Shika Kagura discovered some strange items in her temporary room at Natsuya’s residence.
A laptop, that was normal… some manga and poker cards, those were normal as well.
But she also discovered the Monopoly board game, stuffed plushies, and drawing pencils used by young children… what was with these items?
The strangest item of them all was a sketchbook.
Inside was a drawing that was rather amateurish in skill.
There was a reddish-orange sun, a large house, and seven roughly drawn characters were standing together in a row.
Shika felt strange emotions well up within her when she saw this drawing.
As she inspected the seven figures, the sense of strangeness within her only kept growing.
Finally, her line of sight fell upon the tall boy and petite girl in the center of the rough sketch.
They were smiling while holding onto each other’s hand.
Even though it was only an amateurish sketch, it felt… so blissful.
Bliss?
‘Why… am I able to feel bliss?’
Shika slowly held her hand over her chest.
Her current feelings were indescribable for her.
She kept staring at these two characters.
‘Who drew this? Who are the people in these drawing?’
She was suddenly possessed by a strong desire to find out.
At this moment, someone knocked on the door.
Shika turned around to see who it was.
"I’m here to deliver your lunch; may I enter?" a gentle female voice asked on the other side of the door.
"…Please enter."
‘I’m being imprisoned under house arrest, right? Why is she being so polite with me?’ Shika wondered.
A girl with a light smile and a gentle look in her eyes entered the room carrying a tray in her hands. She was wearing black-and-white maid attire.
Shika didn’t know who she was, but this girl felt vaguely familiar.
‘That’s right—the drawing!’
She hurriedly turned around to look at the sketch again. Shika noticed a smiling girl wearing black-and-white clothing in the drawing; the girl resembled the maid who was currently in front of her.
Was this… her?
She picked up the sketchbook and turned around again to compare the two.
Mai Houjou had just placed the tray on the table when she noticed that Shika had picked up the sketchbook and was looking in her direction.
That sketchbook was…
The maid blinked as her smile deepened.
She had already received an order from her master, Natsuya, to keep tight-lipped about the events which had happened over the past two days.
Since Mai was a highly intelligent person, she quickly realized the reasons behind this order.
Personally, Mai didn’t particularly agree with this course of action.
That cute junior of hers was likely making a silly mistake with this.
Even though she didn’t agree, since it was her master’s order, she would obey.
But the degree to which she obeyed was up to her.
"My apologies, I should have cleaned up these items," Mai said as she walked over to Shika. "These items may be bothering you, so I’ll clean them up right now."
She reached out to the sketchbook as she spoke.
Shika suddenly retracted her hand, preventing Mai from taking the sketchbook.
‘Why did I just do that?’ she wondered immediately after.
An indescribable light flashed in Mai’s eyes as she witnessed Shika’s reaction.
"You… would you like to keep this?"
The black-haired girl nodded slowly.
"Why is that? I heard that you’ve already forgotten the past two days’ events," Mai said calmly.
Hearing this, Shika felt as if a light bulb had suddenly turned on in her mind.
"This is… something I used… from when I had amnesia?"
That’s right—she should have thought of this long ago.
‘Why didn’t I think of it? The answer was so obvious.’
Shika looked back towards the sketchbook.
This was something that she used. This was something that she sketched.
‘Why did I sketch this? Why did I use drawing pencils typically used by young children and draw at the level of a young child?‘
‘Those plushies… did I play with those? Monopoly, poker cards… those aren’t typically one-player games; was someone playing together with me?’
Various doubts surfaced in Shika’s mind.
Finally, she remembered Seigo Harano… no, Seiji Haruta’s smile.
‘He was the one taking care of you while you had amnesia.’ Shika recalled Natsuya’s words as her mind worked at full speed.
Shika suddenly felt something erupting inside her brain, causing her to tremble.
Those were… hazy, unfocused scenes.
She was saying something to a tall figure who exuded a warm, comfortable aura.
That person was smiling at her while patting her gently on the head with a large hand.
It was so warm.
It felt so reliable.
It felt so comfortable.
It was so… reassuring.
Her vision turned hazy in real life as well.
Something wet poured down her eyes.
Shika regained her senses and abruptly noticed that her face was tear-streaked and wet.
‘What’s… going on? Why… am I…’
There was a tight and painful feeling in her chest.
It was impossible for her to control her tears.
Even though she decided long ago that she would never cry again.
‘But why… am I…’
The black-haired girl hugged the sketchbook and sobbed without making a sound.
Mai’s smile turned incredibly gentle upon witnessing this scene.
"Kagura-san, are you expressing sadness?"
Sadness... that wasn’t it.
Shika had no idea about what emotions she was currently experiencing. All she knew was that everything was a chaotic swirl.
Was this sadness? Pain? Discomfort?
It felt like none of the above.
Then what was it, exactly?
"You’re crying, but it isn’t a pained expression... I feel like you’re experiencing nostalgia," the maid said in a gentle voice.
Nostalgia?
‘I’m being nostalgic... about something that happened? Something in the past?’
The hazy scenes in Shika’s mind suddenly increased in number.
Shika closed her eyes.
The most distant, warm feeling in her innermost self was...
It was snowing outside.
The room was very warm.
There was a bright and colorful anime program playing on the television.
She was watching and laughing while sitting on a sofa.
There was a tall figure accompanying her by her side.
She looked at him and said something.
He smiled gently and said, "Shika-chan..."
‘Brother...’
Shika finally remembered.
The deepest memory within her. A warm, blissful feeling.
She had long since forgotten, or perhaps it should be said that she purposefully sealed off her most valuable memory.
She carefully locked it away in the deepest recesses of her heart and intended to never open it again.
That was because she felt that she didn’t deserve that type of bliss.
That was because she needed to get used to living painfully in isolation.
That’s why she could only say farewell to these blissful memories and forget them.
However...
A certain person caused her to remember again.
A certain person caused her to feel it again.
That blissful feeling that she thought she’d never possess again.
The scene in her mind gradually changed.
In this memory, she was seated inside the room she was currently in.
She was in the midst of drawing the sketch that she was currently holding.
Footsteps sounded from behind her.
She turned around and smiled as she called out to him.
He also smiled at her in a sincere fashion that showed he truly cared for her.
The hazy face became clear.
It was... Seiji Haruta’s face.
"Shika-chan..."
"I’m right here, and I won’t be going anywhere."
"How about I teach you how to draw?"
"It’s just... a dream."
"I won’t leave Shika-chan behind..."
"Good night, Shika-chan..."
"I’m delighted... that you’re awake, Shika Kagura."
It was him.
He took care of her and accompanied her.
Like a real brother would.
He accepted her childish behavior, spoiled her, cared for her... and finally, said farewell to her.
Shika Kagura finally realized it.
At that moment.
Just why he had been sad.
She felt bliss from him again.
But she had forgotten him.
He didn’t say anything.
All he did was smile.
He endured his pain in silence as he smiled for her.
"I just… was a little sad for a different reason… unrelated to you. So don’t think too much about it..."
‘It’s wonderful that you’re awake. It’s fine as long as you’re alright.’
‘You don’t need to worry about me. My sadness has nothing to do with you.’
Shika understood everything now.
Her tears dripped down onto the sketchbook she was holding.
‘I’m sorry...’
Her soul’s whisper seemed to dissipate into the wind.