wake up!? Wake up already! Hurry up and wake up! This has to be a dream!"
There’s no way this is real.
There’s no way all of our memories could just disappear overnight.
"Are you okay, dear?"
As I sat there, tears streaming down my face while tugging at my cheek, an old lady walking her dog spoke to me with concern.
It was our first time talking, but I knew who she was. I remembered Yuzuhana teasing me once, saying, "That dog is more fashionable than you are."
The thought that I’d never hear her playful jabs again made my lips tremble, and the tears wouldn’t stop.
"D-Did something happen? Does your stomach hurt?"
"No, don’t worry… really, it’s nothing…"
Nothing would change if I stayed here. Moving wouldn’t fix anything either, but… if I stuck around, I’d eventually run into Yuzuhana again.
If she screamed at me, looked at me like I was some kind of stalker again… I don’t think I could take it.
Wiping my tears away, I walked away from the apartment.
Under the bright sunlight, I dragged my heavy feet all the way home.
"I’m home..."
"Welcome back, big bro!"
In stark contrast to my miserable mood, Sana greeted me with a beaming smile.
My little sister, a second-year middle schooler starved for romance gossip, was beyond curious about her brother coming home in the morning.
"Spending the night out—now that’s youth! So, what’d you guys do?"
"Nothing special..."
We had dinner together, watched some anime, took separate baths, and slept next to each other. Just normal couple stuff.
So why… why did she forget everything?
"Hey… I am Kurose Kohei, right?"
"What’s with the weird question? Of course you are. You’re just you, big bro."
Sana gave me a confused look.
At the very least, it wasn’t like all of humanity had forgotten Kurose Kōhei.
The only one who changed… was Yuzuhana.
If anything, even if the whole world forgot about me, I wanted Yuzuhana to be the one who remembered.
We promised to be happy together, but now she’s forgotten me… They say that as long as you make up after a fight, everything will be fine.
But what am I supposed to do about this?
"Hey… just hypothetically, what would you do if I forgot about you, Sana?"
"I’d smack you until you remembered."
"I’m not an old TV, you know…"
"Then I’d tell you stories. Like the time you stepped in dog poop the first day you wore your new shoes, or when you pretended my training-wheeled bike was a motorcycle and broke your arm."
"Not exactly fond memories…"
"It’s called shock therapy."
"Pretty sure that’s not how it works… Wait, I did that?"
"Yeah, you did. You were little, but I remember. You were going, ‘Extreme cornering!’ and shifting your body side to side… then you fell and broke your arm."
"Ah… yeah, now that you mention it."
I remembered breaking my arm during summer break in second grade, but I’d forgotten how it happened.
Maybe I was so embarrassed that I managed to block it out.
If that’s the case… maybe, just like Sana did for me, telling Yuzuhana stories from our past could help her remember.
Going to her apartment again might just get me arrested, but luckily, we’re still high school students.
I don’t know how much of her memory is gone, but if she still remembers her tracksuit, she should at least remember that she’s a student.
If she goes to school, I’ll have a chance to talk to her.
I doubt just bringing up old memories will magically fix everything, but right now, that’s all I’ve got.
It’s not much, but even the slimmest hope makes things feel a little lighter.
"Thanks, that was actually really helpful."
"You’re welcome! I’ve got plenty more stories if you wanna hear ‘em!"
"Maybe if I’m in the mood."
Alright, now that I’ve got a plan, I need to get ready for school.
After quickly finishing breakfast, I changed into my uniform and headed out the door.
*
Even though the distance was the same, walking to school alone felt much longer than usual. The scenery hadn’t changed, yet everything looked gray and blurry. The silence was suffocating, the monotony unbearable.
What used to be an enjoyable commute was now nothing but misery.
If this was how life was going to be from now on… I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
I needed Yuzuhana by my side.
No matter what, I would make her remember.
I’d remind her of everything—every moment we shared since we started dating. I’d tell her stories so embarrassing she’d have no choice but to blush and scold me for bringing them up. I’d bring back the memories, one by one, until she remembered me—until she smiled at me again.
Resolving myself once more, I pushed forward, the sticky June air clinging to my skin.
I passed through the school gate, changed into my indoor shoes at the entrance, and headed for my classroom—Class 1-1.
About sixty percent of the seats were already filled, but Yuzuhana’s was empty. I took my seat, directly in front of hers, and waited for her to arrive.
But—
“…She’s late.”
She was nowhere to be seen.
While my classmates chatted and laughed around me, I anxiously bounced my leg, glancing toward the door. But one by one, every other student arrived—except Yuzuhana.
…Was she not coming?
Maybe she realized something was wrong with her memory and decided to go to the hospital instead.
That had to be it!
We didn’t interact much in high school, but in college, we saw each other every day. If all memories of me had been wiped away, then the timeline in her mind must be full of gaps—so disjointed that it couldn’t possibly make sense.
Or maybe it wasn’t the memories themselves that were missing, but rather the identity of the person in them. Maybe she still remembered being close to someone but just couldn’t recognize that person as me.
Either way, there was a way in.
If her memories were fragmented, all I had to do was fill in the blanks with our shared experiences.
If the memories were intact but blurred, I just had to prove that the person in them was me.
And more than anything—Yuzuhana and I shared a bond that no one else did.
We had time-traveled together.
If I reminded her of that, if I brought up the memories we forged in that impossible experience—she would remember how important I was to her.
She had to.
"…Yuzuhana?"
I called out to her hesitantly.
Yuzuhana turned toward me—
"Hi…!"
—letting out a small yelp and stepping backward.
"Wh-why…? Why are you here…?"
"Calm down. As you can see, I'm a student here. I'm your classmate, Yuzuhana."
"W-what are you planning to do to me here…? I-I'll call a teacher if you try anything weird…!"
This is bad. She's completely terrified. On top of that, her shyness is kicking in, too.
If she doesn't trust me, nothing I say will get through to her.
Then, I just have to show her undeniable proof!
"I'm not going to do anything weird. I just have something I want you to see."
"Wh-why do you keep calling me Yuzuhana…?"
"Because we're a couple. I was at your apartment because I'm your boyfriend. I'll prove it to you now."
I took out my phone from my pocket and showed her a photo.
It was a picture I secretly took of Yuzuhana horseback riding at the zoo.
"T-this… you took it without me knowing, didn't you…?"
"Well, yeah… I guess this one was taken secretly, but…"
"Why would you secretly take pictures if we're dating…?"
"That's… Well, to be precise, we weren't officially dating at the time… After taking pictures with my digital camera, I kind of wanted one just for myself… If I set it as my wallpaper, I could see you anytime I wanted… But asking you to let me take a picture was embarrassing, so… I decided to take one secretly instead."
I never thought the day would come when I had to confess my feelings from that day to her. My embarrassment flared up, and my face grew hot.
"……"
Yuzuhana stared at me with a dampened gaze. She clearly didn't believe me. She probably thought she had gone to the zoo alone, only to be stalked and secretly photographed by me.
But I had more photos!
"Th-then, look at this!"
The next one I showed her was a goofy face photo of Yuzuhana.
It was a photo she had sent me back when we still didn’t get along, trying to make me laugh on the train.
“Wh-why do you have a picture of me making a kissy face…?”
“No, to be precise, it’s more of a fish-lip face…”
“W-what are you talking about? It’s clearly a kissy face… We’re a couple, and you don’t even know that?”
Damn it. Why do I only have misleading photos!?
“It’s the opposite. It’s because we’re a couple that I know this is a fish-lip face. Besides, whether it’s a kissy face or a fish-lip face, a guy who isn’t close to you wouldn’t have a picture like this in the first place.”
“W-well, that’s true, but…”
“Right? This is undeniable proof that we’re a couple.”
She seemed to believe me a little. At the very least, she no longer thought I was a stalker. But her shyness remained. In a hesitant voice, Yuzuhana murmured,
“But… I just can’t believe it. Me, getting a boyfriend right after starting school…”
“That’s because you were brave. On the first day of university, during the first lecture, you spotted me—your old classmate from high school.”
For both of us, that was a precious memory.
That day, because Yuzuhana had the courage to talk to me, we became close.
We became friends, then lovers, then husband and wife… Even though we broke up once, we managed to become a couple again.
I told her about our important memories, hoping—just maybe—it would help her remember. But—
“…University? What are you talking about? We’re in high school…”
With those words, my faint hope was shattered.
I was plunged into despair.
“Wait… You don’t remember our university life?”
“There’s no way I’d remember something I never experienced.”
“Never experienced!? You forgot not just me, but our time in university!? Our married life too!? Even the fact that we time-traveled together!?”
“Wh-what are you even saying…?”
Fear returned to Yuzuhana’s eyes.
She looked at me like I was insane, her expression filled with unease.
“W-what do you mean? Our shared memories—”
“There’s no way. Memories from the future? The only thing I’ve forgotten is the past two months.”
“Two months!? O-only two months!?”
“It’s not ‘only’ two months. Today was supposed to be the entrance ceremony, but before I knew it, it was already June… I don’t even know my class or my student number… If I’ve lost my memories of the most important time after starting school, how am I supposed to have a proper high school life…?”
Yuzuhana let out a gloomy sigh—just as the chime rang.
“Oh no, I have to hurry. …Hey, Kurose-kun, right? Do you know my class and student number?”
“…First-year, Class 1… Number 10…”
“Thanks. Also… I know I’m not one to talk, but you should probably see a doctor too. There’s no way time travel actually happens in real life.”
Denying our memories outright, Yuzuhana ran down the hallway.
I didn’t have the energy to chase after her… and stood frozen in front of the shoe lockers until a patrolling teacher found me.
Worried about my pale face, they told me to rest in the infirmary—
And before I knew it, it was after school.
Lying on my back in bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling. My vision had been blurry since morning, and even when the school nurse called out to me in concern, all I could manage were vague responses like “ahh” or “mmh.”
I was never particularly religious, but lately, I had been grateful to the gods—for giving me a chance to relive my life with Yuzuhana.
But… this is just cruel.
It’s far too cruel.
Bringing both of us back in time, only to erase Yuzuhana’s memories…
There may be a Yuzuhana in this world, but the Yuzuhana I know is gone. It’s no different from me having time-traveled alone. It’s no different from me being the only one who survived that accident.
“…Why are you crying?”
Just as despair overwhelmed me, I heard a familiar voice.
The curtain was drawn open, revealing a long-haired girl with glasses and black hair, looking at me with concern.
“Akabane-senpai… Are you feeling unwell?”
“My health is perfectly fine. I was just planning to take a short nap before starting my sketch. More importantly, why are you crying? Isn’t Koikawa-san with you today?”
At the mention of Yuzuhana, tears spilled from my eyes. She handed me a handkerchief and spoke gently, telling me she’d listen if I wanted to talk. In a trembling voice, I replied,
“Yuzuhana… she’s forgotten about me…”
“Koikawa-san has? When you say forgotten… do you mean memory loss?”
“Yes…”
“Did she hit her head or something?”
“No, that’s not it… She came to school normally, and she didn’t seem to be in any pain… Senpai, could you hit me on the head as hard as you can? I want to lose my memory too.”
Hearing my weak plea, Senpai reached out and gently patted my head.
In reality, I was 27 years old—at least ten years older than Senpai.
But maybe because she had such a mature air about her, or maybe because I was just that broken, the warmth of her touch gave me a strange sense of comfort.
“I don’t know what happened to Koikawa-san… but isn’t it too soon to give up? She only ‘forgot’—her memories haven’t been ‘erased.’”
“That’s the same thing…”
“They’re similar, but not identical. Unless her brain was physically damaged, human memory can’t be completely erased. And if she’s only forgotten, then there’s a way to help her remember.”
“There’s… a way to make her remember…?”
I had no idea how medically accurate Akabane-senpai’s theory was.
But to me, she was the most respected literary genius of all.
In the future, she would become a great mangaka. It was through recommending Akabane-senpai’s—no, Akatsuru-sensei’s—works to Yuzuhana that we had quickly grown closer.
If she had once been the Cupid who brought Yuzuhana and me together, then maybe… just maybe, she could do it again.
Maybe she really could help Yuzuhana remember.
“But… how do I get her to remember?”
“The first step is identifying the cause.”
“The cause…”
“Do you have any ideas?”
I searched my memories, recalling what had happened yesterday.
Up until right before bed, Yuzuhana had been acting completely normal.
It definitely wasn’t a physical injury.
If she had fallen off the bed and hit her head while sleeping, she would have woken up on the floor. And if she had woken up in the middle of the night and tried to get back into bed, she would have noticed me and screamed.
Yuzuhana had stayed in the bedroom the entire time. There was no doubt that whatever happened, it happened there. That much was certain.
But I still couldn’t figure out the cause.
“What else besides a head injury can cause memory loss?”
“Psychological shock—anxiety or stress.”
“Anxiety or stress…”
…Now that I thought about it, right before bed, Yuzuhana had looked at her phone and her expression had darkened.
She hadn’t looked like she was under enough stress to lose her memories, but if there was any possible trigger, that had to be it.
And as far as I knew, there were only three people who ever sent Yuzuhana messages—me, Sana, and her uncle.
Of course, I hadn’t sent anything.
If it were a message from Sana, Yuzuhana would have looked more cheerful.
That left only one possibility: her father.
But he was a good person—a loving father figure. When Yuzuhana had asked to leave the countryside, where there weren’t many high school options, and move here for school, there had been some arguments at first. But in the end, he had done everything he could to make sure she could live comfortably in a nice apartment.
I couldn’t imagine a father like that sending a message that would cause her stress.
Which meant… the message itself was just a trigger.
The real source of her stress had to be something that happened afterward—something in our conversation.
"I have a question. Is it possible for someone who has gone through a painful experience to forget all memories related to it, just to escape the stress?"
"I don’t know of a case exactly like Koikawa-san’s, but I do know of similar ones. For example, some soldiers who have experienced harsh battlefields end up forgetting the entire period of time they spent there. Their minds likely activated a kind of defense mechanism, sealing away painful memories to protect themselves."
"A defense mechanism… to protect the heart…"
It was just a hypothesis, but if Yuzuhana really did lose her memories as a way to protect herself—
Then that would mean she was so afraid of me and her father becoming hostile again that she locked away those memories.
Which means… If I had just confidently told her, ‘I’ll get along with your uncle!’ and reassured her, she wouldn’t have been so stressed, and she wouldn’t have lost her memories.
But instead, I kept putting off meeting him. She saw right through me—saw that I didn’t want to go, saw that I wasn’t confident. And that made her uneasy.
I knew she was anxious… but I never imagined it was bad enough to make her lose her memories. Sure, our marriage had suffered because we never got his approval, but that alone wasn’t what made our relationship fall apart.
The real reason for our divorce was how our lives gradually drifted apart—how I stopped making time for her like I used to, using work as an excuse.
But that wasn’t how Yuzuhana saw it.
She must have thought that if we started over the same way, we would end up at the same destination. That if I clashed with her uncle again, we wouldn’t have a happy life together. That just like before, small fights would pile up, our relationship would grow cold, and eventually, we’d get divorced again—
While I was sleeping soundly, Yuzuhana had been fighting her fears all alone. Her mind must have been spinning, unable to escape the thought of ‘divorce’—
And to keep herself from being crushed by that fear, her subconscious activated its defense mechanism, sealing away her memories—our first time falling in love and these past two months—deep within her mind.
I could hardly believe it. That she would lose twelve whole years’ worth of memories over something like this… But then again, we had just traveled twelve years back in time.
The memories that Yuzuhana and I share were never meant to exist in this world.
Maybe they hadn't fully settled into our bodies—so fragile that the slightest disturbance could tear them away.
But anyway—
I knew what I had to do.
If things went on as they were, my relationship with her uncle would turn sour. If that was the trigger for her memory loss, then all I had to do was reassure her.
If I could make her believe—truly believe—that I could get along with her uncle, then the memories she had sealed away should come back.
I couldn't say for sure that it was the right approach, but after experiencing something as impossible as time travel, it wouldn’t be surprising if things beyond conventional medical understanding could happen, too.
The problem was that Yuzuhana now saw me as someone strange and unsettling.
Far from listening to me, she didn't even want to be near me.
But even so—
Even so, I would make this work.
Because we had sworn to be happy together.
To bring back her precious memories, I had to start by getting close to her all over again!
"You've got that fire back in your eyes," Senpai said, peering at me with a smile.
"It's all thanks to you! Giving up on Yuzuhana before I even tried to do anything… that was just pathetic of me. I swear, I’ll bring her memories back!"
"That’s the spirit. If there's anything I can do, just say the word. And once everything’s settled, come read manga with me again. I'll be happy to welcome both of you."
"Yes!" I responded with determination, then dashed out of the infirmary.
Act 1 END
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