Arrival (2)

"Can I come in?"

It was obvious that it wasn't Hiroshi.

The tone of the voice was soft, the sound of a female.

I was hesitant, I didn't know what to do.

But after a few moments, I finally spoke.

"Come on in."

After a while, the door opened.

And as expected it was a girl.

The girl had vibrant, orange hair that fell smoothly around her shoulders, with long bangs neatly parted in the center, framing her face.

Her calm expression radiated a quiet confidence as she observed her surroundings with clear, golden eyes that glinted like molten amber.

Despite her striking hair color and the vividness of her gaze, there was a serene stillness in her demeanor.

She wore a dark blue uniform with an elegant, high-collared cape edged in intricate gold patterns, giving her an air of noble refinement. A polished purple gemstone rested at the center of her chest, securing the cape in place.

Beneath the cape, a neatly pressed white collar and black ribbon contrasted sharply against her uniform's deeper colors.

As she stood with composed grace, her presence was both intriguing and a little intimidating, as if she was quietly assessing everything around her, including the newcomer she had just met.

After analyzing me and my room for a while, her mouth began to move.

"You sure are lucky…"

Her expression slightly began to change, though the change wasn't good.

She sighed while staring down at the ground.

"Why did Hiroshi pick up someone like you…"

I don't have the right to talk to her, considering I'm just a lowly person who got lucky.

She kept glaring at me with an annoyed look.

I gradually stood up while she was complaining about everything.

"If I were to stare at your eyes forever, I would tell people I saw the entire galaxy without even looking at the sky."

My words shook her up, and her expression changed again, but this time she looked a bit embarrassed.

Though I wasn't lying, her eyes were as bright as the sun and as stunning as the galaxy.

The vibrant light of her golden eyes was gorgeous.

Well, truth be told, I got that line out of a book I've read, but I forgot which book it was.

I somehow remembered a line from a book I didn't even know the name of.

Well, at least her expression changed, though I'm not sure if it changed in a good way.

"Oh… Using such a line to impress me? Did Hiroshi hire a comedian?"

Quickly her mood changed once again.

"Nah I'm joking, I was just playing with you. I'm here to inform you that you must come to room B-4 tomorrow morning."

"Joking?"

"Aren't you the little comedian then?"

She awkwardly scratched the back of her head using one of her hands with an uneasy smile. She also avoided eye contact, and her eyes were looking at the corners while trying to laugh off the moment.

"… W-well I wanted to have an arrogant entrance."

I looked at her with disbelief before I spoke again.

"Why would you even want that?"

"… I don't know, I saw that in a movie, and it looked pretty cool…"

For every word she muttered, she took a small step backward to the door, till she eventually reached it.

"… W-well, good night, see you tomorrow…"

With that, she quickly left, without even closing the door behind her.

"What a weird interaction…"

Is everyone here strange like her and Hiroshi?

Well, at least both of them were kind of nice I guess.

I mean she did tell me that I need to be in room B-4. Though I'm not sure what she meant by that.

Did she personally go to my room to remind me to be there? Or was she just ordered to do so?

But Hiroshi was the only one who knew me right?

Well, he's a strange man, maybe he already told the people that I'm coming.

I wonder what she meant by B-4 since I don't remember seeing a number in my room either.

And she also mentioned I was "lucky", doesn't she also have a room like mine? Or is every room different?

Maybe she was being sarcastic, and in reality, her room is way better. Though I don't think a room can be much better than this, well maybe a different desk would improve it, but I'm not going to complain about it.

Well, there's no need to overthink it, I mean first of all I just got here. Although I went to a stranger's home, I had nothing to lose anyway.

But it wasn't time to think about that. I just ruined my bed with my dirty clothes…

There has to be a shower around here right?

I don't want to ruin everything with my dirty clothes, and my nasty body.

It was already late, so there shouldn't be any random encounters with people I didn't know.

Well, it was not like I didn't want to meet anyone, it's just that it's late, and I'm too tired for an introduction.

After all, who wants to introduce themselves after shivering in the cold and walking for hours with an old man who forgot where their own house was?

Though I didn't even introduce myself to anyone yet. But what can I even say about myself when I know nothing…

Putting it simply; I have no identity, I have no name, no memories; absolute nothing.

But I still don't know the reason why I can think properly without having the memories of learning it.

However, I still recalled a line from a book that I don't even remember the name of.

Is there a reason for this to happen?

None can help me get them back besides myself, people will think that I'm mentally ill if I tell them that I don't know myself.

Well, it was time to accept the harsh truth.

I don't think I'll be able to get the memories back, but what will happen if I do?

What would happen to me after I get the memories back? … Will my "new" memories stay, or will they be erased?

Well, truth be told, I'd rather keep my current memories.

If I were to get my old memories back, and my current ones get erased. Then I would be a different person, I would treat people differently, and I would forget about the kindness I've received.

And I don't want to upset Hiroshi…

His kindness towards me will go to waste, I don't want him to feel guilty. I don't want him to feel regrets after taking me in.

And if I were to lose memories of him, how would this "old" me treat Hiroshi?

I hate the fact that I don't know myself.

But who knows, maybe it's for the better.

Yet something is burning inside once in a while, urging me to get them back.

Is it the "old" me? Or is it just the body that wants it back, perhaps it doesn't accept me as the owner of it.

Maybe the body isn't even mine, and it's trying to save the "old" owner.

Perhaps this body rejects me and doesn't accept me as the owner of it.

Well, there was no need to go that far, but for some reason, I wanted to know the truth behind myself.

Yes… I am curious.

But how can a clueless person like me find out?

However as time went on, the strange feeling in my stomach slowly turned into nothingness.

Did it give up?

Or am I just insane, questioning my own damn body?

I used my very own fist to hit my head.

"Ouch!"

It was a reminder for myself that I needed to take it slowly and that I needed to relax.

What was even the gain of knowing myself?

It can be good or bad, but would anything even change if I remembered my past?

Well, there was no way I knew the answer to that.

I mean most people would want to know their own identity right?

One part of me wants to know the past and the other wants me to do nothing and relax.

I can't even decide what I want.

It was as if there were 2 different people in one body.

But I wasn't even sure about that.

This proves that I am clueless…

But why did I forget everything besides the knowledge that I currently have?

Is this knowledge even mine?

"Stop"

My head was going to explode if I thought of any more of those stupid things.

It was time for a shower.

One of the benefits of showering is the relaxation you get from it.

And now I need that.

I need the calming sensation of a shower.

It felt like I hadn't showered in ages.

And that was probably the case.

I need to get rid of this horrible scent of mine.

I also need to wash my hair before it starts breaking out.

…

There was no choice but to leave my room, I mean there wasn't a toilet, so I had to get out eventually either way.

Slowly I got out of bed and walked towards the door.

Carefully I closed the door without making any noise, in case anyone woke up from it.

However, I have no idea where the shower is or how to get there.

I wish I had asked that strange girl from earlier…

Currently, I have no choice but to go in a random direction hoping to find a bathroom where I can shower.

However I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to show, but I'm sure Hiroshi would permit me to do it.

I mean why would he give me all these opportunities, and not let me shower?

I'm sure he's generous enough to let me take a shower to clean myself up a bit.

He wouldn't want a stinky rat sitting in his lovely house all day.

And I don't want to be a burden to him, and it may irritate him if I smell like shit.

Though he didn't mention it earlier, I'm sure he was just being nice to me.

He must've seen the crowd judging me, so he was probably just being generous. Though I didn't mind the crowd, to be honest.

But if that led me to meeting Hiroshi, I kind of feel grateful towards the crowd.

Still, I don't intend to get judged everywhere.

…

Eventually, I reached the end of the hallway, the place was even bigger than I thought it would be.

It was a huge door, and it looked like I needed to pull from both sides.

Using every ounce of strength I had, the door slowly opened.