Thank You to s.e.kwan for Commissioning this Translation ♥
Disclaimer：I cannot guarantee the complete accuracy of this translation
御門 頼
CASE 6 Mikado Yori
It’s been over half a year since she became my overseer.
However, I don’t have any memory from before then. I didn’t know what kind of things I did, what kind of person I was, nor what kinds of thoughts I had. With my lack of memories, it was only through reading the diaries my past self left behind that I was able to understand how I had lived my life.
According to that, I was apparently immortal.
I didn’t think something that outlandish could ever be true, but……
Considering that I spend all my days in the laboratory of a detention facility, it was most likely was.
“……I guess it’s about time.”
From the distance, I could hear her footsteps coming down the hallway.
She was my overseer and she would always come to my room around lunchtime. And as usual, she had a gentle smile on her face.
“How was the physical exam?”
“There were no changes.”
“That’s good to know. If anything does come up, please let me know right away.”
“Anything?”
“Umm, like for example…if you’ve remembered anything?”
“I see… If I happen to remember anything, I’ll report to you.”
She smiled with a slight sadness to her expression.
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that face. ……I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything. I felt sorry, but at the same time, my heart was painfully crushed.
“Now that I think of it, I found this photo yesterday.”
“Photo…?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this is us?”
Last night, I suddenly found it tucked between a bookshelf. It was a two-shot photo of me and her.
At that time… What exactly was I thinking?
“Ah, that brings back memories… So you had held onto it, Yori.”
“When was this photo taken?”
“Erm…It should be written in the diaries.”
I picked up the diary and flipped through the pages. As I checked through the dates, she happily pointed it out to me.
“On that day, we got permission to go outside and went out together.”
“Oh.”
Most of the photos were of her alone, but I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard that it was me who took them. It appeared that I was very fond of her at that time too.
Since we’re childhood friends, we’ve been together ever since we were young. I understood that in my head, but I had no memories of it.
But despite that, I do know this… I’ve always liked her.
That’s why when loneliness occasionally peers through in her expression, my heart aches painfully.
“So you don’t remember anymore.”
When I saw her smiling on the verge of tears, I felt a terrible sense of self-loathing……
It’s true that when I spend time with her, I sometimes feel nostalgic. But I don’t even know what I’m forgetting anymore.
“Yori, would you like to head out with me again?”
“Like…outside?”
“Of course.”
Then one day, I was permitted to go outside and she took me around to various places.
“Yori! Hurry or the train will leave without us!”
“We can take our time, we don’t need to be in such a rush.”
“We can’t let time go to waste, you’ve finally been given permission to go out.”
With a happy smile, she pulled my hand along.
“Let’s go to the library next!”
“Haha, alright alright.”
The smile on her face was so dazzling that I couldn’t help but smile along with her. But the park, the library… Why am I visiting these places with her? What was the purpose of bringing me to all these places……?
“Do you want to take a break?”
“Yeah, it’d be great if we could.”
“Well, I know of a great place! This way.”
I was taken to a plain old river bank. And with a prompt from her, I sat down on the green grass.
“The sunset is really beautiful from here.”
That was when I finally realized… This was a place I visited in the past with her.
I recalled what I had read in the diary entries. The places we visited were in the same order as the dates as they were written in the diary.
I see, that’s why she was so……
“……”
“Yori…?”
But, I still don’t remember anything. Nothing at all…… I felt sorry for her and also angry at myself.
“Yori, what’s the matter? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just that I’m a bit……”
I was about to continue, but I shut my mouth.
I guess she was hoping that I would remember something, anything. But seeing that nothing has changed with me, she must surely be disappointed.
“Yori…?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t…remember anything. I wonder what it feels like to be forgotten. I’m sure it must be painful. ……I’m sorry for hurting you.”
“……”
Upon hearing my words, tears began flowing from her eyes.
Ahh, I knew it. I’m hurting her. Why…all I wanted was for her to smile… I’m sorry… I’m sorry. I’m really…sorry.
“Yori, it’s not what you think.”
“Eh…?”
“Yori, you don’t have to remember anything. I love you no matter what form you take. I just…want you to at least smile when I’m by your side.”
I came to a sudden realization as she spoke tearfully.
She wasn’t “disillusioned with me and my lack of memories.” She was just trying to cheer me up……?
“I… Had my expressions been that somber?”
“You’ve been looking kind of down lately, Yori… So I thought I’d bring you around to places you used to love, hoping to cheer you up. ….I guess there was no meaning to it, was there? Sorry for dragging you around……”
My chest squeezed tightly at the sight of her selflessness. Why does she care about me so much?
My torn heart felt so painful… I couldn’t take it anymore and put my arms around her.
“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry.”
I, who didn’t even realize her feelingsーー……
“It’s fine, really.”
“There’s no way it is, after all, I…”
“But, Yori, you told me, didn’t you?”
“……Eh?”
“That even if you were reborn, you would still love me.”
Reincarnation. Even after we die, again and again, we would be reborn…… I could hear a voice deep inside my head, “Even if I were reborn, I’d still fall in love with you time and time again.”
I see… So I said those words to her in the past…
“So, I love you, even the now reborn version of you, Yori. That will never change, no matter what happens.”
“You…”
The back of my nose tingled and my vision blurred.
Why does this girl…love me so much? Me who has no memories, unable to remember anything, and am hopelessーー
Tears welled up uncontrollably and ran down my eyes.
“Yori……”
I don’t have any memories, but the love I felt towards her was real.
“I love you. …I love you. This feeling isn’t a lie. I love you with all my heart.”
“Yori…”
“Mnh…”
We overlapped our lips as we both cried, hugged each other strongly and tightly as if we both longed for each other.
“I love you… I love you…”
“Ngh…”
As we kissed, I whispered words of love to her, and a sweet numbness spread throughout my body from where she touched me.
“Hn… Yori…”
“Nh…”
Tears flowed down my cheeks and onto my lipsーー
“Hehe, you’re so full of tears, Yori.”
“So are you.”
“Hehe, hehe…”
As she cried and laughed, I felt an overwhelming sense of love for her.
I want to be with her forever. She is more important and more precious than anything else, and I love her.
I’ll never forget…this moment.
ーーSo please, please don’t forget me either.
Criy's Forgotten Memories 