《The Memory Store at Kurama 2nd District》 CH 1 Chapter 1 | A Highschool Girl and an Unfamiliar Alley Support the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Novels! ¡°Have a good day.¡± As I bowed deeply towards the space the last customer was standing in just a moment ago, a faint sweet scent grazed my nose. I then looked up and saw the same unchanging guest room. Once I confirmed the job was done, I stretched my whole body. ¡°Shiro-sama, thank you for your hard work.¡± I was tapped lightly on the head, so I glanced back. Momose-san, who had already wiped off his business smile, was holding a teacup with one hand. The part of my body that was touched, by those fingertips that were so beautiful you wouldn¡¯t think belonged to a man, gradually turned warmer. ¡°Momose-san too, thank you for the hard work.¡± My wide-eyed gaze was transfixed as I watched Momose¡¯s eyelashes flutter in front of me. He left the cup and then moved his thin lips to speak. ¡°In any case¡­ The fact that we are able to meet again¡­ Shiro-sama is the first person, you know?¡± ¡®The first.¡¯ The fact that I was such a simple person, as to be happy just from hearing that word said in such a calm tone, was embarrassing. ¡°Why do you think that is?¡± When I asked that deceitful question, Momose, who usually kept his guard up and showed no slip-ups, uncharacteristically opened his eyes and mouth wide. His astonished expression was completely new to me. I opened my mouth to answer the question. ¡°Momose-san said so himself. If one doesn¡¯t wish to meet, then it¡¯s impossible to meet. That¡¯s all there is.¡± I playfully said as I stood up. It seemed those words were enough to break through his mask, and a troubled frown was drawn across his beautiful face. ¡°Well, I better get going! Thank you for the tea!¡± I said. I straightened my knees and bowed thankfully to Momose. ¡°Eh, ahh, please be careful on your way home.¡± he said ¡°Yes!¡± I replied. I opened the sliding door against the backdrop of the setting sun shining into the store. As the outside turned dark, there wasn¡¯t a light source that could be found illuminating the inside of the store any longer. This mysterious life which I¡¯ve grown accustomed to, started not so long ago. It seems a back alley is not necessarily always a dark place. While I was amazed by my discovery, I was also thinking about how to punish myself for what I did just a moment ago. I had realized that the correct answer was to follow the school rules, which strictly prohibit detours, and go home quietly. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten lost in the town I¡¯ve lived in for the last sixteen years. ¡°What should I do¡­¡± The faint echo of my voice was immediately sucked into the concrete wall. I had never left Kuramacho town since the day I was born. I loved this town as though I was a living part of it, and so I always went back home traversing through the shopping district. Since I was running later than usual today, most stores had their shutters down. The sun was setting, and dim streetlights were illuminating the shopping street. When I passed in front of the long-established movie theater ¡°Makiki Kinemaki¡±, I found a road I had never seen. This was my mistake. ¡°Was there such a road before?¡± I fearfully took a peek, but it was so dark I couldn¡¯t see the end of the road. The mysterious atmosphere stimulated my curiosity, and I proceeded to walk into the alley. It was just so dark. Just as I stretched my hand forward and advanced slowly, a dazzling light flashed into my eyes. When I reacted and turned my gaze down, I noticed that the white part of my school sailor outfit had turned orange. It was the dead of night moments ago, but somehow, the sunset was currently illuminating the concrete walls and I. Since the walls had no shadow, it seemed the light was coming directly from above. However, even if I looked up, I couldn¡¯t see anything that looked like the sun. Instead, a structure that seemed like a red sky was spreading before me. There was no way I was going back now, so I continued walking, when crows cawed loudly and passed overhead. ¡°So there are crows here¡­¡± At least I felt a little reassured that I was not the only living being in this alley. Just as I quickened my pace, the concrete walls turned into wooden ones, and I immediately stopped, as if my feet had become cobblestones. Soon after, the view finally became clear. Even though I¡¯d gone to a place that seemed vacant, there stood a small house. On top of the big sliding door of the house, the place¡¯s name was written on a sign that looked like it would come off at any moment. ¡°Memory store? Kurohane? Kurou? An¡­?¡± Even though it must have been a long time since I had set foot in the alley, the sun still seemed to be directly shining from above. I knocked on the door and called out. ¡°Excuse me, is someone here?¡± My voice might have been shaking a little. The area was so quiet, and the sunset seemed to be absorbing my voice. I waited for a while, but there was no reply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ please excuse me,¡± I said as I entered. The interior was one of a very old shop. Pretty bottles were lined up left and right on the shelves, reminiscent of the candy store that my grandfather took me to when I was little. ¡°Haruomi, there¡¯s a customer.¡± As I looked around the room, I suddenly heard a childish voice from the back of the store. ¡°Oh, a customer? How rare.¡± A low voice responded, just as I heard some footsteps that followed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡± I hurriedly turned to the owner of the voice, and my whole body turned to stone. CH 2 Chapter 2 | Kurouan, the Memory Store Support the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Novels! ¡°Welcome to Kurouan, the memory store. My name is Momose.¡± Said the young man, who handed me his business card. He had a neat face and wore a dark blue casual kimono with something like a thin haori coat. ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Those things alone were of course eye-catching, but the most unusual thing was the crow perched on his shoulder. Apparently, that man was called Momose. While I was receiving his business card, my line of sight was completely focused on the crow. ¡°Hello, young lady from before.¡± ¡°Eh? Wow!¡± The crow¡­ spoke. It opened its beak and raised its right hand. Or, well, in this case, its right wing. ¡°I¡¯m Katatamaru. Don¡¯t be so surprised.¡± It would be impossible not to be surprised! Katatamaru spread his wings and jumped on my shoulder. His heavy weight, warmth, and breathing all indicated that he was alive. ¡°What is your name, miss?¡± ¡°Ah, uh, it¡¯s Mashiro. I¡¯m Touko Mashiro. ¡± I still didn¡¯t know what kind of person the guy was, but I had reflexively answered his question. I hurriedly bowed my head respectfully to Momose-san. After thinking for a bit, he replied. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call you Shiro-sama.¡± Though ¡°Shiro¡± seemed like the name of a pet, so wasn¡¯t it a bit rude? ¡°Thank you for coming today. Now, can you tell us your memories?¡± ¡°Memory¡­¡­?¡± When I heard that word, my parents immediately came to mind. ¡°Yes, this is a place to deal with memories.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m not a customer. I just want to know the way back. I got lost trying to take a shortcut ¡­¡± I was feeling more and more pathetic as I explained, with an added lie, the fact that even as a high school student, I got lost. At the end, my voice seemed to almost disappear. ¡°Well, well¡­¡­¡± Momose-san put his hand on his chin and laughed while staring at me. Rather than a laughter that came from his mouth, his laughing seemed more like a strange repetitive cramping of his throat. ¡°And so, I just want to know the way back home ¡­¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry.¡± He approached my face without hesitation and drew a purposeful smile across his face. The crow on his shoulder had its beak pointing directly at me. ¡°No, I can¡¯t stay. My grandfather will be worried if I don¡¯t get home soon.¡± ¡°You live with your grandfather? What about your parents?¡± Perhaps Momose-san noticed the discomfort on my face, since he tilted his head slightly. ¡°Are there any circumstances you can¡¯t talk about? Like, for example, you lost your parents in an airplane accident.¡± A cold sensation ran through my spine. It was the first time I felt it so clearly, that in that moment, I got goosebumps. My parents, who repeatedly had business trips and mostly lived in America, had passed away. The plane which they had boarded in order to come to my middle school entrance ceremony, was in an accident. It happened a few years ago. How can this person, who I¡¯ve only met for the first time, know that? ¡°I¡¯m going home¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t know the way home, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Momose-san, who tilted his head down for a moment, lifted the corner of his mouth and opened it. It was a shady smile. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s also your choice.¡± I backed away little by little. His never-changing expression didn¡¯t fade. The beautiful west sun repainted his thin figure with a vermilion pigment. ¡°Oh, by the way. Next time, bring a memory-item of you and your parents, please.¡± Though I was afraid to turn my back, I opened the sliding door behind me. I turned around and started running away without looking back. It surprised me how the area had become so dark, and as I kept running, I could feel a gritty sensation on the soles of my feet. A few street lights illuminated the silhouettes of the cars. I also remembered the gravel at my feet. And when I had enough conviction to turn around, Kurouan wasn¡¯t there. My grandfather scolded me for being late last night. When I told him there was an alley, he became angrier, as he insisted there was nothing there. Even the next morning, my feelings remained hazy. ¡°Look, Touko, it¡¯s right here, isn¡¯t it?¡± My grandfather showed me a photograph after I finished eating breakfast. It was an old photo taken in front of Makiki Kinemaki. ¡°It must be a lie¡­¡± There really was no alley there. There was only a block wall between the stores. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m going out for a while!¡± I got ready in a hurry, and my grandfather eyed me suspiciously, but I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Next time, bring a memory-item of you and your parents, please.¡± Momose-san¡¯s words crossed my mind, and I grabbed the teddy bear on top of a shoebox. With that, I left the house. It was a lie. The photo must have been a lie. I ran through the shopping street, crowded with people, and reached the same place as I had been at yesterday. As I adjusted my heavy breathing and looked in front of me, I confirmed that the alley certainly existed. It would be better to stop. Even if I were to enter, I would only meet the same person from yesterday. In the end, I forcibly silenced the voice inside my head. After looking at my surroundings for a bit, I set foot in the store once more. CH 3 Chapter 3 | The Feeling I Want to Know Support the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Novels! The morning sky mirrored the evening sky from the night before. The store was still there. Inside, Momose-san waiting for me with the same shady look from yesterday. When he saw the teddy bear in my hands, a smile appeared on his face. I made my way through the guest room, and sat after being prompted by Momose-san, who dipped his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the other day. Please feel free to say only what you¡¯re comfortable with and allow me to dispel any of Shiro-sama¡¯s regrets.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± ¡°Because, if you truly did not want to meet me, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I trusted him, but for some reason, my mouth started moving. The feelings I hadn¡¯t been able to share with anyone up until now, overflowed like a broken dam. ¡°¡ªWhy did my parents leave me to my grandpa? Was I a burden for the two of them as they worked abroad?¡± ¡°Shiro-sama¡­ Would you like to see your deceased parents again?¡± Asked Momose, who had been listening to me, in a raised voice, resounding from his throat. Too many things had been happening at once that I was still trying to digest. A ¡°memory store¡± located in an alley invisible to other people, perpetually covered by dusk, and surrounded by talking crows; that alone could give someone a mental breakdown. However, this was the one thing I understood clearly. I hugged the teddy bear on my lap tightly. ¡°Even if I could meet my parents, they wouldn¡¯t want to see me.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t Shiro-sama treasure her parents greatly?¡± I frowned at Momose-san¡¯s irrelevant question. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Even if I closed my eyes and desperately tried to remember, I couldn¡¯t picture the faces of my parents. I only recognized their faces when I saw them in photos. I could only recall watching them as they turned their backs on me and drifted further and further away. I¡¯d possibly been abandoned by my parents. Wasn¡¯t I forced upon my grandfather to be taken care of? Confirming that to be the truth would be too scary. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how your parents feel, because they¡¯re dead. But you¡¯re alive. Just your feelings are enough. If you ever want to see your parents on a whim, I will help you with that.¡± ¡°Can you really do that?¡± ¡°Yes, this is the memory store. I will exchange your real memories with Shiro-sama¡¯s memory items.¡± I remained unable to respond as Momose-san continued. ¡°It was fate that we met here. Other people weren¡¯t able to see it, right?¡± The very existence of this person may be a profound mystery of some kind. It had only been two days, but before I noticed, he had already wormed his way into my daily routine. ¡°Destiny¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Kurouan exists for the sole reason that Shiro-sama desired it.¡± The appearance of Momose-san¡¯s throat moving up and down, making a peculiar sound, was terribly eerie. ¡°But I¡¯m scared.¡± I¡¯d always run away like this. I didn¡¯t want to feel any pain or sadness if I could help it. So, until this point, I treated the very existence of my parents itself as if it just was a fault of mine, a defect. However, I couldn¡¯t escape from it forever. ¡°¡­I want to meet them. My mom and dad¡­¡± When Momose-san heard my words, he took off the haori he had been wearing, then put on a flashier haori with white feather embroidered on the sleeves. The crow, Katatamaru, held out a fox mask to Momose-san with his beak. ¡°Do you use that mask for your work?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my formal attire. Actually, it looks a little bit like Shiro-sama.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have bad eyesight1!¡± ¡°No, I think it¡¯s adorable. I like women with slant eyes.¡± ¡°That¡­!¡± Momose-san once again made a laughter-like sound that emitted from his throat. After that, he put on a serious face, and muttered a few words. ¡°Then, let me start by asking a few questions, okay?¡± Momose-san spoke to me, choosing words that were easy to understand. I didn¡¯t really understand the process in detail, but it seemed my teddy bear wouldn¡¯t be returned because it would be exchanged for the memory. ¡°¡­Does Shiro-sama have a grudge against her parents?¡± asked Momose, looking timid, after I presented him with the stuffed animal. ¡°I don¡¯t have a grudge, but I don¡¯t think I was loved.¡± ¡°Shiro-sama was lonely, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Momose-san picked up the teddy bear and stroked its head. Even though I wasn¡¯t the one being caressed, I couldn¡¯t help but avert my gaze in embarrassment, pretending to look around awkwardly. Katatamaru¡¯s visage then got entwined within my line of sight. ¡°Then, young lady. Let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Ah¡ª yes, please.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what was about to start, but regardless, I gave Katatamaru a small bow. Momose held the teddy bear with both hands and presented it to Katatamaru. ¡°I present to you the memories of Shiro-sama.¡± ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± I was stunned for a moment. Support the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Scan Novels~ Translator¡¯s Notes: CH 4 Chapter 4 | A Fragrant Feeling and Disappearing Smile Support the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Novels! Katatamaru opened his mouth and swallowed the teddy bear that was larger than his body. It could be more accurate to say; the beak grew and wrapped itself around the teddy bear. For a moment, the top of his neck was strangely distorted, and the next, it was back to normal. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I¡¯d certainly heard it couldn¡¯t be returned. But with that alone, who would have imagined the memory item would be eaten like this? The crow flapped its wings and started circling around just below the ceiling. Then Momose-san stood up, and when he extended his hands, a small bottle from who-knows-where materialized in his hands. It was like watching a movie or something. I couldn¡¯t quite process it in my head. It felt like I was being surrounded by fog, looking into someone else¡¯s dream. Katatamaru perched atop Momose-san¡¯s shoulder and exhaled. With his small eyes, he blinked again and again, rapidly. ¡°Shiro-sama, please have this¡± ¡°This is¡­?¡± The small bottle handed over to me looked the same as the ones lined up at the entrance of the store, although it differed in size and color. There was a bit of liquid inside. ¡°It¡¯s a fragrance. You can meet your parents by smelling this scent.¡± ¡°It looks beautiful¡­¡± The bottle gleamed a bright orange and scattered light in all directions. The color seemed to change slightly depending on the angle it was viewed. ¡°Come now, please use it.¡± I could see that Momose-san¡¯s expression at the moment looked different from before. I felt that the mask he¡¯d put on had finally come off. ¡°If you use it, you will awaken from this dream. Shiro-sama and I will part. You will forget about me, and Shiro-sama will continue to live normally from tomorrow on.¡± ¡°A¡­ farewell?¡± ¡°Yes. It will be lonely. But this is goodbye.¡± Katatamaru said quietly, sticking out his thin beak. Momose squinted, annoyed, avoiding the feathers that were hitting his face while Katatamaru moved. ¡°Please rest assured. I will remember Shiro-sama, even if Shiro-sama forgets us.¡± I knew, by saying that, he was taking care of me, but it made my heart even heavier. Why did encounters and farewells come hand in hand? Couldn¡¯t we just meet and keep meeting after that? ¡°The encounter shines because there is a farewell. It¡¯s a beautiful thing, I think. I believe knowing that someday we will part make us cherish the limited time we have with another person that much more. If there was such a thing as eternity, I wonder if humans would even be able to love at all? For this reason, please don¡¯t be so sad.¡° ¡°Bu-¡­But¡­¡± Momose continued to speak gently. ¡°It has been a rarity to encounter someone who hates the idea of bidding farewell. Most people forget about our existence right after experiencing the joy of being able to see the deceased again, but¡­ Shiro-sama is kind. However, this is also a rule. The effect of fragrance does not last that long. ¡± ¡°¡­I wonder if my parents even want to see me¡­¡± My voice involuntarily became tear-chocked. From here on out there will be an encounter, and then a farewell. Why does my heart ache so much when it¡¯s only been two days? ¡°I¡¯ve decided that they want to meet you. I think so. I have a good intuition.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. Thank you, Momose-san and Katatamaru.¡± I realized I couldn¡¯t keep throwing a tantrum by quibbling like this. So I clenched my teeth, swallowed my words, and gave them a bow. Farewell is certainly lonely. The most regretful thing was how I would forget all about the man and the bird I met here. Momose-san¡¯s unique laughter, and the gentlemanliness of Katatamaru¡­ all would disappear from my memory. I pretended then, to be unaware of these foreign feelings and opened the bottle I had just received. The nostalgic smell tickled the nostrils, and the world seemed to grow distant. The sunset, which I should have grown accustomed to by now, shone even brighter. In front of me was a view so magnificent it made me question whether I hadn¡¯t died myself. I even had a passing thought that the expression, the word ¡°beauty¡± itself was a hackneyed term, devoid of meaning. On the earth was an endless field of flowers. Even if I were to gather all the flowers I¡¯d seen throughout my life in one place, they still wouldn¡¯t be enough to make up this flower field. ¡°What a nice scent¡­¡± I crouched and sniffed the blossoms. They smelled gentle and warm. I wondered if my parents were around here somewhere. It was strange to be in a dream. After walking for a while, I suddenly wondered what I was doing here. In a state of confusion, I straightened up, not knowing how I got there and for what purpose. It was when I crouched down with my head in my arms that¡­ ¡°Is this Touko?¡± I lifted a face full of terror toward a man¡¯s voice I¡¯d only heard very long ago. Before I was even aware of who the other person was, my vision gradually blurred and swayed. ¡°Ah¡­aah¡­¡± I stood up, attempting to raise a voice that wouldn¡¯t come out. A man and a woman who were similar in height with myself stood right in front of me. CH 5 Chapter 5 | Puzzle of the Heart Support the original translation team by reading on Chaotic Frog Novels! When I was little, even if I tried to peer up until my neck hurt, I still couldn¡¯t see their faces. ¡°M-Mother¡­?¡± ¡°Touko, Touko¡­ You¡¯re all grown up. Oh¡­ please don¡¯t cry. Let me look at your face.¡± Before I could speak, I was embraced by warm and soft arms. While two small hands cupped my cheeks, the face of a woman who seemed to be about to cry came into my field of vision. This woman was my mother. As soon as I realized this, my tears started flowing. ¡°Touko, can you please show me your face as well? By the looks of it, it seems we didn¡¯t make it to your school entrance ceremony¡­¡± My father stroked my head, supporting my mother. Seeing those narrow eyes that almost made him look like he was squinting, I could confirm that I had inherited my father¡¯s eyes. So nostalgic. The warmth and nostalgia of the ¡°fragrance¡± seemed to have truly revealed my parents to me. I frantically drew a smile on my face, in order to ease their worries. ¡°Are you really my mom and dad?¡± ¡°What are you sayingt? Of course it¡¯s us.¡± Both the feelings of joy from being able to meet them, and the resentment in my heart were intricately intertwined within me. ¡°Why did you leave me behind?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. You were lonely, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t lonely¡­! I was just very sad.¡± ¡°We filled you with sad thoughts, didn¡¯t we? I¡¯m sorry, Touko.¡± They hugged me tightly. It was so tight, almost to the point where I couldn¡¯t breathe, but I felt comfortable, and teardrops escaped me, one after another. I wondered if all the water in my body would drain. ¡°Touko, you know? We both really love you. We¡¯ve been watching over you all this time.¡± ¡°I know you might not believe us.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ll always do what we can to help you.¡± I wished this moment would last forever. I talked on and on about what I had been up to until then. How much my grandfather helped me and how much I¡¯d wanted to meet them. I also talked about Kurouan, about Katatamaru and my feelings for Momose-san. My father sulked, and my mother consoled him while she grinned from ear to ear. There was unmistakable love in those gestures. My parents loved each other, and I was undoubtly loved by them. ¡°Touko, do you have dreams for your future?¡± My mother asked me, as if there was not a problem in the world. ¡°Oh, uh ¡­¡± I was flustered by my mother¡¯s sudden question. From my mother¡¯s point of view, it was a normal parent-child conversation, but I was terribly shaken by it. My mother smiled as she waited for my answer. My future. What I wanted to do. There was only one thing that came to mind, until two days ago, I was sure I wouldn¡¯t have thought of. I recalled Momose-san¡¯s creepy smile. It¡¯s okay, I hadn¡¯t forgotten him yet. It was going to be okay. ¡°I want to help someone. I want to help people connect with others.¡± Just like how he helped me. When I said this, my mother nodded deeply in satisfaction. ¡°Do your best. Everything will be okay if it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about.¡± My mother¡¯s words gently filled me with warmth. Were parents always this warm? While I held back my tears, my mother¡¯s hand gently stroked my head. ¡°We were able to meet like this thanks to Touko being a good girl.¡± ¡°Thanks to me?¡± ¡°Yes, it was because Touko was doing her best that we got this once-in-a-lifetime reward.¡± The two were one step away from me. Ah, I realized the time had come. I wondered if I had been able to say so many things in the honest way I did solely because our time together was finite, just like Momose-san said. ¡°Father, Mother¡­¡± I held back my tears and opened my mouth a little. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ happy to be your child. Thank you so much!¡± May the last expression they see on me not be one full of tears. I desperately opened my already swollen eyes and raised the corners of my mouth. After holding their breath for a moment, they calmly answered. ¡°Travel at your own pace. There might a lot of painful and difficult things in life. But it¡¯s okay. In those moments, remember us. We¡¯ll always be watching over you.¡± ¡°Even if Touko becomes a wrinkly old grandmother, we¡¯ll still understand Touko in a flash. So don¡¯t worry.¡± I was on the brink of tears, but when I heard those words, my sadness diminished. Instead, I felt something warm fill my heart. They were always watching over me. I firmly engraved the courage I received from my parents¡¯ words in my heart. May the choices I make from tomorrow on lead to the future. ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget.¡± I was a little scared of my change of heart. But I was sure it wasn¡¯t a scary thing. It was simply the result of my choice. That day, I entered the alley, I believed in his words, and here I was now. But I knew I couldn¡¯t stay forever. Time continues to flow without waiting for anyone. My consciousness began to spin around like it did when I¡¯d arrived. ¡°Thank you both. I love you!¡± ¡°Touko, we love you.¡± ¡°You are our pride and joy. Be confident.¡± Love was warm and nostalgic. I felt like I could see the sunset. It was like a long dream. My pillow was soaked in tears. My mind was sure it was a dream, but my heart felt otherwise. It wasn¡¯t just a dream. I was certain I met and talked to my parents. My body firmly remembered the warmth and nostalgia of being embraced. As I left through the front door, I tilted my head when I felt that the top of the shoe box was somewhat empty. I took classes and chatted with my friends during breaks as always. When I was caught staring outside window, our teacher gave me a warning. Yes, it was a normal day. But something was missing. I couldn¡¯t quite grasp why, but it felt like a hole had opened in my heart. It was certainly sad to say goodbye to my parents, but it was probably not the only reason. ¡°It¡¯s lively today too.¡± Each store was preparing to close, and housewives who liked to for discounts were making conversations bloom. While listening to these coversations, I slowly walked around the shopping street. The setting sun began to set, and the curtain of night was about to fall. A strong wind blew and stirred my hair. ¡°Touko. Don¡¯t forget ¡± ¡°The important things are what the heart remembers.¡± (Mother? Father?) I felt like I could hear their voices, so I looked around. The owner of Uoshima Shoten was taking the shutter down. (Eh¡­¡­?) The scene looked a little different than usual. (Was there always a street there?) Just between Uoshima Shoten and Makiki Kinemaki, it seemed that there was an alley through which only one person could pass. I couldn¡¯t see the other end even if I approached and looked inside. Where does this road lead to? A little curious, I set foot inside. ¡°Wow!¡± At that moment, the area was wrapped in a sunset. Just¡­ from where was the sun shining? A burning orange illuminated me. As I kept walking, terrified, I realized something. ¡°Eh? I¡­¡± I knew. I knew the mysterious alley of the sunset. I also knew where this road would lead to. Who was at the end of it? I knew. The piece that was missing in the puzzle of my heart, completely and perfectly fit into place. My pace naturally grew faster. My heart pumped violently as if it wanted to broadcast its existence. What was this feeling? Maybe a part of me knew, but wasn¡¯t quite sure.This fluffy sensation brought an indescribable comfort. ¡°Ha¡­ a¡­!¡± Before I knew, I was running. Wasn¡¯t it okay to give a name to this feeling later? I had someone I wanted to meet now. That was it. Perhaps due to my lack of exercise, I was out of breath and my throat was making a humming noise. My sides hurt sharply, but my legs wouldn¡¯t stop. The feeling on the soles of my feet changed, and on my left and right, everything became a wall filled with warmth. The view opened to a dipilated house. I watched a man open his eyes and drop the broom he had in his hand. ¡°¡­ Momose-san!¡± My face was red, probably because of the setting sun. ¡°Momose-san? What happened?¡± I called out to Momose-san, who was staring blankly into air. ¡°Nothing, I just¡­ remembered the past a little.¡± When I tilted my head to the side in confusion, he gave me a smile that wasn¡¯t business-like and addressed me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ Now, there is a customer. Please work hard here as a part-timer.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± I headed to the entrance of the store and a shadow carrying an instrument case on his back entered my sight. I called out to a young man who was chewing gum and looked to be in a bad mood. ¡°Welcome to Kurouan, the memory store!¡±