Cold rain fell from a grey sky.
The first thing I felt was the damp ground beneath my back. Wet grass clung to my clothes, and the faint sound of flowing water reached my ears.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Dark clouds covered the sky above me, and beside me flowed a narrow river, its surface disturbed by the falling rain.
"…What happened?"
My voice sounded unfamiliar to my own ears.
"Where am I…?"
I slowly pushed myself up. My head throbbed slightly as I looked down at my body.
My clothes were torn in several places. They were soaked with rain.
When I looked closer at my body, I noticed several wounds across my arms and chest.
But strangely, there was no blood.
Not a single drop.
"What…?"
Confused, I tried to stand.
The moment I put weight on my legs, my body trembled.
The sensation felt strange. Almost unreal.
"So… this is what it feels like to use my legs again…"
For a moment, I just stood there in the rain.
In my previous life, I had spent years trapped inside a hospital room, lying on a bed, staring at the same ceiling day after day.
Walking had been something I could only imagine.
But now—
I took a step.
Then another.
The ground shifted beneath my feet as my legs carried me forward.
I was walking.
I laughed quietly.
Then tears began to fall from my eyes.
Not from sadness.
But from happiness.
"I can walk…"
The rain mixed with the tears on my face as I continued taking slow steps.
After a while, I wiped my eyes and looked around the forest.
"…I should get out of here first."
I walked for what felt like two hours.
The rain had softened to a light drizzle, but the forest remained dark and quiet.
Just as fatigue began creeping back into my body, I noticed lights in the distance.
Torches.
Several figures were walking along a muddy road.
People.
Relieved, I raised my hand and waved.
"Hey—!"
Before I could finish calling out, someone from the group suddenly ran toward me.
A girl.
She rushed forward and threw her arms around me without hesitation.
"Satou-kun!"
Satou?
Is that… the name of this body?
The girl clung tightly to me, as if afraid I would disappear.
Her long pink hair was damp from the rain, sticking slightly to her clothes. When I looked at her face, tears were already forming in her dark eyes.
"Where have you been?" she cried. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"
She suddenly looked around nervously.
"Wait… where are the bandits?"
Bandits?
I had no idea what she was talking about.
Before I could ask, one of the villagers stepped forward.
"It's still raining," he said. "Let's return to the village first."
The others nodded.
-----
A short while later, the pink-haired girl led me into a small wooden cabin.
She quickly lit the fireplace, and warm light filled the room as the flames crackled softly.
Then she turned toward me.
"Let's take off your clothes first."
"Wait," I said quickly. "I can do it myself—"
"Don't move," she interrupted firmly.
"You're still hurt."
Before I could protest, she had already begun removing my torn clothes.
After laying me down near the fire, she dipped a cloth into a small bucket of water and began gently wiping the blood from my skin.
"Please don't put yourself in danger like that again, Satou-kun," she said quietly.
Her voice trembled slightly.
"To be honest…" I hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"My memory is still a little fuzzy. Can you tell me what happened?"
For a moment, she didn't respond.
Then suddenly—
She hugged me from behind.
"You stayed behind to fight the bandits after they kidnapped me," she said softly.
"I managed to run back to the village, but then it started raining."
Her arms tightened slightly around my shoulders.
"The whole village searched the forest for hours… but we couldn't find you anywhere."
I see.
So that's what happened.
Satou must have fought the bandits alone after she escaped.
And judging by the state of these clothes…
He probably didn't survive.
But somehow, I had woken up in his body instead.
I guess the real Satou is gone.
But then…
Why is she hugging me like this?
She was standing right behind me, her arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders. I could feel the warmth of her body pressing against my back.
Too close.
Way too close.
I could feel her chest behind me… and a faint sweet fragrance drifted from her hair.
My face began heating up.
In my previous life, I had never been this close to a girl before.
Not even once.
"I couldn't imagine what I would do without you…" she whispered.
For some reason, a strange shiver ran down my spine.
Trying to calm her down, I gently moved her hands from my shoulders.
"It's okay," I said softly. "I'm still alive, right?"
But the moment I said that, her shoulders began to shake.
Tears rolled down her cheeks again.
Then she hugged me once more.
Even tighter than before.
"Satou-kun…"
Her voice trembled.
"For now, you should get some rest."
To be honest, I was completely exhausted.
My body felt heavy as I walked toward the bed inside the cabin and laid down.
But the moment I closed my eyes—
The bed shifted.
I opened them again.
She had climbed onto the bed and laid down beside me.
I blinked in confusion.
"Wait… are we sleeping together?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Don't we always sleep together?"
My mind froze.
Always?
Before I could even process what that meant, exhaustion finally overtook me.
My thoughts became hazy.
My vision slowly darkened.
And just before sleep took me, I heard her quiet voice beside me.
"Fufu…"
"This time, I'll make sure I won't lose you again."