Prove Your Eternal Love. There Shall Be No Heroine Correction. - Chapter 3 Part 3

Damp thumbs after a bath were gone. Still no reply from Kuroiwa. Should I send a follow-up message, call her, or leave it to Aogashima-san to begin with? Just as I was formulating a strategy in my head, the screen switched. It was an incoming call. It was Minagi. I wondered what was wrong. I tapped the answer button, and the first voice I heard was an apology.

『Yuuhi told me everything. I’m really sorry, Suguru. It’s my fault for not supervising him』

“Ah, well, it’s all right. …I’m not confident but I’ll make it work. But it’s a little surprising. Yuuhi really doesn’t hide anything from you.”

I did not reveal Yuuhi’s plan to Minagi at that time after all. Although I used it as a threat, telling her would not solve anything, and I didn’t know about Yuuhi’s situation. That was why I kept quiet for a while, but I didn’t know that he had confessed.

『Mmm. …Sort of. It seemed that Yuuhi had a lot on his mind. I scolded him hard. I told him that he shouldn’t steal other people’s things』

“I feel somewhat out of touch with the essence of the matter…”

『But I still don’t remember what happened when I was dating you. I can only give you my objective opinion』

If this made Yuuhi remorseful, it would make it easier for me…But I won’t get my hopes up high.

“More importantly, have you been able to put a few stamps on it since then?”

『I guess it’s all there. The rest were two each for me and Yuuhi. Ah, I mean, does it look like the stamp thief thing was going to be all right? Both Yuuhi and I have been victimized』

“I don’t know. …but she’s not a terrible person either. I can handle it, I think.”

Overlapping my unreliable reply, “The bath is ready!” Nagisa’s voice came over the speakers.

『Ah. I think your girlfriend just got out of the bath.』

“Don’t send me the information I don’t need. Also, she’s not my girlfriend yet.”

『All right, so let’s switch to video calling and go see wet-haired Nagisa after her bath. Maybe there will be more skin exposed than usual, please get your hopes up』

“Don’t do it.”

『You’re going to see it someday anyway, so why not now?』

“Wha—Of course, we can’t do that.”

I almost imagined it and shook my head in all directions in a panic. Minagi giggled at my panic.

『…I guess we were somewhat like this before』

“Maybe. The words came out kind of quickly.”

Now we have no memories of when we were together. We only recognize each other as former lovers. Still, my heart felt that she was important to me. My soul knew that if I don’t get my memories of her back, I would be in trouble.

『You know what, Suguru? I know this is a strange question to ask out of the blue, but can I ask you something? It’s okay. We both don’t have memory correction now. So, you know, I want you to answer me frankly…what do you think of me?』

The only result here now was that I have been dating Minagi for two years. At the end of it, what feelings do I have for her? She seemed to be concerned about that.

“That’s pretty sudden. Well, I still think of you as an important person. Without romantic feelings, of course. But…you’re right, I might be a little scared. You look like you know everything, your words, and actions to control the situation. As of now, I’m still a little nervous.”

I probably didn’t feel a trace of that when we were dating. It was the memories we accumulated together that masked those feelings.

『Ahaha, I’m scary, I see. Thanks for answering. Yes, I need to reflect on that』

“My turn. So, what about you? What do you think of me?”

For a moment, there was complete silence. Did I ask a bad question? No, but I was just asking the same question back. Just as I was getting anxious, I heard a hesitant exhale in my ear.

『…The only memories I can recall of Suguru are since you and I parted in front of the shrine gate. I was so sad and lonely. I was still feeling sorry for you』

Now we don’t even know why we broke up. Did we fight or did we discuss it? Or did I initiate it or did Minagi initiate it?

“…I was crying. I was crying a lot.”

『I wonder why we broke up. No, I know. It was the right thing to do. I don’t think it would work even if I got back together with you now. I think we both realized that back then, even though we were dragged down by memories』

I think so too. If you peeled away the beautiful veil of memories, you would find a lot of not-so-pretty things lying there.

That was why the process was so important. No matter how identical the result may seem, the process added color to the result. Though some may say that the process was unnecessary.

“…I can’t forgive the fact that my memories were taken away from me, but there are things I can understand by losing them in this way.”

I mumbled, and suddenly realized.

“Ah, by the way, Minagi. You seem to enjoy making Yuuhi jealous.”

It was a conversation at a baked pudding cafe. At the time, I thought he was just making fun of me because I had fond memories of her, and I didn’t pay attention to it. But now I understand.

『…Ah, haha. Yeah, right. I knew it, I can’t do it』

Another weak exhale. She seemed to be pondering something.

“…what’s wrong, Minagi?’

『You know, Yuuhi, he’s cute. He likes me. He’s healthy and cool. But I’m insecure. I’m not sure if I’m really in love with Yuuhi』

“What are you talking about? I’m sure you’ll be fine. You two seem to be getting along really well.”

『But. I made a mistake the first time. I told you, I had lingering feelings for Suguru. I was dragging Suguru around, I was dragged around by the memories, and in order to forget them, I went out with Yu Yang.

I remembered the look of jealousy that Yuuhi had directed at me. Ah, maybe Yuuhi was aware of that, too. That was why he saw me as an enemy more than he should.

『I think that’s why. Even now, I wonder if Yuuhi is just there to fill my loneliness. I’m not sure about my feelings. That’s why I joined the Remember Rally. I wanted to know how I really felt about myself, not about someone else』

What could I say, she was overthinking it. But somehow, I thought she was like me. So I told her the same story I told Nagisa sometime ago.

“If you know you made a mistake, you can start the right process from now on. And I’m sure you’ve probably already done it. So you’ll be fine.”

I haven’t been able to do it, though.

『Fufu. I’m glad to hear you say so. …Then, a small thank you』

Suddenly, the voice call switched to a video call. But it was not the inward camera, it was the outside camera. I saw a carpet and a mini-table, probably in Minagi’s room. Then the camera quickly turned to the door and showed Nagisa in her pajamas.

『Ah. Nagisa, you can’t do that, you have to dry your hair properly』

『Right, but you promised you’d listen to me, you know, about our memories!』

『Yes, yes, yes. Girl talk』

『I just remembered it, so it’s all very vivid! …By the way, Onee-chan, why are you pointing your phone at me?』

『Ah, this is—』

I hung up the call in a hurry.

What are you really doing to me?

My heart ached. It was not the same as a throbbing heart, but a blur. I felt sweet palpitations like cotton candy, and the unusual image of Nagisa was burned into the back of my eyes and wouldn’t go away.