Chapter 26 Amnesia (Lie)
#22MotoKanoAmnesia (Lie)
The day after Kaori gave me permission to get a part-time job, I headed to school as usual. When I boarded the train at the station near my house, Tachibana-san was already seated in her usual spot.
“Good morning, Tachibana-san.”
“Mm.”
A short, typical reply.
Smiling, I took the seat next to her. This, too, had become a familiar routine lately.
“Sorry about yesterday.”
“It’s nothing.”
When I apologized for what had been weighing on my mind since yesterday, Tachibana-san responded curtly.
Even after I arrived, she remained fixated on her phone. I had no intention of peeking at what she was looking at, but seeing how engrossed she was, I hesitated to interrupt her.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, she slipped her phone into the pocket of her skirt.
“Done with your phone?”
“Yeah, it’s not like I was looking at anything interesting.”
“I see.”
Taking that as my cue, I decided to share the good news from yesterday.
“Oh, by the way, I finally got permission to get a part-time job.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. Really, thanks. If you hadn’t helped me study, I’d probably still be arguing about it.”
I genuinely believed that.
It had been ages since I last studied seriously, not since my early school days. Given how careless I’d been in class back then, there was no way I could have turned things around so quickly on my own.
At one point, out of curiosity, Tachibana-san had asked me why I was so determined to study, and at that time, I had honestly confessed my true feelings.
That’s why, when I saw the results of my efforts, the first person I wanted to thank was undeniably Tachibana-san.
“By the way, have you decided what kind of part-time job you want?”
“No, not yet. I plan to decide while considering the hourly wage and location.”
Perhaps reacting to the mention of “hourly wage,” Tachibana-san narrowed her eyes.
“Come to think of it, why did you even want a part-time job in the first place?”
That was something she hadn’t asked before.
How much should I tell her? I hesitated for a moment.
“Well, you know, I have amnesia, right? I figured there might be times when I’d need money to investigate my past.”
Of course, in reality, I wasn’t actually suffering from amnesia. The real reason I wanted to earn money was to travel to the hometown of my original body.
Since I couldn’t reveal that, I wove together a mix of truth and lies. But honestly… no, quite frankly, it sounded like a blatant lie.
Tachibana-san seemed to find my explanation ridiculous, narrowing her eyes at me.
“You’re still keeping up that silly lie?”
However, her exasperation wasn’t quite what I expected.
Now that I thought about it, I had claimed to have amnesia several times before, but not once had she believed me. Actually, it wasn’t just her—none of my classmates had taken me seriously either. Well, that was only natural since it was a lie in the first place. But the fact that I had never insisted too strongly on it had now backfired.
“It’s not a silly lie. It’s the truth.”
“…Then let’s say I believe you. If you have amnesia, wouldn’t it be best to just ask your parents? That would be the most reliable way, wouldn’t it?”
She was absolutely right.
However, I had my reasons.
“Of course. I’ve begged my mom to tell me many times. But in the end, she never says anything.”
“What about your dad?”
“…He passed away.”
I had no choice but to say it. The moment I did, Tachibana-san’s eyes wavered, as if she was shaken.
“…I think my mom doesn’t want to talk about my past because it would be too painful for me to hear. She’s even put a gag order on our teachers. That’s why I have no choice but to remember on my own.”
“…Is that true?”
“Have I ever told you a worthless lie like this before?”
I declared it with absolute confidence.
Though, of course, it was a lie.
Yet surprisingly, Tachibana-san seemed to hold me in higher regard than I expected. She lowered her gaze and fell silent.
“…Since when have you been missing your memories?”
After a while, she finally spoke.
“Since before I woke up. When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a hospital bed. I must have been asleep for a long time because I needed rehabilitation after waking up. That’s why I started school late.”
Saying it out loud made me realize it all over again. Well, not my own realization, but rather, that of the boy named Iori. His life had been pretty intense. I had known it, but putting it into words made it hit home even more.
Once again, Tachibana-san lowered her gaze and fell silent.
But soon, she seemed to reach a conclusion about something.
“…Your parents, even your teachers, all seem to think you shouldn’t regain your memories too quickly. And yet, you still want to remember?”
Was that concern for me? Or just curiosity?
“…Yeah, I want to remember.”
“Why? Wouldn’t it just be painful?”
To be honest, I didn’t really care about Iori’s tragic past. He was someone else, not me. But if I could uncover why I ended up in this body, I might find some answers.
Of course, I couldn’t say that to Tachibana-san.
So, what should I say instead…?
“Maybe as a form of self-discipline.”
That thought came from the twisted, envious part of me.
Learning about Iori’s past wouldn’t directly help me understand my own circumstances. But just as knowing my own fate mattered, understanding his past might also lead me to some answers.
I had a strong feeling about that.
When I looked at Tachibana-san with a serious expression, she blushed, pouted, and turned away.
“O-Okay. I get it. I’ll believe you. That’s good enough, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Saying “thank you” didn’t seem right, so I simply gave a vague smile and nodded.
“…Hey, I have a suggestion.”
After a moment, Tachibana-san spoke up.
“What is it?”
“Why not get a part-time job somewhere that lets you save money while also looking into your past?”
“Like where?”
“A bookstore, maybe.”
A bookstore.
Given the circumstances when I woke up, it wouldn’t be surprising if some third-rate gossip magazines had covered it… or maybe not.
Still, working at a bookstore would be more efficient than saving money aimlessly.
“That’s a good idea.”
So, I agreed honestly.
“A-Also…”
Once again, Tachibana-san blushed, turned away, and continued.
“I-I actually have some connections there. Would you be interested?”
And at that moment, I realized—this was probably what she had really wanted to say all along.