Unraveling the Mystery

Aito's mother handed them a steaming cup of tea, her hands trembling slightly. "We weren't sure if we should tell anyone this… but maybe it's time."

Haru, Hana, and Riku sat on the edge of their seats, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension swirling in the room.

Aito's father sighed deeply, his voice heavy with pain. "After the accident, when we brought Aito to the hospital, the doctors told us something… something no parent wants to hear." He paused, his eyes glazing over with tears. "Aito was brain-dead. His heart, though… it was still beating."

Hana gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"They asked us," Aito's mother continued, her voice breaking, "if we would donate his heart. It was the hardest decision of our lives. But we thought… maybe, if part of him could keep living, it would be worth it. He would've wanted that."

Riku swallowed hard. "What happened to… his heart?"

Aito's father hesitated. "We were told it went to save a boy far away, in another province. He was… dying after an accident. Fell from a cliff. His heart was pierced."

Haru froze, his breath catching in his throat. "A boy… who fell from a cliff?"

"Yes," Aito's father said. "They told us he survived, but… he lost his memories after the operation. They said it happens sometimes with trauma like that."

The room fell into silence, and Haru's hands began to tremble. His mind raced back to the gaps in his own memories, the strange sensations, the dreams that felt more like echoes of another life.

"It's me," Haru whispered, his voice barely audible.

Hana and Riku turned to him, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion.

"What?" Hana asked.

Haru looked at them, tears welling up in his eyes. "I… I'm the boy. I fell from a cliff when I was a kid. I was told I had an accident, that I lost my memory. But… if what they're saying is true… then I…"

His voice broke as he placed a hand over his chest. "I have Aito's heart."

The realization hit the room like a wave. Hana covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Riku sat back, stunned, his mind trying to process the revelation.

"It all makes sense now," Haru said, his voice thick with emotion. "The dreams, the memories that aren't mine… They're Aito's. His heart… it brought them with it."

Aito's mother reached out and placed a hand on Haru's shoulder. "If that's true… then a part of our son is still here. In you."

The three friends left Aito's home in silence, the weight of the revelation settling heavily on their shoulders. Haru couldn't stop thinking about the heart beating in his chest, the dreams that had haunted him for so long, and the connection he felt to Aito's life.

Hana broke the silence. "It's not just memories, Haru. It's like Aito's trying to tell you something. Maybe he wants us to… finish what he couldn't."

Riku nodded. "Yeah. He loved Aika. Maybe he's giving you the chance to make things right, to let her know how much she meant to him."

Haru looked at his friends, his heart heavy but filled with a newfound resolve. "If that's what Aito wanted, then I'll do it. I'll find Aika and tell her everything. But not just for him… for me, too.