I’m alone in a dark, murky world. All I feel right now is cold, anxious, and…scared. I’m already too tired to run. I’m shaking within a pitch black world. Then I hear someone’s voice in the distance.

“Are you alr—hey!? What the…?” Someone is shaking my shoulder roughly. I snap back into consciousness blankly, then, I’m aware of the terrible cold around me. My wet clothes are clinging to my cold body.

“Hey! Come on!” When my eyes bring the world into focus, I see the face of a man. He’s looking at me with a concerned expression.

“Where am I…?” I look around me and see a narrow space with glass walls. Apparently I had been sleeping in a telephone box.

“Good, looks like you’re coming to. What’re you doing in a place like this?”

“I don’t know…”

“It’s dangerous to be sleeping in a place like this anyway. Let’s get you home.”

“Home…”

“What’s your address…?”

“I don’t know…”

“Hey… are you drunk?”

“I really don’t know…! I-I…”

“…What’s your name?”

“Me? Who am I…?” I’m really not trying to joke around. I honestly don’t know who I am, where I live, or what I’m doing here “This…this can’t be…!”

“Calm down. Do you have a license or health insurance card? A cell phone?”

“Ah…” I get up and look around me, but I have nothing. No bag, no cell phone, nothing “I don’t…”

“Do you really not remember anything?” This man really seems worried about me. I don’t know much of anything at the moment, but I do know that he’s not a bad person.

“I don’t remember anything…”

“You’re weak. I’ll call an ambulance for now.” I have someone that’s worried about me. This frees me from the terrible anxiety and suddenly an awful chill hits my body.

“I-I’m cold…”

“H-Hey! You alright?” He takes off his coat and places it over my trembling shoulders. “We can’t afford to wait for an ambulance. Can you walk a little?”

“Probably…”

“My apartment is nearby. We can warm you up there.” I stand up with his support and I exit the telephone box dizzily.

Cold rain is falling outside. The cold leaves me leaning against the telephone box, unable to move.

“Can you not walk…?” He looks at me, unable to move, then crouches down with his back facing me.

“Huh…?”

“I’ll carry you to my place.”

“Ah…” Looking at the broad back in front of me, I think about how strange it is that he’s being so kind to me. However, I get on his back with no resistance. His broad back is warm and comforting. I would be alright with him. After such little contact with him, I was confident of this.

“After you warm up in the bath, you should be able to remember things.”

“Thank you. Um, what’s your name…?”

“Takao Hideaki. Just your average busybody.”

“Takao…” After riding on his warm back for about three minutes, he takes me into his apartment.

“We’re here. It’s a mess, but there’s a toilet and bath you can use for the time being.” When I look around inside, I see that it’s a simple studio apartment. He sits me down on the sofa, then immediately gets me some warm milk.

“I’m going to go prepare you a bath, so wait here and drink this.”

“Thank you…”

I look around the room as I drink the warm milk. There’s nothing cute it’s definitely a man’s room. Then again, I’m not sure if I’ve ever even been in a man’s room before.

“…Ah.” The coat that had been placed on me is on the end of the sofa. It’s wrinkled by the rain.

“If it doesn’t get dried…” When I pick up the coat to dry it with the towel, I see something sparkling.

“Huh? What’s this…?” I take it out and see that it’s a police badge. I hesitate for a moment, then open it up and see a photo of Takao “A police officer…”.

“Hey! You can get in now!”

“Ah, okay.” I slip the badge back inside and set the coat down.

Soaking in the bath, I felt as if my body was melting, thawing like ice. “Phew…” Just when I’m finally able to calm down, vicious anxiety immediately attacks me. There are no signs of my memory returning at all. Why is it that this…is happening to me…as I thought that to myself. Even though I have no memory, I feel rushed for some reason. I feel like I had been heading somewhere… or fleeing. I feel a vague sense of impatience, my body heating up rapidly.

“If my memory doesn’t come back…”

“How’s the bath? Not too hot?” Takao said from the outside.

“Ah, it’s fine.”

“Good. Then, well…”

“What is it?”

“You need a change of clothes. Underwear too…”

“Ah…”

“I-I’ll go buy them right away, so wait here.” Takao speaks in an embarrassing voice as he heads for the door. For some reason, he’s made my anxious feelings calm down.

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I’m in the bath for quite some time, but Takao doesn’t return. After ten more minutes, I get out of the bath, wrap myself in a towel and head to the living room.

“I wonder if he can’t find me a change of clothes…” He seems like an earnestly shy person, so he’s probably having trouble getting me underwear. I flip on the television as I’m waiting for him.

(Newscaster: At round three in the evening, voices arguing were heard and police were sent to the site.)

On the news, a video is being shown of several police officers swarming an apartment building. There was something familiar about the apartment though.

“Huh? That’s…”

(Newscaster: There was a bloodied man collapsed in the apartment. He was transported to the hospital, but soon pronounced dead.)

“Dead…? Ah…!” The screen switches to a photo of the deceased man. I have no idea who the man is, but there’s something familiar about him.

“Ah…ah…”

“I’m back. It took a bit to get the underwear…..what happened?” I know that I’ve seen the rugged man on the screen before. The image of the bloodied man flickers through my mind. I’ve seen him like that!

“N-No!”

“W-What’s going on?”

Although I can’t remember a thing, that scene torments my mind like an nightmare. The sofa soaked in red, the sour smell, my bloodied hands. And then, a fear that I would destroy everything. All I can remember is the intensely overwhelming feeling of fear.

“No! I can’t take this! No!”

“What the hell is going on!?” I feel my shaking body being embraced. When I look up, I see the bloodied man’s face.

“…Takao? Takao!”

“Did you remember something?”

“No! I don’t want to remember anything!”

“What the…?”

“No! No! I’m so scared!”

“C-Calm yourself!”

“Help me! Help…!”

“D-Damn…!” Unable to control my fear, I feel my lips being sealed by Takao’s.

In that moment, darkness falls over me and I slump in the sudden calm.

“Ah…”

“Are you calm…!?”

“Takao…I…”

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t sure what to do for you. I just kissed you without thinking….”

“Miyuki…”

“Huh?”

“My name is Miyuki… That’s what I was called…”

“Miyuki…” I unexpectedly find myself recalling that name: Miyuki. However, I’m unable to recall anything more, and I stay here, wrapped in Takao’s arms.

When I wake up, I search for Takao first thing. Takao had told me to sleep on his bed, while he would take the couch. However, he’s not on the couch.

“Takao…?” Now that I’m alone, I’m suddenly attacked by anxiety. Just when I think to go search for him, he appears. He’s wearing a suit once more.

“Oh you’re awake. You can still sleep if you’d like.”

“Are you already going to work?”

“Yeah, government workers go in early.” Takao smiles bitterly, then fishes a set of keys out of his pocket “Did a night of sleep bring anything back?”

“No…”

“Really…? This is going to be more difficult than I thought.”

“What…?”

“No, it’s fine that you haven’t remembered anything yet. Your clothes are dry.”

“Okay…”

“And…” He pulls out his wallet and takes out a hundred dollar bill “It’s not much, but if you need anything, use this.”

“Thank you…”

“Alright, I’m heading out.”

“See you later.” I said as a wave to him goodbye with a smile. He smiles cheerfully, opens the door, and takes his leave. I feel anxious by myself, but that smile is enough to break through it.

“What do I do now?” I sit in the apartment doing nothing, yet my memory won’t return. I’m not sure what will be effective, but I feel like all I can do is to try.

“I should try going to that place.” I change into my dried clothes and decide to go out.

I’ve come to the place that I remembered first. The rain has let up and it’s bright out, but I remember waking up in the phone box yesterday.

“I wonder if I left anything behind…” The phone box is nondescript. Walls to the floor, nothing is abnormal “There’s nothing…Huh?” The phone book is slightly out of place. There’s something red on it.

“I wonder what this is…” I pick up the phone book and open it. I open up the crumpled pages and my hand stops on a certain page.

“This is…” The page is stained with red. I don’t know why I’m so confident, but I know this is blood and not paint. I wonder if this has to do with my memory loss… I honestly feel awful about it, but I tear out the page just in case and pocket it.

Before returning to the apartment, I go to a nearby supermarket. What I should buy for dinner… Takao never really eats at home and his fridge is full of nothing but beer and water. I look around at the ingredients, trying to come up with a meal. I don’t even know if I can cook all that well. This is tough…I have to cook something for Takao though…I think he’d like something with a home-cooked feeling…

I go to the fish corner and pick out a flounder. Yeah, I’m going to make boiled flounder. I wonder what kind of face he’ll make when he eats it… I place the flounder in my basket, hoping he’ll enjoy it. I hope he’ll like it… I wonder if this is enough…?

When I take the needed ingredients to the register, I remember the beer in the fridge.

“Ah, there wasn’t much in there. I wonder if I should buy some.” When I try to turn around and go back, I run into the person behind me.

“Ow!?”

“Ah, sorr—“

“You! Just where were you walking!?” The woman shouts, cutting me off, and glares at me sharply. Her ranting is so sudden that I can’t find the words to reply “Hey! Say something!”

“Umm…” Her clothes and makeup are flashy, her hair nearly gold in color. As I stare at the flashy woman without saying a word, she openly scoffs at me.

“…Geez, if you can’t manage walking, don’t step outside!” She crushes a loaf of bread nearby and slams it into my basket. Then she stomps away from me. When I glance around, I see that everyone has paused in their shopping and are staring. I feel strangely embarrassed and hurry for the register.

I get back to Takao’s and immediately start preparing food. The cooking pot, cutting board, and knives are unused, nearly new. There is, of course, no apron to be found “I’ll just have to make do anyway.” I put on my game face and tie my hair back.

“He’s taking so long…” When I look at the clock, I see that it’s already twelve at night. Considering that Takao left at eight in the morning, he’d been working for nearly sixteen hours. I know that police work tends to be fairly involved, but I’m still surprised that he’s working so late.

“The food had gone cold…” I had managed to cook some food, but not wanting it to get cold, I left it in the pots. I sigh in the direction of the kitchen, then hear the door click open.

“Ah, you’re home!?”

“…Huh?”

“Welcome back!”

“You’re still here. I take it your memory hasn’t come back then?”

“It hasn’t yet.”

“Really…? I kind of figured you wouldn’t be here.”

“Am I… bothering you?”

“No, not at all. I’m actually kind of happy.”

“Really? Yeah. It’s not a good thing that you can’t recall anything, but I’m happy you’re here.”

“Please call me Miyu.”

“Miyu…” Takao speaks in a slightly embarrassed tone, then his gaze flickers away like he’s noticed something “Hm? What’s that smell…?”

“Ah, are you hungry? I’ll get you some food right away!”

“Huh? You made food?”

“I did! Let me heat it up!” I heat the food up right away. Takao watches me, fidgeting “Hehe, just wait a bit longer.”

“Okay…”

“You should go take a bath in the meantime.”

“Hm? Oh, yeah…” Takao heads for the bathroom, confusion somewhere within his face.

“This is amazing… you made this? Really…?”

“Yes!” Having gotten out of the bath, Takao is staring at his food on the living room table with wide eyes.

“But you can’t remember anything…? I wonder what that’s about… Anyway, this looks delicious.”

“Hehe, go on ahead and eat.”

“Right. Thank you.” Urged on by me, Takao takes a bite of his meal. However, he chews slowly, no reaction at all.

“Um, is it not very good…?”

“It’s so delicious…”

“Really?”

“It’s insanely good!”

“Great!” He finally smiles and digs into his food. Apparently very hungry, he wolfs down his food.

“It’s really good! Perhaps you were a chef, Miyu?”

“Ahaha, I doubt it.” I have no memories of having cooked for a man before. However, the fact that he likes my cooking so much makes me happy. I wonder if I’ve had experiences like this before… I feel strangely happy as I begin to eat too.