Chapter Text
As the 7 O'clock alarm announces the first light peeking over the horizon, I wake up from a dreamless sleep and try to recall anything before I wake up in the hospital.
Nothing.
Supposedly, I’m Yu Otosaka. I first regained consciousness at a hospital in Tokyo, Japan on March 20, 2017. Even now, as I live in an unfamiliar house with my so-called sister, I don’t remember a thing.
The doctor says it was retrograde amnesia caused by "the incident." Those patients usually recover their memories back in time, but my brain was so damaged that I might need to face the possibility of starting a new life from scratch. "It could've been much, much worse," the doctor said. "Your brain was honestly damaged to the point that you could have lost your ability to understand languages or even reason correctly." Still, I felt immense disorientation from the fact that I was missing my right eye; from the little girl who cried upon seeing him (that's apparently my sister); and from the blind boy who, despite my young appearance, already uses a cane.
Most of all, I was intrigued by the girl sitting next to my bed when I woke up. The girl seems younger than him by one or two years. Judging by the backpack in the corner and her school uniform, she seems to have come here straight after school. She has a round face, piercing blue eyes, and most strikingly, pure white hair, as if something has happened in her life that made her age from stress. The girl's worried expression was replaced with relief when I woke up, yet when I admitted that I had no recollection of anything that happened beforehand, the girl looked disappointed.
Seeing her sad face, I feel a sharp sense of guilt, as if I have rendered a long-standing relationship null and void through my amnesia. The girl introduces (reintroduces?) herself as Nao Tomori and, oddly enough, asked me about the necklace laying on my bed. At least, that's what I thought it was at first. Upon closer inspection, I realize that the necklace actually holds a little flipbook, with the words too faded to make out what they originally were. Speaking on intuition rather than recollection, I say that although I do not remember what the flipbook is for, it holds great significance for him.
Hearing those words, tears began welling up in Tomormy eyes. I was initially flabbergasted, worried that I had disheartened Tomori even further. However, Tomori's tear-stricken face broke into a smile. "I'm so glad..." Tomori said. "Welcome home!"
Suddenly, the cold hospital walls no longer feel so alien, and the realization that I don’t remember anything no longer feels as frightening. It was as Tomori said: even though I had no idea when, where, or how I got there, he's back home, and that's all that mattered.
"Onii-chan, are you up yet?"
That's my sister, Ayumi. In spite of my initial disappointment, the unfamiliar house no longer bothers him. It's only been a week since I moved in. I thought. With time, I’m sure I will be able to call this place home.
"You were sleeping late again." Ayumi pouts as I come downstairs.
"Sorry, sorry..." I said while trying to suppress a yawn. "It's still 6 in the morning, though."
"It’s the first day of school!” Ayumi exclaims. “Besides, since our new school is further away, we should get an early start in the morning."
Before I can complain further, Ayumi walks behind me and pushes me toward the dining table.
"You gotta try my new ketchup Tamagoyaki first! I spent yesterday afternoon preparing it!"
Even though Ayumi was still in middle school , she can already cook in the kitchen, though I wish that Ayumi would tone down on the use of ketchup. Regardless, I feel grateful for my sister preparing both my breakfast and lunch.
"Have you started remembering anything?"
Against my better judgment, I looked up at Ayumi and saw those pairs of eyes again: optimistic and expectant, almost as if they’re demanding for my recovery. With a heavy sigh, I shatter the hopes within her eyes.
"No, I was hoping that I will experience parts of the past through my dreams, but I can't even dream currently."
"I see..." Ayumi lowers her head, a gesture that I still loathe to see.
After they finished eating, Ayumi gave me my jacket. "Isn't it the middle of summer?" "Yeah, but this morning is really chilly, so just in case." "I'm not that fragile." Regardless, I reluctantly took the jacket. Even though Ayumi is technically younger than him, she often acts like my mother rather than sister. Was she always like this? I wonder, yet I surprisingly don't feel annoyed about it.
I am annoyed about having to attend school, though, and I have a feeling that my old self probably also hates it too. Why else would I have a C in most subjects? Still, with nothing else better to do, I may as well settle into a routine first.
For the first time since my amnesia, Ayumi and I walk toward our new schools. Under her suggestion, we decide to take a shortcut down away from the main path and down an alleyway. Despite being in the middle of the day, the shadows casted by the alleyway make me suddenly feel on edge. As we pass through, I become acutely aware of the three sets of footsteps echoing across the corridor.
Three sets?
In an instant, my senses sharpened exponentially. The faint footsteps behind them suddenly become loud, allowing me to locate exactly where they are located. I use one hand to grab Ayumi to place her in front of him, while my other hand grabs the nearby trash lid and flings it at the stalker.
Thud. The trash lid pierces through the air and hits the stalker directly in her face, knocking her to her feet.
When I take a closer look, I realized that the stalker is actually a girl of Ayumi’s age. She is wearing a purple dress accompanied by a matching backpack. Her hair is long and seems to naturally cover her face, making her look moody and unapproachable. For some reason, when Ayumi saw the girl, she immediately hid behind me. I can feel Ayumi’s trembling hands holding onto my shirt.
"Do you know her?" I whispered to Ayumi.
Ayumi nodded. "She tried to cut up my face last month."
I look back at the girl with an expression of pure shock, but before I can interrogate her on her motives, she picks herself up from the ground and bolts away, though… something about her demeanor seems more regretful than menacing.
I breathe a sigh of relief before turning back on my sister. I gently place both hands on Ayumi’s shoulders.
"I don't know who the girl is, but if she ever comes to bother you, call me; I will be right there."
I can feel Ayumi’s quivering gradually subsiding. calming down. Holding onto my hands, Ayumi looks at me.
"I will... Thank you."