Harry remained standing in the middle of the empty room long after Lilith had left.
The silence around him felt unbearable now.
The pale walls, the lonely mattress on the floor, even the dim evening light leaking through the curtains all felt wrong, like he had been dropped into somebody else's life by mistake. His mind struggled to process everything she had told him.
His mother was dead.
His father abandoned him.
Nobody wanted him.
The words replayed endlessly in his head, each repetition sinking deeper than the last.
Slowly, his legs gave out beneath him.
Harry lowered himself onto the thin mattress and pulled his knees tightly against his chest. At first, he tried holding the tears back, biting down hard enough to make his jaw ache.
The tears came quietly.
as his shoulders trembled in the darkening room. He buried his face against his knees, but the emptiness inside him only grew heavier.
Eventually, exhaustion overtook him.
And somewhere between grief and silence, he fell asleep.
...
When Harry opened his eyes again, the apartment had become dark.
Only a faint yellow glow spilled through the crack beneath his door, soft and warm against the cold shadows of his room. For a moment, he simply stared at it in silence, still half asleep.
Then the smell reached him.
His stomach tightened instantly.
Slowly, Harry pushed himself off the mattress and stepped into the hallway. The apartment was quiet except for the faint clinking of dishes from the kitchen.
When he entered, he found Lilith sitting at the table.
A simple meal had already been prepared. Rice, meat, and soup rested beneath the warm kitchen lights while steam rose gently into the air. Lilith sat motionless in her chair, her small eyes lowered toward her own plate, never once looking in his direction.
Harry quietly sat down across from her and picked up the spoon.
For a while, only the sounds of eating filled the room.
Then, without lifting his gaze, Harry finally spoke.
"What did my mom die from?"
Lilith answered immediately.
"Heart attack."
The words were short, Dry.
Harry tightened his grip around the spoon.
"Why don't I have friends?"
Lilith calmly swallowed another bite before answering.
"You were bullied." Her voice remained emotionless. "And whenever someone tried stepping in to help you, you'd end up talking shit to them too."
Harry slowly looked away.
"You had a habit of saying things people didn't forgive easily," she continued. "If someone defends a kid getting bullied, then that same kid starts insulting their family..." She gave a faint shrug. "Well, you can imagine the outcome."
Harry stayed silent.
Not once since the argument in his room had he managed to properly look her in the eyes.
"You had a hard time making friends," Lilith said quietly. "You had a big tongue."
The kitchen fell silent again.
Rain lightly tapped against the apartment windows while the yellow lights above cast long shadows across the table.
After a while, Harry spoke once more.
"Why did you take me in?"
Lilith paused for the first time that night.
"A promise."
Harry finally glanced at her.
"Hm?"
"A promise I made a long time ago." Her voice grew quieter now, distant somehow. "That I should never look away from someone who needs help."
Harry frowned slightly.
"Who made you promise that?"
Lilith leaned back slightly in her chair.
"A friend." A faint trace of something almost nostalgic passed across her face. "Nothing more. Nothing less."
For the first time, her words carried warmth.
"He had short black hair," she continued softly. "Always saying stupid funny things. He loved making everything more complicated than it had to be." A tiny breath escaped her nose, almost like the ghost of a laugh. "But he was fun to talk to."
Harry listened quietly.
"Just because someone is complicated," Lilith murmured, "doesn't mean everything they say is nonsense."
Despite the softness in her voice, her face barely moved at all.
"Did he die?" Harry asked carefully.
Lilith's expression darkened slightly.
"Worse."
Harry blinked.
"He was killed."
The air in the kitchen suddenly felt colder.
"By who?"
Lilith lowered her eyes toward her plate.
"I don't know."
And just like that, the conversation ended.
Silence returned once more as Lilith finished eating, stood up, and carried the dishes toward the sink. Water began running softly while Harry remained alone at the table, staring down at the untouched remains of his meal.
...
Three days passed.
And every single one felt empty.
Harry spent most of his time wandering through the city alone, riding trains across Hokkaido without any destination in mind. He visited crowded streets, convenience stores, parks, train stations, anywhere filled with people.
He watched strangers laugh together.
Talk together.
Live together.
Meanwhile, he remained separated from all of it like a ghost wandering through someone else's world.
Sometimes he tried forcing himself to remember.
Faces.
Voices.
Anything.
But his memories remained buried beneath an endless fog.
The only time he returned home was to sleep or eat dinner with Lilith. Other than that, he spent his days silently staring at people, aching for some kind of connection he couldn't even remember losing.
One afternoon, while walking through a crowded sidewalk near the station, someone suddenly bumped into him.
Harry stumbled slightly before looking up.
A girl stood before him, taller than he was, with black hair tied into a ponytail that swayed behind her. Thin glasses framed her face while a nurse uniform peeked out beneath her coat. She looked flustered, clearly in a hurry.
"S-Sorry!" she muttered quickly.
Before Harry could even respond she rushed past him and disappeared back into the crowd.
He watched her leave for only a moment.
Something about her face felt strangely familiar.
But the feeling faded quickly.
Harry brushed it off and continued home.
...
That evening, the apartment remained just as quiet as always.
Harry sat across from Lilith at the kitchen table while steam rose from bowls of soup beside grilled fish. Neither of them spoke for several minutes.
Until Lilith suddenly broke the silence.
"You should get yourself ready for school."
Harry blinked slowly, pulled out of his thoughts.
"Huh?" He stared at her blankly. "I still study?"
"Back in your old life, you were a student," Lilith replied calmly. "Obviously you still study."
Harry looked genuinely confused.
"Huh... me?"
Lilith didn't answer.
Harry awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"Okay... I guess." He let out a small breath. "Though this feels kinda rushed."
"Don't worry about that," Lilith said quietly. "You'll get used to it sooner than you think."
Later that night, Harry entered his room and immediately noticed something resting neatly on top of his mattress.
A school uniform.
Brown pants.
A matching brown jacket.
And a blue tie folded carefully beside them.
Harry stared at the clothes silently for a few seconds before moving them aside without a word.
Then he laid down on the mattress, turned toward the wall, and closed his eyes.
Outside the apartment window, the distant city lights continued glowing through the cold night while sleep slowly pulled him back into darkness once again.
Morning arrived beneath a gray sky.
Cold sunlight filtered weakly through the apartment windows, covering the white walls in pale light while the distant sound of traffic echoed far below the building. Harry stood alone inside his room, half dressed in his new school uniform, silently fixing the collar in front of the mirror attached to his closet door.
The brown uniform fit him surprisingly well.
The blue tie rested neatly against his chest while the soft fabric still carried the fresh scent of newly bought clothes. Harry stared at his reflection quietly.
His red hair immediately stood out beneath the dim morning light.
Bright.
Unnatural.
And his eyes were even stranger.
Deep crimson, sharp as gemstones, almost glowing whenever the light touched them a certain way.
Harry narrowed his eyes slightly at himself.
How was any of this normal?
He wondered if people thought he dyed his hair or wore colored lenses. Honestly, he probably would have assumed the same thing if he saw someone like himself walking down the street.
Yet when he touched his hair again, he already knew.
It was natural.
The color was real.
Just like his eyes.
The realization felt strange, but he chose not to dwell on it for too long. Thinking too deeply about himself lately only left him with headaches and empty frustration.
So instead, Harry grabbed his bag and stepped out of the room.
...
The trip to the station was quiet.
Lilith walked beside him at her usual slow pace while the cold morning air brushed against the streets of Utashinai. People in uniforms and business suits crowded the sidewalks around them, moving with tired expressions as another normal day began.
Harry still felt disconnected from all of it.
Like he was watching someone else's life from the outside.
Eventually, they boarded the train.
The soft hum of the moving rails filled the silence while Harry sat beside the window, absentmindedly staring outside. Buildings, lights, and passing streets should have been rushing past the glass.
But instead, there was only blackness.
Harry blinked.
The windows reflected nothing.
No city.
No sky.
No movement.
Just endless darkness stretching beyond the train as though the world itself had disappeared.
His stomach tightened instantly.
Slowly, Harry turned his head toward Lilith.
She was gone.
The seat beside him sat empty.
Confused, Harry quickly looked around the train.
Nobody.
Every seat was vacant.
The entire train had become silent.
Too silent.
Then a voice echoed softly behind him.
"Harry."
Harry nearly jumped out of his seat.
"W-What!?"
The voice felt distant yet painfully close at the same time, slipping directly into his mind like a whisper through fog.
"Find me..."
Harry's breathing grew uneven.
"W... what?"
"I'm here."
The words sent a chill crawling down his spine.
Harry immediately shut his eyes as tightly as he could, gripping the edge of his seat hard enough to make his fingers hurt. His heart pounded violently in his chest while panic slowly crept into his breathing.
Then, after a few seconds, he forced himself to open his eyes again.
The train was normal.
People filled the seats once more.
The city rushed outside the windows exactly as it should.
And Lilith sat beside him, staring at him with the same cold, unreadable expression she always carried.
"We're here," she said calmly. "Let's get out."
Harry stared at her for a second, still shaken.
Then he quietly stood up and followed her off the train.
Cold air hit his face the moment the doors opened.
As he stepped onto the station platform, Harry let out a slow breath and tried convincing himself that it had only been inside his head.
Just another strange moment caused by stress.
Nothing more.
Yet even as he walked beside Lilith through the crowded station, the voice still lingered faintly in the back of his mind.
Find me.
The school building towered over the streets of Utashinai like a polished monument of glass and stone. Morning sunlight reflected across its massive windows while crowds of students filled the entrance gates with endless noise and movement.
Harry followed Lilith through the hallways in silence.
The sharp sounds of shoes against polished floors echoed around them while students whispered quietly the moment they noticed his crimson eyes and unnatural red hair. Harry could feel their stares crawling over him from every direction, but he ignored them.
Eventually, Lilith stopped in front of a large wooden door marked PRINCIPAL.
"You'll wait outside for a second," she said calmly before stepping inside.
Harry leaned quietly against the wall while muffled voices carried through the door. A few students passing by glanced at him curiously before quickly looking away.
Then the door opened.
"Come in."
Harry stepped into the office.
Warm sunlight spilled through large windows behind the desk, lighting shelves filled with books and framed certificates. Sitting behind the polished wooden desk was a thin man with slicked-back black hair and a narrow beard shaped almost like a goat's beard. Small round glasses rested neatly over his sharp eyes.
The man smiled politely.
"Hello, kid. My name is Kael Veyron," he introduced himself smoothly. "The principal, as you can clearly see."
Harry stared silently.
Kael awkwardly cleared his throat before continuing.
"I'd like you to take a small tour around the school first. It may help you settle in."
At that exact moment, the office door opened again.
A girl stepped inside.
She wore the same brown uniform as the other students, though her blue tie sat perfectly straight against her chest. Her dark blue hair flowed all the way down her back, smooth as silk beneath the sunlight pouring through the room. The short skirt of her uniform swayed lightly as she walked.
She was roughly the same height as Harry.
Kael smiled immediately.
"Perfect timing." He gestured toward her proudly. "Allow me to introduce our top student in the entire high school. Her name is Lyrielle Ashwyn."
The girl turned toward the principal politely.
"Hello, Mr. Principal. You asked me to come?"
"Ah, yes." Kael nodded quickly. "Would you mind showing Harry around the school?"
Lyrielle looked toward Harry and offered a gentle smile.
"Sure." Her voice carried warmth naturally. "So you're Harry. Nice to meet you."
Harry said nothing.
Without even acknowledging her properly, he simply stood up and walked straight out of the office.
The room instantly fell silent.
Kael blinked awkwardly.
Lyrielle stared at the open door for half a second before hurriedly running after him.
"W-Wait!" she called out, catching up quickly. "You're supposed to walk beside me! It's literally my job to show you around the school!"
"I know," Harry answered flatly without slowing down.
Lyrielle puffed her cheeks slightly in frustration.
"You know, when someone says nice to meet you, you're supposed to say it back."
Harry finally glanced toward her.
"Nice to meet you as well."
"Okay, good." She let out a relieved sigh. "Now walk beside me properly."
"I don't know about that," Harry muttered.
Lyrielle frowned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Harry looked at her carefully for a moment.
"Do you know me personally?"
"Huh?!"
"Have we met before?"
Lyrielle blinked several times, visibly confused.
"No?" She tilted her head slightly. "I don't remember meeting you before."
Harry looked forward again.
"You know I lost my memory, right?"
Lyrielle's expression softened instantly.
"…Yeah. I was informed." Her voice became quieter. "Sorry to hear that."
Harry didn't answer.
Instead, he casually started opening random classroom doors as he walked through the hallways.
Lyrielle nearly panicked.
"YOU CAN'T JUST WALK AROUND HERE BY YOURSELF!"
Meanwhile, back inside the office, Kael let out a long sigh while adjusting his glasses.
"You think he'll manage to make new friends?"
Lilith silently stood from her chair.
Kael gave an awkward laugh.
"Ugh... I see neither of you are very talkative."
"Sorry," Lilith replied calmly. "But I'm in a hurry. Harry can return home by himself."
Kael quickly straightened up.
"S-Sorry, but before you leave..." He hesitated briefly. "I need to ask something."
Lilith stopped near the door.
"What would that be?"
Kael's fingers tightened slightly together.
"Did..." He swallowed nervously. "Did Harry try to kill himself?"
The room grew still.
Lilith remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
"I don't know." Her tone revealed nothing. "And neither does he."
Kael quietly lowered his eyes.
"But I'll make sure," Lilith continued coldly, "that he doesn't cause further damage to himself... or to others."
Kael shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Y-Yes... about that." He hesitated again. "Harry wasn't alone on that bridge."
Lilith's eyes narrowed slightly.
"How do you know?"
Kael immediately looked uneasy.
"Sorry for barging into personal matters," he said carefully, "but was the person with him someone from this school?"
Lilith looked at him silently.
Then she turned toward the exit.
"I don't know." Her voice remained calm. "Sorry for ending this conversation early, but I'm in a hurry."
"Oh. Right." Kael forced a smile. "Of course. You may go."
Lilith quietly left the office.
As she stepped outside the school entrance, sunlight washed across the courtyard in soft golden waves. Her eyes drifted toward the distance where Harry and Lyrielle were still arguing while walking through campus.
Lilith recognized the girl immediately.
Student council.
A faint smile appeared across her wrinkled face.
Then she simply turned and disappeared into the crowd beneath the morning light.
...
"STOP OPENING RANDOM DOORS!"
Lyrielle's voice echoed through the hallways while Harry ignored her completely.
Every time she tried explaining where they were supposed to go, he wandered somewhere else instead. Students passing by could only stare awkwardly while Lyrielle desperately tried dragging him back on track.
After what felt like hours, the tour finally ended near the front gates.
Kael and Lyrielle stood together saying goodbye to Harry. The way the principal spoke to her felt unusually close, almost fatherly at times, though the two looked nothing alike.
Lyrielle was stunning.
Graceful.
Elegant even in a school uniform.
Meanwhile Kael looked like a sleep-deprived office worker surviving purely on coffee and paperwork.
The contrast was impossible to ignore.
Eventually, Harry left the school grounds alone.
The streets outside buzzed quietly with traffic and distant conversations while cold wind drifted through the city. As he walked toward home, something suddenly caught his attention.
A black luxury car had stopped near the school entrance.
The rear door opened.
And a massive man stepped out first.
Harry's eyes widened slightly.
The man looked almost seven feet tall, his broad shoulders hidden beneath an expensive black suit. Dress shoes clicked sharply against the pavement while a small earpiece rested beside his ear. Dark sunglasses concealed his eyes completely.
A bodyguard.
Definitely one.
The giant man respectfully extended his hand toward the inside of the car.
Soft feminine fingers slowly reached out and took it.
Then she appeared.
A girl stepped out gracefully beneath the sunlight.
Beautiful white hair flowed down her shoulders, fading into soft gray near the ends like winter smoke. Her eyelashes were white as snow, making her pale blue uniform stand out even more vividly.
And her face...
Harry froze.
Heat instantly rushed to his cheeks.
She was beautiful enough to leave him speechless.
The girl calmly walked past him alongside the towering bodyguard, completely unaware of the effect she had just caused.
But then Harry caught something.
A scent.
Soft.
Familiar.
The moment it reached him, his heartbeat stumbled violently.
His body reacted before his thoughts could.
He knew that smell.
No.
More than that.
He knew her.
The certainty hit him so hard it almost hurt.
Harry slowly turned his head, staring at the girl as she disappeared toward the school entrance.
And for the first time since losing his memories, something inside him felt absolutely certain.