When Secrets Meet Memory

Chapter 29: When Secrets Meet Memory

After Chris left, just the three of us were sitting in the lounge. Once again, silence filled the room. Although Alysha wasn't particularly affected by the atmosphere, she also chose to remain quiet.

"Vii, I think you should take a bath first," Alysha said, turning to me. She signaled that she wanted to talk to me about something important. In a situation like this, I felt I needed to ask Alysha what was going on.

For some time now, it seemed like some information had been deliberately kept away from me. I was sure that Alysha didn't mean any harm, but if this continued, it could lead to misunderstandings between us.

"Alright," Violet agreed and then left the room.

After making sure Violet couldn't hear our conversation, I started talking to Alysha.

"May I ask something first?"

"Sure. That would make things easier for me," Alysha replied without hesitation.

Alysha leaned back on the sofa and then slumped sideways, burying her face in the pillow. She seemed very relaxed as if she was letting go of all her energy. It appeared she wasn't intent on hiding anything this time. She looked serious, but at the same time, she seemed reluctant. She even let out a long sigh.

"How much do you know about my situation with Violet?"

Alysha lay on the sofa and looked at me with a smile on her face. It wasn't her usual playful smile, but rather one that suggested she felt comfortable.

"Ah~ it's been a long time since I've heard that. It's better if you call Vi by her name."

A long time? Violet's name? Did I ever call Violet by her name? The confusion in my head deepened. Just yesterday, when I was in Lelore, some of my questions were answered, and now more questions were arising in my mind.

Had I met Violet before? The words in Evan's recording yesterday also suggested that I had met them.

"What do you mean?"

"Sorry, brother. Deep down in my heart, I want to tell you, but I can't."

Can't? Alysha rarely kept secrets from me before, and vice versa, or at least that's what I thought. For her to hide something related to me must mean it's difficult for her to reveal it directly to me. She didn't seem to be lying to me either. So, do I have to find out on my own?

This is about me, but so many things have happened behind my back that it's hard to see.

"Can you tell me why?"

"Because, in short, I want you to make an effort. Besides, it's not the right time to tell you everything yet."

Since I moved to Protea and started living here, I've begun to uncover an answer to question after question. Something is trying to be revealed. Maybe this is what Alysha wants me to try to find out.

I sensed something strange Alysha was hiding—my relationship with Violet, even the message left by Evan. All of these things point to my past.

Changing my position, I sat cross-legged on the sofa, closed my eyes, and tried to think for a moment. Maybe something in the past can become my clue. I tried to recall important events in my past. Some images came to mind, going back from yesterday and going further back.

Second grade had just started, and there was certainly nothing related to Violet because I met Evan at that time. Because it's something from the past, this meeting must also go beyond that.

In first grade, during my time with Evan, he never gave the impression that he knew me before. We became friends from the beginning. If we had met before and left such an impression, either I or Evan would have realized it. Also from Alysha's answer to Violet's question before about the fire incident, I felt that at that time it was not what she mentioned so I can put it aside for now.

Next was during middle school. I didn't think anything unusual happened at that time. School, hanging out with friends, adventuring, and so on came to mind. Nothing strange about that. If I had met Violet and Evan while we were adventuring, Chris and Arthur would have noticed it too, but they didn't give the impression that they had met each other before.

After thinking back for a while, I experienced a slight anomaly—a moment that was very memorable for me. A past accident. It was also what made my family move in.

When I was little, I lived in Japan in a small village. There was a fire and... Hmm? Strange! I can't remember what happened. I only know that after that we moved to Indonesia to live with my grandparents from my mother's side because our house burned down.

I tried to recall it seriously. Repeatedly tried to think about it, but still, I couldn't remember anything, and instead, my head felt burdened, and empty, and then it hurt. Adjusting my position again, I tried to ask Alysha about this.

I also considered that this might be trauma or something, but if that were true, then I should have remembered it during the Lab incident. In that incident, a similar situation occurred, and surely my trauma would have been triggered more than just recalling something vague that I couldn't remember, but it didn't happen.

Alysha, who had nothing to do, was just rolling around on the sofa and now had her back to me.

"Alysha, tell me! What happened during the fire before we moved to Grandpa and Grandma's house?"

Alysha's body tensed slightly when she heard my question, just it is all i need to know. So it is related to my past. Now I think all the secrets behind me started from that event.

Alysha turned her shoulders and looked at me. When I saw her disappointed expression, it made me more confident in my guess.

"Sorry, brother. I can't tell you."

Alysha sat beside me and leaned her head on my shoulder, apologizing softly. I could sense she wanted to share something but couldn't find the words. I wanted to know what was troubling her, but I didn't want to force her to speak. I understood how uncomfortable it must be for her, so I chose to remain silent.

"Did what you tell to Vio before about this event?" I dont want pray but for a moment, I wanted to confirm something.

Alysha changed her position, facing me. She didn't say a word to me, but her gaze was firmly fixed on me. There was no hesitation, no confusion, and she looked very calm. All she did was smile.

Now I knew what I needed to find out. The headache when I thought about those memories and Vio's headache when hearing Alysha's story might be the same thing. 

Regarding Alysha, I realized she couldn't speak or answer verbally, but she did respond with body language, showing surprise and sadness. However, she couldn't initiate explanations directly.

"Thank you." I smiled and gently stroked her hair, understanding why she kept her true self hidden. The burden she carried was heavy, and it was clear she couldn't share it with anyone.

I wanted to help her as much as I could, and it seemed that the best I could do was prepare myself for what Alysha had talked about earlier. I had to try to find out what Alysha was talking about.

"Then, could you answer some of the questions I ask you?"

"If I answer something minor, of course, I can answer. But if it's something very important, I can't answer it just like that. Even if I give you a hint, it won't provide a significant answer to you."

So that's how it works? From what I gathered before and based on Alysha's answer, I could get some small answers. The past event had a big impact on me, which is why Alysha didn't answer directly when I asked about it.

I had mixed feelings about my relationship with Violet. On one hand, I felt I had an indirect connection with her, which allowed Alysha to answer questions. On the other hand, I questioned if my current relationship truly affected that past event. I couldn't decide which was accurate.

"Maybe that's enough questions for today; it seems this is mentally taxing for you."

"Thank you for your understanding," Alysha smiled sincerely.

"You're welcome."

As we spoke, Violet returned, and now it was Alysha's turn to bathe first, leaving just me and Violet alone in the room. 

This situation felt really weird. Honestly, I'd never been so anxious before. I had no idea what to think about it. Did something happen between Violet and me in the past? I started to believe that maybe we did have a thing back then. But I wasn't sure how serious it was. 

I mean, we were just kids in elementary school, so I doubted it was anything deep, but there was also this nagging feeling that it wasn't that simple either.

I glanced over at Violet, trying not to let my nerves show. She looked different from me; she was just sitting there quietly, her head down, not saying a word. 

The more I watched her, the more I noticed that while I was anxious, she seemed really worried, like she had a lot on her mind. She stayed silent for a while, just sitting there all still. Concerned for her, I decided to ask how she was feeling.

"Are you okay, Violet?" It slipped out naturally since I usually call her by her name. I guess I'm more used to using her name when I talk to Alysha. I even called her Violet earlier with Alysha.

I've always called people by their last names ever since I lived in Japan as a kid, and it's just become second nature for me. So, when I accidentally used her first name, it totally just slipped out.

Violet flinched a bit when I called her name, breaking the silence. She looked confused and a little on edge. Whenever she tried to hold my gaze, she quickly looked away, seeming pretty shy about me using her first name.

"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to call you by name," I said.

"It's fine," she replied, sounding uncertain. "If Senior Naozumi wants to, you can call me that."

The awkward vibe came back, but this time it was different. It wasn't just us lost in our own heads; it felt like there was a new closeness between us that made things a bit tense.

Looking around because I couldn't stay calm, I noticed someone peeking at us from behind the door, smiling broadly. It was Alysha. When I saw her, she just waved at me with an expression that showed she was thoroughly enjoying the situation. Seriously, her smile made me want to punch her right now.

Alysha, looking pretty satisfied with herself, finally walked into the room and broke the awkward vibe. 

"Alright, enough of the lovey-dovey stuff. Your turn to take a bath."

"You~…" I mumbled, a bit annoyed. I wanted to snap back, but since I just wanted to get out of there and shake off my nervousness, I stood up and left the room.