Raku was still staring out the window. Snow fell slowly, as if covering the world with a silent white blanket. From time to time, his breath formed a faint mist.
Chitoge gazed at him for a long time before finally speaking, her voice trembling slightly.
"…You really don't remember anything? About school… about your friends… or even about me?"
Raku slowly turned his head, meeting Chitoge's eyes calmly. "No. My head is empty. Like a blank sheet of paper. There's only the cold… and faint voices I can't reach."
His words were simple, but they squeezed Chitoge's heart. Normally, she would immediately call Raku "Bean Sprout" with an annoyed tone, but now… her voice was stuck.
"So… if I told you that we've been… dating for a few days, you wouldn't remember at all?" asked Chitoge, forcing a smile, though it was strained.
Raku shook his head slowly. "Dating… you already explained it earlier. But if that means we're… more than friends… I can't feel it. Sorry. I don't know what I should do for you."
Chitoge fell silent. A strange feeling crept in. The word "sorry" from Raku, who was usually so stubborn, sounded foreign.
She shifted her gaze to the floor, trying to hide her pain. 'Stupid… Bean Sprout. You even forgot about our fake dating…' she muttered softly.
Raku frowned slightly, then lowered his head. "I don't know why… but when I look at you now… there's something warm. Like… déjà vu. But I don't know where it comes from. Maybe… you really are important."
Chitoge froze. Her pale cheeks slowly turned red, but she quickly turned to the window so it wouldn't be noticed. 'What is this… usually he's noisy and silly. Now he's speaking calmly and… seriously. My heart… why is it beating like this?'
Silence crept back, with only the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Chitoge gathered her courage again, this time her voice softer.
"Then… how about we start over? Let's say we've never met. I'm Chitoge. Kirisaki Chitoge. Your fake girlfriend."
Raku looked at her for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "Ichijou Raku. Nice to meet you."
For the first time since the incident, his lips formed a genuine—though faint—smile.
Chitoge was stunned. That smile was different. Not the clumsy grin of the Bean Sprout she used to see, but calm, mature, and for some reason, it made her chest tighten.
Before she could say anything else, the door opened. Issei and Claude entered, carrying several additional documents. Claude cleaned his glasses while muttering, "Hmph. It seems the atmosphere… is a little different here."
Chitoge quickly turned her face away, her cheeks slightly flushed, while Raku still gazed at the window with a calm yet serene expression.
Issei approached and patted his son's shoulder. "Raku, we can go home today. But you must rest a lot at home. Don't push yourself, understand?"
Raku nodded obediently. "Understood, Father."
Chitoge looked at him once more. 'He's really different… and I… don't even know if I should be happy or sad.'
Inside the room, the atmosphere felt warmer than in the morning. Raku sat on the bed in freshly changed hospital clothes, the IV already removed, leaving only a light bandage on his arm and head.
Ryunosuke rushed in with papers in hand. "Bocchan, I've got the discharge form. Just need a signature and the payment."
Issei stood up, taking the papers. "Let me handle it. I'm his legal guardian." He promptly began filling out the forms, though his eyes occasionally glanced at his son with a soft yet worried gaze.
Claude stood on the other side, arms crossed as he observed Raku. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses. 'Usually this kid is noisy, nervous, always flustered around Ojou-sama. But now… he's so calm, as if he's a different person. Hmph… what kind of amnesia is this really?'
Chitoge, who had been sitting a little farther away, finally stood up when she saw Raku trying to stand from the bed. "Hey, don't stand up on your own, you're still not fully recovered!"
Raku slowly turned to her, then gave a faint smile. "I feel better. But… if you don't mind, could you help me?"
Chitoge was momentarily stunned. Her face turned slightly red. "H-hmph… fine. But don't get the wrong idea! I just don't want you to fall and trouble everyone again."
She approached, carefully taking Raku's arm. Although she usually disliked physical contact with him, this time her hand trembled slightly. Raku stood slowly, balancing his body.
"Thank you," he said softly.
Chitoge quickly turned her face away, her cheeks warming. 'Why did he say thank you with such a calm face… normally he's noisy and annoying. This feels… like starting over.'
Ryunosuke, having finished the administrative signatures, returned with a small bag of Raku's personal belongings. "Bocchan, here are your things. I've packed everything neatly."
Issei patted Raku's shoulder. "From now on, get plenty of rest at home. Don't do anything foolish again."
Claude only sighed, then looked at Chitoge, who was still helping Raku walk slowly toward the door. "Ojou-sama, it seems this responsibility will be heavier than we expected. If he really has forgotten, then we'll have to start from zero in many things."
Chitoge clenched her teeth slightly, holding back her mixed feelings. "I know. But… if that's how it has to be, then fine. We'll go through it."
Raku looked at Chitoge for a moment, then said calmly, "If we're starting from zero… I'll try to remember again. Or if I can't, I'll learn from the beginning. Maybe… that's not so bad."
Those words left everyone silent for a moment. Not because of their volume, but because the calmness in his voice felt so foreign compared to the usual Raku.
With slow steps, they all left the hospital room. The cold air of the corridor mixed with the smell of medicine accompanied their walk to the exit.
A luxurious black car belonging to the Kirisaki family stopped at the hospital entrance. Ryunosuke quickly opened the back door, while Issei helped Raku inside first. Chitoge hesitated for a moment, but eventually sat beside him. Claude and Ryunosuke took the front seats, with Claude as the driver.
Once the doors closed tightly, only the soft sound of the engine and the faint chime of distant medical equipment remained. The atmosphere inside the cabin felt quiet, more tense than usual.
Raku leaned back, gazing out the window. The hospital roadside trees gave way to city buildings, with the morning sunlight streaming through the glass.
Chitoge stole a glance at him. 'Normally he'd already be complaining about how cramped this car is, or how I'm sitting too close. But now… he's just silent. Why am I the one feeling nervous?' She gripped the hem of her school skirt tightly.
Issei, sitting in the front, tried to break the silence. "Raku… how are you feeling? Not dizzy during the ride?"
Raku slowly turned, giving a faint smile. "I'm fine. Actually, I'm happy to see the city through the window… even if it feels strange, somehow there's a slight sense of familiarity."
Those words made Chitoge quickly lower her head, hiding her reddened face. Claude glanced through the rearview mirror, his expression still sharp and suspicious.
Claude thought, 'His answers are so calm. Too calm for a teenager who just experienced amnesia. Has he really forgotten, or is he hiding something?'
Ryunosuke remained focused on driving, but added cheerfully, "In that case, Bocchan, once we arrive home, I'll prepare warm food and tea. That will surely help your body recover quickly."
Raku nodded gently. "Thank you, Ryunosuke."
Again, a simple answer but full of calmness. Chitoge grew even more confused. 'Why is he this calm… even saying thank you without awkwardness? If he's really forgotten everything… then I'll also have to… start over with him?'
Issei finally closed the conversation with a calm voice. "What's important now is rest first. We can explain everything later."
The car continued to move, leaving behind the bustling city streets, heading toward the Ichijou family home. Silence filled the space once more, accompanied only by the soft hum of the engine and the racing heartbeat pounding in Chitoge's chest.