He What?!
Give me a break...
The next morning, someone started ringing the doorbell.
What time is it even...?
Orion told me it wasn't even nine in the morning yet.
I thought this guy had school.
Why is he here so early?!
After getting changed, I opened the door and found him waiting outside. The first thing he asked was whether I'd just woken up.
Uh... yeah?
After everything that happened yesterday, I think I deserve a little more sleep.
Instead, he started lecturing me not to slack off just because I'm staying home.
Is he my mother?
...Oh right.
My boyfriend.
Seriously, what's his deal?
Patience...
Patience...
He brought breakfast with him, then suddenly said he wanted to ask me something.
I looked at him curiously.
Then he dropped a bombshell.
"Today's our one-year anniversary."
He asked if I'd planned anything for us.
HUH?!
WAIT.
WAIT WAIT WAIT!!
HOW WOULD I KNOW?!
Was that why he came over so early?
Since I had absolutely no idea what we normally did, I just told him he didn't need to buy me anything. It would've been a waste of money anyway.
Then...
He had another question.
I'm seriously on the hot seat today.
He asked why I hadn't called him by his name since yesterday.
...
Boom.
Apparently I always call him by his name.
I don't know.
You tell me, sir.
He admitted he'd been acting like a jerk lately and noticed I seemed like I wanted him to leave.
...
I guess I'm easier to read than I thought.
Then he asked the million-dollar question.
"Do you remember my name?"
...
Boom. Boom.
Even Orion froze.
So did I.
Should I tell him the truth?
I don't know him well enough.
If only I'd had more time to search the apartment first, maybe I would've had the upper hand.
Instead, I blurted out the world's lamest excuse that It slipped on my mind.
It didn't even convince me. Like at all...
He immediately said it was impossible.
I know, dude.
Then he reached his conclusion.
I don't remember.
Yikes.
I'm so dead.
Then he revealed the truth.
We've only been dating for...
Three months.
AIYAAAAA!!
I KNEW IT!!
Orion and I instantly had the exact same realization.
We fell right into his trap.
He already suspected something was wrong, but he also knew I wouldn't admit it so easily.
It's honestly amazing.
Also...
ARGHHHHHH.
Then he had the nerve to call me an idiot.
Twice.
Before nine in the morning.
Not exactly how I wanted to start my day.
I felt so embarrassed.
He admitted he'd noticed something was off yesterday but thought it was only temporary.
Then he asked why I'd been trying so hard to hide it.
...
Another difficult question.
There's no way I can explain Orion.
Can I even trust him?
Cornered with no way out, I finally decided to tell him.
Well...
Part of it.
The only thing I asked in return was...
"Please don't take me back to the hospital."
To my surprise, he agreed immediately.
Then he finally introduced himself properly.
His name is Shin.
We're childhood friends.
He's one year younger than me.
And we've been dating for three months.
He also told me my parents are currently working overseas.
...So that's why I'm living alone.
I asked why my body was covered in injuries.
He said the accident from ten days ago was his fault.
At least...
The physical injuries were.
Apparently I hit my head pretty hard during the accident.
He couldn't bring himself to explain everything.
Honestly...
I understood.
Accidents happen.
I could hear how guilty he felt.
Maybe it's reckless to trust someone I barely know...
But he has been trying to help me.
Then, all of a sudden...
A memory surfaced.
I saw Shin apologizing.
Maybe...
To my parents.
I told him what I'd seen.
For the first time...
He smiled.
It was nice seeing something other than his usual poker face.
After that, we walked around town to see if anything would trigger more memories.
His house is surprisingly close to mine.
He's really sneaky.
Even Orion pointed that out.
Along the way, Shin casually mentioned something important.
I have a job.
Oh.
Right.
I have to work.
Apparently I work at a café, so we stopped by.
I quietly looked around, hoping something would feel familiar.
Later, after talking with someone named Toma, Shin offered to buy me a new cellphone.
He didn't explain who Toma was.
He asked if I was really okay.
I told him I was fine.
As long as we're gathering information, I can manage.
He simply replied that if something's wrong, I have to tell him.
He can't read my mind.
...
Fair enough.
Okay.
Noted.
After we returned home, I finally had a new phone.
The first thing I checked was the date.
August 2.
Good.
At least now I know what day it is.
So, today's conclusion is...
I think we can finally rely on Shin, at least when it comes to my amnesia.