After a long and tense journey caused by Zata's sudden appearance, Arou and Airi finally arrived in front of the sword shop they had been looking for.
The old wooden building stood quietly at the corner of the street, its signboard hanging slightly crooked.
Airi quickened her steps.
"Finally. I hope they have something that suits me."
But as she approached the door, she stopped.
It was firmly shut.
An iron lock hung clearly on the door.
Airi reached for the handle.
She pulled gently.
It didn't move.
She leaned closer, peering through the glass.
No light.
No one inside.
Complete silence.
"…Closed," Airi murmured.
She lowered her gaze, unable to hide the disappointment on her face.
Arou stepped closer and glanced at a small sign hanging beside the handle.
"Closed for two days. The owner is out of town," he read.
Airi stood still for a moment.
Her hand clenched lightly in front of her skirt.
"I was hoping to get a spare sword today."
She looked at her old blade—the one Zata had just returned.
It looked intact, but she still wanted a backup.
Arou glanced at her.
"We can come back tomorrow or the day after. There's no need to rush."
Airi nodded slowly.
"Yeah… I understand."
They were about to turn away when something caught Arou's attention.
He looked toward the side of the building.
There were small marks on the ground.
Not human footprints.
Their shape was strange. Uneven.
Arou crouched slightly to get a closer look.
"…These tracks again," he muttered.
Airi followed his gaze.
"…The same ones you saw near where Akari had her accident."
Arou nodded.
---
They walked away from the closed shop at an unhurried pace.
The morning street was calm, filled with distant sounds of passing vehicles.
Airi tried to lighten the mood.
"If the shop's closed, we can take a walk first. Maybe we'll find something interesting."
Arou nodded.
But for a brief moment, his steps slowed.
Something strange flickered through his mind.
Like a fragment of a voice.
Or a word that wasn't complete.
He couldn't quite grasp it.
Airi looked at him.
"Arou… what's wrong?"
He shook his head.
"Just… something that crossed my mind. I can't make sense of it."
Airi frowned slightly.
"If it's bothering you, maybe we should rest for a bit."
Arou didn't object.
He didn't want her to worry.
They continued walking until they found a small café by the roadside.
The place was simple, filled with the aroma of fresh coffee and baked bread.
---
Inside the Café
They chose a table near the window.
A waiter came over and took their orders.
"I'll have a cappuccino," Arou said calmly.
"A taro latte for me," Airi added with a faint smile.
The waiter left, leaving them in a warm, quiet atmosphere.
Arou looked at Airi across the table.
She seemed more relaxed now.
The morning light from the window softened her expression.
Airi spoke first.
"You're still thinking about earlier. That voice in your head."
"A little," Arou replied.
"It feels like something is trying to warn me… but it's too vague to understand."
Airi watched him carefully.
"Maybe it's just the aftermath of meeting Zata. Pressure like that can linger in your mind."
Arou lowered his gaze for a moment, processing her words.
When he looked up again, Airi was smiling softly.
It was a simple smile.
But genuine.
And in that moment, something resurfaced in his memory.
The Airi from before.
The one who looked at others with cold eyes.
The one who kept her distance.
The one who rarely smiled.
And now, she sat in front of him.
Warmer.
Softer.
A change he hadn't fully realized until now.
Arou glanced at the cappuccino that had just been placed in front of him.
Steam rose gently from the cup.
"A lot has changed," he murmured.
Airi tilted her head.
"You're thinking about something."
Arou gave a faint smile.
"Just… remembering the past. Nothing more."
Airi seemed confused, but didn't push further.
She simply nodded and took a sip of her drink.
---
The café remained quiet.
But the calm felt like a brief pause before something else began to unfold.
And Arou could still feel that faint whisper…
as if it were waiting for the right moment to return.
---
Arou stared at Airi for a long moment.
The warmth of the café did nothing to ease the strange feeling rising in his mind.
The scent of coffee and the distant sounds of staff faded into the background.
"Airi… wait," he said quietly.
"Didn't you say your family… died from drowning?"
Airi blinked in confusion.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Arou?"
Arou leaned forward slightly, his gaze serious.
"You told me… your family died when you were four.
Then you met Nora. And later me… Emi, Nova, Shion, Rei… and Feeth.
Do you remember?"
Airi frowned deeply.
"Nova? Emi? Shion? Aren't those your friends?
As for Rei, Feeth, Nora… I've never heard those names."
She shook her head.
"You must be mistaken. I never said that.
I only met you a week ago. How could I have told you something like that?"
Arou lowered his gaze, his breathing slightly heavier.
That strange feeling grew stronger.
Something in his memory didn't belong.
Something that felt real—
but wasn't his.
Airi exhaled softly, still confused.
"You look really serious… like you've seen something you can't explain."
Arou looked down at his cappuccino.
"I don't know… it feels like there's a memory that isn't mine.
Or… a memory that's been altered."
Airi leaned closer, meeting his eyes.
"You need to calm down. I honestly don't know anything about that.
I never told you my family died. And I don't know those people."
Arou looked at her for a long time.
The girl in front of him—
the one who smiled warmly—
now felt strangely unfamiliar.
Like someone he knew… but couldn't fully remember.
Silence settled between them.
The café was warm.
But inside Arou's mind, fragments and contradictions kept clashing.
A crack in his memory—
one he knew he had to understand.