The rain-slick streets stretched endlessly, each corner hiding the shadow of danger. Riku and Hikari kept running, their shoes splashing through puddles, the sound of pursuit fading but never disappearing completely.
"There!" Hikari pointed to a collapsed gate barely visible through the mist. Beyond it stood the ruins of an old house, its roof caved in, its walls cracked like old scars.
They slipped inside, the smell of damp wood and dust filling their lungs. The wind moaned through the broken windows, but at least it was shelter.
"We'll stay here for the night," Riku whispered. "It's too risky to keep moving."
They sat against one of the sturdier walls, the silence between them filled only by the sound of rain outside. Without meaning to, exhaustion crept over them both. Riku's eyes grew heavy… and sleep took him.
Morning
A shaft of sunlight broke through the cracked ceiling, falling directly across Riku's face. He stirred, trying to brush away whatever soft, warm thing his hand had landed on during the night.
Wait… soft?
His eyes blinked open. His palm rested… on Hikari's chest.
Hikari's eyes fluttered open at the same moment. She looked down, then up at Riku, her face turning bright red.
"R-Riku… your hand…"
Riku jerked back so fast he nearly hit his head on the wall. "I, I didn't mean—! I was asleep!"
Her lips pressed into a thin line, her own cheeks flushed. For a moment, neither of them could look at each other.
"…Let's just forget that happened," she muttered, standing up and dusting herself off.
"Y-Yeah. Totally," Riku replied, his voice cracking slightly.
They made their way back through the streets, now bright with morning light.
By the time they reached Riku's house, his mother was standing at the doorway, worry etched into her face.
"Riku! Where were you all night? I was about to call the police!"
"I'm fine, Mom," Riku said, scratching the back of his head. "Just… got caught up with… stuff."
His mother's gaze shifted to Hikari. "And your girlfriend hasn't even gone home yet?"
"M-Mom, she's not.
Hikari just bowed politely. "Good morning, ma'am."
His mother sighed but didn't press further. "Fine. Just… don't scare me like that again."
Back in his room, Hikari dropped her bag on the floor. "Bathroom's mine first," she said, disappearing inside before Riku could protest.
A few minutes later, she emerged with damp hair, steam following her out. "Your turn."
Riku took a quick shower, trying not to think about the morning's… incident. When he came back, Hikari was sitting cross-legged on his bed, towel-drying her hair.
He sat across from her, hesitating before asking, "Hey… what was I like before? You know… before my memories were erased."
Hikari paused, looking at him for a long moment. "…You were reckless. Stubborn. Sometimes annoying. But…" Her gaze softened. "…you never gave up on people. No matter how bad things got."
Riku's chest tightened. That didn't sound like the person he felt he was now.
"Was I… better back then?" he asked quietly.
"You're still you," Hikari replied, setting the towel aside. "You just… don't know it yet."
Somewhere deep down, Riku wondered if she was right.