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I lie down on the big bed with Haruka. Just like how we did in the grasslands before.
[It was the first time you broke your promise, I was really worried back then. Every single day, I always waited for you at our meeting place…… But you never came, and when the second semester eventually started, the teacher made an announcement. We were told that you transferred schools. I was very shocked…… But teacher said she didn’t know where you were, and there was no one at your house…… I was always waiting for you.]
[I see……]
[I went to high school in our hometown, went to university in our hometown, and got a job in our hometown. I thought you might show up unexpectedly.]
[Sorry. I did something terrible. Haruka, you said that you’ve always wanted to go to Tokyo.]
[It doesn’t matter. The reason I wanted to go to Tokyo was because I thought that I could live normally if I mingle with a lot of people like me.]
The Haruka I know didn’t speak like this. But of course, I noticed that Haruka had this secret part of him. That’s why I don’t find it anything special.
[I gave you a promise. The closing ceremony of the first semester. On that day, I told you that we should go on an adventure tomorrow. Sorry, I couldn’t go.]
[What happened to you?]
[Hm~…… How should I put it? You see, the night of that closing ceremony, I was k*lled.] (TN: He said this in a light tone, like it’s not a big deal.)
I meant to say it lightly, but it seems the shock was strong. Well, it’s normal, I guess. Haruka got up with a clatter, tried to grab my shoulders, and hurriedly stopped his hands.
[Ki……ki, K*LLED!? BY WHO!?]
Haruka is a normal guy, and since he’s kind, he receives a shock from something which I find trivial. He stared strongly at me who looked away and found it hard to speak.
[Please say it.]
Being told to tell him everything, I gave up.
[Uh…… Uhm…… by dad and mom……]
The moment I said that, Haruka held his chest as if he had been shot with a pistol, leaned back, and burst into tears.
[There’s no need to cry. Rather, it’s been a very long time ago.]
[That isn’t the problem here!]
Well, he’s right.
[You know, I buried after I was k*lled. You know, that foot of the mountain where we swore to each other. Isn’t it amazing? Dad and mom shouldn’t have known about our promise, but they buried me in the place I was supposed to the next day.]
[What, do, you mean YOU WERE BURIED!?]
[No, I mean, it’s fine, isn’t it? I was there. Isn’t it stupid? Even though Haruka kept on coming, I was waiting while thinking that you didn’t. Really, I was stupid. I kept on waiting for Haruka the whole time without even realizing that I was already dead.]
Haruka apparently died at the age of 52. Haruka lived in the same town until his death. Thinking that I might return. But I never came back, and Haruka kept hoping to see me until his death.
It has been 10 years since Haruka reincarnated. If he was summoned in the Ceremony right after his death, then I would have been buried without being found for a total of 47 years (37 years plus 10 years).
[Forty-seven years is a long time, isn’t it? That must be why I’m afraid of the dark. That’s why I always wanted to see the stars. When I was buried, my face was covered with dirt, and I was regretful that I could no longer see the stars. But even if I said that, I was already dead, though. Isn’t it weird? I was dead but I know where I was buried and remembered the times when I was underground. And yet, I didn’t feel like I was dead then. Saying that feels weird, though.]
I was in the dark the whole time. It was cold and dark the whole time, and I was hoping I could at least see the stars. I was waiting for Haruka there for a long time. I was waiting for my friend, whom I bid ‘see you later’, to come to our meeting place.
[Even though I’ve been in the dark the entire time, I saw a light. I saw a small light, and it slowly grew wider…… Oh, I’m found. I don’t know by who, but someone found me. After all, I was watching as many people came and dug me out. After that, I was floating about. I felt like I could up but it seemed as if I was still being bound. My body was doubtfully heavy and I couldn’t move. But one day, someone I don’t know came and offered my flowers. And then, he put his hands together. After he did that, something warm spread inside me and I was enveloped in light.]
I remember the feeling of happiness I had at that time.
What was my previous life like? When I forgot, I always wanted to remember. I thought that there might be something special there that I had forgotten.
But the feeling that struck me the most when I remembered it was, oh, I see. ‘I see, this is my previous life. It was nothing special. With how things are, there was no need to remember it then.’ I thought.
But in the end, I was glad that I remembered. Because I remembered the memories with Haruka, the time when someone put their hands together for me, the warmth I felt at that time as well as the light.Those were enough to be glad about it.
[I was such a fool. I was standing on you, waiting for you while thinking that you weren’t coming.]
[I was the same. I thought you weren’t coming as I waited, even though you were right there. Ah, come to think of it, why didn’t you tell me when I came here?]
[I can’t possibly tell you. You completely forgot your past life, and I thought that you wanted to forget, and if so then there’s nothing I could do about it.]
[But we became friends again. Isn’t that amazing? We’re best friends in our past lives and here, too.]
There’s only friendship between us, but I think even friendship has destiny. It’s almost like there’s no chance, but I felt like Haruka and I were being told that our friendship was inevitable.
In my previous life, I had other friends. But Haruka was a special friend. Because Haruka gave me a place of belonging. One day, Haruka happily proclaimed to me that his grandmother told him. ‘Let’s always be friends, okay?’ he said.
Haruka’s casual and childish words gave me the courage to live.