The clubroom sank back into silence. Only the faint ticking of the wall clock and the rustle of book pages touched by Yukino could be heard. From time to time, Yui glanced at Raku, who sat upright, looking calm despite the slightly stiff atmosphere.
Yukino slowly closed her book, staring straight ahead. "In that case, I want to know… do you find it difficult to study?"
The question was simple, but her tone sounded as if she were testing him.
Raku lifted his face, his eyes clear without hesitation. "Not really."
That reply made Yui tilt her head, a little surprised. "Eh?"
Even Yukino blinked lightly, though she kept her expression composed. Hikigaya, who had been leaning against his chair with half-lazy eyes, opened them slightly, curious.
"Why is that?" Yukino asked again, her tone sharper, as if looking for a contradiction.
Raku answered calmly. "Because my memories are completely gone ever since I woke up in the hospital. When I try to learn something, everything feels empty… there's no overlap, no comparison with the past. So, somehow, whatever I study just goes straight in. It doesn't mean I'm smart… it's just because I don't have any memories at all before this."
The room fell silent again. Yui covered her mouth with her hand, clearly impressed. "Wow… that's… strange and amazing at the same time."
Yukino lowered her gaze briefly, then pulled a sheet of paper from her file. She placed it on the table with a graceful yet firm motion. "In that case, prove it. I'll give you some questions… various subjects. Think of it as a small test."
Raku accepted the paper without the slightest nervousness. He lowered his head, his pen moving slowly. The atmosphere of the room was filled only with the sound of the pen's tip scratching against the paper. There was no sign of him thinking hard, no muttering… only an odd calmness.
A few minutes later, he handed the paper back. "Done."
Yukino took it, her eyebrows slightly raised. She began to check line by line. Her eyes moved quickly, occasionally pausing to confirm the answers. Until finally, the paper was fully reviewed.
All correct.
Yukino exhaled slowly, gazing at Raku with eyes different from before. "Impressive. Not a single mistake. Even the questions that usually confuse other students, you answered correctly."
Yui let out a small exclamation, her eyes sparkling. "Seriously? Wow, Raku-kun, you're super smart!"
Meanwhile, Hikigaya simply closed his eyes again, sinking deeper into his chair. Inside, he scoffed.
'Of course. Protagonists like this are always the same. Amnesia, but suddenly with a super learning ability. So cliché. If it were me, even if my brain got completely reset, at best I'd just memorize the discount schedule at the convenience store.'
He held himself back from saying it aloud, leaving it only as an internal jab.
Yukino placed the paper on the table, her fingers brushing the surface lightly. "It seems there's no reason to doubt your academic ability. But…" She looked at Raku, her gaze cold yet honest. "Ability isn't everything. What matters more is how you use it."
Raku lowered his head, reflecting for a moment. "I understand."
The room sank back into silence. Yui looked at the two with a confused face, while Hikigaya had already lost interest in pretending to be surprised.
The midday sunlight streamed through the clubroom windows, scattering gently into the room. Fine dust sparkled in the air, swirling slowly with the breeze sneaking in through the glass gaps. Raku sat upright in his chair, his eyes fixed on the bright blue sky that stretched outside.
His gaze was empty, not from ordinary daydreaming, but as if waiting for something that couldn't be explained. His fingers folded on the table, as though his body was here but his mind wandered far away.
Yukino, who had been watching all this time, finally spoke. "Why are you staring at the sky for so long?"
Her tone was flat, but it carried a curiosity she couldn't fully hide.
Raku glanced briefly at her, then returned his gaze to the sky. His smile was faint, almost invisible. "I don't know. But looking at the sky makes me feel calm… as if something is welcoming me there. And sometimes… there are faint memories that flash by out of nowhere."
Yui, who was also listening, blinked with a puzzled expression. "Faint memories? Do you mean… like fragments of a dream?"
Raku nodded slightly. "Something like that. Just glimpses, unclear. But enough to make me feel… like something is waiting for me beyond there." He pointed at the sky with a gentle motion.
The room fell into silence for a moment. Yukino lowered her face a little, contemplating that answer. There was something honest yet mysterious behind his words, something not easy to dismiss.
Hikigaya, who had been sitting sideways with his hand propping up his chin, sighed inwardly.
'Amnesia, mysterious, likes to stare at the sky, suddenly spouting poetic lines that make people curious. My god, this is exactly the textbook main character in a romcom cliché. After this, don't be surprised if the whole school suddenly goes wild over Ichijou Raku. And me? I'll still be the NPC who comments on all this.'
He glanced at Raku from the corner of his eye, then turned his face toward another window. "Calm. Mysterious. Different aura. Of course, there'll be a love triangle drama or even more. This world seems like it's already written its own script," he muttered softly, low enough so no one could hear.
Yui only grew more curious. She leaned her body forward. "Then, Raku-kun… aren't you afraid? I mean, remembering vague things, maybe something heavy or painful?"
Raku was silent for a moment, his eyes still fixed on the sky. "It might be painful. But… I think, if it's really part of me, I have to accept it. Even if I don't know yet whether I'm ready or not."
Yukino lifted her face, gazing deeper at Raku. That answer was simple, but she could sense the honesty that couldn't be faked.
Silence fell again, this time not out of stiffness, but because each was absorbed in their own thoughts. Outside, the sky remained bright and clear, as if listening to their brief conversation.
The noon bell rang loudly, signaling lunch break. The sound of chairs sliding and students leaving classrooms filled the entire school building.
Inside the clubroom, Raku's stomach also growled faintly along with the bell. He patted his stomach with a slightly awkward expression, then slowly stood up from his chair.
"I'll be going," Raku said briefly, heading toward the door.
Yukino, who was closing a book on the table, turned with a cold yet curious gaze. "You're going to the cafeteria?" she asked flatly.
"Yeah," Raku replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "But… I'll stop by the classroom first. I want to ask a friend for directions to the cafeteria. Or maybe… invite my girlfriend."
That last sentence slipped out of his mouth just like that. Raku said it calmly, as if it wasn't a big deal.
But in the room, Yui and Yukino instantly froze. Yui nearly dropped the pencil she was twirling, while Yukino merely furrowed her brows slightly, trying to make sure she hadn't misheard.
"Girlfriend?" Yui's voice was faint, disbelieving.
Raku only nodded lightly. "Yeah, I want to eat with her. So… see you later."
He waved briefly, then left the room with a casual step.
Silence lingered for a few moments. Yui turned to Yukino, who was still staring at the door with a half-confused, half-skeptical expression.
"...Do you believe that?" Yui whispered.
Yukino closed her eyes briefly, exhaling. "Hard to believe," she replied curtly. "Someone who's lost his memory, yet has a girlfriend… too many inconsistencies."
In the corner of the room, Hikigaya leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as he gazed at the ceiling. His inner monologue flowed with a bitter tone.
'Girlfriend? So even someone with amnesia can have a girlfriend? This world is truly unfair. I've understood that for a long time… but it still hurts when reality keeps reminding me.'
He let out a long sigh, lowering his head, and rummaging through his bag for his plain bento. In his heart, he laughed at the irony that always seemed to fall on him.