The person who likes me is a yandere.

I stepped out with trembling legs and entered the room, arriving at the center of this room that wasn't small or large. I looked around and scanned the space. Amazing! No matter where I looked, my eyes met Ayase's. Ayase was on the walls, on the ceiling, even on the bed, the cabinets, and the table…

"Brother, how is it?"

"Wa ...

Ayase was also at the entrance.

"Ayase, Ayase--!! W-you-what are you doing there?!"

"Huh? I'm right here! Brother, why are you so scared? Ayase is really shocked!"

"Ah, ah, that's right. I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention..."

"Brother, what's wrong? You're sweating so much!"

How can a person not sweat in a room like this?

"Did you remember something?!"

"Ah, no, I didn't remember. I was just really startled..."

"Oh...I see..."

The hope that shone on Ayase's face was fleeting, and she gradually became dejected. This made me feel like I had done something terribly wrong.

"I'm sorry, Ayase, for making you have unnecessary expectations."

"It's okay. Oh, right, let's not talk about that now. Brother, do you want to take a bath today?"

"Hmm? Take a shower?"

What did this girl suddenly say?

"Oh, brother, think about it. You've been in the hospital for so many days and haven't had a shower, right? So Ayase asked if you wanted to take a shower?"

"Oh, is that so? You still want to wash, don't you?"

"I thought so too! You definitely want to take a shower! I'll go boil some water!"

"Huh? Go now? Forget it, I'll shower tonight."

"Wait a minute, I'm going to make some super relaxing bath water for my brother!"

"Hey, Ayase!"

"Bathroom Express—! Ahhh!"

...Listen to what people are saying.

Ayase's smile, which had just faded, instantly bloomed again as she rushed downstairs. This girl, despite always being clumsy and awkward, always seems to prefer running. Come to think of it, didn't she have any thoughts about this room? Her own face must be the wallpaper now. Could it be that I used to instill this as common sense in her…? Looks like I need to check that up in the future.

Well, in short...

Chapter Twelve: Reading Ayase's Notes

Well, in short...

"So, this means three consecutive losses..."

Alone in my room, I talked to myself in this unsettling space. I looked around the room filled with Ayase again, but I couldn't even feel the premonition of pain in my head.

"What on earth is going on..."

I knew the usual methods wouldn't work, but I hadn't expected to be completely clueless after doing so much. A wave of intense fatigue washed over me, so I lay down on the bed. The bed in the bedroom was about as hard as the one in the hospital. I tried burying my face in the thin blue pillow, but I couldn't even remember the smell.

...What if my memory never comes back?

An unease immediately spread through my heart. If life expectancy is calculated over 80 years, then 16 years of that is one-fifth of the total lifespan. Can a person survive normally after losing so many memories?

Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school—I must have had friends there, and I must have had my first love… There were also encounters, partings, joys, and sorrows—these innocent memories of childhood, must I always lose them…?

"Ugh, no, no, no!"

I jerked my face out of the pillow. What was I thinking? Was it too early to back down? The memory recovery operation had only just begun!

Life is action, and the cycle of daily actions forms daily life. I've simply returned home, settled into my routine, but haven't taken any action yet. Instead of wasting time worrying, why not take action? Okay, what to do? What should we do first?

"Hey!"

I sat down in the chair in front of the desk—

"Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!"

Then he started spinning around vigorously.

Great, my body is inexplicably adapting. Maybe I used to go in circles like this whenever I encountered something upsetting. This is just everyday life.

"clatter!"

I took the opportunity to pull out the drawer on the side.

—Whoosh

Textbooks, notebooks, reference materials. Hmm, this is the school-related area. I opened my notebook and looked at it; it was densely covered with distinctive, angular handwriting. Looks like I'm the type who diligently copies the blackboard notes. Good, I've fully grasped the characteristics of Qianyu now. On to the next level.

I put away my notebook and casually pulled out the second drawer. What came out were test papers and handouts, all school-related. 92, 100, 100, 90… these must be answer sheets, all surprisingly high scores. What's going on? Am I a top student? Wow, that's amazing! I thought I was definitely a dunce. The largest one left in the bottom drawer on the side was the one I pulled out with all my might.

"--Hmm!"

Then, for the third time today, my scream echoed throughout the small room.

...Damn it, I was wrong just now. I got carried away and became careless. Judging from the current situation, it was entirely predictable. As the saying goes, a drawer is the canvas of its owner's soul, so it's only natural that such a space exists inside.

The "Little Sister" section. Ayase's unfinished photos, hanging in the room, flooded the drawer. The photos were meticulously categorized: high school, middle school, elementary school… are you kidding me? There's even a kindergarten photo! Wow, there are DVDs too. Huh? What's a concert CD?

"Brother, which kind of bath salts do you want?"

"Wow------!"

My sister, who doesn't know how to knock, rudely opened the drawer, and I shoved it back in as if I wanted to smash the bottom of the drawer.

"Brother, what's wrong? You seem to be sweating even more than before."

"Whhh, nothing at all. I just... I did some exercise. Hahaha."

"Oh, is that so? Then let's go take a bath. The bathwater is ready. Which bath salts should we choose? The cool and smooth blue one, or the fatigue-relieving yellow one?"

"Mix a little of everything"

"Oh, a noble bath, is that it? Coming right here!"

Ayase shook the bath salt bottle like a maracas, making a rattling sound, and went downstairs.

...That was close. But she probably didn't see the forbidden sister section. Wait a minute, although I reflexively closed the drawer, was there really any need to hide it? She didn't seem to care about the appearance of this room, so maybe it wouldn't matter if she saw the drawer.

Oh well. Let's keep exploring the table.

After checking all the side tables, only the drawers under the tabletop remain. That's probably the most frequently used area, so I can expect some good finds there. Judging from my living situation, I probably don't have a personal computer, so the first prize should be a smartphone.

"please!"

——Crash.

With a prayer in my heart, I grabbed the handle and pulled it out. Inside the shallow drawer were jewelry and watches. Okay, this is space for small items. Is there...is there anything...?

"—I've got it!"

My voice echoed through the room for the fourth time. This time it was a joyful shout.

I won! I won the grand prize! I grabbed the prize as if I were afraid someone would snatch it away. Although it wasn't the first prize, it was basically a second prize.

A black-covered itinerary notebook was placed in the middle drawer.

The feel of it suggested frequent use. If I had been a writer before the incident, I likely kept a diary. Not a public social media account or blog, but a 100% personal handwritten diary. As a clue to recovering my memories, there was nothing better. I placed the black faux leather-covered book on the table, opened it, and, suppressing my excitement, turned the pages.

Reading Ayase's Diary 3

...Hehe.

Chapter Thirteen Goosebumps

...Hehe.

Opening the first page of the cover, the first thing that catches the eye is the huge text written in marker. Oh, I see, oh, it's Ayase's diary. Hmm, I see.

That's fine. As for giving the itinerary notebook a unique title, let's just leave that for now, it's just a bit of youthful energy. The focus isn't on the appearance, but on the content. Below that crumpled text is a big photo of the Renjo siblings in their uniforms, all smiles. The signature, probably by Ayase, is a line written in a girlish handwriting with a tactile pen... "From today onwards, I'm a high school student~-".

The second page is a year's calendar, and it's completely blank... It would be nice to write some schedules on it.

Page three, a world map. Naturally, nothing was written on it.

Page four, a transportation map. Nothing was written on it. In my impatience, I couldn't help but flip through it haphazardly…

"Have it!"

I cheered again. The word "Diary" printed in the upper right corner of the page caught my eye. Each page was divided horizontally into seven sections, representing the space of a week. There was a schedule column with three blank lines for each Sunday. The sharp, angular text of the notebook filled the pages densely.

It's a diary, absolutely no mistake. I turned the pages one by one, the entries continuing uninterrupted. Well done, me before the incident. This is another great achievement after the Tosa Diary and the Sarashiki Diary. (Author: The Tosa Diary is a diary work written by Ki no Tsurugi in the fifth year of the Jōhei era. The Sarashiki Diary is one of the representative works of Heian women's diary literature.)

Come, my memories, my life, return to me.

I infused this thought into my gaze, sweeping it over the surface with an almost tearing force.

Tuesday, April 1st

Ayase is a high school student today. Ahhh~ So cute. Ahhhhh~ So cute. Moe-chan in her uniform is simply an angel. After taking a photo booth picture together, Moe-chan fell flat on her face, ahhhhh~ So cute~. I patted Ayase-chan's head three times, a magic spell to cheer her up, and Ayase-chan's smile was indeed incredibly adorable.

Wednesday, April 2nd

I went to karaoke with Ayase-chan. It was her first Ayase concert in a long time. The atmosphere was so lively. We recorded for a full two hours; this video will become legendary. Ayase can now sing all of WSP's songs without subtitles. Ayase even told me, "Even in 10 years, we'll still come together!" Isn't Ayase-chan too cute? Isn't she too angelic?

Thursday, April 3

Ayase has started knitting a scarf. This is going to be a test of Ayase-chan's skills. It's a white and green striped scarf, and she plans to knit a section each month, aiming to finish it in January. I told Ayase, "I'm so excited!" and Ayase-chan gave me a double salute. Oh my god! Ayase-chan is so cute fiddling with the yarn, like a little squirrel.

Friday, April 4th

Aww, my lovely Ayase-chan is all soft and squishy today too...

—Bang!

I closed the booklet over my chest, just like making a "thank you for the meal" gesture after finishing a meal.

I let out a long breath, a breath that seemed to reach all the way to Sapporo. At that moment, my heart was battling a complex and turbulent mix of emotions—anger, sadness, and pain.