The person who likes me is a yandere.

Perhaps because I didn't get enough exercise during the summer vacation, I was already exhausted by this point.

Gasping for breath, I began to look around the bus. There it was. Tohka, sitting in the back, stared at me with wide eyes. Moving around in a moving bus was difficult, so I stumbled closer to her.

"What's wrong, Qianyu?"

"This, this one."

I interrupted Tohka, who was about to say something, and handed her my wallet.

"It must be something you forgot, am I sure I'm not mistaken?"

"……No"

After a moment of silence, she gave a short answer and gently shook her head. As if waiting for me to react, she gently grasped one end of the purse, and I sensibly released my grip. Then, she spoke with slight hesitation.

"Actually, you don't need to bring it to me. You can just take it to the teachers' office and give it to them for safekeeping."

"Ahaha... Is that so? Sorry."

After giving that answer, I didn't know what else to say.

When I was in elementary school, I once boarded a bus alone without realizing I had no money. I think I'd gone to a pretty far place for a trip, and it was my way home in the evening. After realizing I didn't have my wallet, I panicked. The bus passed my stop, but I remained seated, not moving. Of course, I didn't have the courage to tell the driver. As time passed, the scenery outside the window became unfamiliar.

Looking back, I was really uneasy at that time; it was an excruciating feeling.

After arriving at the final stop, I finally explained the situation to the driver and gained his understanding, but that was already far from home.

At that time, the driver asked me if I could go back alone. I answered without hesitation, "No problem." Children often have this tendency to give such hasty answers even when there's something clearly wrong.

As a result, I got lost for several hours on a country path I'd never seen before, and didn't get home until the next morning.

At that time, I was completely different from Tohka, but the thought of her getting lost in the dark country lanes after losing her memory must have been quite pitiful.

But these are just my own delusions...

Chapter Twelve: I Can't Understand

"Um, Asahi-kun!"

"Ok?"

"Please come and sit here!"

As Tohka said this, she moved to a seat by the window. However, I was feeling a little nervous. It would take some courage to sit next to Tohka.

"Is it okay?" I felt I should still ask politely!

"Yes!"

I was still a little hesitant, but I sat down as far away as possible, overwhelmed by the fear of not being able to touch her. Tohka spoke softly—a whisper easily drowned out by the noise of the bus—"...I'm sorry."

"Ok?"

"Thank you for your help!"

Although I was somewhat confused, my immediate thought was that I should say something now, because it would be painful if the atmosphere became awkward again. Just to be on the safe side, I decided to say something first.

"If you don't bring any money, it will be a big problem when you get off the bus, and the driver will suspect that you are trying to hitch a ride. Once I didn't bring my wallet and I ended up riding all the way to the last stop."

After I finished speaking, Tohka smiled, though it was just a faint smile, but it was the first time I had ever seen her smile.

"Please use this!"

Tohka handed me a handkerchief and glanced at me, who was soaked by the rain!

"No, it's okay. I'm going to ride my bicycle in the rain later anyway."

"The rain has stopped."

Hearing her say that, I looked out the window. Although the dark clouds were still there, the rain had indeed stopped.

"Since it's going to stop anyway, it's better to stop it sooner rather than later."

"Yes."

I was basically talking to myself, and Tohka only responded out of politeness, but I always felt there was something else going on.

"Please use it!"

"Okay, thank you!"

After a sincere thank you, I accepted the handkerchief she offered again. Still a little hesitant, I only used it to wipe the water stains on my clothes. I didn't wipe my face or hair, which meant—my sweat hadn't soiled her handkerchief. Perhaps it was this strange feeling of not wanting to soil a woman's belongings. Afterwards, I just prayed she wouldn't throw away the handkerchief I'd used with some excuse like, "It's been used in the trash, I won't use it again."

The bus arrived at the next stop, and Tohka suddenly said in a very low voice.

Can a bicycle catch up with a bus?

"Hey?!"

Tohka just stared at me silently. The previous resistance in her eyes had vanished, replaced by some other emotion. I quickly turned my face away.

"Ah, ah. Hmm. It depends on the road conditions, but it'll probably be like that."

Is Qianyu Sports really that good?

"That's not true."

"What about studying?"

"It's not a particularly good feeling?"

"I see."

What do these questions mean? Are they trying to trick me into revealing information so they can then use harsh and cruel words to mock me? To be treated like this by someone I just helped makes me feel like there's no hope left in life.

"that"

"Ok?"

"Why would you want to return my wallet?"

"Why……"

Why, reason, cause.

Is that what it means? → I think there aren't many people who would ask why someone treated them kindly—no, not quite to the point of kindness, but just helped them with a small favor. If they had any other ulterior motives, their gratitude would probably disappear.

If that's the case, she probably doesn't want to owe me a favor. Because she feels sorry for you—obviously, she can't say that to your face.

I could only remain silent as Tohka continued speaking in a slightly higher tone than usual.

"Doesn't Qianyu dislike me?"

"Huh?" I couldn't help but turn my gaze back to her.

Did the topic shift too quickly?

"No, no, that's not true."

"But you've been avoiding me ever since the opening ceremony, haven't you?"

"That kind of thing..."

"I think so!"

I didn't know how to respond when she interrupted me in such a harsh tone.

Because it's the truth. In fact, I've been avoiding her. Even denying it would be futile.

"I don't understand." "…………"

"Did Qianyu start hating me before I lost my memory, or did she start hating me after I lost my memory?"

"Wait, wait a minute. I don't think Tohka is annoying at all."

"Then why did Qianyu say she was very depressed on the day of the opening ceremony?!"

Did I say that?

"I told the teacher in the infirmary."

Ah, it seems I really did say that. And she even overheard it.

I had no idea that she had overheard what I said, which has made me truly depressed and passive today. What kind of associations will Tohka have made after hearing those words and seeing my subsequent behavior—I feel like my head is about to explode.

“My classmates, including Kato Megumi, all say that I was dating Asahi before I lost my memory. But I can’t understand it.”

"........."

“My parents care about me a lot, and my classmate Megumi Kato tries her best to maintain a friendly relationship with me without making it obvious. The people around me have shown me what kind of person I am. Within a month, I realized that I should be no different from who I was before. But that’s why I can’t understand Asamiya.”

After losing his memory, he became unable to recognize who was who among the people around him.

However, those around him know what kind of person he is.

Many things accumulated over a long period of time have been reset. Only the lines called "relationships" between oneself and "strangers" still exist.

This kind of relationship also includes lovers. And I am the other end of that line in the relationship.

That guy showed absolutely no concern for me after the accident. He didn't visit me in the hospital, nor did he send me any messages. He kept saying he was depressed about seeing me again, but the moment we met, he was ready to run away. He refused to work with me. He even talked badly about me behind my back, and in the end, he actually chose to run away.

"Why were Qianyu and I a couple before? I just can't understand it. Qianyu clearly hates me, so why... did I date her?"

"I think you're the kind of person I hate the most."

Those words pierced my heart deeply. But considering what I had done to her, it was merely a minor complaint. It wasn't incomprehensible that she was confused and angry. Her hostility was also understandable. Thinking of this, I felt a slight sense of relief, but at the same time, I felt dejected.

"Regarding that matter, I can only say I'm very sorry."

Surprisingly, I started speaking very seriously.

“I know I did something I shouldn’t have done. So I’m returning your wallet to you today, partly out of compassion… and perhaps also for my own sake.”

"Because of myself?"

"What was that thing again? If you said it was to eliminate guilt, people would probably laugh their heads off. Yeah, when you can't finish your food, you think about how there are many children in poor countries around the world who don't even have a decent meal, so you don't want to waste it—everyone's had a similar feeling, right? It's this kind of trend where people are actually aware that they've done something wrong, and they donate money to eliminate their guilt. That's roughly what kind of pathetic act of charity is."

"I can understand some of it."

Tohka spoke in an unusually uncertain tone, looking down at the ground.

Did we ever really date?

"In fact, that should be the case."