Chapter 2 – Android Girl

From the day that Asai Kei learned about the girl named Haruki Misora, and more importantly the ability she held, he spent almost every waking moment thinking about her.

Did she ever get gripped with inexplicable anxiety while alone in the night? How well did she sleep, and what did she dream about? When she whispered, “Reset,” was it out of a sense of expectation or resignation?

When it came down to it, Kei didn’t really know anything about Haruki Misora. He didn’t know her goals, values, aspirations, likes, dislikes, anything. Even so, he spent nearly every waking moment consumed in thought about her.

May had begun, Golden Week had passed, and it was officially summer.¹ Of course, that was only denoted by the calendar day. The sunlight was still soft, the nights were still cool, the sky was still pale, and the clouds were only a thinly stretched and scattered layer. Regardless, the first day of summer had its reckoning.

Following the start of summer, Souma Sumire began regularly calling Kei and Haruki to the school’s southern rooftop. They usually met up two or three times every week, collecting on the rooftop to have vast and varied conversations. They discussed love, hope, life, and many other topics of a kind that would quite frankly be embarrassing to discuss in the classroom, or anywhere else public.

Kei was captivated by his time in those conversations. For once, he felt free to express himself. He didn’t have to limit his words and carefully choose how to present himself in front of Souma Sumire and Haruki Misora.

With each rooftop meeting, summer moved forward. The sun’s rays grew sharper, the sky was dyed a deeper blue, and their uniforms lost their longer sleeves. But despite the several weeks that passed, Kei didn’t become much closer to understanding the person that was Haruki Misora. He had, however, become very well acquainted with Haruki’s ability, the Reset. She made no effort to hide any information regarding her ability’s inner workings. Her transparency notwithstanding, no matter how complex the ability was, it would always be significantly easier to understand than the one who held it.

As it turned out, Haruki Misora’s ability was not rewinding time, strictly speaking. As the name suggested, it was simply a rearrangement of the world to reproduce a desired past state. The time that had previously been spent was not lost, it was just forgotten. That was why Kei’s ability still allowed him his memories, and why Nakano Tomoki’s ability retained his messages.

Kei’s investigation also uncovered a variety of limitations within the use of the reset ability. Haruki needed to save in order to use a reset, and any created saves would automatically expire after 72 hours. As a result, a reset was only capable of bringing the world back to a period of time three days prior at most. Additionally, she could not save within the next 24 hours of using a reset. The most efficient use of resets would still find the world progressing at a rate of one day every 72 hours.

Kei was personally the most surprised to find that Haruki’s resets were also effective on herself. When she reset, her memories would also revert to what they had been at her save point. She would not recall the events that passed, or even the fact that she used a reset.

When Kei learned about that odd quirk of her ability, he found it incredibly amusing. He couldn’t begin to believe how lucky he was.

Haruki Misora’s reset was entirely useless without Asai Kei’s perfect recall.

It’s almost like our abilities were made for each other.

Kei had no doubt that just as he hungered for Haruki’s ability, so too would she desire to put him to use. He was entirely convinced.

And that was his greatest error.

1 – Early June

“We should work together.” Kei finally made his announcement on Monday, June 7th after school. Souma had a previous engagement and informed Kei and Haruki she would be late, which left the two alone on the rooftop. “Think of what we could do if we used our abilities in tandem. I’m sure that eventually, we could overcome any problem we wanted without breaking a sweat.”

But even after being told the details of Kei’s ability, Haruki’s expression remained unchanged. She silently shook her head, her face entirely blank. “I find that idea distasteful.”

That was the first express denial that Kei had ever heard from Haruki. Until that moment, the most he ever got from her was a wordless nod of assumed assent, no matter what he may have said or proposed. “Why?” he asked.

Haruki’s answer was lifeless enough to sound as though it were pre-scripted. “I followed the rules.” She was completely silent afterwards, as if that somehow explained everything.

“Well then, tell me about these rules. Who made them, and why?”

“I created the rules myself as a guideline for making decisions.”

“What are they?”

“There are several, all contextual to the situation. For example, I refuse to take part in any activity that would have a devastating impact on my or anyone else’s surroundings.”

A devastating impact on the surroundings. The wording sounded like the contents of a company manual.

“So what, you think us working together would have a negative effect?”

“It very well could.”

“Why?”

Haruki turned her emotionless eyes towards Kei. “Because you would have sole control over the reset power and its effects.” Her voice was unbelievably calm, lacking any sense of hostility or malice. “I cannot even recall the use of my own reset. You could very easily lie to me with no risk. You would hold absolute sway. I lack any reason to trust you with that power.”

“Okay, that’s true.” Haruki Misora was smarter than she let on. He had begun to think that she was incapable of judging or suspecting people, but perhaps she simply had no reason to do so in most situations.

Thinking it over for a moment, Kei tried a new strategy. “You used a reset on this rooftop on April 28th, right, Haruki-san?”

“I do not recall very clearly.”

“It was the day we first met.”

“…Yes. It seems most likely that I did.”

“Why did you reset on that day?”

“I saw a young girl crying.”

“So you reset because a young girl was crying?”

“If I find anyone crying, then a reset is a matter of course.”

A matter of course. It was such a detached way of referring to even her own actions. “Is that another one of your rules?”

“It is.”

“Why? That would have been completely meaningless. Even with a reset, both of you would just end up in the same position the next day.”

“That is most likely correct.”

“Then why even establish the rule? That doesn’t make sense to me.”

Her reply was in her typical flat tone. No inflection, no emotion, no anything. Just a pure statement of fact. “An act being meaningless is no reason to break the rules.”

Kei sucked in a breath. Her words sounded cutting for just that moment. But before long, he was deriding his idiocy. All it came down to was that the girl was incomprehensible. Nothing more, nothing less.

Kei’s initial thoughts on Haruki were that she lacked humanity. But his first impression had been incorrect. She was much worse off than he had assumed.

Humans, by nature, detested meaninglessness. Sure, an objectively meaningless act could still be repeated. But in that case, the person typically found some sense of fun, or perhaps peace or satisfaction out of the act. But Haruki Misora was different. She was like a computer that did nothing but make calculations, all the while not knowing the purpose behind them. She followed her rules to the letter like some sort of program, never stopping. Perhaps it would take a fatal error or crash to stop her.

She acted like some sort of artificial creation meant to resemble a human. Like an android.

Kei had no idea what kind of decisions Haruki Misora could have made to end up in her current position. Even the concept of rules that she used was like a reference to some kind of self-made program. She felt so unreal, so artificial.

It was laughable. Kei kept it from showing, but on the inside, he was laughing it up at how comical the whole situation was. “Haruki.” For the first time, he simply called her Haruki, removing her honorific. “I’m gonna win your trust before long.”

“I have never had reason to trust anyone before,” she responded quietly.

“Fine, then. I’ll be the first.” Kei pushed his chest out confidently, trying to infuse his sentence with that same determination. Though Haruki’s face was blank as ever, Kei was smiling.

Their conversation ended as Souma came up to the rooftop.

Kei walked home side-by-side with Souma, something that had become a regular occurrence. They lived in the same direction for about half of their walk home, so they naturally ended up going together.

“So, Kei, how are things going with Haruki?”

Somewhere around the end of Golden Week, Souma had begun calling Kei by his first name. She did it so naturally that it somehow felt like things had always been that way.

“I dunno. She’s kinda difficult to work with.”

“Really? Never thought I’d hear you say something was difficult.”

“I don’t like using that word, but nothing else fits for her. I mean, what else can you call her except difficult?”

“You really think that? Personally, I think she’s an incredibly simple girl.”

“Her simplicity is the problem. Stuff that’s too simple can be just as difficult to comprehend as stuff that’s too complex. Like… have you ever fallen in love before, Souma?”

She nodded. “I have. I’m deeply in love with someone right now, to the point that little else around me seems to matter.”

Her swift answer was outside of Kei’s expectations, but it didn’t really matter for the example. He continued with his question. “Would you describe the feeling of love as complex?”

Souma shook her head. “No, I think it’s simple. Wonderfully so.”

“That’s what I’m saying. ‘I like you’ is only three words, but there aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe what falling in love feels like to someone who hasn’t experienced it.” No matter how verbose the explanation, it would always feel lacking.

Souma Sumire smiled. Her next words came in a low tone, with the confidence of a god declaring the truth of the world. “In those times, you just need to do away with words, and embrace the other person. Show them what love is from the bottom of your heart.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Kei replied, sighing.

“Oh, but it is. If something is simple, then don’t complicate it. You need to get on the same level, and accept it for what it is.”

“What if you can’t accept the simple things?”

“Don’t know what to tell you, then. Maybe it’s just best to leave it be, and wait for the day when you can.”

She may have been right, but that certainly wasn’t going to get Kei anywhere at present. “So what, you think I just need to leave Haruki alone and forget about her?” Haruki’s thoughts were so simple that Kei couldn’t even begin to comprehend them.

Souma shook her head once. “I don’t think so. In fact, I believe you’ve already accepted her, whether you know it or not.”

“How do you know that?”

The traffic light ahead of them blinked red. Souma stopped in place, answering, “Because I have the ability to understand people after just a short conversation.”

“Ability?”

“Oh, uh, not what you’re thinking. I don’t mean the special abilities of Sakurada. As far as those are concerned, I don’t have one.”

Kei had no reason to believe she was lying. After all, every school in Sakurada had a biannual test to determine ability affinity. It was more or less like a physical check-up directly from the Administration Bureau. As far as Kei knew, Souma was found to have no affinity in her recent tests.

“What I’m saying is, I think that I know you and Haruki pretty well by now.”

“Oh, do tell. What exactly do you know?”

“Alright, we’ll use you as an example. What would you give as your reason for getting closer to Haruki?”

“So I can gain control over her reset ability.” The girl’s personality was certainly of a rare kind, but that wasn’t ultimately what interested Kei about her. He purely wanted to use Haruki Misora as a powerful tool. He knew how bad it sounded, but it was the truth, and there was no better way to put it.

He was prepared to receive quite the tongue lashing, but Souma didn’t even show a hint of disgust. In fact, positivity radiated from her smile as she responded. “You always play the Devil’s advocate when it comes to those types of questions. I think that’s due to your strong sense of justice. You’re on the level of a clean freak or a perfectionist, really.”

“I doubt it. I couldn’t even define the word justice if you asked.”

The traffic light turned green, and Kei and Souma began walking again at the same time.

“Suppose that there was a place that a god reigned over.” Souma’s tone was incredibly casual. “The god decided to conduct an experiment about the nature of human virtue, choosing a particular man as his test subject.”

Kei had long since gotten used to Souma’s penchant for springing analogous tirades on him. He simply nodded along. “What happened next?”

“First, he created a copy of the man. The fake had no will of its own, simply copying that which the original did. The god supposed that by having a copy, the man would be able to see his own actions through a more objective lens.”

Kei chuckled, retorting, “If the god was truly a god, then he wouldn’t need to conduct any experiments. He would just know the results immediately.”

“This particular god was quite omnipotent, yet also very ignorant.”

“That doesn’t even make sense. If he were omnipotent, then he may as well be omniscient.”

“There was a point at which he acquired all knowledge, and just afterwards, he did away with it. By his own decision, as he approached infinite omnipotence, he also approached infinite ignorance. Even gods have their reasons.”

Kei was particularly interested in why that god would choose ignorance over omniscience, but he also realized that wasn’t what Souma’s story was about. He allowed the conversation’s return. “Fine. So, the god creates a human duplicate to experiment on the nature of virtue.”

“Yes. But in the end, the original man’s behavior remained unchanged. He was neither a horribly bad nor wonderfully good person. He could be kind or cowardly on a whim, and his greed led to a slight cruel streak. In the end, he lived the same as his duplicate, leading neither a virtuous nor an evil life.”

“I can’t imagine that was a very satisfying experiment.”

“Not at all. That’s why a second one followed. This time, the god placed a curse on the man that would cause his body to be wracked with pain whenever he found another person who was sad.”

“Huh. That could definitely cause some issues,” Kei answered disinterestedly.

Souma continued, “As a result, the man learned not to overlook those who were suffering. In order to relieve his own pain, he reached out to those in need.”

“Looks like the god got what he wanted.”

“But that’s not all. The man’s duplicate began acting in the same way. Despite not experiencing the pain that the original did, he was compelled to act like the original all the same. And so, the young man and his duplicate lived the rest of their days as virtuous men. The end.”

Kei was far from satisfied. “What was the response of the god that was presiding over it all?”

“He ascribed names to the man and his duplicate.”

“Which were?”

“One he named Virtue, and the other Hypocrisy.”

That made enough sense to Kei. “Fine, whatever. Was there a point to all this, Souma?”

“It’s really just an analogy. The end goal was to show you how your hypercritical nature makes you so virtuous.”

“How on Earth do you spin that tale to get that conclusion?”

Souma turned her face to Kei in time with the slow tempo of her footsteps. “If it was up to you, who was Virtue, and who was Hypocrisy?”

Kei didn’t even have to think about it. “The real man is Hypocrisy, and the duplicate is Virtue.”

“How do you know that?”

“The real man was only helping people for his own sake, while the duplicate had no hidden intentions. It’s not even a question who’s good in the scenario.”

“But the real man was acting by himself, while the duplicate only acted out of compulsion to mimic the real.”

“That doesn’t matter. True virtue has no personal motivation.” In Kei’s eyes, true good was almost unconscious. It was instinctive, done on reflex, and never calculated oneself into the equation.

Souma nodded. “So, in other words, you’re a perfectionist. Your strict judgment of right and wrong allows no leeway, to the point that nobody can be considered just, not even yourself. I’m sure that you’ve never considered a single person to be truly just, have you? After all, the slightest possibility of impurity makes the whole pursuit meaningless.”

After a moment’s thought, Kei had to shake his head. There was, in the end, a single example. Kei knew just one person so simple, so pure, that they could act entirely outside of themselves. And just as he was about to say her name, it hit him.

Souma had said as much previously.

In fact, I believe you’ve already accepted her, whether you know it or not.

How do you know that? he had asked.

She had been answering that question this whole time. She danced around it, hinting at it the whole way, but never missed a beat.

Souma grinned maliciously with all the essence of a feral, and carefree cat. “I believe that Haruki Misora is your ideal human, the only person to embody true virtue. Even you would have to accept someone like her, am I right?”

It happened right in that moment.

Despite Kei’s admittedly brief relationship with Souma Sumire, he felt a distinctly different aura from her. At that moment, she felt completely in control. Not just over herself or the present conversation, but absolutely in control over everything. It was as if she were conducting the chorus of information, thoughts, questions, and emotions entirely by herself, and Kei couldn’t even try to hide anything from her.

“I can think of one method in particular that would be perfect for helping you and Haruki understand each other,” she continued.

“What’s that?”

“We can look into her past. Discover her experiences, her thoughts, and the journey she took to become who she now is.”

Kei had already attempted that path. “Haruki’s past is nothing special.” He had tried to find some sort of notable event that could theoretically leave an impact on her character, but to no avail.

“That may be so, but you must be missing something. It’s highly unlikely that she was born thinking the way she does. Even if it’s not obvious, there must be a reason why Haruki Misora is who she is. It’s gotta be in there somewhere, right?”

“Even if that were true, there’s no way to find out.”

“Sure there is. Just ask her.”

“Already tried that. She’ll answer just about any question, but there’s nothing there.”

“That may be so. If we could search through her memories in more detail, though, I’m sure we could pinpoint something.”

Kei repeated what he had just heard in his mind. Search… her memories? “How could we do that?”

“I know someone with just the right ability. That’s what I was busy with earlier today. I think they’ll be willing to help.”

Suddenly, they were at the corner where Souma always split off. They stopped at the same time, and as they turned to face each other, Kei realized how close they were.

“I’ve always wondered something about you. What’s your angle in all this?” he probed.

She couldn’t benefit from the reset ability in the way that Kei could. But what else could she possibly gain from helping him and Haruki grow closer?

She tilted her head slightly, as if studying his face. “I told you, didn’t I? This is my job as the class rep.”

“I really doubt that.”

“Well, besides that, all I want is for you and Haruki to become friends.”

“Why?” There just wasn’t anything for her in that.

Souma smiled. “I love communicating.”

“Communicating?”

“Yes. I want to try exchanging all kinds of words between all types of people. That’s my angle.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It will one day. I’m sure you’ll get it eventually.”

Souma took another step closer to Kei. Now, her cat-like smile was so close that their foreheads were practically touching. The wind blew between them, caressing both of their cheeks.

“What do you really want, Kei? Is it the reset? Or is it Haruki Misora?”

Her warm breath mixed in with the words she spoke, giving off a slightly sweet scent.

“The reset, obviously.”

“And why is it that you want the reset?”

“For the convenience.”

She slowly pulled away, almost as if she were trying to escape.

“I really doubt that.”

With a brief farewell, she turned her back to him and walked away.

✽

At that same time, Haruki Misora found herself in a small park. It was a park that she always passed on her way home from school, never paying it any mind. But on that day, there was a young girl there that she knew, the one with the name Kurakawa Mari. “Come play with me,” Mari had asked, and now they were sitting side by side on the swingset.

Since their first meeting in late April, Haruki had found Mari in the park several times. It was likely that the girl had been there a number of times even before then, but Haruki had never previously been looking for her.

Haruki was already a second-year middle schooler, so the park’s swings were too short for her. Unless she pulled up her legs, her feet would scrape on the ground at the lowest point. She felt cramped within the seat from having to pay such close attention to the angle of her legs. 

She swung back and forth in faux motion. Although she was not truly moving anywhere, the scenery was always slightly shifting, and the breeze was freely felt as she went to and fro. She assumed that it was supposed to be fun, since it was playground equipment, but Haruki had never understood the “fun” behind swing sets. Her lack of understanding had nothing to do with her current age. Even when she was Mari’s age, the enjoyment that others got from the structure had evaded her.

Beside Haruki, Mari was letting out elated, high-pitched laughs. She was rocking back and forth on the swing in a much less steady rhythm than Haruki, and the pouch around her shoulder was swaying in similarly erratic motions.

Mari appears much more capable of appreciating playground equipment than me, Haruki thought. That thought remained in her head as she smoothly rocked back and forth on the swing, her face a blank canvas of emotion. After a while, she noticed that the elated voice beside her had quieted down. Turning her attention to Mari, she noticed that the other girl had stopped her swing, instead looking up at her.

Pressing her shoes to the ground, Haruki wondered if Mari had tired of the swings. With a scraping sound, she stopped her oscillation.

Mari grabbed the hem of Haruki’s uniform. Just as before, she defaulted to grabbing Haruki’s uniform with her very weak grip. In turn, Haruki once again got the impression that a memory was close to emerging, and yet ultimately nothing came to mind.

Mari asked a question, her head slightly tilting. “Is it no fun?”

In all honesty, it was no fun at all.

When Haruki nodded in response, Mari’s face shifted. Her lips and eyebrows moved into new positions. Is that a smile? Is she going to cry? Haruki couldn’t distinguish between smiling and crying, and there were no tears streaming down Mari’s face to clue her in. But she did know that someone could be sad without crying.

“Please explain your current emotions to me,” Haruki found herself asking. She was shocked by the question that had left her lips. Why do I want to understand Kurakawa Mari’s emotions? There was no reason for her to ask, and she did not do so under compulsion of her rules. There’s something inside of me that decided I should ask.

It must have been that thing called emotion. It preceded her logic, pushing her to immediately do something she otherwise wouldn’t. Perhaps it was linked to the weak grip by which Maru held onto her uniform. That very weak force seemed to hold a great power over Haruki’s mind.

Mari tilted her head. “Eemoshuns?”

“They are…” Haruki had no idea what words to use that could best describe emotions. If she couldn’t explain them, that could only be because she didn’t understand them. If only Mari would cry, then she could be sure that the girl was sad. She could mutter for a reset, pointless or not. But Mari still didn’t start crying. Instead, she spoke.

“All I want to do is play with you, Onee-chan.”

“And why would you want to do that?”

Mari smiled so brightly that even Haruki could tell what face she was making. “I don’t know. Because it’s fun.”

That is a very human answer, Haruki thought. That thought made her think of the question Souma Sumire had posed.

Who’s the android?

At the very least, she had found something that separated this girl from androids.

Mari looked straight into Haruki’s face, unaware of the older girl’s struggle. “So, what do middle schoolers do?”

Finally, a question Haruki could answer. It was very simple, even for her. She could answer questions about her classes and school lunches any day of the week.

“What do you do for fun with your friends?” Mari asked.

Suddenly, Haruki was blindsided by a difficult question. She wasn’t even sure where to begin with defining the word friend, but there was a confusing part of her mind that wanted to answer the question, no matter what. She spoke slowly and considerately.

“I do not have what you might call a friend, but there are a few people that have been talking with me a lot lately. One of them is Souma Sumire, a classmate. The other is Asai Kei, a student from a different class.”

“What do you talk about?”

“Today, I was talking with Asai Kei about trust.”

“What does that mean?”

“It is a question of whether you can accept another person’s judgment without any logical or past basis.”

Mari pursed her lips out slightly. She probably didn’t understand the explanation.

Nonetheless, Haruki continued. “I told him that I had no reason to trust him, but he told me that he would win my trust.”

With that, Mari nodded as if in understanding. “So he likes you, then!”

Like and love. Another set of words that Haruki didn’t understand. Regardless of her understanding, she was certain that the meaning didn’t apply to Asai Kei. His only motivation was the reset ability.

However, the thought made her recognize something, and she shared her finding with Mari. “Liking someone could be described as an emotion.” Perhaps that was the kind of explanation she had been looking for earlier.

Mari nodded once again. “That makes sense. I like you, Onee-chan.” With a continued smile, at least as far as Haruki could tell, she went on. “I like my mom, too. But… she doesn’t like me. She hates me for being a fake.”

“What do you mean by fake?”

After asking, Haruki was concerned that her question would slip by Mari. She made sure to specify that she didn’t want the definition of fake, but to be told why Mari would describe herself as a fake. Regardless, Mari did not answer.

After thinking for a moment, Haruki asked a different question. “Do you want to be liked by your mother?”

“Yes. Very much.”

At first, Haruki wasn’t sure if there was anything she could do about that, but with a start, she reached into her bag and took something out. In her hands was a small blue envelope. Souma Sumire had given her the envelope, claiming it was some kind of good luck charm.

“Here. You can have this.”

“What is it?”

“If you open it and say your greatest wish out loud, it will make that wish come true.”

“Really?”

“I do not really know. Personally, I do not believe that it will.”

Mari gave a few short chuckles. “You’re so weird.”

Haruki didn’t understand what was so weird about her statement.

“But thank you.” With that, Mari took the envelope, putting it into her pouch.

Some 30 minutes later, a man came into the park. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, and wore a ragged suit that paired well with the rough stubble on his face. He walked straight up to Mari, proclaiming. “Alright, I’m here. Time to go.”

Mari tilted her head. “Where’s mom?”

“She’s running late today. It’s not good to stay out till dark, so we’re going to wait in the hospital together.”

“Mhm. Okay.” Despite her response, Mari didn’t budge. Instead, she grabbed onto Haruki’s uniform again.

“Who is this man?” Haruki asked.

“He’s… Tsushima-san.”

Tsushima. Mari’s family name was Kurakawa, so he certainly wasn’t her father. Although it was possible her parents had divorced, he simply didn’t look old enough to be her father in the first place.

The man called Tsushima turned towards Haruki. “Haruki-san?”

“Yes.”

“Mari’s told me all about you. Thanks for spending so much time with her.” He probably smiled after saying that.

Haruki hardly felt that her actions were worth his gratitude, but there was no point in going out of her way to refuse it. “Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m something like Mari’s guardian.”

“Why isn’t Mari’s mother coming to pick her up?”

“She is, she’ll just be a bit late. C’mon Mari, it’s time to go.”

Mari gave a tiny nod, her hand slipping away from Haruki’s uniform.

✽

8:30 PM. Asai Kei was inside the Nakano family outbuilding. Nakano Tomoki had made himself at home on Kei’s floor, his hair wet from a recent shower. The radio played Western music with intermittent static flashing through. It was a typical nighttime scene.

Kei sat at his wooden desk, poking at his small cat keychain. It was a black cat with white mittens and a white face. It was only an inch or so long, and had previously been used as a keychain attachment before its metal fittings broke. Its instability rendered it useless even as a standing figurine. It was made of a soft material that would indent when pressed down, and took a while to return to its original shape.

“So, what is that?” Tomoki asked. “You’ve had it forever. Is it special or something?”

Kei shook his head. “Not really. I just thought it was kinda neat.” It was fixed the first time, but now remained in its broken state. Despite the chances he had to throw it away, it was still in his possession. “I’m thinking of attaching some kind of string to it to use as a phone strap.”

“A phone strap? You’re getting a cell phone?”

“Maybe. I’d have to ask your mom.”

The Nakano house strictly did not allow cell phones for middle schoolers. Some may have found that rule harsh, but for Kei, it was just the way it was. His classmates were always surprised, but he couldn’t miss what he didn’t have.

“Man, a cell phone would be awesome,” Tomoki remarked.

Kei grinned at him. “What, you need a cell phone with that ability of yours?” Nakano Tomoki had the ability to transmit voices to anyone at any time.

“It’s only one-way. I could hear the other person with a cell.”

“Yeah, guess you’re right.” Kei put the cat keychain back where it belonged and pulled a paperback from his shelf, the mystery novel he had bought over a month ago. He had suddenly been thrust into reading many novels regarding androids and science fiction, leaving his mystery novel on the backburner.

“So, I’ve heard some rumors lately,” Tomoki cut in.

Kei looked away from his book. “About what?”

“You, Souma and Haruki.”

“Huh? What’s there to say?” They were meeting on the rooftop, so it wasn’t as though anybody was running into them. Besides, it was just three middle schoolers meeting up. They were hardly wildfire-starting rumor material. They weren’t trying to summon a UFO or do anything illegal, and being up on the roof wasn’t even against school regulations.

“Well, love triangles are just really interesting, if you ask me.”

Kei couldn’t stop a smirk from forming. A love triangle. As if. “I promise it’s nothing that interesting.”

“That’s not what everyone on the sidelines thinks. Besides, you even managed to pull Haruki Misora into it.”

“That’s fair. Anything regarding her love life would make for quite the spectacle.” Kei could hardly even imagine the concept. But, if Haruki were in his class, he’d be pretty apt to listen to any rumors about her falling in love, too.

Kei turned his attention back towards his book. It was still only the beginning, and the detective was driving out to go meet with a client.

The radio personality shouted something about love, and then the station shifted to a new song.

“So, what are you guys actually doing up there, then?”

“Just talking. It’s really nothing special. About the same conversation fare that you’d have with your friends at McDonald’s.”

Tomoki laughed derisively. “I thought you’d be more likely to talk about the theory of relativity or something.”

“Well, that kinda stuff comes up on occasion. The topics aren’t up to me.”

“Oh. What’s the theory of relativity supposed to be about, anyway?”

“It’s about the relationship between light, space, and time. They have a sort of trust with each other, and in order to keep that trust consistent, space and time are sometimes distorted, especially when gravity comes into play.”

“I don’t really get it.”

“That’s okay. I don’t, either.”

“So, are you always talking about weird stuff like that?”

“It goes all over. Today, we were discussing the concept of a man cursed by a god.” Technically, that conversation didn’t happen on the rooftop, but it felt the same as the ones that did.

“Uh… is that your idea of fun?”

“Talking about misfortune isn’t supposed to be fun.”

“Oh. Well, okay then.”

Back in Kei’s book, the client turned out to be a beautiful woman. Kei didn’t mind stereotypical introductions, but he at least hoped the client wouldn’t turn out to be the culprit.

Kei and Tomoki’s silence carried until the next song began on the radio. As an acoustic song about rainy days started up, Tonoki remarked, “I find it hard to believe you’d just do the same thing for a month for no reason at all.”

“Well, aren’t you particular. What’s it to you?”

“Whenever your schedule changes drastically, something big is always about to happen.”

“Like what?”

“Like that guy who the police found the other day.”

“The police find criminals every day, it’s their job. You can’t blame that on me.”

“But it was the guy who wrecked Mio’s bike, and you were the one who called it in.”

Mio was Tomoki’s little sister, a fourth-year elementary schooler. She had gotten a brand-new bicycle after spring break, but someone had kicked it over, causing a fair amount of damage to the basket and tire covers.

“Ah, it was just happenstance,” Kei waved it off.

“But you said he gave you the money to repair the bike.”

“Yeah, I talked with him, and we worked it out. Maybe he’s a nicer guy than we thought.” That was Kei’s story, and he was sticking to it. The fact that the guy only paid up so the police would let him off with a warning remained unsaid.

Tomoki, who had been lying down, pulled himself up in a sit-up motion. “Look, you’re a good guy, but the problem is you just do whatever you want without thinking.”

Kei sighed before he could stop himself. “Look, this time is just…” He searched for the best way to state his intention. “It’s nothing dangerous. I’m just chatting with a few girls and getting to know them better.”

“Ha!” Tomoki laughed with great force. “Sounds dangerous enough to me. All the unpopular guys are gonna gang up on you.”

“True, that would pose a problem. Good thing you’ll be there to protect me.”

“You say that like I won’t be in the group with them.”

“But if you bravely step in to save a guy who’s getting bullied, then some girls might fall for you.”

“Ah, I getcha now. I’ll keep that in mind for the first two or three kicks.” He nodded as if reaching a great revelation. “So anyway, why are you meeting up with Souma and Haruki?”

Nakano Tomoki was more persistent than he let on. With another sigh, Kei closed his book. “You have to promise that you’re not going to tell anyone about this.”

Tomoki immediately nodded. “Yup. You have my word.” He wasn’t a liar.

“I’m trying to buddy up with Haruki Misora.” Kei turned his eyes to the cat standing on his desk. It used to be a keychain, and it naturally followed that at one time, it held a single key.

Resets were invaluable to someone like Kei.

✽

Kei’s first experience with a reset was as a sixth-year elementary student during the first summer he spent in Sakurada. Up till then, he had only known the town as a name on train station maps, but since the day of his initial visit he had never left. At first glance, Sakurada was a normal town, but it wasn’t long before he learned of the existence of abilities.

Getting off the train, Kei paid extra fare, as he hadn’t decided his destination when he left. Slipping his wallet into his back pocket, his fingertips came across the keychain holding his house key, and he discovered it was broken. The small cat figurine had snapped off of the larger keychain, and sat limply in his hand with its broken metal fittings. It reminded him of a cicada husk, empty and no longer serving a purpose, waiting to fall to the ground. It was incredibly lonely somehow. Clutching the keychain in his hand, he left the station.

His mother had gifted him the keychain, and he had used it for quite some time, but he wasn’t bothered with the thought of losing it. Just before he was about to throw it away, a voice came from behind him.

“Is that broken?”

Turning around, Kei found a man standing behind him. He looked to be between 20 and 30 years old, and although he was well put together, he didn’t seem to be an office worker. Kei couldn’t guess his profession from looking at him.

“I can fix it for you. I’ve got the perfect ability for it.”

Somehow, despite the strange usage of the word, “ability”, Kei didn’t feel put off. He figured that the man was simply describing some sort of technique or skill. But before he could politely decline the man’s offer, the keychain had been grabbed from his hands, broken fittings and all.

If the man had closed his hand or hidden the keychain, Kei would have concluded that he was performing a cheap stage trick. But the man’s hand remained open, and before Kei’s eyes the keychain was suddenly reformed and fixed. It was like some sort of movie edit. Without any flair or flashing lights, his keychain was immediately repaired.

The man pressed the keychain back into Kei’s palm. “There you go. Make sure you get home before it’s too late.” With a smile, he walked away.

Kei couldn’t make sense of what he had just seen. But of course he couldn’t. Just one experience wouldn’t be enough to help the average person understand the reality behind Sakurada’s mysterious abilities.

Wandering around the town, Kei slowly got used to seeing and accepting abilities. He was forced to acknowledge that no matter how skeptical he might feel, the abilities were simply reality, and once he accepted that, he began to fall in love with Sakurada. It felt like the rules of the world that he had always been forced to recognize were being easily broken, sometimes even shattered to pieces, right before his eyes. It was almost too much for a sixth-year elementary school student to handle. A desire to know and become a part of the city began to overwhelm him, and he spent the next few days within Sakurada.

One of the reasons he also refused to leave was transportation cost. He had no idea how long it might take to get back if he ever left. That knowledge further drove his desire to learn as much about the town as he could.

He knew that there were all manners of adults who could find him and force him to go back home, and so he developed complex schedules and plans to avoid attention wherever possible. During the day, he took multiple small naps, trying to appear as a child who got tired of playing, resting on a park bench. At night, he avoided being seen, sacrificing all sleep.

He made several calls to his home, giving one lie after another for where he was and what he was doing. He knew that if he slacked even once, the police would be capable of finding him very easily. He said whatever he had to as long as it would buy him more time, strategically placing his calls so they would land on the answering machine, since his parents both worked and the house was frequently empty.

It turned out to be more difficult than he expected to gather information on abilities. He tried to find written information, but the best he could locate were pamphlets distributed at outlets of an organization called the Administration Bureau. It was only basic information, such as who to call concerning abilities, promotion of yearly ability checkups, and help wanted ads for more Bureau members. Kei realized that if he really wanted to learn, he’d have to start asking around.

With that in mind, he focused his attention on children. Children loved to talk, really loved to share things they knew that others didn’t, and wouldn’t mind random topic changes during conversation. In between his frequent naps, Kei would find younger children and ask them all kinds of questions about abilities. Even if he was told inaccuracies, by gathering enough individual data he could eventually form a whole conclusion.

One question came first and foremost to him: How could the reality of Sakurada be hidden from the outside? There was no regular method that could possibly hide the information, and residents had no issue showing off and utilizing their abilities in everyday life.

The answer was much easier to find than Kei would have thought. In fact, it was so well known that he was told by a child that had only just entered elementary school.

It turned out that anyone who left the town of Sakurada would forget about abilities. The memory wipe was perfect and clean. If there were contradictions in memory, a new one would be put in to reconcile the difference. Using a library computer, Kei printed a map of Sakurada, drawing a line around the outside of Sakurada to represent the boundary from where someone would lose their memories regarding abilities.

He began with a circle encapsulating the town, but as he gained more information, it turned into more of an ellipse. The boundary lines of abilities seemed to encroach upon specific areas of the town that were less populated, though Kei couldn’t figure out why. Regardless, something about the shape gave off a sense of purpose and design.

It was likely that if Kei were to even toe over the line, he would lose his memories of abilities. He very much wanted to test his hypothesis, but was scared of the implications. If he forgot about abilities, it was likely he would never return to Sakurada.

And so, he found one more reason not to go home.

Four days passed from Kei’s initial visit. He was sitting in a park on a bench with chipped and damaged red paint. He stared at the cat keychain on his open palm, directing his gaze at the house key attached to the end.

Four days. I don’t have much longer.

He was nearing the time limit that a sixth-year elementary student could be allowed to travel outside of home, leaving him with a critical decision. Did he want to return to the town where his parents lived, or did he want to take steps to live within Sakurada?

The one answer he found within himself was, I don’t want to leave.

But Kei had no idea if he could ever get back once he left.

While he had been printing his map of Sakurada, he looked up some information about the town online. The Internet was actually quite full of resources and material about abilities. Personal blogs, forums, and social media were splattered with all kinds of posts regarding the town’s unique capabilities. But none of it ever received any real attention in favor or opposition of what was posted. Perhaps it was all readable anywhere, but some form of brainwashing or amnesia was in effect for those reading it outside of the town.

It seemed that as a rule, no information regarding abilities could be taken outside of the city. Everyone in the city seemed to live in complete acceptance of that rule as natural law, much in the same way as gravity or inertia.

But that rule couldn’t have been in effect for all of time. It had to have been created and artificially maintained. Kei couldn’t help but feel an underlying sense of intent. At the same time, with the way everything came together, the rule had to be true. In order to participate in abilities, he had to stay in Sakurada.

But could he afford to do that?

First and foremost, there were practical problems, like how easily his public phone calls could be traced back to him. But there were also several mental issues he had to work through.

Can I really abandon my entire life up to this point?

For Kei to live in Sakurada, he’d have to give up everything. His parents were only the tip of the iceberg. His friends, his relationships, the world and environment that had been a part of the person he turned into. Could he be forgiven for leaving that behind? It wasn’t even a question of any particular individual. Could anybody truly forgive him for that? Could he forgive himself? Would God be able to forgive him? Given that he hardly acknowledged a presence or belief in a God, he couldn’t be sure.

Kei thought of his parents, but it was like a wall of glass lay between him and them, one that was mostly frosted over and built to be soundproof. He could barely see or hear them. Of course, the only person to blame for that wall was himself.

Kei had never been good at opening up to anybody. But despite that, he could handle adults excellently. Just one glance at his teacher was enough to know exactly what was expected from him. He knew just what to say to sound meek and obedient, calming even the hottest of tempers. He knew just what to do to make someone else feel happy. He had adults and their thought patterns all figured out.

But that was the limit of his expression. He didn’t actually feel anything, he just knew how to make it look like he did. He could solve every problem like a formula, applying the right variable here and the perfect equation there. All that mattered was the other’s reaction, and what he personally wanted played no part.

Had anyone figured that out, he would have no doubt been revealed as the creepy and off-putting child he really was. He was similar to the phenomenon known as the uncanny valley. In robotics, human response to a robot’s appearance had a sharp increase in likability the closer it appeared to being human, to a point. People would prefer a humanoid shape to a box, and facial features over a smooth body. But once a certain level of resemblance was crossed, likability would immediately plummet, creating a depth of likability called the uncanny valley.

Foreign objects with human appearance would eventually be found repulsive. Much in the same way, Kei was like a fake child in the uncanny valley, formed not by his own humanity but in response to the humanity around him. To an outside observer, he would have appeared repulsive once discovered. But there were two people in the world who did know Kei’s true nature: his parents.

For the last several years, it had become clear to Kei that his parents were uncomfortable around him. Despite that, however, they had done their best to show him love. He truly appreciated them for their efforts, and was glad to be their child.

But you only have to force love when you don’t really feel it.

Every forced smile they showed him opened up another hole in his heart. Kei knew better than most how to fake a smile, certainly more than his parents did. And yet when he tried to respond with his own, it was always clear how fake he was, too. So the loop continued on. Kei didn’t know how to get out of it. The more he responded to their efforts, the wider the gap between them became.

Kei knew that he loved them, that much was undeniable. But it wasn’t a deep love, and it certainly wasn’t a strong love. It was an everyday, shallow love that you could find anywhere, the kind that was destined to dry up and fade away without leaving a single trace.

What if Kei kept things as they were, and never returned home? What would happen then?

At first, he was sure they would be sad. If not out of love, then out of a sense of duty. But over time, the sense of duty was all that would be left. When that was gone, then maybe it would all just turn to relief.

I’m a burden to them, at the end of the day. It would be so much easier if I were to go away.

When he reached that final thought, he smirked in reproval. In reality, it was just a convenient, self-approving justification for his own actions.

Don’t sugarcoat it. I need to take this seriously.

If he wanted the truly best course of action, then he had to be more objective. He had to face the reality behind what he was doing, and seriously consider the consequences. So he refocused, trying to truly remember his parents. He pulled in as many details as he could to try and make their case. Everything they said, the things they did, and all the memories they had provided.

That was the moment he realized.

His memory was far too accurate. It was impossibly accurate. He could remember everything that had occurred to a level above and beyond any normal human capability. He remembered the slight wrinkles in the clothes his mother had worn several years ago. He remembered all the newspaper articles his father spread out over the table. The voices of the children from outside their balcony, the spaghetti he ate for lunch, the first time he had ever heard his mother’s voice, the first time he saw his father’s face.

He remembered everything that he had ever experienced in the last 12 years. He could even retrieve memories from a time where he didn’t have a sense of self, if he wanted to. It was all effortlessly available.

It wasn’t until his tears were hitting the ground that Kei realized he was crying. The sudden weight of his entire life upon him had brought him to silent tears. Only in that moment did true understanding dawn on him.

I… I really love Mom and Dad.

He had forgotten somewhere along the way. But just because he had forgotten didn’t mean it was gone. He loved his parents so much. It was strong, mighty, and more special than any other love he knew. And now he finally remembered it.

But the remembrance itself was not what brought him to tears. If he had decided to return to them, he would be smiling. He could turn away from Sakurada easily, truly feeling happy with his whole heart.

He gripped the keychain tightly in his hand, so tightly that his fingers turned white.

He remembered everything. All that had ever brought him happiness, and the pure love that he held within.

Now… I’m gonna let it go.

The tears falling down his cheeks were what he needed to finally cast aside the parents he loved so much.

Four days into his visit to Sakurada, Kei obtained a special ability. Its purpose was to remind him of the true consequences of his actions.

But the tears he cried would dry up soon enough.

Kei spent the next 24 hours in the same way as before, living in Sakurada. He gathered more information about the town while using the experience to confirm and test the limits of his newfound ability. All the while, he weighed his options for how he could make a living.

It was simply impossible for an elementary schooler to get by on his own. He could scrounge for food and shelter well enough, but Kei was in the town for social reasons that he couldn’t provide for by his own means. He was a ticking time bomb for being taken in by the police.

What was more important than anything was finding a partner. He needed an adult, someone who could take care of him and work through all the details he couldn’t. His thoughts constantly cycled through ways he could manage to get assistance. All the while, his cat keychain remained in his hand, his house key dangling off the side. He held it tightly, refusing to even put it away in his pocket.

I still haven’t made a real decision.

Despite his declarations, he had kept the thought that he could return home to his parents tucked away in the back of his mind. He figured that he could get away with wandering around for a little while longer as long as he had a plan in case of a fail state. At least, that was what he had convinced himself of.

Then, on the afternoon of Kei’s fifth day visiting Sakurada, he was walking down the side of the road when a black car stopped directly next to him. It wasn’t a particularly luxurious car, but it appeared highly maintained.

Two men in black suits came out of the car, flanking a woman in a navy blue suit. The men appeared to be in their mid-thirties, while the woman appeared much younger, likely having just breached into her adult years. Before Kei could even think of trying to escape, they had him surrounded.

The woman in her navy blue suit was the first to speak. “You are Asai Kei-kun, are you not?” She spoke in a confident and assertive voice.

“Who are you?” Kei demanded. He racked his brain, but couldn’t form any meaningful conclusions. They didn’t look like police officers, and they didn’t appear equipped enough to be undercover cops searching for a runaway.

“We represent the Administration Bureau,” the woman answered.

The Administration Bureau. Kei recalled them to be the public institution that managed abilities within Sakurada. But everything he had seen pointed to the fact that they were currently understaffed. What business could they have ganging up on a kid?

Kei kept his mouth shut, staring into the woman’s eyes. He didn’t want to give them anything until he had enough information to prove they were actually from the Bureau.

Her face completely blank, the woman continued, “We have matters of great import to discuss with you. Please step into the vehicle.”

With a grin, Kei responded, “That can wait until I know what we’re talking about. Please, do tell.”

“We wish to discuss your life moving forward.”

It all fell into place. Kei suddenly realized– The Administration Bureau, abilities, Sakurada’s design, his current situation– What if it’s all connected?

He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t put it together sooner. He had all the time in the world to consider it just the day before while sitting on that bench. Perhaps he had been too caught up in the moment to really appreciate what was happening on a larger scale.

“How did you know?” Kei asked.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“How did you know I had an ability? Who told you?”

The woman’s gaze shifted, but her steely expression remained unchanged. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

“Is that right? Well then, could you be so kind as to give me your name?”

“I must also keep that in the strictest of confidence.”

“Why?”

“It’s tradition for those that manage information within the Bureau.”

Perhaps it was some sort of security measure to protect the employees, but Kei couldn’t help but think that had its limits of effectiveness. Then again, maybe it really was just tradition. “Well, that can’t be very convenient. What do people usually call you?” Rather than trying to hide his own information, Kei changed tact to try and pull as much as he could out of them.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she replied, “I am known as… The Index.”

Kei nodded, smiling. “Very well, Index-san.² I’ll go with you.” Taking the initiative, Kei headed towards the black car. As soon as his face was hidden from them, he bit his lip.

Why didn’t I just throw away the key?

He still hadn’t made his true choice to stay in Sakurada or not, and someone else making the decision for him would quite frankly be the worst outcome possible.

One man got into the driver’s seat, the other into the passenger, and Kei found himself in the back with The Index. She began chatting as soon as the car was moving.

“The Administration Bureau has come to a decision regarding your case.”

“What’s that?”

“You will be prohibited from leaving Sakurada.”

“Why?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

“I don’t think a public official has the right to do this to a person.”

“Oh, would you like to take it up in court? By all means, please try. You won’t even get past the paperwork phase.”

Kei didn’t know how she could say that so confidently, but she probably wasn’t lying. They wouldn’t be able to control all abilities without at least that level of power. He laid back into the seat. “Whatever, I’m pretty sure I know how this goes. My ability’s causing problems for the safe upkeep of Sakurada. Guess that only makes sense, since I break one of the fundamental rules.”

The Index peered at Kei as if searching for something. Kei confidently continued, hoping he wasn’t wrong for the sake of his pride. “I won’t lose my memory even if I leave Sakurada, will I?”

The rule was that when you stepped outside of Sakurada, you lost your memories about abilities. But on the other hand, Kei could remember anything that happened to him perfectly. The two rules were completely at odds.

For the slightest of moments, The Index frowned, before fixing her face into a neutral state. “How could you know that?”

“Well, it’s the only explanation that makes sense.” That was the only way that the conditional of never leaving Sakurada could have possibly fit together. Sakurada could not allow any information about abilities to leak into the outside world, and if Kei got in the way of that, he would have to be handled appropriately.

The Index smiled, although she didn’t look particularly happy. She looked more stunned than anything. Kei was surprised by the sudden shift of expression, but figured she considered it foolish to stick to a blank expression after the earlier slip.

“Very well. I will admit that you are correct. The Administration Bureau must be absolutely certain that information regarding abilities never makes it outside of the town.”

Kei nodded. “Well, I learned that and one other thing.”

“What would that be?”

“Forgetting about abilities when you leave Sakurada… that’s someone else’s ability, isn’t it? Maybe even someone working for the Bureau?” Kei was at least half certain about his conclusion.

From what Kei could tell, if forgetting about abilities was inherent within the ability itself, then the contradiction with his own ability couldn’t possibly occur. However, Kei had already done some research into what happened when two abilities clashed. In the situation Kei had just posited, someone was using an ability with a wide range of effect to steal others’ memories away. Kei had learned that when two abilities directly contradicted each other, the stronger won out. If Kei’s ability to remember overpowered the ability to forget, then he would retain all his memories, whether he was within Sakurada or not.

Regardless, The Index shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

“Is that right. Too bad.” Kei shrugged. It was as though The Index was choosing her words purely to get on his nerves. He thought about how poor of a mood it had put him in as an attempt to dissociate from the situation.

The Index cleared her throat, pulling out several documents from a metal briefcase beside her. “Moving along, the Bureau would like to establish a contract with you. All that we require is your cooperation. Should you agree to the process, everything can progress in a swift and orderly fashion.”

Kei took the papers from The Index, quickly looking them over. There were several terms to the contract. Kei had to remain in Sakurada for the duration of his life, and could never reveal the details of the contract. In exchange, his comfort and safety would be guaranteed. Additionally–

“The Bureau is willing to compensate you for your past. Rather generously, I might add.”

Kei read through more of the document. It was stipulated just as she said. The offered money was nothing to scoff at. Kei had previously run the calculations for attending college, and he knew the amount would get him through with a significant margin to spare.

“What do you mean by compensating me for my past?”

“All records of your existence outside of Sakurada will be erased.”

What a disturbing notion. “So what, you’re gonna fake my own death? Like a James Bond movie or something?”

“No. Your very existence will be erased. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“How are you gonna do that?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that. I can promise that the methodology is safe, but you will have to take my word on it.”

Kei could hardly be asked to just take her at her word, but he was lacking options at the moment. Not to mention, somebody had to be at work erasing all information about abilities from outside of Sakurada. If they could manage that, then ridding the world of Asai Kei was probably just a drop in the bucket.

After a moment’s hesitation, Kei asked, “My parents are going to forget all about me, aren’t they?”

The Index lowered her eyes, her expression more compassionate than before. She seemed to be a kind person. “They will. I understand this is a difficult de–”

“No, it’s not. It’s perfect, actually.” Hopefully, they could forget without ever feeling the slightest discomfort. That would make things easier on both ends. Kei smiled knowingly. “I’m fine with taking on the contract. Could you give me some time to read it all in detail?”

“But of course.”

“I appreciate it. If it’s not too much to ask, could you park the car, too?” Reading in a moving vehicle made Kei motion sick.

The car stopped at the side of the road, and Kei looked down at the documents in his hands. But the text was the least of his worries. What he really wanted was personal time to work through all his feelings. Now, he was being forced to stay in Sakurada to follow the wishes of the Bureau.

In a sense, it was the perfect outcome. The very situation he had been hoping for came into being right before his eyes. But that didn’t help his emotional turmoil. He found himself sifting through the same thoughts as before.

Why didn’t I just throw away the key?

Kei didn’t want to throw away his past and his parents just because some organization gave him a convenient out. He didn’t need a bunch of adults to give him excuses. The decision he was faced with was more selfish, more shameful than that. He didn’t deserve to be forced to make it by someone else. It was a decision that he alone needed to make.

He closed his eyes and sighed. He had been defeated. That sigh marked the moment where his emotions were worn to the last thread.

It was in that moment that Asai Kei experienced his first reset.

When his eyes opened, Kei was in a park. He was sitting on a red bench with peeling paint, crying all alone.

It was his fourth day in Sakurada.

After remembering his deep love for his parents, he still resolved to leave them behind. Holding the keychain with his house key tightly in his hands, he silently wept. As he escaped into his memories once again, he realized something new.

I have… memories of tomorrow.

An exact sequence appeared before him. Tomorrow, he would meet The Index, get into a car, and go over a contract to erase his past.

Am I… remembering the future?

It didn’t make any sense.

Three possibilities came to mind. One, his newfound ability somehow allowed him to gain memories of the future. Two, somebody had used an ability to manipulate time. Three, the memories he had were fictitious. But none of that mattered in the present moment.

All that Kei could think of was the possibility that he could leave Sakurada with his memories intact. At the very least, it was worth a try. If his future memories were true, he had no reason to force himself into staying in Sakurada.

I can go home to see Mom and Dad, and still come back here later.

In fact, it was only common sense that he should return home. He could come back later, perhaps in high school or college, or whenever he was able to be independent, but at least when he was a bit older.

His tears had already dried. Sitting alone on the bench, Kei smiled.

But y’know, the other option is still really interesting.

Something about tossing aside all he knew and living in this mysterious city carried a great appeal. He wanted to stay as long as he possibly could. Say, for example, that he waited four years, until he was a high schooler. That would have been four years of living in Sakurada wasted somewhere else.

Additionally, the proposition of living on his own and being forgotten by his parents was desirable. He didn’t want to keep living normally while watching a mother and father force themselves to love their child. In all honesty, that wish wasn’t even for their sake. It was for his.

He was driven to recall the conversation he had on the train just four days prior. A certain woman who referred to herself as a Witch had given him a phone call.

You’re looking for the place where you belong.

But if you take just one step inside, you won’t be able to go back.

Sakurada will grab hold of you, and not let go.

She was entirely right. Her prophecy came true after all.

Kei removed his house key from the cat keychain in a swift and orderly fashion. He got up from the bench and headed out of the park at a relaxed pace. Ahead of him was a convenience store with several trash cans lined up in front. Without hesitation, he dropped his house key in the non-flammable trash. Nobody forced him to, and he let go of his past on his own terms. He took on his own shame without any hitches, as it should have been.

If time had not been reversed, he would have been forced into that decision by someone else. Now, as things stood, he had been given the chance to make the decision of his own accord. It filled him with a mixture of sorrow, pain, happiness, and relief. This is what it will take to live in Sakurada, he thought to himself.

He looked down at the keychain in his hand. It had held the key to his former home. It had given him the opportunity to learn about his new ability. But it no longer connected to anything. The cat figure was made of a soft material that would indent when pressed down, and took a while to return to its original shape.

Kei decided that if he ever found something more important to him than the place he had lived for all of his 12 years, he would make sure that cat was connected to it.

✽

Some song about the California coast played on the radio as intermittent static swooshed through. It was an upbeat song with quite stupid lyrics.

Asai Kei, now in his second year of middle school, tore his gaze away from the cat on his desk. Although it had once been repaired by an ability, it was now broken again.

“Why bother getting chummy with Haruki?” Nakano Tomoki asked.

“Because she has an incredibly interesting ability,” Kei answered. He now understood that his first reset carried no special meaning. Even if he had tried to ditch Sakurada once he went back in time, the Bureau would have scooped him up effortlessly. Without at least that much power, they could never manage every ability within Sakurada.

But despite all that, Haruki Misora’s power had undeniably rescued Kei. If the Bureau had forced Kei into staying in Sakurada, that would have become his excuse. He couldn’t have been the bad guy, because after all, he was only here by force. His lack of control would have dictated who he became. It would have consumed him.

Although the real outcome was relieving, at the same time, Kei couldn’t allow it to lessen the proper guilt he needed to feel towards his actions.

The reset. What had saved the elementary schooler Kei entirely by accident. What gave him the chance to shoulder the real cost of his own decisions.

Haruki Misora’s ability was invaluable to someone like Asai Kei.

Footnotes

¹ Golden Week is a collection of holidays all stuffed into one week of late April to early May. Typically, schools and companies are closed and take time off for the entire week, and it makes up the longest vacation period of the year for many Japanese workers. return

² I utilized the honorific here since she was spoken to directly, but in all other cases the title form will take precedence, similarly to The Operator. return