The world around them faded.
The noise of students leaving school, the rustling of leaves in the soft afternoon breeze—
None of it mattered.
Because at this moment—
Anari's heartbeat was the only thing she could hear.
Anari: (Mid-sentence, suddenly freezes)
"Mmm… oka—"
THUMP.
Her heart skipped.
Then again.
Anari: (Internally, eyes widening)
(Ahhh… w-what is this feeling?)
Her breath quickened.
Her chest felt tight.
Anari: (Panting slightly, struggling to process)
(My heartbeat… it was normal when I was with him before… but this… this is different.)
She suddenly stumbled.
Anari: "Ahhhh…!"
Asahi's eyes widened instantly.
He moved without thinking.
Asahi: (Worried, catching her arm)
"Hey!"
Anari felt dizzy.
Her vision blurred slightly, but through it—she saw his face.
Focused. Serious. Concerned.
Asahi: (Pulling out a handkerchief, gently wiping her forehead)
"You're sweating too much."
He placed his palm against her forehead.
Warm.
Asahi: (Internally, his expression shifting)
(Shit… she's burning up!)
Asahi: (Soft but firm)
"Ahhhh… do you have a fever?"
Anari's face flushed even more.
She could barely speak.
Anari: (Breathing unsteadily, voice quiet)
"As… Asahi… I think I'm not feeling well."
Her face was completely red now.
Asahi felt a pang of concern.
Asahi: (Slightly nodding, making a decision)
"Mmm… let's go to my place!"
Anari: (Snaps out of it, panicking)
"Ahhhhh!"
Asahi: (Tilting his head, confused)
"Yeah, come on."
Anari: (Childishly, shaking her head)
"No… no!"
Asahi: (Raising an eyebrow, sighing)
"What?!"
Anari: (Her voice small, cheeks still burning)
"C… come to my house instead."
Asahi hesitated.
Then sighed.
Asahi: (Relenting)
"Yeah… yeah. Let's go."
He looked at her.
Her legs seemed unsteady.
His brows furrowed.
Asahi: (Concerned)
"Can you walk?"
Anari didn't answer.
She saw her chance.
Her moment.
She slowly stretched out her arms toward him.
Her fingers lightly curled.
Then, in the softest, most innocent voice—
Anari: (Looking up at him, voice quiet, almost pleading)
"Asa… Asahi… carry me."
Silence.
A long silence.
Asahi's brain shut down.
Asahi: (Staring at her, face frozen)
"Huh…?"
Anari: (Still holding her arms out, blinking cutely)
"Mmm…?"
Then—reality snapped back into Asahi's head.
He stepped back instantly.
Asahi: (Quickly, shaking his head)
"Huh—NO WAY!"
Anari: (Gasps, betrayed)
"Huh…!"
Asahi: (Crossing his arms, smirking)
"I can clearly see you can walk."
Anari pouted hard.
Anari: (Cutely, pretending to be hurt)
"Huh… how did you know I was acting?!"
Asahi looked away, blushing slightly.
Asahi: (Muttering, sighing)
"Haaahh… I just did."
Anari huffed, looking away dramatically.
Then—without warning—
Asahi suddenly turned around… and crouched slightly.
Asahi: (Muttering, avoiding eye contact)
"Get on."
Anari froze.
Her entire face turned red.
Anari: (Blinking rapidly, stuttering)
"Huh… w-what are you doing?"
Asahi: (Looking away, grumbling)
"Ahhhh… don't move too much."
He lifted her up onto his back.
Anari: (Stiffens, whispering)
"Huh…?"
Her entire body pressed against him.
She felt his warmth.
His steady heartbeat.
His muscles tensed under her weight.
And Asahi—
He could feel everything.
Her warmth.
Her breath against his neck.
Her small hands, resting lightly on his shoulders.
Asahi: (Internally, panicked, screaming)
*(Oh shit… oh shit… oh shit…!)
(Her whole body is touching my back—OH SHIT!)
*(I have to move fast or I'll lose control—!)
His face was completely red.
And yet, he kept walking.
Step by step.
Carrying Anari home.
Anari: (Softly, almost in a daze)
"A… Asahi."
She lightly wrapped her arms around his neck.
Asahi almost tripped.
Asahi: (Internally, dying)
(OH SHIT—!)
Anari: (Her voice barely above a whisper, like she was in a dream)
"Stay like this… just for a little longer."
Asahi gulped hard.
His legs were burning.
His muscles aching.
His whole body felt like it was overheating.
But still—he didn't stop.
Asahi: (Grumbling, trying to stay focused)
"Ahhh… you're damn heavy."
Anari: (Cutely, weakly punching his head)
"Idiot!"
Finally—
They reached her house.
Asahi exhaled, relieved.
Asahi: (Panting slightly)
"Ahhh… finally."
But then—
Anari suddenly clung to him tighter.
Her voice—soft, almost childlike.
Anari: (Whining, quietly)
"Ahhh… no… no…"
Asahi pushed open the door to Anari's house.
It was familiar. Warm. The air carried a soft, sweet scent.
Her scent.
Asahi: (Stepping inside, exhaling)
(Ahhh… it really smells good.)
He moved toward her room.
It was exactly how he remembered it.
Neat, but a little messy in a comfortable way.
Soft colors. Books scattered around. A few plushies near the bed.
Asahi: (Internally, reminiscing)
(Ahhh… when we were little, I used to come here a lot…)
(But then—she started coming to my house instead.)
He gently placed Anari onto the bed.
Or at least—he tried to.
But—
She wouldn't let go.
Anari: (Whining, holding onto his shirt like a child)
"No… no…"
Asahi: (Sighing, gently prying her off)
"Ahhh, come on—"
Anari: (Still clinging, face flushed)
"Noooooo…"
So he did the only thing he could.
He threw her onto the bed.
Anari: (Gasping dramatically, pouting)
"Ahhh! Is this how you treat a girl?!"
Her cheeks puffed up.
Her eyes sparkled with fake annoyance.
But she looked more cute than mad.
Asahi quickly looked away, covering his face.
Asahi: (Internally, screaming)
(Ahhhhhhhhhhh!)
Asahi: (Grumbling, shaking his head)
"I'll get a cloth to put on your forehead."
He turned toward the door, escaping before she could say anything else.
His face was burning.
His heart—pounding.
And as he stepped out of the room—
A small voice followed after him.
Soft. Weak. Barely above a whisper.
Anari: (Sleepily, still in a daze)
"Asahi… stay with me."
The house was quiet.
Soft. Warm. Familiar.
But as Asahi entered the kitchen—
Everything changed.
His expression darkened.
His breathing slowed.
His eyes—cold, hollow, unreadable.
A shadow loomed over his mind.
Then—
A voice whispered from within.
Asahi: (Dark, emotionless, terrifyingly calm)
"MA. Wake up."
From deep inside—
A response came.
Smooth. Cold. Mocking.
MA (inside him): (Chuckling, voice laced with amusement)
"You're doing everything right, my brother."
A suffocating silence.
Asahi's fingers tightened around the kitchen counter.
His humanity felt distant.
Asahi: (Eyes narrowing, voice deep, menacing)
"What's wrong with her?"
Silence.
Then—
A slow, quiet laugh.
MA: (Calm, dismissive, almost playful)
"I'll tell you… someday."
"But for now… just enjoy your life, bro."
Asahi exhaled sharply.
His lips curled slightly—
Not in a smile.
But in understanding.
Something was wrong with Anari.
And yet—he wouldn't know until MA allowed it.
He hated that.
But he accepted it.
For now.
His mind shifted.
His body moved mechanically.
Cooking.
Simple. Routine. Automatic.
Asahi: (Internally, numbly)
(Instant ramen… fine.)
He boiled the water.
Prepared the noodles.
While the pot simmered, he reached into the freezer—
Pulling out a small towel.
Dipped it into ice water.
Then—
With bored, calculated movements—
He wrung it out.
Cold droplets dripped onto his hand.
He barely felt them.
He picked up both the meal and the cloth—
And turned back toward Anari's room.
Step by step.
Expression unreadable.
Footsteps silent.
And deep inside—
MA watched. Smiling. Waiting.
The moment Asahi stepped back into the room—
The darkness faded.
His face softened.
His voice lightened.
His body relaxed.
Asahi: (With a small smile, holding out the ramen)
"Hey. Here—eat this first, then sleep."
Anari peeked up at him.
Her cheeks still flushed.
Her body still warm.
Her eyes glimmered with something mischievous.
Anari: (Turning her head away dramatically, pouting)
"Hmmm."
Asahi: (Blinking, confused)
"Huh… what's wrong?"
Anari tilted her head slightly.
Then, without hesitation—
She opened her mouth slightly.
Childishly.
Anari: (Softly, smiling)
"Feed me."
Silence.
A long silence.
Asahi's brain stopped working.
Asahi: (Internally, screaming)
(HUH—?!)
(WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. WHAT?!!)
His face immediately burned red.
Asahi: (Stammering)
"H-Huh… ahh…"
Then—
A voice echoed inside his mind.
Smooth. Amused. Dangerous.
MA: (Mocking, with a low chuckle)
"Let me do it."
Asahi's entire body stiffened.
He froze.
Asahi: (Eyes widening, internally panicking)
(OH HELL NO—!!!)
Asahi: (Quickly, shaking his head)
"U-Uh, NO WAY!"
Anari: (Blushing slightly, blinking)
"Huh? What?"
Asahi snapped out of it.
He quickly took the spoon.
His fingers trembled slightly as he lifted it toward her mouth.
Asahi: (Clearing his throat, muttering)
"N-No, nothing… here, let me feed you."
Anari smiled softly.
Then, slowly—she leaned forward.
Her lips parted slightly.
And as the warm noodles touched her lips—
She closed her eyes.
Smiling.
Anari: (Softly, whispering)
"Mmm… it's good."
Asahi swallowed hard.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
And deep inside—
MA smirked. Watching. Waiting.
The air in the room was still.
Soft moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over Anari's sleeping form.
She had finally finished eating.
Her fever was still there, but her body had relaxed.
For a moment—just a moment—Asahi thought everything was fine.
He gently placed the cool cloth against her forehead.
His movements were slow, careful.
Asahi: (Softly, trying to sound firm)
"Now don't move and just sleep, okay?"
His voice was tired.
His body felt heavy.
But just as he was about to stand up—
Anari: (Sleepy, voice small, almost like a child)
"Uhhh… stay near me."
Asahi froze.
His eyes slightly widened.
Asahi: (Awkwardly)
"Uhh…"
Anari: (Murmuring, clinging onto his hand)
"Stay… stay… stay…"
Her small fingers curled around his hand.
Warm. Soft. Weak.
Asahi sighed heavily.
Asahi: (Muttering, defeated)
"Yeah, yeah…"
He sat down beside her.
His shoulders slumped.
Asahi: (Internally, exhausted)
(Ahhh… I'm so tired…)
Suddenly—
Her fingers tightened around his.
Asahi felt a shiver.
A small warmth spread through his palm—
Then, his mind went blank.
Asahi: (Blushing hard, stiffening slightly)
"Ahh—"
His eyes slowly drifted toward her.
Anari's lips were parted slightly.
Her chest rose and fell rhythmically.
Her fingers didn't let go.
Asahi swallowed hard.
Asahi: (Clearing his throat, quickly changing the subject)
"Hey, Anari…"
His expression suddenly shifted.
His warmth vanished.
His eyes darkened.
Serious. Focused.
Something inside him felt off.
Anari: (Sleepily, barely opening her eyes)
"Mmm…?"
Asahi: (Lowering his voice)
"Did you have any memory?"
Anari stiffened.
Her sleepy expression faded.
A shadow flickered across her face.
She looked confused.
Then—scared.
Anari: (Blinking, her heart pounding)
"Huh…?"
Asahi: (Squeezing her hand slightly, voice deeper)
"Say it."
Her heartbeat quickened.
Something inside her flared.
A hidden fear.
A forgotten pain.
Asahi: (Firmly)
"Did you remember anything?"
Silence.
Anari tried to speak.
But—her lips trembled.
Her chest tightened.
Anari: (Breathing heavily, eyes flickering)
"I… I…"
Asahi: (Leaning closer, tension rising)
"What?"
Her heartbeat exploded.
Her hands flew to her head.
She gasped.
Her body convulsed.
And then—the scream tore through the silence.
Anari: (Crying out, gripping her head like it was splitting open)
"AHHHH—!!!"
She thrashed.
Her body arched violently.
Her breath came out in rapid, uneven gasps.
Tears spilled down her face.
Anari: (Sobbing, her voice breaking apart)
"Something… I remembered… something dark—!!!"
Her hands dug into the sheets, gripping them like she was fighting to stay grounded.
Anari: (Screaming, shaking her head wildly)
"NO! NO! IT HURTS—!!!"
Her breath was erratic—desperate.
Like she was drowning in something she couldn't escape.
Asahi: (Panicked, his grip tightening around her shoulders)
"HEY! ANARI—!"
Anari: (Tears streaming, her voice raw)
"IT HURTS! IT HURTS! MAKE IT STOP—!!!"
She twisted in his grip.
Her body was burning up.
The pain was consuming her.
Her chest heaved violently.
And Asahi—
He didn't know what to do.
He had never seen her like this before.
Anari: (Crying harder, trembling)
"I don't need to remember it… I don't want to… please—!!!"
Her entire body trembled.
She looked like she was on the verge of breaking.
And Asahi—
He couldn't let that happen.
Without thinking—
He moved.
He pulled her in.
And then—
He wrapped his arms around her.
Tightly.
Securely.
A hug.
Asahi: (His voice low, steady, warm)
"You don't have to remember it, Anari."
She froze.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her fingers, which had been clawing at his arms, slowly relaxed.
Her body, once stiff with pain, slowly melted against him.
Like the warmth in his voice pulled her back.
Like his presence was enough.
Asahi: (Softer now, his grip tightening slightly)
"It's okay."
"I've got you."
Her face was buried in his chest.
His heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Steady. Reassuring.
And suddenly—
The pain faded.
Her body stopped shaking.
Her breath slowed.
Her hands clutched onto his shirt.
And then—
For the first time in what felt like forever—
She felt safe.
Anari: (Muffled, still sniffling)
"Asahi… Asahi…"
And Asahi—
He didn't say anything.
He just held her closer.
Because in this moment—
Nothing else mattered.
The room was quiet. Too quiet.
The only sound was the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall.
Asahi sat by the bed, watching as Anari slowly drifted into sleep.
Her breathing softened. Her expression relaxed.
For the first time today, she looked at peace.
Asahi: (Whispering, smiling slightly)
"Sleep well."
He gently patted her head.
Her hair was soft, warm.
Asahi: (Soft chuckle, watching her face)
"She looks like an angel."
But deep inside—
Deep, deep inside—
His mind was screaming.
Asahi: (Internally, fists clenching)
(I GOT TO HUG HER! YAYAYAYAY!!!)
His face remained calm.
But inside, fireworks were exploding.
He quickly turned away, pretending to act cool.
He walked over to the chair near the window and sat down.
Outside—
The streetlights flickered softly.
The night was still.
A calm, peaceful silence.
Everything felt… normal.
As if nothing had happened today.
As if the screams, the pain, the memories… weren't real.
Asahi: (Exhaling, looking at the city skyline)
"Hah… finally some peace."
Then—
RING!
A sudden vibration.
A phone ringing.
The sound cut through the silence like a knife.
Asahi: (Flinching, confused)
"Huh…?"
He slowly pulled out his phone.
His screen glowed in the dark.
One name flashed across the screen—
MOM.
Asahi: (Internally, panicked)
(SHIT!)
He quickly answered the call.
Asahi: (Awkward smile, speaking calmly)
"H-Hey… Mom."
Mom: (Her voice sharp, annoyed)
"WHERE ARE YOU?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?!"
Asahi winced.
He glanced at the clock.
10:30 PM.
Asahi: (Chuckling nervously)
"Ahaha… It's… 10:30 PM?"
Mom: (Sighs loudly)
"AND?!"
Asahi: (Clearing his throat, hesitating)
"Uh… I'm at… Anari's house."
Silence.
A long silence.
Then—
Mom: (Softly, suspiciously)
"…Anari's house?"
Then—she BURSTS INTO LAUGHTER.
Asahi: (Blinking, confused)
"Huh? What's so funny?"
Mom: (Laughing, teasing)
"MMMMMM… DON'T DO ANYTHING NAUGHTY~"
Asahi's entire body locked up.
His brain short-circuited.
His face turned completely red.
Asahi: (Shouting, voice cracking)
"I KNOW, I KNOW, MOM! SHE'S JUST NOT FEELING WELL, OKAY?!"
Mom: (Still laughing, clearly enjoying this)
"HMMMMMM… JUST TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER, OKAY?"
Asahi: (Groaning, rubbing his forehead)
"Ahhh… yeah, yeah… okay."
He quickly hangs up.
The call ends.
Silence returns.
He stares at his phone.
Then at Anari.
Then at the ceiling.
Then—
He slaps his own face.
Asahi: (Muttering, covering his face)
"WHY DOES MY MOM SAY THESE THINGS?!"
The night was still.
A deep, heavy silence filled the air.
Asahi sat by the window, his body motionless, hollow.
Outside, the moon hung low—a soft, silver glow against the endless night.
Asahi: (Sighing, voice tired)
"Ahhhh…"
A voice whispered inside his mind.
A voice only he could hear.
MA: (Calm, almost friendly)
"It's lonely, right?"
Asahi didn't respond at first.
Just sat there.
Staring out the window.
Asahi: (Softly, almost absent)
"Mmm."
Asahi: (Leaning his head back, closing his eyes)
"Ahhh… I feel so tired."
The voice inside him shifted.
Softer. Yet heavier.
MA: (Quiet, knowing)
"I've seen all your memories, Asahi."
Asahi: (Soft chuckle, empty)
"Ahhh."
MA: (His tone drops, deeper now)
"How… how are you even living like this after everything that's happened?"
A silence.
A long, suffocating silence.
Then—
A small smile curled onto Asahi's lips.
But it wasn't happiness.
Asahi: (Softly, voice distant)
"I don't know."
(His gaze drifts to the bed—where she sleeps.)
"I think she keeps me alive."
Silence.
A silence filled with something unspoken.
Something that MA already knew.
MA: (Quietly, almost wistful)
"Mmm… it must be nice to be with her."
Asahi: (Soft nod)
"Yeah…"
His eyes lifted.
The moonlight poured in through the window, bathing the room in a cold, ghostly glow.
Asahi: (Staring at the sky)
"It looks beautiful, right?"
MA: (Soft, distant)
"Mmm."
Then—
A shift.
A weight in the air.
Asahi's expression darkened.
His fingers tightened on the chair.
Asahi: (Voice quieter, but heavier)
"I just want to survive this day."
A pause.
A long pause.
MA: (Careful, hesitant)
"…What?"
Asahi: (Eyes sharp, voice shaking slightly)
"I just… I just want to see tomorrow."
"I don't want everyone to forget this day."
(His voice—cracking, breaking apart.)
MA: (Something inside him stirs—unsettled.)
"Asahi—"
Asahi: (Forcing a weak chuckle, but his hands are trembling)
"Hey, MA…"
MA: (A weight in his voice)
"Mmm?"
Asahi: (Breath shaky, breaking apart)
"Does she even remember the day we went to the mall… with our family?"
A pause.
A painful pause.
MA: (Doesn't answer.)Asahi: (Voice tightening, barely above a whisper)
"Does she even remember the day we went to the shopping mall… alone… like a date?"
"Where she smiled. Where I smiled. Where we actually lived—"
Still. No answer.
Because MA already knew the truth.
Because Asahi already knew the answer.
Asahi: (His hands are shaking. His shoulders tense.)
(His breath catches in his throat.)
"I just want her to remember the days we enjoyed each other."
"That's all."
Then—
A single tear formed in his eye.
But it didn't fall.
It just stayed there.
Frozen.
Like he was refusing to let it go.
Asahi: (Softly, broken)
"After I sleep again… I'll just loop."
"And she'll forget everything."
(A single breath—painful. Soft. Defeated.)
"She'll forget… everything."
(His hands grip the windowsill tightly—his knuckles turning white.)
MA: (His voice—something close to desperate now)
"Asahi—!"
But Asahi didn't respond.
He just stared at the moon.
His empty, sleepless eyes reflecting the night sky.
Unmoving. Cold. Distant.