Someone whose name I did not know would occasionally vanish from sight.
The first time they suddenly disappeared, my whole body shivered from the emptiness.
Even though the warmth of the dark around me hadn’t changed, with them gone, it felt as if everything had been taken away from me.
“…Surely they haven’t left for good…?”
How much time had passed like that?
Someone reappeared and embraced me once again.
“■■■. ■■ ■■■■ ■■■■.”
It seemed they wanted to apologize for suddenly disappearing.
“Please don’t apologize. I’m already so happy that you’ve returned.”
“……”
They tightened their arms around me without a word.
This person would repeatedly disappear—sometimes for just a brief moment, other times for a very long while—before coming back.
Though they always seemed to apologize upon returning, I could only feel gratitude every time.
—-
After some time had passed…
“…Hm?”
I noticed a difference in the person who had briefly disappeared and then reappeared.
“Hair!”
Long, flowing hair that reached their feet had appeared.
The smooth, silken strands possessed a beautiful black hue that stood out against the surrounding darkness.
“…It’s beautiful…”
In response to my honest admiration, they seemed delighted and embraced me.
Though I had always been the one holding onto them, this time it was me who had to hold them.
“…This isn’t so bad either.”
I gently stroked their hair, which flowed like a waterfall, enjoying its texture.
“Hmm… I feel like I’ve felt this before…”
When had I last felt this kind of touch?
As I thought about it, no clear answer came to mind.
—-
After some more time had passed…
This time, I noticed clothes.
The same pitch-black color as their hair formed an evening dress.
Its graceful sway was mesmerizing to behold.
“…You look beautiful.”
They embraced me again.
‘Does she like compliments?’
She seemed a bit… adorable.
Once again, a sense of déjà vu washed over me as I looked at the dress.
‘…I’m sure I’ve seen this somewhere before… what was it?’
This time, I couldn’t pinpoint the reason either.
—-
“…This time, you’ve been gone for quite a while…”
It had been a significant amount of time since they disappeared, though, since I couldn’t measure it exactly, it was only my perceived sense of time.
In the past, every time they disappeared, I would feel a hollow chill that spread goosebumps across my body, but this time was different.
She would definitely come back.
With that trust, I clung to the faint warmth left in my arms and waited…
…but this time, it felt like they were taking too long.
“…Is something wrong?”
I was worried about them.
However, I couldn’t move myself to go searching for them.
As I curled my body and waited,
Tap, tap.
Someone lightly tapped my arm.
“A, you’re back—”
I looked up and froze at the sight.
For good reason,
“…You’re body… is visible now.”
After the hair, the dress, their body could finally be seen.
Long fingers, adorable toes, sleek arms and legs, shapely thighs,
a slim waist that contrasted with well-endowed… yes.
A smooth neck, with all of it highlighted by flawless, snow-white skin without a single blemish.
However, their face was still slightly blurred.
Realizing that I could see their body made them happily jump around before embracing me.
But somehow…
Until now, they had only been a vague outline, so it didn’t bother me much, but now seeing their figure so clearly made me feel a little…
“…Embarrassed! My heart is pounding wildly… what?”
Suddenly, I could feel something throbbing.
When I placed my hand on my chest,
Thump… Thump… Thump…
There was a strong and steady heartbeat.
It was unmistakable—when I saw that terrible something before, there had only been a gaping void here.
But now, there was a beating heart that strongly asserted its presence.
The rhythm gradually quickened, and the cause was undoubtedly the person who was embracing me.
Even the scent of their skin, which I hadn’t smelled before, became noticeable.
As I leaned into their arms and inhaled, another sound became distinct.
Thump… Thump… Thump…
It wasn’t my heartbeat.
The overlapping sound came from the person right in front of me.
“…This touch, this scent, this sound… they’re familiar.”
These sensations were always present.
Every night… every night?
I spent every night with this person!
As I slowly lifted my head from their embrace and gazed up, I froze as I noticed something when I buried my face into their neck.
On their collarbone, there was one single mark, swollen and red.
Seeing it made my head ache.
“Guh…”
Startled by my groan, they tried to lower their body to check on me, but,
Gwaaak…
I clung to them desperately.
‘Remember… remember! This is the person who helps me so much, the one who holds me like this! Me…’
I placed my lips on the mark.
Plop.
It was a perfect fit.
‘…This is the person I cherished so much.’
The fact that I cherished this person enough to leave such proof, yet couldn’t recall them, drove me mad.
‘Remember, remember! Remember, I say!’
My head throbbed as if it would split apart.
Still, I pushed my mind relentlessly.
“Remember…”
At that moment,
Soosoo… soo soo…
A hand gently stroked my hair.
The headache vanished instantly.
I slightly lifted my head and faced them.
Their face was still blurry.
“■■■.”
A voice still unheard.
But…
-It’s okay.
She reassured me even when I couldn’t hear her.
“…”
I silently buried my face in their marked collarbone.
“…I’m sorry.”
I’m sorry I don’t remember you.
But…
“I will definitely remember you.”
Definitely.
I will definitely remember you.
—-
After much more time passed…
I recognized their face but still couldn’t recall who they were.
Even staring intently from a distance at their lithe form,
or feeling them intimately through touch,
the memories remained hazy.
So, once again, I clung to them for solace.
“Who are you?”
“■■■.”
“…I can’t hear you…”
It was driving me mad.
If only I could see their face, if only I could hear their voice, memories would surely return.
“■■?”
No answer.
The headaches had stopped.
It seemed like there was no way to learn more.
I regret it…
……..
……
….
‘Wait, regret?’
I recalled something I hadn’t looked at before—
‘Emotions! What emotion do I feel towards this person?’
As I pondered in their embrace,
‘Apology. Regret… Ah, is that right? Somehow. Hmm… regret, sadness? Ah… I feel there’s something here…’
And so, as I looked inward, I grasped it—an almost imperceptible strand of emotion.
‘What’s this?’
It felt hot like anger yet pleasant like happiness.
It made my whole body tremble like tension but also gave me comfort.
A strange and indefinable emotion.
Going back to the external,
‘Beautiful. Stunning. Adorable… was there something else?’
One particular word wouldn’t come to mind.
The person I treasured so much…
‘So much?’
Suddenly,
a memory surfaced.
“…■■■.”
A shy someone.
Dressed differently from the evening gown.
“■■■■…”
They were exposing and offering their collarbone to me, unblemished as it was.
“■■ ■■■.”
“…Didn’t I already leave a lip print before?”
That was my voice.
“■■■. ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■ ■■.”
I quickly scanned our surroundings.
“…Is this something only I can see?”
“■. ■■■■ ■.”
“Phew….”
Then, in my memory, I buried my face in their collarbone.
A sucking sound followed, and when I pulled away, a red mark remained.
“…■■ ■■■?”
“Yes?”
“■■■■…”
“…If it won’t show, then…”
“■, ■■ ■■■ ■■■.”
In the memory, they reciprocated by burying their face in my neck and embracing me.
“■■■?”
“…No. It just… feels strange.”
After a while of hugging, our bodies slightly parted.
Almost immediately, our lips met again.
The kiss had a sweet fragrance.
And…
Thump… thump… thump…
Heartbeats.
Two distinct heartbeats could be heard in the memory, and just now, in this darkness where we embraced each other.
Thump… thump… thump…
The heartbeats quickened, and my body started to heat up.
I slowly drew my head back.
They were gazing at me as well.
I approached them very slowly,
extremely gradually moving toward their face.
Even though it was hazy, I closed my eyes altogether.
For just that brief moment,
our breaths connected.
Plock.
When I opened my eyes again, I couldn’t help but smile with joy.
Eyes as beautiful as the night sky, framed by long lashes.
Soft eyebrows, a high nose bridge.
And the tender lips I had just touched—smooth, moist, warm, with a shiny crimson hue.
This perfect arrangement of features was beyond compare.
Seeing this face brought only one emotion to mind.
“I love you.”
At that moment,
the floodgates opened, and memories poured in.
Some were intact, others fragmented.
Among them, certain memories were sharper, lusher, and brighter than the rest, and they always included the person in front of me.
Now with the memories back, the emotions swelled even stronger.
Ah, I’m completely captivated.
No one else even registers in my mind anymore.
It’s only you who comes to mind.
It’s all because of you.
So…
Please take responsibility.
My cherished family,
my dear outsider,
my loving…
“Lily.”
The someone before me—no, Lily—radiantly smiled.
“Welcome back, Arthur.”
