Chapter 3: 1.2

I came to a stop in front of the Astronomy Club’s room.

In front of the small room where I used to hang out with Nito and Makoto.

After noticing the door was unlocked, I entered the room.

Makoto quickly followed.

“…Senpai.”

“For what reason…?”

I could feel my strength leaving my body.

I slumped into a chair beside me, unable to respond to Makoto, who appeared concerned.

“Why did she disappear…?”

I couldn’t believe it.

“And leave a suicide note on top of that?”

I considered my memories of her and the contents of the news article, and nothing made sense.

In this room, I spent a lot of time with her.

I raised my head and looked around.

School supplies lined up. A world map, with Germany, still divided into East and West.

A broken boombox, a desk covered in graffiti, and a dusty plaster cast.

Even though it was a room for the Astronomy Club, it was more of a junkyard, with many old and worn-out items lying in the musty air.

And then, there was the piano.

The upright piano was in the corner of the room.

My gaze was naturally drawn to it.

Nito used to compose songs on the piano in the early days of her career, recorded videos of herself playing them, and uploaded them to a website. Now it felt like an old part of her, like a shell.

“…Senpai.”

Makoto called out to me in a soft tone.

“Settle down for a bit. Can I get you something to drink or something?”

“No, I’m fine…”

I didn’t feel like drinking anything.

For a moment, I considered whether there was anything I could do but quickly realized there wasn’t. The police were already on the case. Anything extra would only get in the way.

The least I could do was try to remember Nito.

Her expression, her words, and her moments with me.

The scenery, and the melodies of her voice, should have been burned into my memory by now.

I’m supposed to remember it easily. When we were alone together, I kept thinking, “I’ll never forget this view.”

And yet…

“…Huh?”

It was blurry.

My memories of her had faded in my mind.

“I don’t remember…”

I tried searching, but nothing came up.

It had been nearly three years since we dated. And almost two years since we broke up. My days with Nito seemed so distant after all that time.

“I can’t believe I forgot. Oh.”

A thought occurred to me. Then I moved in front of the piano.

I opened the lid and reached for the worn-out keys.

And…

“…Senpai.”

I played slowly, trying to imitate the melody of Nito’s song.

I’ve rarely played the piano, and I’m not an expert in music either.

Still, one note at a time, I tried.

I was afraid that if I failed, her existence would vanish.

I kept making mistakes, but it all came together gradually.

“…You remember it well.”

Makoto laughed bitterly next to me.

“I’d almost forgotten about it.”

“I loved it. It was the best.”

I responded while my fingers rested on the keyboard.

“It’s been stuck in my head for a long time.”

That was what I said to make myself feel better.

To be honest it wasn’t something I considered for Nito.

That she’d one day be driven into a situation like this—her disappearing. I had convinced myself that she wasn’t the type of girl who would be involved in such a tragic event.

If only I had realized.

Would the future have been different had I understood Nito better?

Would I have been able to ease her suffering?

“…As I thought, you’re still into her.”

Makoto said resignedly.

“Into Nito-senpai.”

“…Ah, I guess I am.”

I nodded.

“I think you’re right.”

And then, I finished playing.

I then told Makoto my true feelings.

“Nito still has my heart.”

ㅤ

At that moment.

A light obscured my vision.

ㅤ

“…Hmm?!”

It was a brilliant flash of light.

I closed my eyes instinctively.

The bright light which had overwhelmed me disappeared a few seconds later. When I opened my eyes cautiously…

“…Huh?”

I was adrift in the dark.

The previous scenery had vanished, and I was floating in total darkness with no end in sight.

I felt weightless. It was neither hot nor cold. Everything felt numb.

Then I noticed several wisps of lights circling me.

They were dazzling, with varying speeds and sizes, similar to planets in orbit.

“What the hell is this…?”

The speed of the lights revolving around me gradually picked up, perplexing me.

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They then turned into a whirlpool, spinning around me at breakneck speed and covering my vision with pink light.

“This is…”

The view was nostalgic.

It was a comforting sight.

After a brief pause, I realized.

Cherry blossoms.

The petals looked like they were dancing.

I smelled their lingering aroma.

And I could feel the warm spring breeze caressing my skin.

Then a thud. Something hit my chest.

ㅤ

“Oh, I’m so sorry!”

A voice said.

ㅤ

“I was so fascinated by the cherry blossoms I could see nothing in front of me…”

ㅤ

It was a very familiar voice.

It was the voice of someone I’d known for a long time, someone I cared deeply about.

The wind died down, and the flurry of cherry blossoms dissipated.

Gravity returned to normal, petals fluttered and fell beneath my feet, and my vision cleared.

ㅤ

A girl… was right in front of my eyes.

ㅤ

She had a bright, well-rounded smile on her face and was holding her long black hair with her left hand.

Her lean frame. Her delicate fingers. Her shiny school shoes.

ㅤ

“Hi. I’m Chika Nito.”

ㅤ

She told me.

ㅤ

“You’re also a freshman, right?”

ㅤ

Her shiny black hair, innocent yet curious eyes, porcelain-like nose bridge, and pale, thin lips…

ㅤ

It was Nito.

No doubt about it.

Chika Nito was undeniably in front of me.

“…Huh?”

I couldn’t help but look around.

The two of us were standing in front of the main gate.

An old mossy gate, typical of public schools. Nearby was a bleak-looking car turnstile. It’s the entrance to Amanuma High School, which has been operating for fifty years.

Students in the same uniforms gathered around us, as did adults who appeared to be their parents.

An upbeat buzz and a festive day-like exuberance filled the air.

I’ve seen this view before.

It was the entrance ceremony.

Three years ago, at the entrance ceremony, Nito and I met.

“…Hey.”

Nito looked at me, puzzled.

“What’s wrong? You zoned out.…”

“O-oh…”

I cleared my throat and responded automatically.

“I’m a freshman, yes. My name’s Meguri Sakamoto.…”

I realized it was the exact same line I had said to her three years before.

That time, yes. We ran into each other on the day of the entrance ceremony, in a blizzard of cherry blossoms.

That was the start of it all.

“Meguri-kun. Meguri Sakamoto-kun.”

Nito repeated my name.

“Hmm, that’s a nice name.”

She then chuckled.

Seeing her expression, I finally figured it out.

Hallucination.

This was a hallucination brought on by my grief over Nito’s disappearance.

And it was exemplified by everything being the same as it was three years ago.

The scenery, Nito’s words, and the firmness of her shoes were all identical.

Everything was a mirror image of what had occurred three years ago.

When I looked closely, the Nito in front of me was far less sophisticated than her older self. Her style evolved significantly over her three years in high school, but what I saw in front of me was her freshman-year look. She was the same Nito I met that year when she still had the demeanor of a middle schooler.

And I, too, have reverted to the person I was.

My head was a little cold from over-cutting my hair, and my bag was brand new. My school uniform was stiff and a little too large for me. I remembered buying a larger one in anticipation of growing taller.

I guess… I’m hallucinating. I’m reliving the parts of my memory convenient to me. I’m attempting to shield myself from the shock…

“Oh, I see. That’s how it is….”

I felt much better after I realized what was going on.

It’s no surprise that Nito was right in front of me if I hallucinated. I wondered what had happened for a moment, but then I realized it was simple.

Well, for a hallucination, it’s certainly detailed. Each student around me was in the same place they were three years ago. I even recognized a teacher I had forgotten about after transferring to a different school.

But maybe that’s just how it was. Despite my looks, I may have been concealing an “exceptional memory.”

“Chika!”

“Yes!”

A voice called out to Nito from somewhere, and she responded.

“Sorry, I have to go.”

“Yeah, I see.”

“Looking forward to our high school life. Best wishes for the next three years, Meguri-kun.”

Nito waved her hand at me and ran toward the voice.

Then I remembered.

Oh, right. She made that wave gesture.

And as soon as I heard her light footsteps, I knew I was in love with her.

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