Chapter 47: Former Workplace

Former Workplace

By the time the two-hour train journey ended, I was stretching my body on the bullet train platform, which was larger and cleaner than an ordinary station.

“Did you get some rest?”

The one who asked was Tachibana-san.

“Yeah. Before I knew it, I was out cold.”

Scratching my head with a wry smile, I replied to Tachibana-san.

I had been too preoccupied with today since last night to get much sleep, and now, feeling its effects, I found myself pathetic.

“Even so, it’s freezing.”

Tachibana-san hunched over, rubbing her arms.

The winter temperatures here were lower than in the city. It was naturally expected to drop below zero.

“I have an extra hand warmer. You should use it.”

“Thanks.”

I handed the hand warmer to Tachibana-san, and she turned her back to me, rummaging under her coat to stick it onto her sweater.

“I really underestimated winter here.”

“Is this your first time coming here?”

“Yeah. …Besides, I tend to get cold easily.”

“That sounds rough.”

Tachibana-san had a figure that many women envied, but from an outsider’s perspective, she might have seemed a bit too thin. That could have contributed to her sensitivity to the cold.

“Alright, shall we?”

“Yeah.”

Tachibana-san sneezed loudly and hurried to follow me.

Stepping out of the bullet train platform, we entered a commercial facility directly connected to the station. Since it was still early in the morning, most shops weren’t open yet, but the heating here made it comfortably warm.

“I could stay here forever…”

“Come on, let’s look around a bit.”

“Ugh…”

Seeing the usually confident Tachibana-san looking so feeble was a rare sight.

“Do you need a scarf?”

“Lend it to me.”

Desperate times call for desperate measures. She responded immediately to my offer. Smiling wryly, I handed her the scarf I had been wearing.

Burying her mouth into the scarf, Tachibana-san basked in its warmth. She looked her age for once, giving her an unexpectedly endearing appearance.

“Alright, let’s take the bus. We can see some nature you can’t find in the city.”

“Will it be warm inside the bus?”

“Yeah, it should be fine.”

“Then I’m in.”

Before I knew it, her decision-making process revolved entirely around warmth.

Leaving the still-closed arcade district behind, we boarded the bus.

As a side note, today was the day of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Perhaps because of that, the bus heading towards the prefectural hall in the city center was quite crowded. Remembering my own Coming-of-Age Ceremony there, I finally started to feel like I had truly returned home.

The warmth inside the bus must have done the trick, as Tachibana-san grew quiet before long. Feeling relieved by her calmness, I gazed out the window at the scenery.

Unlike the city, this place relied on cars. The railway system wasn’t well developed, and buses weren’t frequent due to profitability concerns. The kind of public transportation convenience found in the city simply didn’t exist in the countryside.

That’s why I had always seen this scenery from behind the wheel of a car.

And now, looking at this town from a slightly higher vantage point than back then, I realized that not much had changed… and a warmth filled my chest.

Tachibana-san had once described my situation—possessing Iori’s body—as some kind of illness.

Ever since she said that, though I knew it couldn’t be true, I found myself entertaining the idea more and more.

What if I didn’t actually exist?

What if my memories were just scrambled, and I had merely adopted another personality?

These thoughts surfaced and faded in an endless cycle.

And every time I thought about it, I felt sick.

But now, seeing the same sights I once did, I felt like I belonged in this town. That realization brought both relief and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.

“By ‘nature,’ do you mean we’re heading into the mountains?”

As the bus started winding along a mountain road, Tachibana-san asked anxiously.

“Yeah. …Oh, come to think of it, it might be colder than the station.”

“What? Ugh… I’ll endure it.”

“Sorry.”

The bus from the station took us straight to our destination.

What awaited us was one of Japan’s most famous waterfalls.

The area was becoming more commercialized as a tourist spot, and we stepped off the bus into its lively atmosphere.

Having warmed up inside the bus, Tachibana-san had briefly removed the scarf, but now she wrapped it tightly around her face again, covering her mouth.

“The return bus is in forty minutes.”

I checked the schedule and informed her.

“It took us about an hour to get here from the station. That means we’ll be back just around lunchtime.”

“Yeah. Should we eat here or near the station?”

“This place feels touristy, so it might be a bit pricey. I think it’s better to eat at a family restaurant near the station.”

“Got it. Let’s do that.”

By the time we arrived, the local shops had just begun opening, bringing life to the area—souvenir stores, soba restaurants, a ropeway leading to the mountaintop, even a wine cellar.

“Let’s check out the souvenir shops while heading toward the waterfall.”

“Okay.”

We started walking.

The last time I had been here was during university, bringing along friends who had moved from the city.

My university days were more vibrant than high school but also more reckless than my working years. It was the most fun period of my life, though not one filled with particularly noteworthy stories. Still, retracing my past through these familiar sights was enjoyable in itself.

We stepped into a souvenir shop that had just opened, browsing the goods but not buying anything.

“If we buy something now, it’ll just be extra baggage.”

In the comfort of the warm store, Tachibana-san spoke decisively as usual.

“How about some soft serve? It’s a classic thing to eat while traveling.”

“It’s way too cold for that.”

“Fair point.”

Tachibana-san, ever the cold-sensitive one, laughed.

After that little incident, we started walking toward the waterfall. From here, we could descend a flight of stairs to get the perfect viewing angle.

The last time I came here was during summer, with some friends from university. I still remember the roaring sound of the waterfall, so loud it almost shook the air, and the mist was enough to soak the steps.

“The stairs are slippery, so be careful.”

“Yeah. …Ah!”

Shivering from the cold, Tachibana-san promptly lost her footing on the very first step. She landed hard on her rear, her face contorting in pain.

“A-Are you okay?”

“…Oww…”

“Can you stand?”

When I held out my hand, she took it without hesitation, and I pulled her up.

“I’ll hold your hand and guide you.”

“Huh?”

“We’ll take it slow.”

“…Okay.”

Step by step, we carefully descended the stairs.

And finally, when we reached the bottom, the waterfall came into view… but it was nothing like the one I had seen before.

“Wow… It’s amazing.”

Tachibana-san looked impressed, but since I had seen its full power before, I couldn’t help feeling underwhelmed.

Why was it so weak?

I pulled out my phone and looked it up.

It turned out that this waterfall was formed by snowmelt from the mountaintop. During the summer, when the snowmelt was at its peak, the waterfall was at its most powerful.

“Let’s come back in the summer.”

“Huh?”

Tachibana-san, who had been admiring the waterfall while shivering, let out a surprised sound and tilted her head.

…And then—

“Alright, let’s go.”

We finally steeled ourselves for the real reason we were here—investigating what had happened to my original body.

“…Where do we start?”

Tachibana-san asked.

Where should we go first?

I had spent all of last night thinking it through. After much deliberation, I had decided that the best way to confirm what had happened to me was to visit the apartment where I used to live.

“First, I want to check out my workplace.”

But now, I had a change of heart. After spending such an enjoyable morning with Tachibana-san, a part of me didn’t want to jump straight into something that might bring bad news.

Thanks to her, I had a great time.

This whole trip had been Kaori’s suggestion, but in the end, I had enjoyed it far more than I expected.

…If this had really been a date, that is.

I had a bad habit of getting caught up in the moment and losing sight of the bigger picture. Today wasn’t about going on a date with Tachibana-san—it was about finding out the truth. The date was just a pretense.

And yet, I had let myself get swept away. I felt pathetic.

“…Alright.”

“Yeah. My workplace is closer to the station than my old apartment. Let’s walk there.”

“…Hey.”

Tachibana-san’s expression turned uneasy.

“This isn’t going to feel like we’re tightening a noose around our necks, is it?”

The reason I suggested checking my workplace first was because it wouldn’t provide any direct answers about my own condition. We wouldn’t be able to go inside the company, and since today was a holiday, there wouldn’t be anyone there. There was a good chance this would turn out to be a wasted effort. No—actually, the chances of that happening were extremely high.

What Tachibana-san meant was simple: Instead of wasting time on something uncertain, wouldn’t it be better to go somewhere that could give us real answers?

Our time here was limited, and my mental state was fragile.

…Coming all this way and leaving with no answers wouldn’t just be frustrating—it would only make my fears worse.

Tachibana-san understood that. That’s why she said what she did.

“…It’ll be fine. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Even after hearing her concerns, I stubbornly stuck to my decision. I wanted to start with something small—something that would put me at ease before tackling the real issue.

But in truth, my “it’ll be fine” had no basis whatsoever.

I had no idea what had happened to my workplace. As Iori, I had no way of knowing. I hadn’t even tried to find out. I figured there was no useful information to be gained from it, and that other approaches would be more important.

But now, I realized just how naïve that thinking had been.

After a short walk from the station…

We arrived at the place where my workplace used to be. And I froze.

“…Is this it?”

Tachibana-san asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“Yeah. …There’s no mistake. There’s no way I’d mistake it. …I worked here for over ten years.”

It felt like I was dreaming.

And if it was a dream, I prayed to wake up.

How did this happen?

I had definitely lost my nerve when I came back to my hometown. But in a way, that was just me being cautious—taking the safe route. As long as I wasn’t in a rush and could keep a level head, it shouldn’t have been the wrong choice.

I just wanted to put my mind at ease.

I wanted to relive the everyday life I had, to recall those memories, and with that sense of security, move on to investigating what really mattered.

I wanted to see proof that I had been here—to find the courage to face the truth.

“…It’s not certain yet that something bad happened to you.”

“…Yeah.”

I nodded weakly at Tachibana-san’s unfounded reassurance.

I cast my gaze downward and wished once more that this was a dream. I squeezed my eyes shut, silently begging to wake up.

But when I opened them again… my wish went unheard.

My former workplace had been reduced to an empty lot.