Raku sat at the edge of his bed, the screen of his smartphone casting a soft white glow on his face. His fingers moved slowly, typing a simple keyword into the search engine: "What to do on New Year's in Japan?"
A few seconds later, a list of search results appeared. Article after article, short notes, even photos of shrines lit up at night filled the screen.
"Go to the shrine, pray, hope the new year brings good luck and health…"
Raku read softly, his eyes following the lines as if searching for an answer deeper than mere tradition.
"…Pray, huh?" he murmured faintly, his voice almost drowned out by the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall.
He closed his phone screen and let it rest beside his pillow. His head tilted up, eyes gazing at the sky faintly visible through his bedroom window. Daylight slipped in, thin yet enough to expose the turmoil weighing in his chest.
"If I pray… does anyone really hear it?" Raku wondered. "Do the gods of the shrine guarded by priests… or the Sun Goddess Amaterasu herself… really grant the wishes of ordinary people like me?"
He let out a long breath, closing his eyes for a moment. In his mind, the word prayer echoed again and again, forcing him to recall something buried deep inside. Yet, what surfaced instead were foreign fragments—Gabriel's gentle smile, Arcelia's sharp yet loving gaze. In his dreams, the two embraced him while crying.
Tears nearly fell just from remembering. Raku clutched at his left chest, as if there was a weight he could never let go of.
"I… just want to know who I am." His heart trembled. "Am I truly Ichijou Raku? Or someone else? Why do I have memories I've never lived… yet feel so real?"
He opened his eyes slowly. Thin clouds drifted across the sky, leaving behind a pale light that fell directly on his face. At that moment, the afternoon wind slipped through the not-quite-closed window. The thin curtain swayed softly, making a faint rustling sound.
That breeze carried a different kind of coolness—not just ordinary wind, but like a gentle touch trying to soothe his restless heart.
Raku gazed at the sky once more, his lips trembling, though the words reached no one but himself.
"…If there's a god out there… I don't ask for wealth, or strength, or anything. I just want one thing. Please… return my memories. Please let me know who I really am."
The moment those words left his lips, the ticking of the clock in his room sounded clearer, as if affirming his plea. The wind swept in again, stronger this time, making the papers on his desk shift slightly.
Raku froze. An odd feeling seeped in—a mix of hope and the sense that his prayer hadn't simply disappeared. As if, beyond the sky he was gazing at, something had responded.
Yet he didn't know if it was an answer… or a warning.
...
In a room filled with warm afternoon light, Chitoge lay sprawled on her soft bed in her casual pajamas. Her long blonde hair spread out on the pillow, some strands falling over her shoulders. The smartphone in her hand displayed a digital calendar.
"Hm… just a few more days until New Year's…" she muttered softly, staring at the numbers on the screen.
Her hand moved lazily, scrolling down, checking social media for a bit, then closing it again. But her gaze suddenly fell to the small table beside her bed. There, a small silver key with delicate engravings lay quietly, faintly glimmering in the afternoon light.
Chitoge sighed softly, then reached for the key. She held it tightly in her palm, the cold metal pressing against her skin.
"…This stupid key…" she whispered, her brows furrowing slightly.
Ever since she realized that Raku had a pendant resembling her childhood memory, the curiosity had never truly left. There was a strong urge to try, to know if the key in her hand really matched that pendant. But every time the thought appeared, her face heated up.
The image of her standing before Raku, trying to fit the key into the pendant, felt far too intimate… causing her to immediately cover her face with a pillow.
"Ughh… too embarrassing if I'm wrong!" she cried softly, her face flushing red.
She turned to the other side of the bed, the key still clenched in her hand. Her heart pounded faster just imagining Raku's expression if she really tried it.
"…Should I… ask him one day?" she whispered faintly, then quickly shook her head.
"No, no! I'd be crazy to do that…"
With her face still slightly flushed, Chitoge finally placed the key back on the table. She pulled the blanket up to cover part of her face, trying to push away the strange thoughts from her head.
Yet, her eyes glanced once more at the key lying there. The curiosity lingered, pricking her heart softly.
"If only… I weren't such a coward…" she murmured, before hugging her pillow and turning her attention back to her smartphone, trying to distract herself.
....
In a neat and simple room, Onodera Kosaki sat at the edge of her bed. The window curtains were open, letting in the gentle glow of the afternoon sun, casting an orange hue across the room. In her lap, her small smartphone was still lit, displaying the calendar.
"…Just a few more days until New Year's…" she said softly, her lips curling into a faint smile.
Her fingers traced the numbers on the screen, as if to make sure once more that time truly was moving quickly. The new year was coming soon—and with it, new hopes.
Kosaki stared at the screen a little longer, then closed it slowly. Her gaze drifted to the study desk near her bed, where a small box filled with trinkets and ribbons was neatly arranged. A few folded papers were also there, one of them with a simple written prayer for the new year.
She pressed the smartphone to her chest, her eyes softening.
"I hope… the new year will be better…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
But in her heart, she knew that wish wasn't just about herself.
Kosaki's thoughts drifted to Raku—the look on his face, his small laugh, even the confused expression he wore whenever he tried to recall something. A faint ache tugged at her whenever she remembered that Raku now lived with amnesia. Yet at the same time, there was also a small sense of relief—because even with his memories gone, Raku was still the same Raku.
"…I want… to confess my feelings to him," she whispered, her cheeks flushing red.
Those words lingered in the quiet air of her room. Onodera lowered her head, clutching the edge of her blanket tightly in both hands. Just imagining herself standing before Raku, speaking the truth of her heart, was enough to make her heartbeat uncontrollable.
"But… if I don't do it… maybe I'll regret it," she added faintly.
She then slowly lay down on her bed, hugging her pillow with her face half-buried in it. Her eyes drifted toward the evening sky outside the window, the orange hue fading into purple.
"…New Year's… please give me courage…"
Her heart prayed in silence, full of hope, though doubt still bound her. Yet one thing she knew for sure—her feelings were too precious to be kept hidden forever.