“So, Akito. After hearing from all those people, is there anything that catches your interest or something you think you might remember?”
“Unfortunately, not a thing.”
Saturday morning. Having finished our meal, we were sitting on the benches of the wood deck.
The weather was unfortunately rainy.
But Riran insisted that she absolutely wanted to be here.
I looked up at the rainy sky from the roofed wood deck.
I’m not a fan of the rain, though...
But, what is it? Looking at the rain while sitting on the bench, I feel like... something important happened. I have that kind of feeling.
As something remained caught in the corner of my mind, Riran let out a soft sigh.
“I see... I wonder how your memories can be brought back.”
“Who knows. The doctor said to take our time. We just have to wait patiently.”
Well, according to the doctor, there's a possibility that memories might return if I experience something shocking.
Though in daily life, it's rare for such shocking things to happen.
“That’s true. In that case, let’s take our time and talk about our history up until now.”
“Go easy on me.”
While drinking coffee, I lent an ear to Riran’s story.
“Let’s see. First, I’ll talk about summer vacation. There are more memories from after we started dating, anyway.”
“Yeah.”
Summer vacation, huh? It’s a shame I don’t have memories of my first summer vacation of high school, but I wonder what kind of life I was living.
“Well... first of all, you were more lazy than I imagined.”
“Ah, so that hasn't changed. Good to know~”
“It’s not good! Do you know how much trouble I had getting you to do your homework?!”
Don't talk like a mother, this girl.
“Huh? But I managed to finish my homework during summer vacation. That’s kind of surprising.”
“That’s because I thought of various things. Like having no lovey-dovey time until summer vacation ended, or asking if you wanted to touch my breasts once it was over.”
“What did you say...?!”
Wait, does that mean? Having finished my summer homework, did I touch those rich, plump things of Riran’s? Did I grope them?!
I’m a high school boy too. I’m somewhat aware of my own sexual desires and impurity.
But, to attack Riran for a reason like that... I’m disillusioned! Wait, that was me!
“Well, Akito refused, though.”
“Right?!”
Ah, thank goodness.
I thought I wouldn't fall for that kind of invitation, but I properly turned it down. Phew.
“Your summer homework was finished under my thorough management. It was hard because you’d try to slack off immediately.”
“I bet. That’s me.”
“Don’t puff your chest out about it.”
She gave me a cold stare. S-Sorry.
“And then there was the beach. We stayed at a villa owned by Neika’s family and everyone played together. Us, Neika and the others, and Rio and her group.”
“Neika’s family is super rich, after all. It’s normal for them to have a villa by the sea.”
“Yes, it was incredibly amazing. I’ll never have an experience like that again...!”
Riran spoke passionately about that time.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Riran with such an excited face.
............Hmm? A while?
Now then, have I ever seen this girl’s excited face before now...?
......Ah, no. That’s not a memory from six months ago.
This is a memory from these past six months—.
“Akito? What’s wr— Kyaa?!”
“Ri-Riran. This is good, tell me more! Somehow, when I look at your smile, I feel like I’m about to remember!”
“Wa-Wa-Wait...! Y-You’re too close, your face is too close...!”
“Ah, sorry.”
I got excited and accidentally got too close.
Phew, calm down, me.
“Goodness. Don’t make my heart race like that, you dummy.”
“Sorry. So, how was it?”
“Oh right! Then, I dropped my earring... Ah, wait a second!”
With that, she suddenly went back inside the house, and after a while, she came back holding something.
“I’m back!”
“Welcome back. ...What’s that?”
“It’s an Anemone earring. Akito gave this to me as a present.”
Heh. Not bad, me. You’ve got sense.
Riran put the small Anemone earring on her ear and wore a faint smile.
“I went into the sea wearing this earring. I was frolicking around so much that I didn’t notice I’d dropped it in the ocean...”
“Wait, but that...”
“Yeah. Akito found it for me.”
Found it, she says... Did I find something this small in the middle of the ocean? How reckless was I... No wonder Kotono gets mad at me.
I gently reached out to Riran as if to softly touch the earring.
Her body twitched in response, but she immediately snuggled into my hand.
“Fufu. I’m happy. To be thought of this much.”
“...I see.”
“Yes. After all, the flower language of a red anemone is ‘I love you.’”
“Eh, I didn’t know that.”
“I thought so. It seems you didn’t know when you gave it to me either.”
I’m not interested in the language of flowers... No, this is embarrassing.
Riran gently rested her head on my shoulder.
It felt strangely comfortable. I wonder what this comfort is.
Little by little, the rain grew stronger.
I felt like... there was a rainy day before when it was just the two of us... I had that kind of feeling.