Memories of the Past life

"Yup. But now is not the time... Kyle, I only belong to you, and I will always

be by your side. Your weaknesses, your strengths, your everything — I accept

them all. So don't give up. Don't be afraid. And believe in yourself a little."

"W... Why...?

A dumbfounded expression overcame Kyle's face; he was just barely able to

find his voice. The girl smiled as though she had regained some of her lost

emotion.

"Because you're the only one left for me... for... for what?" she said, blinking

with a somewhat confused and mystified expression. Then, the girl widened her

eyes with a gasp as her figure suddenly started to fade away.

"...Sorry. It looks like... time's up."

"Time?" Kyle asked the girl, but she didn't answer him.

"Sorry. I can only... do this much... for you. Sweet... dreams..."

She hugged Kyle softly. Her eyes sluggishly struggled to stay open, as though

her consciousness was fading away. Kyle, too, followed her into that darkness

soon after.

Then, not long after, another voice —

"Kyle-kun."

He thought he heard a familiar voice. A girl. Kyle knew this girl's voice. The memories he had desperately tried

to seal so long ago came rushing back to him clearly, as though they had

happened just yesterday.

"Wake up, Haru-kun!"

Kyle's childhood friend — Kyla — was shaking his shoulder.

"...I'm awake."

"Ah! you're up!"

Kyle blinked his eyes open against the dazzling light to see Kyla beaming

at him. Kyla's smile... Just seeing it made Kyle happy, filling his heart with

warmth.

"What's up...? I was sleeping so nicely too."

He glanced at the clock. It was still early in the morning.

"Don't give me that! Today's the day of the excursion! You have to get up

early! Excursion? Why are we going on excursions at this age? Wait, that's right!

Today was the first excursion of first grade — Kyle widened his eyes with a

gasp as he remembered that. But after a few moments hesitation...

"Hmm. Good night," Kyle said, burrowing back into his blankets,

despite being more than awake now.

He was really looking forward to the excursion — that was why he hadn't

been able to sleep the night before. But for some reason, he really wanted to

spend the day with just Kyla. However, she had been really looking forward

to the excursion, so she whined like a child whose precious item was being

taken from her.

"Y-You can't do that! We agreed to sit next to each other on the bus and go

together!"

Oh, that kind of sounds tempting too, Kyle thought at Kyla's words, but

he made no move to leave the blankets. Wanting to see her reaction, he

couldn't help but tease her a little.

"Come on, Kyle-kun, get up. Pretty please?" Kyla shook Kyle gently.

"Mmph..." Kyle grumbled in response. Then, somewhere next to the bed,

Kyla began fidgeting with something.

I guess I should get up now, Kyle thought, but just as he did —

"Geez! I'll definitely get you up!" Kyla said, jumping on top of his blankets.

"Whoa, huh?! Wait! Hold it,Kyla-chan! I surrender! I'll get up!"

Kyle resurfaced from his blankets in a hurry to find Kyla smiling smugly

down at him.

"Fufu! Good morning, Kyle-kun."

Honestly, that cuteness was unfair... But Kyle wasn't about to take it lying

down, either.

"There!"Kyle mischievously dragged Kyla into the blankets with him.

"W-Wah! Haru-kun!" Kyla blushed furiously at being hugged so tightly by

him under the blankets.

Do you want me to let go?" Kyle asked cheekily. Kyla was in front of

him. That was enough to make him very happy.

"Uugh... What's wrong, Kyle-kun? You're awfully bold today."

"It's because I love you. Well? Do you want me to let go?"

He really was being bold today, Kyle thought impassively as he spoke.

"Y-You're being mean, Kyle-kun. There's no way I want you to let go." Kyla flushed an even deeper scarlet as she mumbled.

"Really. ...Then is it okay if we stay like this a little longer?"

Just for now, at least, Kyle thought as he hugged Kyla.

For an instant, it felt as though Kyla would drift somewhere far away...

Kyle continued to pester Kyla to distract himself from his worries.

"Yeah," Kyla nodded with a small smile.

Kyle gently brushed away strands of Kyla's hair, then gently stroked her

cheek.

...But his hands suddenly refused to move, as though they had been

restrained by something.

Before he knew it, Kyla's warmth disappeared.

"Please get up."

Kyle returned to reality, summoned awake by someone's

voice. It was an unfamiliar voice; one of a young girl, but definitely not

Kyla's.

Let me stay asleep, I want to see this dream a little longer... Kyle deeply wished

for that from the bottom of his heart. However, his consciousness wouldn't

allow that now that he was awake.

"Um, please get up."

Kyle was shaken awake with a blink. Then, his expression immediately changed

into one of devastation. Of course, it wasn't Kyla before him — it was the elf

girl Emmy.

Was it... a dream? Kyle thought hazily through his burning fever and fatigue.

An indescribable feeling of loss overcame him, making tears fall suddenly

from his eyes.

He was dead, and he would never meet Kyla again. That was

why he did his best to stop remembering Kyla. The thoughts and feelings he

had sealed until now flowed out of him alongside his tears.

Kyle still had regretful feelings towards Kyla inside him; his dream just now

had emphasized that keenly. However, even with that awareness, Kyla did

not exist in this world.

Reality was cruel.

"Erm... Good morning." Emmysaid hesitantly as Kyle sadly shed his tears.

"Good... morning," Kyle responded on reflex, despite not seeing Emmy at all. He bit down on his lip in an attempt to stifle his emotions.

Suddenly, he felt someone wrap a blanket over his body. He probably

was given medical care while he was asleep. Well, who cares about that, Kyle thought offhandedly.