The person who likes me is a yandere.

There was no room for negotiation. I repeatedly twisted my arms, struggling to pull Ayase away.

I'm going ahead.

Before she could grab me again, I turned and took a step.

"No! We can't be apart, brother~"

Good, good, that's fine. Although I accidentally got caught up in Ayase's pace and she took my hand, this way we can finally restore the proper distance between siblings.

I walked along the station passageway with my left hand, which felt completely light, and followed the crowd to the platform.

"It should be the outer ring, right, Ayase?"

I turned to my side, only to find myself staring at the girl in the anti-pervert poster.

"Huh? Where did she go? Ayase?"

"Brother~, help~"

...My God. I turned around following the sound and saw that the person who had led the way was far behind. She had just passed the ticket gate and was already completely disoriented in the crowd.

"Ayase, what are you doing?!"

"Ouch, my butt got touched!"

"Ugh, I can't take it anymore!"

I rushed back to the ticket gate and rescued my sister from the crowd.

"Ah~, someone touched my butt. It's all my brother's fault for letting go!"

"What? You're blaming me?"

"It's all my brother's fault! My brother has committed heinous crimes!"

Ayase buried her face in her arms and kept pounding on the wall.

"Okay, okay, I know, I know. It was my fault, alright? Stop making a scene."

"...So, may we hold hands now?"

"No, holding hands is not allowed, but holding hands is fine."

"…………"

Ayase weighed the options for a moment.

"OK☆"

Ayase stopped pretending to cry and made a large circle with her hands above her head.

So, ten minutes later...

We skipped the express train and boarded a local train that pulled in behind us. There wasn't enough room for two people to sit together, so we decided to stand right by the door. I was casually watching the scenery pass by outside the window when I noticed Ayase's sullen expression reflected in the glass.

"Hey, brother..."

"what happened?"

"...Does this look a bit off?"

Ayase forcefully waved her left hand, which was clenched in her fist, and said.

"Something's not right. Your hands are still clasped together."

"Humph"

Ayase puffed out her cheeks and gripped my right hand tightly... the other end of the handkerchief she was holding.

"Oh no, this is definitely not right. It's better not to hold anything at all."

No, you must hold on tight.

Otherwise, who knows where you'd run off to? This girl is really something, having so much trouble even getting on the tram by herself. I don't even know who's helping whom.

Chapter Nine Tianyi

"Himenogi~~, we've arrived in Himenogi. Passengers who need to disembark at Himenogi—"

We held hands with handkerchiefs and bumped along the tram for 15 minutes before getting off at a station where only a few passengers got on and off, and neither the express nor the regular trains stopped.

This is an incredible town; the development levels on the north and south sides, with the station as a reference point, are quite different. We went to the north side, which could be described as tranquil, or less so as remote.

"This is our town!"

Ayase pressed down her hair, which was flying in the wind, and said to me.

"We've grown up here since we were born."

The bus in the parking lot started up with the sound of its compressor. As if in time, the fountain in the center of the intersection sprayed water, chasing away the flock of pigeons.

"...Did you remember anything?"

"...Well..."

Breathing the air of my hometown, perhaps memories would flood back like a tide. But such expectations were easily shattered. Neither the brick fountain, nor the shop signs, nor the distant hills could shake the gates of my memory. My mind, like the sky today, was crystal clear and utterly empty.

"Go, go."

Ayase probably noticed it from my expression, and revealed her once clear smile, gently pulling up her handkerchief.

"Brother, look over there."

After leaving the station intersection, Ayase pointed to a place in a solemn tone.

"That's Kannoya, a Japanese restaurant. It's a slightly upscale place, very famous in our town. We go there for funerals or celebrations; their eel is delicious. Ah, I haven't had eel since my mother passed away."

"Uh, oh... I see."

Like a tour guide, Ayase added a somber commentary. It seemed she intended to trigger my memories. On the way from the station to home, Ayase recounted the memories of her hometown to everything she saw.

But…….

"Ah, brother, look over there! That's the hospital! After examining the patients, the doctors there only give cookies to children. I really want some!"

The information Ayase shared was too personal to be used as material to stimulate memories, and it didn't make any sense as anecdotes.

However, although this town was completely unfamiliar to me, it was an irreplaceable hometown for Ayase. Ayase strolled leisurely along this unremarkable residential street, pointing here and there, her endless chatter overflowing from her lips.

After that, I left the station through the gate and walked for 15 minutes.

The deserted residential street became even deserted, and Ayase suddenly stopped explaining. Arriving at an area where modern residences built only a few years ago were mixed with older wooden buildings, Ayase slowly stopped.

"Brother...do you recognize him?"

"........."

"This is our home."

This is my "first meeting" with the home I've lived in for sixteen years.

"Brother, how are you feeling? Is there anything that bothers you?"

Ayase asked the question very cautiously this time. I think it's because she had previously asked if I remembered, but each time I had been met with a negative response. She asked me if seeing this house where I've spent most of my life since birth, my memories, my heart, my soul, had stirred anything within me.

"...Well..."

This house is considered very old even in this area.

It's a two-story wooden building with a fairly spacious yard, probably built in an era when land was still cheap. A magnificent cherry tree grows on one side of the entrance hall, clashing with the overall design of the house. The side of the covered walkway faces south, a rarity these days. There's also a nearly useless wall riddled with holes… There are many things that catch my attention, but what catches my attention most is—

"I said...who is that?"

What caught my attention the most was that there was a girl standing at the gate like a door god.

She looked to be no more than a year older than me, with gray hair, green eyes, a jade hair ornament, and a Chinese knot pendant at her waist. In short, she looked like an adorable fifteen-year-old girl. But her eyes were very calm, and those eyes alone completely destroyed any sense of ease she seemed to have, creating a striking contrast.

My first impression of that girl was that she was very assertive and intimidating. However—

"Ah, it's Tianyi! Hey, Tianyi~!"

Ayase beamed with joy upon seeing her, dropped her handkerchief, and ran off.

"Hey, stop right now, Ayase!"

"Don't run, you'll fall!"

Almost at the same time I issued the warning, Luo Tianyi called over.

"I won't fall!"

But Ayase ignored our warnings, ran over at full speed, and hugged the girl under the cherry blossom tree.

"Phew. I just can't do anything with you. I told you not to run away."

The girl carefully caught Ayase, who was rushing towards her like a cannonball, as if she were handling a fragile object.

"Hehehehehe, Tianyi, what's wrong with you? Aren't you going to school? Or did you skip class to come and greet me?"

"How could that be? It's because there's a religious ceremony being held at home."

The girl called Tianyi frowned and opened her hand to pat Ayase's head. The touch was quite gentle; "placed" would be a more accurate description.

"Come, stretch out your hand; here's some snack I received during the ceremony."

"Wow, thank you. I love Japanese sweets the most!"

"I already knew that. Just let me know if you like any, and I'll get you more."

The girl pulled a handful of snacks from her bulging pocket and placed them in Ayase's hand.

At first glance, she seemed very introverted, but perhaps she had a different side to her. She looked at Ayase, who was clinging to her, her eyes slightly upturned, but revealing a hint of tenderness.

"Oh, right. Tianyi, listen to me. My brother can finally be discharged from the hospital."

"Hmm, it's obvious at a glance. So, Qianyu is still the same?"

"Well, it's still a bit... to be precise, it hasn't improved at all."

"Oh"

The girl's eyes shone with a different kind of light as she turned to me.

...What should we do next?

Judging from her conversation with Ayase, she must have a very close relationship with the Aragaki family. Since I'm going to continue my daily life as it was before the accident, there's no reason for me to avoid it now. That being said, hugging her like Ayase did is definitely wrong... So what should I do? Ah, no, I can't think too much. Daily life doesn't require thinking before acting.