The next morning, the clock had just passed seven.
Mist draped the hills, and a gentle wind from the sea swayed the grass and trees.
In the hospital's waiting room, Endi slept flat on his back across a bench.
His snores were soft and boyish, as though an innocent soul were drifting across the sea of dreams.
The girl stirred awake.
She sat up in the bed of the examination room, eyes darting around.
Where am I? Is this a hospital?
As questions floated through her head, she pieced together fragments of the night before—
that boy had lifted her from the freezing sea and carried her here through the pouring rain.
Grasping the memory, she rose quietly and slipped into the hall.
There, in the waiting room, Endi lay sprawled on the bench, breathing peacefully in sleep.
The unguarded innocence of his face made her stifle a small laugh.
The spring morning was still chill.
She returned to the room, picked up a blanket, and gently draped it over him.
Then, careful not to make a sound, she pushed open the door and stepped outside.
The soft thud of the closing door stirred Endi awake.
"Huh? Where did this blanket come from?"
He murmured groggily, sitting up.
Had that bald old doctor shown him kindness after all?
The thought crossed his mind—until his heart jolted with the memory of the girl.
He peered into the examination room. Empty.
Only the sheets remained, folded in silence.
A sharp thorn of panic pricked his chest. He dashed outside.
The sight stole his breath.
The doctor's clinic and residence stood atop a hill, a two-story house framed by trimmed green lawns.
Beyond the garden stretched the vast sea, shimmering under the clear morning light.
Last night's storm had hidden it all—the view, the serenity, the beauty.
Now the sea was bluer than ever, glittering as though scattered with fragments of stars.
"So beautiful…" Endi whispered.
Then he saw her.
A silhouette by the sea, long hair swaying with the morning breeze as though it were dancing with the ocean itself.
His heart skipped a beat.
"Good morning."
She turned, smiling.
"O-oh… good morning."
Endi stumbled over his words, eyes darting.
Her beauty seemed beyond the human world.
Black hair as deep as a midnight sea.
Eyes like twin stars, framed by long curling lashes.
A sharp nose, soft pink lips, skin white as snow.
She was like a spirit from myth who had borrowed human form.
A beauty so piercing it felt as though cracks split his very eyes.
"You're the one who saved me, aren't you?"
"Y-yeah. I saw you collapsed on that little boat… I couldn't believe it."
"And then you carried me here through the storm. Thanks to you, I feel fine now. Thank you."
She smiled, brighter than the rising sun, and Endi's chest tightened painfully.
He almost never spoke to girls.
Certainly not to someone so dazzling.
Heat rushed to his cheeks. He couldn't hold her gaze.
"Why were you crying?"
"…Eh?"
"When you saved me. You were crying, weren't you?"
"No, no, I wasn't crying!"
His awkward protest rang hollow. Inside, his heart thundered again.
The truth was, even he didn't know why the tears had come.
"Hmm."
Her eyes glinted knowingly, as if to say, You're easy to read.
"My name's Lamia. What's yours?"
"I—I'm Endi."
He stammered, face burning red.
"This is a lovely town. The sea's beautiful, and the air tastes so fresh. Do you live here, Endi?"
"No. I came here just yesterday."
"I see. How old are you? I'm sixteen, so I figured maybe we're the same age?"
"Sorry… I don't know my age."
Endi lowered his eyes, voice small.
"You don't know? How come?"
Lamia tilted her head, eyes wide.
Endi fell silent.
The sea breeze brushed his cheek; waves whispered in the distance.
At last, he spoke quietly.
"The truth is… I don't have any memories."
Lamia's eyes trembled for just an instant—
as if something deep within her own heart resonated with his words.
It was the first time Endi had confessed his circumstances to anyone.
Why he had opened up to this girl, whom he had only just met, he could not explain.
And yet Lamia understood:
this boy—her savior—carried wounds far deeper than the eye could see.
"If you'd like… will you tell me your story?"
She smiled softly, her voice like the breeze.
Endi hesitated, then, after a long silence, he finally parted his heavy lips.