Released Memories

The cab ride was quiet, the hum of the engine blending with the distant murmur of evening traffic. As we drew closer to the outskirts of Kojima Town, I glanced out the window, watching the familiar sights slowly transform into older, more traditional houses, each carrying a touch of history. It felt like stepping back in time, with the soft glow of paper lanterns flickering along narrow streets and the gentle rustle of wind through the trees.

Aisha sat beside me, her head resting lightly against my shoulder. She hadn't said much since we left the plaza, but her hand found mine, giving it a comforting squeeze. I could tell she was trying to be a steady presence, knowing this visit was more than just a casual walk down memory lane. It was a chance to reconnect with a piece of my past that felt lost to time.

When the cab finally stopped, I paid the driver, and we stepped out onto a quiet, narrow street. The air was cool and carried the faint scent of blooming flowers, mingling with the earthy smell of damp stone after a light rain. I took a moment to orient myself, looking down the street until I spotted the house.

There it was—a small, traditional home with a wooden gate, a stone path leading up to the entrance, and a modest garden that looked like it hadn't been tended to in a while. The house had an understated charm, like a little sanctuary hidden away from the rest of the world. I had only seen it in a few old photographs, but being here now, in front of it, felt strangely familiar.

Aisha let out a small breath, her eyes softening as she took in the sight. "It's just like how Mama Izuna described it… I can almost imagine her tending to those flowers and humming to herself," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "Yeah, she always said she loved this place. It's where she felt most at peace, even when life got chaotic. She told me she would always come back here to clear her head."

I glanced at Aisha, feeling a mix of anticipation and nerves. "Ready to see what she left behind?"

Aisha's smile was warm, her eyes sparkling with a mix of curiosity and encouragement. "Of course. Let's see what surprises she has in store for us."

We approached the gate, and I pushed it open, the wood creaking slightly as if welcoming us back after years of absence. As we walked up the stone path, I could see the little details my mom used to describe—wind chimes hanging under the eaves, a stone lantern near the garden, and a small wooden bench tucked beside the front door. It felt like a piece of her was still here, hidden in all the tiny, thoughtful touches she left behind.

Unlocking the front door, I pushed it open, and we stepped inside. The air was still, with a faint scent of cedar and lavender, as if the house had been preserved in a moment of time, untouched by the outside world. The entrance hall was simple, with wooden floors and a small shelf by the wall that held a few pairs of shoes, a small potted plant, and a framed photo of my parents on their wedding day.

Aisha looked around, her expression soft. "It feels… warm. Like it's been waiting for you to come back."

I swallowed, trying to push back the rush of emotions threatening to surface. "Yeah, it does. Let's see what we can find."

We moved through the house, exploring each room slowly, taking in the faded wallpaper, the old furniture, and the quiet corners that seemed to hold secrets of their own. In the living room, there was a low wooden table with a tea set still arranged neatly, and a shelf lined with books, some of which I recognized from my childhood.

Aisha picked one up, flipping through the pages. "She had quite the collection… poetry, folk tales, even a few cookbooks," she said with a small smile.

I made my way to the back of the house, where my mom's study used to be. Pushing open the sliding door, I found myself staring at a small, sunlit room with a desk by the window. Papers were neatly stacked, and a few envelopes lay on top, one of them with my name written on it in my mother's familiar handwriting. My heart skipped a beat as I picked it up, my fingers trembling slightly.

Aisha peeked over my shoulder, her gaze shifting from the envelope to my face. "Do you want to open it now, or…?"

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah… I think I need to."

With a deep breath, I carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside. As I began to read, my mom's words felt like a gentle whisper, guiding me back through memories I hadn't realized I still carried. She spoke about the home, about how much it meant to her and how she hoped it would bring me peace just as it had for her. She even mentioned a few hidden things she had left for me around the house, little keepsakes and mementos, if I ever wanted to search for them.

"Looks like there are some surprises waiting for us after all," I said softly, a small, bittersweet smile playing on my lips. "She always did like to make things interesting."

Aisha beamed, her eyes bright with excitement. "Then we better get started, right? We've got a lot to uncover."

The sun dipped lower, casting a warm, golden light through the windows as we began to explore the house, guided by my mom's letter. Each room we visited, each drawer we opened, felt like unearthing a piece of her story, and in a way, a piece of mine too. And for the first time in a long while, I felt like I was truly reconnecting with where I came from, not just through memories, but through the tangible, heartfelt things she had left behind.

{Chapter 9: Released Memories}

The sun began to lower below the horizon, Aisha and I continuing to explore my mother's old home until we reached a door that had a lock on it, a keypad of sorts. Aisha and I glanced at each other then looked back at the lock, curiosity getting the better of us.

"I've never seen this room before... must've been made before Mama Izuna moved to America with your dad," Aisha said, leaning down and placing her hands on her knees to get a closer look at the lock on the door.

I crouched down and looked at the keypad, raising an eyebrow and hummed thoughtfully, studying the device on the door. "Looks like we need four numbers to unlock this door. A code of sorts, but what could it be..?"

Aisha tilted her head slightly then pressed four random numbers on the keypad but a buzzer sounded, the screen flashing red. I looked up at Aisha, raising an eyebrow which caused her to giggle with slight embarrassment.

"Sorry, sorry~ I couldn't resist. Maybe I would've gotten lucky if I typed in your birthday, but it looks like it isn't that," Aisha tittered, rubbed the back of her head and stuck her tongue out.

I poked her tongue then stood up. "Let's try not to brute force the lock. Mr. Ayami taught us that after he set off his defense systems when he forgot his security code to his house back in the day."

Aisha couldn't help but to laugh at the memory, covering her mouth when I poked her tongue. "I guess I do have some of my dad's impulses~ But yeah, we should look around for some clues on the passcode. Let's split up for now and search for some clues."

I nodded and decided to search in the back where my mom's study was again while Aisha checked the living room. As I entered the small room once more, I could see the evening sun casting long shadows in the room, a familiar warmth spreading around my body. I could hear the faint rustling of wind outside as I stood by the desk, searching it carefully.

I noticed a few envelopes in the desk and took them out, setting each one on the desk. They seemed to be letters, two of them written from my father to me while the other two were written from my mom. It seemed he wrote these letters when he first married my mom while the other two were written before the move.

'Why are these directed to me...?' I thought, examining the letters then sat at the desk.

I took a deep breath and carefully opened the first letter, my fingers trembling slightly. A single sheet of paper slipped out, and I unfolded it, revealing my father's familiar handwriting.

"July 4th, 2X02

My dearest son,

If you're reading this, it means you've finally found your way back to this place. There's so much I wanted to tell you, but I never had the chance. If you're reading this, that means you've moved to Japan..."

His words held a sense of warning to it, a warm yet chilling tone to the letter, as if he knew I would soon find my way back to Kojima Town after all these years. I continued to read the letter, but nothing too important about the door. I did pay close attention to the dates, each letter written on July 4th but in different years.

I opened the last letter from my mother, taking out the page from the envelope and scanning through it.

"July 5th, 2X10

My darling sonshine,

I am writing this letter to you so that one day you may read it in the future if you so happen to find your way to Japan again. I have left you a few gifts in this house for you to find...and a 'special' gift in the attic. Erik told me to hide his gift in a small chest, but he never told me the code."

"Hopefully if you ever find a way to open it, we could see it together...as for the code to the attic, if you read the dates carefully, you should get your answer,

sincerely Mom. P.S. I love you~"

I smiled at the letter, my heart growing heavy at the words on the page. Their words were warm, comforting, but there was a hint of sadness, as if they was speaking from a place beyond time. I closed my eyes and began remembering the times they were alive and all of the trips we went on when I was growing up.

I took a deep breath and exhaled softly, opening my eyes and laid out the letters in front of me on the desk, going into Detective Mode. I scanned each of the dates, trying to piece together everything.

'Each letter was written in July 4th besides my mother which was written in July 5th. All of these letters were before the move to America so there's nothing in the present day that will help...' I thought, making deductions to what the code could be.

'4... something, something....5,' I said mentally, looking at the yesrs on the pages. '2X02, 2X07, 2X09, and finally 2X10...'

As I scanned the pages, the sliding door of the study opened, Aisha walking inside and noticed me sitting at the desk in deep thought. She walked over beside me, glancing at the letters on the desk then looked at me, seeing I was in Detective Mode..

I hadn't noticed her walk inside as I was too focused on figuring out the code. Soon, it hit me, the answer was in front of me the entire time. 'Subtracting the years from the letters from both my mom and dad...4-5-1-5. That's it. That's got to be the passcode!'

Without hesitation, I stood up, taking a mental note of the answer I came up with, my sudden movement causing Aisha to squeak and jump back. I quickly turned to look at Aisha, noticing her shaken smile and a nervous sweat.

"Oh, sorry Ai, I didn't even know you entered," I said, chuckling softly.

Aisha shook her head, letting out a soft giggle. "N-No you're fine!~ Your sudden movement just started me is all. Did you find the answer?"

I nodded and smiled at her. "Yeah, I did. Let's go see if it's right though."

With that, the two of us began to leave the study and made our way back to the locked door. I crouched own in front of the key pad, punching in the code: 4-5-1-5. Once I pressed enter, a chime played and the screen flashed green, the sound of the lock unlocking automatically.

"Whoa!~ I knew you were in Detective Mode for a reason!~ Good job!" Aisha praised, smiling brightly at me.

I nodded, standing up and giving myself a pat on the back mentally. "Thanks, now let's see what my parents left for me here..~"

I opened the door to the attic, Aisha and I beginning to make our way up the stairs to see the hidden gifts that my mom and dad left for me in the house.

Once we reached the attic, a sudden chill washed over both me and Aisha, the cool, chill air causing us to slightly shiver. We searched around the attic and found a few keepsakes inside from old birthday pictures of me as a kid and family-friend portraits.

As I rummaged through a few boxes, I found a locket necklace inside in the shape of a heart. I opened the locket using the side button, seeing a picture of my mom and dad inside with me in the middle. I smiled at the picture, a faint memory playing in my head.

"Motosaki, come look at what I found," Aisha called out to me from the other side of the attic.

I looked back at Aisha then pocketed the locket and walked over to Aisha. I watched as she pulled out an old wooden chest. "Hey, that's the chest my mom mentioned in the letter."

Aisha looked at the chest with a smile, humming softly as she placed it on the old wooden table in front of us. "I wonder what's in here~ I also found this letter that was written for you. I didn't open it since it said only for your eyes." She said, handing me an envelope and smiled at me.

I took the envelope out of Aisha's hand, looking at it then opened it, feeling a sudden chill around my body as if someone was watching me from behind. I looked around to make sure no one else was in the attic with me and Aisha.

I glanced over at Aisha, who was expectantly waiting for me to open the letter with an excited smile on her face. I smiled back at her then took the letter out of the envelope and opened it to read it.

"July 5th, 2X10

Dear Motosaki,

If you are reading this letter, I am already dead and you are in Japan with your fate sealed. I am writing this as a final I love you as I don't know if you'll ever hear or see me say it again. You must listen to me closely...the moment you opened that attic door, you have been cursed."

"You may not realize it yet because this curse is strange and bizarre...It doesn't necessarily target you directly physically unless she is at a certain stage. This curse is called the Tomodachi Curse, and something you need to take very seriously."

"I can't directly tell you the code to this box since the Tomodachi can read and she's probably read this letter as I wrote this, so listen closely. In that attic is a book you need to read as it deals with who the Tomodachi is and what she can do. There is also an extra section labeled 'Yandere Levels'..."

"If you happen to find yourself friends with a group of girls in Japan, the Tomodachi will target them, but she is smart. You may not notice anything out of the ordinary, but she WILL be around. As for the passcode, I have written a scavenger hunt on the back. Everything you need is in Kojima Town...

Sincerely, Dad. (0)"

As I read the letter, the chill only got stronger, the world seemingly fading away as I read more of the letter. My hand trembled as I read the words on the page, my body breaking into a cold sweat. Aisha noticed my demeanor changing by the moment then placed a hand on my arm.

"Motosaki?" She gently called out to me, rubbing my arm lightly.

Suddenly, at the sound of her voice, I snapped out of my trance. I glanced at Aisha then cleared my throat, shaking my head and giving her a soft smile. "Sorry, I got a little emotional reading this..."

"No, I understand..~ Did he say anything about the code for the lock on the box?" Aisha asked, glancing at the chest.

"No, but I will find it. For now, he did leave me a book for me to read. Probably an old picture book I used to love to read," I said as I folded the letter and pocketed it.

Aisha nodded, her gaze following me and she noticed me pick up a book a cover of a beautifully drawn woman. "Hm? What is that book?"

"I honestly don't know, but it does say for my eyes only...I guess I'll be reading this one alone~" I said, lightly chuckling and looking at Aisha.

Aisha giggled softly, crossing her arms and letting out a soft sigh. "I guess so~ Alright, let's get out of here, it's cold as a winter storm in here."

I nodded and watched as Aisha left the attic first then looked at the book in my hands. 'Dad...what really happened to you and mom..? Why did we really move to America..?'

With the questions lingering in my mind, I began to make my way down the stairs of the attic, taking one more glance at the chest on the table and began to wonder what was really inside. I decided to let the thought linger in my mind for now, only focusing on what my next steps will be from this point on.