Chapter 2: A Familiar Voice, A Forgotten Spring

The morning sun crept in through the cracks of my curtain, casting lines of gold across my room.

Still half-asleep, I stared at the ceiling... replaying a moment from yesterday.

That girl.

Her voice. Her smile. The way she said my name — it stirred something.

But no matter how hard I tried to dig through my memory, I couldn't place her.

> Who is she…? Why does it feel like I've known her before?

I sighed and slipped on my jacket, headphones resting around my neck like always.

Same routine. Same street. Same emptiness.

Or so I thought.

"Good morning, Naji-kun!!"

I froze mid-step.

There she was again — Shizuka-chan — waving cheerfully from the gate in front of my house, as if we'd done this a hundred times before.

"Uhh… good morning," I mumbled awkwardly.

She giggled. "You always forget to bring your lunch box on Mondays. Your mom told me to remind you."

> Wait—what?

"How did you—?"

"Come on, let's walk together!" she cut me off, grabbing my sleeve like it was the most natural thing in the world.

We walked side by side down the tree-lined path to school. The cherry blossoms above swayed gently, like they were eavesdropping on our conversation.

Shizuka kept smiling, laughing at small things, pointing out shops and corners like they had meaning.

I didn't understand it… until—

"I remember," she said softly, pausing by an old swing set near the park.

"You once got stuck at the top of that slide because you were too scared to come down. I climbed up to help you, and we both got scolded by your mom."

> That…

A flicker of warmth sparked in my mind. The smell of the sun on metal. The sound of wind chimes.

A laugh. Her laugh. My hand reaching for hers.

---

— Years Ago —

"Naji-kun! Hurry up! The swings are ours today!"

*

A small girl with messy pigtails and scraped knees pulled at my sleeve.*

*

"But the big kids might take it again…" I said, clinging to my juice box like it was a

.

*

And for some reason, I believed her.

---

The scene faded as quickly as it came.

I blinked, standing in front of the same swing set... only now, we were older.

Shizuka was looking at me with those same determined eyes — like she'd always been beside me.

> She really was there... all along.

"Were we… childhood friends?" I asked, barely above a whisper.

She turned to me slowly, her eyes shimmering in the soft light.

"You finally remembered," she said, her voice trembling with a tiny smile.

"I've been waiting… for you to remember."

And just like that, my chest tightened — not with pain, but with something else.

> Maybe this spring… isn't as empty as I thought.

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[To Be Continued…]

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Thank you for reading Chapter 2 🌸

This moment between Naji and Shizuka means a lot to me — it's about memories, quiet bonds, and how even the smallest moments can hold deep meaning.

Their story is just beginning.

I hope you'll walk beside t