リンゴの木 夏 Apple Tree Summer

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By PETER LIN
2025/2/3
Chapter 0: The Wish
The cool evening breeze rustled through the branches of the old apple tree, its leaves shimmering under the pale light of the crescent moon. The apple tree stood alone at the edge of the quiet park, far from the bustling streets of the city, where no one bothered to notice its ancient beauty. A few apples had just grown. Still not ready to be eaten. The night felt calm, almost sacred, as if the world had taken a pause just for a moment, allowing space for a wish to be made.
It was under this very tree that two teenagers, seemingly strangers to each other, found themselves on that fateful night.
Ren stood silently beneath the apple tree, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket as he gazed up at the sky. His dark eyes reflected the city lights, but they were distant, lost in a world that was not his own. He was a high school student like everyone else, but his life felt like a constant battle against the clock. Every day was a rush--school, homework, extra activities--on and on, without pause.
He sighed, thinking about how his life was always moving forward, never stopping to give him a moment of rest. No matter how hard he tried to focus, there was no peace. All he wanted was something simple, something easy. He didn't care about success or being admired by others. He just wanted to slow down. To escape the endless demands, the noise of the world.
A sudden rustling noise broke his thoughts. Looking over, Ren saw a girl standing at the other side of the tree. Her silver hair shimmered under the moonlight, almost glowing like stardust, and her eyes were wide with curiosity as she stared at the tree.
She looked out of place, like something out of a dream. Ren didn't recognize her, but her presence was strangely comforting, as if they had met before. The girl was standing there, her hands clasped in front of her, looking as if she were waiting for something.
"Excuse me," Ren said, his voice hesitant, but warm. "Are you... here for the same thing?"
The girl blinked at him, slightly taken aback by the question, but then smiled softly. There was something gentle about her--something ethereal in the way she carried herself.
"I guess so," she replied with a quiet laugh. "I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here."
Ren felt a strange sense of understanding from her, even though they had just met. It was as if they were both drawn here by some invisible thread, both seeking the same thing. They both seemed to understand the quiet that enveloped the park--the unspoken longing that lay beneath the surface.
"I was just thinking," Ren said, pausing as he looked up at the tree, "that maybe... maybe there's a life out there where I don't have to rush all the time. I wish I could just be... someone else. Someone with a simpler life."
The girl glanced at him, and for a moment, there was a flicker in her eyes, as if she too had been carrying the same burden.
"You want to be someone else too?" she asked, her voice soft. "I've been thinking the same thing. I just... I wish I could be someone who has it all together, you know? Someone who is free and carefree. Someone who can just live their life, away from all the pressures."
They stood there for a few moments, the wind swirling around them as the words hung in the air, unspoken yet deeply understood. It was as if they had both been living lives that didn't truly belong to them. And in that silence, it became clear that they both wanted the same thing: to escape.
Ren turned to the girl, meeting her gaze. There was a sense of strange familiarity about her, but more than that--there was an unspoken trust between them. Something about her made him feel like he wasn't so alone in his wishes.
"Do you think... do you think we could actually switch?" Ren asked, his voice full of wonder. "Switch lives, I mean."
The girl paused, as if considering the possibility, her silver hair catching the light like threads of moonbeams. Her eyes softened as she spoke.
"What if we did?" she said with a small smile. "What if we could live each other's lives? Maybe that's the only way we'd understand what we're really wishing for."
For a long moment, neither of them said anything. The air between them seemed to hum with the possibility of something extraordinary. A moment when anything was possible. A moment when all their doubts and fears could be cast away, just by wishing for something different.
Ren looked up at the sky, his heart pounding as he made his silent wish. "I wish I could live as a girl in a peaceful, relaxed life... where nothing ever feels like a race."
The girl, standing beside him, closed her eyes for a moment, her face serene under the starlight. She whispered to herself, almost like a prayer.
"I wish I could live as a hot boy in Tokyo, with all the freedom to be whoever I want to be... to feel alive."
The words of their wishes echoed between them, floating into the night air. There was a sense of finality in the air--an undeniable sense that something would change, even if neither of them fully understood how. They couldn't know it then, but those words would mark the beginning of something they could never take back.
Ren felt a strange sensation run through him, like a current of energy that sparked through his body. For a brief second, he felt light, as if he was floating just above the ground. The girl beside him, too, seemed to shimmer, her figure blurred for a moment, before everything fell back into stillness.
But as quickly as the moment came, it faded, and neither of them could quite put their finger on what had just happened. The wish had been made, but now, it felt like something that belonged to a dream--a fleeting hope that had no chance of becoming real.
The girl turned to him and smiled again, her silver hair flowing gently in the breeze.
"Good night," she said, her voice soft and warm.
Ren watched her walk away, a feeling of longing welling up in his chest. He had no idea what had just transpired, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed, even if he couldn't remember what it was.
And just like that, they both walked away from the apple tree, their wishes hanging in the air like whispers in the night.
Ren woke up in his own bed, the sunlight streaming through his window. He blinked, rubbing his eyes, and sat up slowly, still groggy from sleep. There was something... strange about the way the day started, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
It was the same as every other morning--except it wasn't. It was like something was missing, something he couldn't grasp. He stood up, walking to his mirror, and froze.
His reflection was the same as always.
But for some reason, he felt a deep sense of emptiness. He couldn't remember what had happened the night before. The girl with silver hair, the apple tree, the wish... it all seemed like a fading dream.
Shaking his head, he sighed, pushing the thought aside. It was probably nothing. Just a strange feeling that would fade as the day went on.
But in the back of his mind, the wish lingered.



Chapter 1: The Start
Ren woke up to the sound of his alarm blaring, its shrill tone cutting through the stillness of the early morning. He groggily reached over and slapped the snooze button, feeling the weight of exhaustion in his limbs. His head was foggy, and there was this vague, lingering sensation of something... unfamiliar, like a dream he couldn't quite remember. Something had happened last night, but it felt too distant to grasp.
Rubbing his eyes, Ren swung his legs over the side of his bed and sat up. The sunlight filtered in through the blinds, casting long beams across his room. A normal day. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Except... something was off.
He glanced around his room, trying to shake the feeling that there was something he had missed. The walls, the posters, his desk--everything was in its usual place. But for some reason, it all felt strange, like the room wasn't his own. It was as though something had subtly shifted overnight.
Ren stood and walked to the bathroom. The mirror was the same as it always had been--he still had messy black hair, still had that boyish face with sharp features. He looked normal. In fact, everything felt normal. The feeling of unease faded as he washed his face with cold water, hoping it would wake him up more thoroughly.
By the time he grabbed his uniform and got dressed, the strange sensation had almost completely vanished. Whatever it was, it didn't matter now. School was waiting, and like always, Ren couldn't afford to waste time thinking about it.

He arrived at school feeling like he was in autopilot mode, walking the familiar path to his classroom. The early morning air was crisp, and the school courtyard was already buzzing with students talking and laughing. The sounds of everyday school life filled his ears as he walked through the hallways, but despite the usual comfort of routine, there was still this nagging feeling at the back of his mind.
When he reached his classroom, he stepped inside and was greeted by the usual chatter of his classmates. He was familiar with every face, but today, some of them felt like they were slightly out of place, as if they weren't entirely his. He couldn't explain it. Maybe he was just tired.
"Good morning, Ren!" one of his friends, Kaito, greeted him with a cheerful wave.
"Morning," Ren replied automatically, offering a half-hearted smile as he walked to his seat. He wasn't in the mood for small talk.
As he settled into his seat and opened his notebook, he noticed her. Yui.
She was sitting at her desk, her silver hair cascading around her shoulders, catching the light as usual. She was the same as always, sitting in the same place, her eyes focused on the teacher at the front of the room, but something about her felt... different today. He couldn't place it, but the sight of her made his heart beat a little faster.
Ren couldn't stop staring. There was something so effortlessly graceful about her--the way she moved, the way she spoke, even the way she just existed in this space. But at the same time, there was a distance between them that Ren had never noticed before.
The bell rang, and class began. Ren tried to focus on the teacher's lesson, but his mind kept wandering back to the strange feelings surrounding Yui. Every time she glanced his way, their eyes would meet for a split second, but the connection felt almost... foreign.
The moment the bell rang for lunch, Ren quickly gathered his things and headed outside, needing some space to breathe. He walked out into the school courtyard, but the awkwardness inside him only grew. He couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed overnight, even if he couldn't remember what exactly.
As he sat down at one of the benches, trying to eat his lunch, he noticed Yui walking towards him.
She had a calm smile on her face as she approached, and Ren felt a slight flutter in his chest. He forced himself to look away, trying to ignore the sudden spike of anxiety creeping up.
"Hey, Ren," Yui said as she sat down next to him, her voice casual, but somehow... there was something in her tone that seemed different today. Her silver hair shimmered in the sunlight as she adjusted her skirt, her gaze meeting his. "Are you okay? You seem a little... distracted today."
Ren's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know how to respond to that. He wasn't sure why, but the way she asked the question made him feel like he had been caught in a lie, even though he hadn't said anything.
"Oh... yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess." He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Nothing unusual. Just not really in the mood to talk today, I guess."
Yui tilted her head slightly, as if considering his words. She was studying him with those piercing silver eyes, and it felt like she could see right through him.
"You sure? You're acting kind of strange today," she remarked, her voice carrying a hint of concern, but also amusement. "You're never this quiet."
Ren felt his face flush slightly. He wasn't used to being so... observed, especially by her. Her presence was magnetic, and he couldn't shake the feeling that she was somehow seeing something deeper than what was on the surface.
"I'm fine, really," Ren said quickly, trying to brush it off. "Just had a weird night, I guess."
Yui's eyes softened a bit, though there was still a hint of amusement. "A weird night? Is that why you've been acting off today?" She smiled a little, her tone playful. "Maybe you should get some rest. You're not usually this jumpy."
Ren stared at her for a second. The way she said "jumpy" made him feel like she knew something he didn't. Maybe it was just a casual comment, but for some reason, it felt too accurate. It was like she could see through his fade, like she was reading him more clearly than anyone else ever had.
But just as quickly, Yui stood up, brushing off her skirt with a small sigh. "Well, I'm gonna go grab something to drink. If you're still feeling weird, you should probably take a break."
Ren nodded, watching as she walked away, his thoughts racing. What was it about her that made everything feel different? Why did her presence unsettle him so much? He was sure that he'd never felt this way before.



Ren's day continued to be a series of awkward moments and unexplained feelings. As he walked through the school's hallways, trying to get his thoughts in order, his mind kept drifting back to the conversation with Yui at lunch. There was something about her, something he couldn't quite put into words. Maybe it was the way she seemed to notice every small detail about him, or maybe it was just the way she made everything feel more real--uncomfortably so.
After P.E., Ren's mind was still preoccupied with Yui. He wasn't paying attention to the time, his focus was scattered as he grabbed his gym bag and began walking toward the changing rooms. It wasn't until he reached the door that he realized something felt wrong. The sounds of conversation and laughter from his classmates had faded away, and the hallway was eerily quiet.
He stood there, momentarily confused. Then it hit him: he was at the wrong changing room.
Ren froze in his tracks. The boys' changing room was further down the hall, on the left, and yet, here he was standing in front of the girls' changing room. He must have been distracted, or maybe it was just the haze of his thoughts clouding his mind. But, more than anything, he needed to get to the shower as soon as possible and rinse off the sweat from P.E. The locker room was empty, so he figured it wouldn't be a problem.
Ren shook his head, quickly regaining his bearings. He wasn't going to make a big deal out of this. He'd go in, shower, and leave, all without causing a stir.
He reached for the door and swung it open, his mind still in a bit of a fog. The second the door clicked shut behind him, he realized something was horribly, terribly wrong.
There was Yui.
And she was standing there, completely unguarded, fresh from the shower. The steamy air clung to her silver hair as droplets of water dripped down her skin. She was only wearing a towel, her body wet from the shower.
For a split second, time seemed to freeze.
Ren's heart lurched in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. He stared at Yui in a daze, not sure how to react. His mouth went dry, and he felt a rush of heat flood his face as the shock hit him.
Yui, on the other hand, didn't seem as surprised--well, not at first. She turned to him slowly, her expression one of mild confusion. She blinked a few times, processing what was happening, and then her eyes widened with realization.
"Ren?! What are you doing here?" Yui's voice was a mixture of disbelief and slight annoyance.
Ren's mind was spinning. His legs felt heavy, and for a moment, he couldn't even muster up a response. His brain was struggling to catch up with the reality of the situation.
"I--I'm sorry, I thought this was the boys' changing room," he stammered, his voice cracking slightly.
Yui raised an eyebrow at him, the towel barely clinging to her as she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to maintain some semblance of composure.
"Did you seriously just walk into the girls' locker room?" she asked, her tone both incredulous and slightly annoyed. There was a moment of silence, and Ren couldn't decide if he was more mortified or confused by the entire situation.
"I--I didn't mean to!" Ren exclaimed, his hands flailing in front of him as though trying to physically push the situation away. "I--I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" His voice grew increasingly frantic. "I wasn't thinking clearly--I didn't know, I just--I..."
Yui sighed deeply, rolling her eyes. She looked as though she was going to say something, but before she could, Ren took another step back toward the door, desperate to escape the tension. But in his hurry, he tripped on a stray towel that had fallen to the floor. With a sharp gasp, Ren lost his balance and fell forward, his hands instinctively reaching out to break the fall.
He landed directly into the edge of a nearby locker, the sharp metal scraping his arm.
"Ah!" Ren winced in pain, but the shock of his embarrassing situation hit him harder. "Ow! Damn it..."
Yui didn't say anything for a moment. Instead, she stared at him, her expression now one of mild amusement, though there was still a hint of irritation in her eyes. "You're a real piece of work, Ren," she said, though the irritation in her voice seemed to soften.
Ren pushed himself up from the ground, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to... I'm just so disoriented today," he muttered, feeling completely defeated. His mind was all over the place, and now he'd just made a complete fool of himself.
Yui finally let out a small sigh. "It's fine, really. Just... I don't know, pay more attention next time?" She didn't sound angry, but Ren could hear the edge of sarcasm in her voice.
Ren nodded quickly, too embarrassed to speak any further. He was still processing everything--how he had ended up in the girls' locker room, how his body was still on autopilot, and most of all, how Yui had reacted so calmly. The whole thing felt like a surreal nightmare that he couldn't wake up from.
"I'll just... I'll go," he muttered, backing up toward the door. "Sorry again. I'll be more careful next time."
Yui gave him a bemused look but didn't stop him. "Yeah, you should," she said, her tone finally lightening.
Ren didn't need any more encouragement. He hurried out of the locker room, feeling like he had just walked into a minefield and barely survived. The door slammed shut behind him, and for a moment, Ren leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath.
That was not how he had imagined his day going.
He couldn't remember ever feeling so mortified before. But in some twisted way, he also felt this strange flutter in his chest--like an electric jolt of excitement mixed with his embarrassment. He couldn't even understand why.
With a deep breath, Ren wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and tried to shake off the awkwardness. He couldn't afford to let his mind linger on this moment for too long. It was already hard enough trying to make sense of the bizarre feelings he had been experiencing with Yui. This was just another layer of confusion on top of it all.
He glanced at his watch and sighed, already dreading the rest of the day. He had to keep his composure--no more weird accidents, no more embarrassing moments.
At least, that's what he told himself.
Ren had been so focused on the strange situation unfolding in the locker room that he barely paid attention to what happened next. After Yui's teasing comment about swapping clothes, Ren did exactly what she asked without fully processing the weirdness of it all. He reluctantly grabbed the gym clothes she had thrown at him, and they began to change. But in his hurry, something slipped past his notice--he had mistakenly grabbed Yui's bag instead of his own.
It wasn't until Yui had already finished changing into his gym clothes and left the locker room that Ren noticed the mistake. He was standing in front of the mirror, tugging on his shirt, when he glanced down at the bag. He hadn't thought much of it at first, but as he opened it to gather his things, his stomach sank.
He blinked at the contents--this wasn't his bag. He pulled out what was obviously a girl's bag, not his own gym bag. Ren's heart began to race as he fumbled through the unfamiliar items. There was a makeup pouch, a hairbrush, and other personal items he couldn't quite recognize. Ren quickly shoved it back into the bag, feeling the awkwardness wash over him.
"Wait... Where's my stuff?" Ren muttered to himself, panic rising in his chest. "I grabbed the wrong bag..."
He quickly scanned the locker room, realizing there was no sign of Yui anymore. She was long gone. He cursed under his breath, silently cursing the situation. He'd gone and done it again. But now, he was left with no way to change back into his own clothes.
Frustrated, Ren slumped back against the lockers, his face burning with embarrassment. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't very well walk around in his gym clothes--he needed to go home. But without his own uniform or bag, Ren had no other option.
With a sigh, Ren grabbed the only clothes available to him--Yui's clothes. They were loose on him, clearly not meant for someone of his build. He felt the awkwardness of the situation sink in deeper as he pulled on the shirt and shorts, trying to make the best of the mess he'd created.
Ren eyed himself in the mirror, cringing at the reflection staring back at him. The clothes were a little too tight in some places and far too loose in others, but at least they covered him. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling completely out of place in this situation. Why did everything have to be so complicated? One stupid mistake after another, and now he was walking around in Yui's clothes.
Reluctantly, Ren grabbed his shoes and slung the bag over his shoulder. He didn't have a choice but to walk home like this. His pride was shot to pieces, and all he wanted was to get out of there and return the clothes to Yui. He just hoped she wouldn't be too angry.
As he walked out of the locker room and toward the school gates, Ren kept his head down, trying his best to avoid anyone's gaze. He didn't know why he felt so self-conscious. Maybe it was because of the clothes, or maybe it was just the accumulated awkwardness of the day. Either way, the strange feeling of wearing Yui's clothes made him feel like a complete idiot.
By the time Ren reached the exit of the school grounds, the evening sun was casting long shadows across the pavement, signaling the end of the day. He was too embarrassed to even look at anyone, so he walked briskly, hoping to make it home before he ran into anyone who might question his outfit.
But, of course, life wasn't that simple.
As Ren made his way down the street, he spotted a group of students from school walking in the opposite direction. They all looked at him strangely, no doubt wondering why he was dressed in such an odd way. One of them, a girl with dark brown hair, raised an eyebrow as she passed by.
"Ren? What are you wearing?" she asked, clearly surprised.
Ren's heart skipped a beat, and he stammered, "Uh... long story. Just... don't worry about it."
The girl stared at him for a moment longer, then shrugged and continued walking with her friends, still casting a confused glance over her shoulder.
Ren sighed with relief but couldn't help feeling even more awkward. What had he gotten himself into? Why couldn't anything just be normal?



Yui
Her day had started off normally--perhaps even too normal. I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring, the usual sunlight creeping through the blinds, and my silver hair brushing against my pillow as I stretched. There wasn't anything extraordinary about this morning, yet for some reason, it felt different. My body moved through my routine--brushing my teeth, getting dressed, and putting on my school uniform--without the usual sense of urgency I often had. It felt like I was in a fog, as if I were watching myself from a distance.
As I walked to school, I found myself lost in thought. The streets, the people, the sounds--everything seemed to blur together in the back of my mind. I kept thinking about something, though, or maybe it was someone. It was almost like I had an inkling of something important, but I couldn't quite grasp it. It felt like an itch I couldn't scratch, a whispering in the back of my mind.
When I arrived at school and walked into the classroom, I immediately saw Ren. He was sitting in his usual spot by the window, gazing out at the distant horizon. I couldn't help but notice the way he seemed so distant today. His posture was slouched, and his expression unreadable, as if he was lost in thought. I found myself staring at him for a moment longer than usual, trying to understand what was going on with him. He didn't seem to notice, his focus still far away.
I took my seat and tried to shake off the unsettling feeling creeping into my chest. It was nothing, I told myself. Just a weird morning, that was all.
The bell rang, and the rest of the class started. I did my best to focus, but every few minutes, my thoughts kept drifting back to Ren. There was something different about him today. Something that was hard to place. It was like there was a distance between us that wasn't usually there, a barrier I couldn't get past.

The time in P.E. came quicker than I expected. We went through our usual warm-up stretches and exercises, but even the workout felt sluggish. My mind kept wandering, and I couldn't help but notice Ren again. He was, of course, doing his usual thing--quiet and reserved, his eyes focused on the task at hand. But there was an odd aura around him that I couldn't explain.
Eventually, the bell rang to signal the end of P.E., and the girls headed to the locker room to shower and change. My body moved mechanically, like it was following a script I'd memorized long ago. As I walked toward the shower area, my thoughts wandered again. But this time, it wasn't Ren that occupied my mind. It was more of a general unease--a nagging feeling that there was something off today. I couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it was there, lingering like a shadow in the back of my mind.
I undressed quickly, eager to rinse off the sweat from the workout, and stepped into the warm water. The sound of water splashing against the floor and the soft murmur of voices around me created a kind of white noise that allowed my mind to settle. For a brief moment, I felt at ease--until I heard the door to the shower area creak open.
I didn't think anything of it at first. It was probably one of the other girls, coming in late or whatever. But then, I heard the footsteps--heavy, uneven, and unsteady. My instincts kicked in, and I whipped my head around to see who it was.
To my shock, standing there with wide eyes, frozen in place, was none other than Ren.
I froze, too, my entire body going rigid with shock. My brain took a second to process what I was seeing. Ren? In the girls' shower? I could feel the blood rush to my face as I instinctively tried to cover myself, the embarrassment hitting me like a ton of bricks.
Ren's eyes widened even further when they met mine, his face turning an even deeper shade of red than mine. He quickly turned away, stammering something that didn't make sense.
"I--I'm sorry! I thought--I thought I was in the men's room!" His voice was frantic, almost pleading, as he took a step back, his face still a shade of crimson.
I stood there, completely frozen, unsure of how to react. Part of me wanted to yell at him, to demand how he could possibly mistake the girls' shower for the boys' shower. But another part of me just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. The awkwardness of the situation was suffocating.
Ren turned around completely, his back now to me, and I quickly grabbed a towel, wrapping it around myself tightly. "I--it's fine!" I stammered, my voice shaky. "Just... just go!"
He mumbled another apology under his breath, his steps quick and awkward as he hurried out of the shower area. I could hear the sound of him rushing away, his footsteps fading as I let out a long, relieved breath.
My heart was still pounding in my chest, and I felt dizzy with the embarrassment. I stood there for what felt like an eternity, trying to calm down and regain some composure. My mind was spinning. How did he end up in the wrong shower? Why was he even there?
Once I had finished in the shower, I hurried out, my mind still racing. As I walked to the locker room to get dressed, I found myself shaking my head. What had just happened? I couldn't make sense of it. The feeling of his presence in the shower lingered like a weight, and I couldn't stop thinking about how awkward it had been.

I grabbed my bag and quickly changed into my clothes, trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling out of control. But then I realized something that made my stomach drop.
The bag in front of me... wasn't mine.
My heart skipped a beat as I stared at it. I'd been so distracted earlier that I hadn't noticed, but now, it was clear as day. The bag was not mine--it was Ren's. Panic surged through me as I opened it up, only to find his jacket and a few other items that definitely weren't mine.
How did this happen?
I rifled through the bag in a panic, but I found nothing of mine. I was in Ren's clothes. I quickly pulled on his jacket and shoes, feeling my face heat up again. I couldn't explain it. How had his things ended up in my bag?
I didn't have any time to think about it further, though. There wasn't much I could do. So, reluctantly, I gathered my things, zipped up the bag, and tried to forget what had just happened.

The rest of the day was a blur of awkward interactions. I could feel the eyes of the other girls on me, whispering, no doubt wondering why I was wearing Ren's jacket and shoes. I felt like an imposter in my own skin. Every time I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror or window, it struck me again. I'm wearing his clothes.
It felt... wrong. Not that I minded wearing something a little different, but the whole situation made me feel out of place, like I didn't belong in this world. My mind kept flashing back to the shower incident--Ren's wide eyes, the heat of my face, and the strange tension that had filled the air after he left.
By the time school ended, I was exhausted. I felt emotionally drained, like all the awkwardness and confusion had caught up to me. But still, as I walked home, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something had changed. It wasn't just that incident. It was something deeper, something I couldn't quite figure out yet.
I stopped in a nearby park, taking a seat on a bench and staring out at the street. The sounds of the city around me felt distant, like I was in a dream. I couldn't stop thinking about Ren. Why did everything about him feel so strange today? Why was he acting the way he did? Why did I feel so... different?
I didn't expect to see Ren at the park today. The strange, off feeling from earlier in the day still lingered, and it wasn't exactly helped by the fact that I was still wearing his clothes. I tried to ignore the awkwardness of it, but it stuck with me, making everything feel a little off-balance.
Then, I saw him. Ren was standing near the park gate, looking as confused as I felt, wearing my clothes.
I froze.
There he was, wearing my jacket, my shoes, my bag. It wasn't just a casual mix-up, either. He was in my whole get-up, the one I wore every day to school. The realization hit me hard. I didn't know how, but somehow, he was dressed like me, and I was dressed like him. We'd somehow swapped clothes.
Ren didn't seem to notice me at first. He was staring at something in his hand, and I almost considered turning around and leaving before he noticed. But before I could, he lifted his head, his eyes meeting mine.
"Yui?" Ren blinked, looking me up and down like he was seeing something totally unfamiliar. "Why are you wearing...?"
I crossed my arms, embarrassed. "Uh, well, I don't know. I just ended up in your clothes."
Ren's face morphed from confusion to mild amusement as he glanced down at himself. "Yeah, that's... that's weird. But it's not like I planned to wear your stuff either," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't steal your clothes, I swear."
I rolled my eyes, feeling the heat rise to my face. I was so caught off guard that I could only manage a half-laugh. "I didn't think you did. But this is... a lot."
Ren's face was turning a little red, and for some reason, it made me feel a little better about the situation. He was just as uncomfortable as I was. It wasn't like this was his fault, and we were both just stuck in this ridiculous situation.
We both stood there, looking at each other, neither of us knowing what to do next. The whole thing felt like a prank or a mix-up in some ridiculous story, but here we were.
"Maybe we should... I don't know, swap back somehow?" Ren said, scratching his head.
I nodded. "That sounds like the best idea."
I wasn't entirely sure how to go about fixing it. Should we change back in front of each other? That felt too awkward to even consider, but I guess we didn't really have a choice. We had to figure out how to make this all normal again, or at least pretend it was.
"Let's head to the park bench over there," I suggested. "It's quieter."
Ren agreed, and we started walking. The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable--just strange. We both knew this situation was ridiculous, but there was no point in acting like it wasn't happening.
Once we reached the bench, we sat down. Neither of us said much for a moment, just letting the absurdity of everything settle in.
"So," Ren said after a while, his voice a little strained, "Do you think we should... change?"
I glanced at him and couldn't help but smirk at how awkward he looked in my clothes. They were a little too big on him, just like they were a little too small on me. It was like we were both wearing costumes that didn't quite fit, but we were making do.
"Yeah, we probably should," I said. "It's not exactly comfortable like this."
Without any more hesitation, Ren stood up and turned away from me, clearly trying to give me some space. I did the same, both of us trying to figure out how to handle this weird situation with the minimum amount of embarrassment.
After a moment, Ren called over his shoulder, "Hey, do you think this is all just... a weird coincidence?"
I had to laugh at that. "Coincidence? I don't know. But it's something, that's for sure."
We changed quickly, mostly just eager to get back to the familiar. The moment we were back in our own clothes, I felt a little more grounded. But I also couldn't shake the thought that we'd just spent the entire day like this.
Ren turned back to me, now wearing his own clothes again, looking a bit more like his normal self. "Well, I guess that's over with," he said, grinning awkwardly. "We can go our separate ways now."
I nodded, feeling a little lighter. "Yeah, I guess so."
But as we parted ways, I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. This wasn't normal, not by any stretch of the imagination. But it wasn't the worst thing, either. It was just... weird. We had both worn each other's clothes for a while, and nothing had exploded or gone terribly wrong.
It wasn't ideal, but we had handled it without any major disasters. Maybe that was something to be grateful for.
As I walked home, I couldn't help but wonder how Ren was feeling about all of this. Was he going to think about it the way I did? Or was it just another strange day that would fade into the back of his mind?
Either way, it felt like something had shifted. Even if it was just a little thing, I felt a little different. Like we had crossed some sort of invisible line without even meaning to.



Chapter 2:A Chance
I never thought I'd find myself in a situation like this. Wearing Yui's clothes? And she's in mine? It all seemed so random at first, but now that I was standing here in her clothes, a part of me was starting to feel like this might be one of those moments you'd never forget.
Yui and I hadn't really talked much after we switched back to our own outfits earlier. I mean, we both tried to act like it didn't happen, but it kind of lingered, you know? There was a weird tension, an unspoken understanding that this wasn't a normal day. At least, not for me. I couldn't stop thinking about how she looked in my clothes. It wasn't just the jacket that hung a little awkwardly on her--there was something about the way she carried herself in them that made me wonder if we were both seeing each other differently.
Anyway, now that I was back home, I just couldn't shake it off. My thoughts kept drifting back to her, to that awkward encounter when we swapped outfits. And then, out of nowhere, I got this wild idea. What if we swapped clothes again? Not because we had to, but because--well, I guess, I wanted to see it again. I wanted to see her in my clothes, and I wasn't sure why, but it felt like a fun idea.
So, after a few minutes of contemplating, I texted her.
"Hey, wanna meet up again and try this one more time? But this time, let's keep the clothes on."
I wasn't sure if she'd reply or just think I was crazy, but a minute later, my phone buzzed.
"Sure. This is getting weird, but I guess it could be fun."
I grinned. Typical Yui. Always up for something strange but fun. We agreed to meet in the park again.
When I got there, she was already waiting for me. She had her arms crossed, her usual calm expression on her face, but her eyes betrayed a little excitement. She was just as nervous as I was, even if she didn't want to admit it.
"You ready?" I asked, my voice a little more lighthearted than I expected. I was half-expecting her to tell me I was being ridiculous, but instead, she nodded and smiled.
"Yeah. Let's do it. It's not like it could get any weirder."
She started by pulling off her jacket and offering it to me. I took it without hesitation, already feeling that strange rush in my chest as I slipped into her clothes. It wasn't like I was particularly excited about wearing a girl's jacket or anything, but there was something about it. Something about the way it felt on me. The fit was slightly different, but it was comfortable in an unexpected way. And as I zipped it up, I couldn't help but glance at Yui, who was pulling on my jacket.
She looked... different. No, not just the clothes. There was something in her posture, in the way she moved. It was like she was a completely different person when she wore my stuff. I had never really noticed how much our clothes defined us until now.
Yui turned to face me, and her face lit up with a mischievous grin. "Well, look at us now. What do you think? How do I look?"
I blinked, not quite sure how to respond. "You look... like me," I said, my voice a little unsure. She seemed to find that amusing.
"Good, right?" she laughed, twirling around a little. "I'm just as awkward as you now, aren't I?"
I couldn't help but laugh too, the sound a little more genuine than I expected. "Yeah, you're right. You look pretty ridiculous."
She shot me a playful look. "Hey, don't be mean. I think I look good. I can see why you wear this stuff."
We both just stood there, looking at each other in this strange role reversal, and something inside me stirred. This wasn't just a game. There was a part of me that wanted to see her more like this--wearing my clothes, looking like me. It wasn't that I wanted her to change or be someone else, but there was something fascinating about seeing her in my skin, and I couldn't quite place it. The connection between us was growing, even though neither of us was saying it out loud.
Yui's voice broke through my thoughts. "You look good in my stuff too, you know. It's weird, but... it kind of suits you."
I couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Really? I thought I looked like an idiot."
"Maybe, but you're a cute idiot." She grinned, and I could feel my cheeks warm up. There was a playfulness in her words that made me feel strangely... light. Like I didn't have to be serious or overthink everything.
And then, without thinking, I reached out and pulled her into a small spin, making her twirl around in my jacket. She let out a surprised laugh, a laugh that was full of life and lightness. It was the kind of laugh I had only heard in passing, but this time, I felt like I was really hearing it. And maybe that's what it was. Maybe it wasn't about the clothes at all. It was about being able to see the other person in a different light.
We spent the next few hours just playing around. We laughed like crazy. We made jokes, teased each other, and joked about how ridiculous we must've looked to anyone walking by. It felt easy. The tension I'd felt earlier, the awkwardness--it was all gone now, replaced with this new kind of comfort I hadn't known we could share.
At one point, I felt a slight tug at my chest, a feeling that I couldn't shake. I looked over at Yui, and she was sitting on the bench, her eyes far off, her expression softer than I had ever seen. She seemed almost peaceful.
"Yui?" I said her name, and she turned to me with that smile I'd come to recognize. But this time, there was something different about it. She wasn't just smiling at me. She was smiling with me.
"Yeah?" she asked, her voice light but still with an edge of something deeper.
"I think I'm starting to get what this is all about."
She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
I swallowed hard, trying to find the words. "It's not just about the clothes. It's about... seeing each other in a new way. I think maybe, after all this, I don't just see you as the girl who's always around. I'm seeing you more than that. I'm seeing... you, you know?"
Her eyes widened just a little, and for a moment, I thought I might've overstepped. But then, she just smiled again, a little softer this time.
"I think I get it," she said quietly.
And in that moment, I knew. It wasn't just the clothes, or the situation. It was the way we'd connected, the way we'd spent time in each other's shoes--literally--and now, it was starting to feel like something more. Something that was real. And maybe that's when I realized--I was starting to feel something for her.
Something beyond the awkwardness. Beyond the jokes and laughs. I was starting to see her, really see her.
And it felt... right.



It had been one of those days--those days where everything felt slightly off, but in a way that felt strangely right. The day Yui and I exchanged clothes. The day we swapped our jackets, shirts, and shoes until we looked completely ridiculous. It wasn't exactly planned, not in any way that made sense, but somewhere along the line, it became our little ritual. I think we both liked it for reasons we weren't fully ready to admit to ourselves.
At first, I thought we'd be laughing it off, making fun of each other for how weird we looked. But, for some reason, it wasn't like that. It was like slipping into someone else's skin, but in a way that didn't feel foreign at all. It felt... familiar. Almost too familiar.
"Come on, Ren," Yui said as she handed me her jacket with a teasing grin, "you gotta admit, you look better in this than you think."
I wasn't sure if she was joking or serious, but the way she said it, I couldn't help but laugh. My hand slipped into the sleeve, and before I knew it, I was standing there in her clothes, staring at myself in the reflection of the park's glass walls. Yui was standing there, too, wearing my jacket, her arms crossed in a way that made me feel weirdly protective. But more than that, there was something... different about her, something I couldn't quite place.
I looked at her, my breath catching in my chest. For some reason, seeing her in my jacket--her silver hair, her light eyes, the casual way she wore my clothes--made her seem so much more... real.
"You look... good," I found myself saying before I could stop myself.
Yui raised an eyebrow, looking me over with an almost unbothered expression. "You think so?"
There was something about the way she spoke to me in that moment. It wasn't like how she normally talked. It was like she was actually seeing me for the first time, the way I saw her in her clothes. It was strange, and a little unsettling, but also--somehow--comforting. It felt like we were stepping into a world where the rules didn't apply. Where we could be whoever we wanted, even if it was just for a moment.
We spent the evening in the park, wandering around with no real plan. The air was cool, but warm enough that we could walk slowly, side by side, in a way that felt casual but intimate at the same time. We spoke about anything and everything--school, our friends, what we were going to do in the future--but somehow, it all felt deeper, more real than it ever had before. As if every word spoken between us was somehow woven into the thread of our growing connection.
Eventually, I couldn't ignore it anymore. I felt this pull toward her, something growing inside of me. I had to admit to myself that something had shifted. There was a change. It was small, barely noticeable, but it was enough to make my chest tighten when I saw her smile, when I heard her laugh, when I looked at her like this.
"Hey," I said, my voice quieter now, "do you think this is... weird?"
Yui glanced at me, her silver hair catching the soft light of the streetlamps as she shrugged. "Maybe. But... does it feel weird to you?"
I took a breath, trying to hold back my emotions. "It doesn't. It just feels... I don't know. Real."
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze softening. "Yeah. I guess I feel that way, too."
It was a simple conversation. Yet, somehow, it made my heart race. For the first time, I didn't feel like I was pretending or wearing a mask. I felt like I was standing here with her, as myself. But more than that--something about seeing her as me made everything feel different. I couldn't quite explain it, but I could feel the connection between us shifting. Growing.
As we continued walking through the park, I found myself taking little glances at her more often, noticing things I never really paid attention to before. Her laugh was light and carefree, but there was a quiet sadness in her eyes, something I hadn't noticed before. I wanted to ask her about it. I wanted to understand her better, but I didn't know how.
Then, something unexpected happened. Without thinking, I reached over and gently tucked a loose strand of her silver hair behind her ear. The touch was brief, but as soon as my fingers made contact with her skin, something inside me sparked. I froze for a second, but she didn't pull away. She just looked at me, her expression softening, almost as if she were waiting for me to do something else.
I didn't know what I was doing, but in that moment, I just... felt. And it wasn't just about being in each other's clothes anymore. It was something deeper. Something that had been growing, building slowly until it was finally bursting out of me. I felt like I needed to protect her, be there for her, like she meant more to me than I could explain. But it was so sudden. So unexpected.
Before I could say anything, Yui spoke, her voice quiet, but steady. "I think... I think I'm starting to understand."
I blinked. "Understand what?"
She smiled softly, a knowing look in her eyes. "What this is. What this feels like."
And then, for the first time in a long while, I felt like I wasn't alone in this. Like Yui and I were starting to see each other, really see each other, for the first time. We weren't just exchanging clothes anymore. We were exchanging parts of ourselves, and it felt... right.
But the next morning, as always, we forgot.

For the next 90 days, the cycle continued. Every morning, we'd wake up with no memory of the night before. We'd walk through our days, acting like everything was normal, as if nothing had changed. But each night, it would happen again. We'd meet at the park, dressed in each other's clothes, laughing, playing, and sometimes--without realizing it--becoming something more.
And every time, the same thing would happen. We'd start to feel the connection grow. I'd notice how her eyes softened when she looked at me, how her laugh would make my heart skip a beat. I'd notice how she looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time, and I'd wonder if she could feel the same pull toward me that I felt toward her.
But no matter how hard we tried to hold onto the moments, we always forgot when the morning came. It was like waking up from a dream, and no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't remember the details.
We went on like this for a while a few month,each of us locked in this strange, beautiful cycle. And, at the end of it, something changed. Something clicked. We didn't need to say the words out loud, but we both knew it, deep down.
The night of the last exchange came. It was one of those clear, crisp nights where the stars were brighter than usual, and the air smelled like the coming of spring. We met at the apple tree again, the same one where it all began. We were both dressed in each other's clothes, as usual, but this time felt different. It wasn't just about playing anymore. It wasn't just about dressing up or pretending to be someone else. It was about us--really us.
I looked at her, my heart beating faster as I realized I didn't want to forget this time. I didn't want to wake up and pretend that nothing happened.
"Yui," I said softly, my voice trembling slightly. "What if... what if we didn't forget this time?"
She looked at me, her silver hair glowing in the moonlight. "What do you mean?"
I reached out, taking her hand in mine. "What if we remembered? What if we didn't let this go?"
For the first time, we didn't need to say anything else. We didn't need to explain it. Because we both understood. We had spent 90 days pretending to be each other, and somewhere along the way, we had stopped pretending. We had fallen in love. And this time, when the morning came, we wouldn't forget.
Not anymore.



Yui
It started off as a simple game. A silly idea, really. The kind of thing that should have faded by the next day, but somehow it didn't. I never thought that dressing in Ren's clothes, or having him wear mine, would lead to this strange, almost magical feeling between us. But it did.
At first, I thought it was just a fun thing we were doing for laughs. A way to escape our own identities for a moment. To feel different, to live a life we could never really have. But when I slipped into Ren's clothes for the first time, I felt something... deep. I couldn't explain it, but the sensation was undeniable. The way his jacket hung on me, too big and yet strangely comforting, felt like I was inhabiting a part of him. It felt... real.
I watched Ren take my jacket, the one I was wearing, and slip it on. He looked ridiculous at first, but then something shifted in me. I couldn't take my eyes off him. His posture, the way he hesitated before fully settling into my clothes, the way he touched the fabric as though it was unfamiliar.
"You look good," I said, not really thinking. But when he smiled, something inside me twisted, something unspoken.
I had always known Ren--he was my classmate, my friend--but this moment, standing there in the park, dressed like each other, it felt like I was meeting him all over again. I saw him differently. I saw him truly. It was strange. The normal Ren, the one I saw every day, was always distant, always a little too serious for me. But now? Now he seemed... almost familiar in a way I couldn't explain.
We didn't need to say anything. The silence between us spoke volumes. We started walking, side by side, and it felt like we were on the same wavelength, as though our words were unnecessary. Every step I took in his shoes, every movement I made in his clothes, brought me closer to understanding something about him. Something deeper.
It wasn't long before we ended up in the heart of the city, at an anime convention, walking around in each other's clothes. There was something freeing about it, something thrilling. The whole place was a blur of colors, cosplayers, and excitement, but all I could focus on was Ren--well, myself, dressed in his jacket and pants. I noticed the little things--the way he held himself, the way people greeted him, the way they looked at him like they knew him.
We roamed through the convention, laughing at the strange costumes, playing around, teasing each other like we hadn't before. But the deeper we went into the crowds, the more something shifted inside me. It wasn't just a game anymore. It wasn't just pretending to be someone else. I felt... I don't know how to put it--closer to him, somehow. Maybe it was the anonymity of the whole thing. Or maybe it was because I was finally seeing him the way he saw himself. But the moment he took my hand, walking through the aisles of the convention, I knew.
I knew something was different. I knew that I wasn't just playing anymore. I was feeling. I was falling for him.
But, just like every time, the morning after came.

The next day, when I woke up, everything felt... wrong. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the moment I opened my eyes, the memories from the night before were blurry. All I knew was that I had gone to sleep in my own clothes, but my heart felt heavier than it should have. Something was missing.
I shrugged it off. It wasn't the first time it happened. Every morning, I would wake up with no memory of what we had done the night before. It was like waking up from a dream, where nothing stayed with you except a faint feeling that something important had happened.
But I didn't know what that something was.

We continued the same cycle for about a few month. Every evening, Ren and I would meet at the park, exchanging clothes, each of us pretending to be the other. Every night, I felt myself fall deeper and deeper into something I couldn't control, something that felt too intense, too real for me to understand.
I would catch myself staring at him--me--the way he moved, the way he looked in my clothes, the way he smiled. And I would think, What is this? Why does it feel like we're more than just friends? Why does it feel like we're something else entirely?
When he laughed, it made my heart race. When he looked at me--really looked at me--I felt a warmth spread through my chest, something soft and fragile, like it could break at any second. It was strange, but in that moment, I realized how much I had started to care for him. Maybe I had always cared for him in some way, but now it was different. Now, it was something more.
He would ask me things like, "Do you think we'll forget tomorrow?" or "Do you think we'll always remember tonight?" And I'd smile, my heart aching. If only we could remember.
But every morning, it was the same. The memories slipped through my fingers like sand, and I woke up to a world where nothing had changed, where I had no recollection of what had happened the night before.

On the last night of our exchange, we met again beneath the apple tree, just like we always did. But this time, I knew it would be different. This time, something in me couldn't ignore it any longer. I couldn't pretend that everything was fine, that nothing had changed.
Ren stood there, dressed in my clothes, and I in his, as usual. But the difference was that I felt a deep ache in my chest, a desire to not let go. To not forget. For once, I didn't want to wake up and let the day erase everything that had happened the night before.
"Ren," I said, my voice trembling, "What if we didn't forget this time?"
He turned toward me, his eyes soft, understanding. "What if we didn't?"
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the weight of his words wrapping around me. I didn't know what to say. All I knew was that I couldn't lose him--not after all this. Not after everything we had shared.
I took a step toward him, my hands trembling slightly as I reached out. His eyes met mine, and for a moment, we just stood there, frozen in time. The air around us was still, the world beyond the apple tree fading into the background.
"I think I'm falling in love with you," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He smiled, his own voice barely above a whisper as he replied, "I think I'm falling in love with you too."
And in that moment, I knew. I knew that I couldn't forget. I didn't want to forget.






Chapter 3:Fogeting
The air was thick with the unsaid. There was a kind of silence that seemed to weigh down on everything, making it feel like even the stars were holding their breath. Every step I took toward the apple tree felt like the last step I would ever take in this life, like the last moment I would have to hold onto something real. But it wasn't real, was it? The truth was already there, etched into the space between us: we were forgetting each other. Slowly. Painfully.
I had been walking in a haze. My mind was too full, too heavy with emotions I couldn't understand, much less articulate. The day had dragged on like every other, and I had pushed down the tightness in my chest, pretending I could still breathe, pretending I was fine. But I wasn't fine. I hadn't been for a while.
I had felt the distance growing between us for days--weeks, even. I had no memory of the moments we shared the night before. No memory of her laughing at something stupid I'd said, of us swapping clothes, of the warmth that had slowly built between us. Every morning, I would wake up, and the memories from the previous night would slip through my fingers like water. I tried to fight it. I tried to hold on, but it was like trying to hold onto smoke.
But tonight... tonight was different. There was something inside me, some small, desperate part of me that knew we were running out of time. That something would happen tonight that we could never get back. And so, I walked to the apple tree. My footsteps felt too loud against the quiet night, too heavy as if the world knew what was coming.
When I reached the tree, I stopped. There she was.
Yui.
She stood beneath the branches of the apple tree, just like we always did. The pale moonlight bathed her in its soft glow, and for a second, I thought I saw the same Yui I had met months ago--the one who had laughed with me, who had exchanged clothes with me, who had shared parts of herself with me that I would never be able to forget, even if I wanted to.
But that was before. Now, she seemed like a shadow of herself. Her silver hair was soft in the breeze, but there was a dullness in her eyes that made her seem so far away. The spark I used to see in her was gone, replaced with something I couldn't name. Something empty.
She didn't look at me when I first called her name. She just stood there, looking at the ground, as though she were waiting for something... or someone. For a moment, I wondered if she knew what I was thinking. If she knew that I was losing her. Or if she, too, was fighting against the quiet tug of forgetfulness that had already begun to steal us from each other.
But then, she turned.
And for a split second, I saw her. I saw Yui.
Her eyes were glassy with tears, but there was recognition there, too. Recognition of what we were, what we had been, and what we were about to lose.
"Ren..." she whispered.
Her voice trembled with the weight of it all. There was no need for more words. She didn't have to ask me why I was here. She didn't need to tell me that she had been feeling the same ache, the same pain of losing something precious. We both knew.
I took a step toward her, my heart pounding in my chest. My feet felt heavy, unwilling to move, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. I reached for her hand, my fingers trembling as I touched her. She didn't pull away.
"Yui," I whispered, barely able to form the words. "Please... don't forget. Please, don't let me forget you."
The silence stretched between us, suffocating and thick, before she finally spoke again. Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she were speaking to herself as much as to me. "I can't stop it, Ren. I can't stop it. Every morning, I wake up, and it's like... like nothing ever happened. Like we were never here."
I felt a pang in my chest. I wanted to scream, to shout, to tell her that we could fight it, that we could make it stop. But I knew it wouldn't work. I had tried. She had tried. And every time, we woke up the next morning with the same empty feeling. The same ache in our hearts.
But this time... this time, I wasn't going to let it end like that.
I stepped closer to her, my heart pounding harder than ever. "I don't want to forget you," I said, my voice shaking. "I don't want to lose this. I don't want to lose you."
She reached up, her hand gently cupping my face. The warmth of her touch was like a lifeline, pulling me out of the drowning sea of uncertainty that had surrounded me. "Ren..." she whispered, and I could hear the emotion in her voice. "You won't. You won't lose me. Even if I forget you, even if we forget everything, I will never truly forget you. You've been in my heart from the moment we met."
Her words were like a balm on the raw wound in my chest. But they also stung, because I knew they weren't enough. No matter how much we wanted to hold onto each other, no matter how badly we both wished we could make it stop, we couldn't. The universe had already decided. The memories we shared would fade, and with them, we would fade too.
I closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face. I had never felt so helpless. "I love you, Yui. I don't care if we forget each other tomorrow. I love you."
And then, I kissed her.
It was soft at first, tentative, like we were both afraid to hold onto something too tightly. But as the kiss deepened, I realized there was nothing to be afraid of. There was only the here and now. There was only us.
The world seemed to stop around us. The sounds of the night faded away. There was only the rhythm of our hearts, the gentle touch of her hands on my skin, the taste of her lips that I would never forget. I didn't know if I was kissing her goodbye or if I was kissing her because we had finally found something worth holding onto.
But as the kiss broke, and I pulled away, I saw it in her eyes. The same sadness, the same deep, aching sorrow that mirrored mine. We both knew. This was it.
The world was moving on without us. And so were we.
Yui stepped back, her hands falling away from me, leaving a cold emptiness where her warmth had been. She looked at me one last time, her silver eyes full of tears, and whispered, "Goodbye, Ren."
I didn't say anything. I couldn't. What could I say? I had already said everything I needed to say in that kiss.
And so, we let go. We let go of each other, knowing that this was the last time we would ever be able to hold on.
I turned away, my heart breaking with every step I took away from her. I couldn't look back. I couldn't. Because if I did, I knew I would fall apart.



Yui
The air was impossibly still, as though the world was holding its breath, waiting for something I knew was coming but couldn't bear to face. There was a quiet sadness that had settled over me in the last few days, a sadness that crept into my heart with every passing hour.
I couldn't explain it. I couldn't even put it into words. But as each day passed, the connection between Ren and I seemed to weaken. It felt like we were slipping through each other's fingers, our memories fading with the dawn, and I couldn't stop it.
I felt it too--the emptiness. The sharp ache in my chest that had become all too familiar. We were forgetting. Forgetting the things we had shared, the times we had laughed together, the way we had fallen into each other's lives like two lost souls finally finding a home.
But I wasn't ready to forget him. Not yet.
Tonight, I had walked to the apple tree, as I always did, drawn to it like a magnet. I knew he would be there. He had to be. There was a pull between us--unspoken, unacknowledged, but there all the same. It had become our place, our little sanctuary. The tree where we shared our deepest thoughts, our silly moments, our most real selves.
I stood there beneath its branches, feeling the cool night air wash over me. The moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting soft shadows around me, but it couldn't chase away the heaviness I felt. My thoughts were a mess. The weight of the moments we were losing pressed down on me, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was all slipping away for good.
The sound of footsteps pulled me out of my reverie. I turned and saw Ren walking toward me.
For a moment, I didn't know what to say. I wasn't sure if I should even say anything. The words that had once come so easily to us felt distant now, like they belonged to a different time, a different version of ourselves. But when his eyes met mine, all of those worries, all those doubts, seemed to fade away.
It was just him. It was just Ren.
"Yui..." His voice was barely a whisper, but it hit me like a wave. The way he said my name--so softly, so tenderly--told me everything I needed to know. He knew what I was feeling. He felt it too.
I couldn't speak. Instead, I just nodded, feeling the weight of my own emotions threatening to overtake me. I wanted to say something profound, something that would make this all feel like it mattered. But the truth was that no words would be enough.
I couldn't keep pretending that everything was okay. I couldn't pretend that it wasn't slipping through our fingers.
Ren stepped closer, his gaze never leaving mine. My heart pounded in my chest. I was so scared. Scared of losing him. Scared of forgetting him. Scared of forgetting us.
And then, it was like he could hear my thoughts. He reached out, his hand gently cupping my face. I closed my eyes at the warmth of his touch, leaning into it, trying to hold onto something real, something that wasn't slipping away.
"Yui," he whispered again, this time with more desperation, "Please don't forget me. I don't want to forget you."
His words broke me. I felt my chest tighten, a lump forming in my throat. Tears pricked at my eyes, but I fought them back.
"I can't stop it," I said, my voice trembling. "I can't stop it. Every morning, it's like... it's like I don't remember. It's like we were never here."
I hated myself for saying it. Hated myself for admitting the truth. But it was the truth. We were forgetting. We were losing each other, piece by piece. And I didn't know how to stop it. I didn't know how to make it better.
Ren's eyes filled with sorrow, and I saw the same anguish in him that I felt. He was scared. Just like me. But he was also determined. I saw it in the way he held my face, in the way he stepped closer, as if trying to close the distance between us that had been slowly widening.
"I don't want to forget you either," he said. "I don't want to lose what we have. Even if I forget you tomorrow... even if I don't remember this moment... I'll never forget you. You'll always be in my heart."
I felt the tears fall then. Silent and heavy. I didn't wipe them away. I didn't try to stop them. Because I knew he was right. Even if we forgot each other tomorrow, even if we never remembered these moments, a part of us would always be with the other. A part of me would always be with him.
And that was enough.
"I love you, Yui," Ren said, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't care if we forget each other every single day. I love you."
The words hit me like a tidal wave. The tears came harder now, flooding my vision. I didn't have the words to respond. How could I? What could I say to something like that?
But I didn't need words. I stepped forward, closing the space between us, and before I even realized what I was doing, I kissed him.
It was slow at first, tentative, as if we were both afraid of letting go of what little we had left. But as the kiss deepened, I felt something inside me shift. All the uncertainty, all the fear--it melted away. There was only the moment. There was only him and me.
When we finally pulled away, breathless and teary-eyed, I looked at him. I saw the love in his eyes, the same love that had been growing between us over the last few months. And for the first time in a long time, I felt peace. Even if we were losing everything else, I knew that this--that us--was real.
I didn't know how to say goodbye. I didn't want to. But I knew it was coming. We both did.
Ren stepped back, his hand slipping from my face. He looked at me one last time, and in that moment, I saw everything. I saw the love, the pain, the farewell. And I knew this was the last time I would ever see him like this.
"Goodbye, Ren," I whispered, my voice breaking.
He didn't respond. He didn't have to. I knew he was feeling the same thing I was. The same heartache.
And then, he turned away.
I watched him walk away, each step carrying him farther from me, and with every step, my heart felt a little more empty. A little more broken.
I couldn't stop the tears now. I let them fall freely, knowing that this was the last time I would be able to hold onto him.
Goodbye, Ren.



It's funny how memories work. You think you can hold onto them forever, but then, one day, they slip away like sand through your fingers. No matter how hard you try to grasp them, they vanish. They leave you with an empty feeling in your chest, a hole you can't fill, and you can't even remember what was there to begin with.
I stood by the apple tree, alone, my heart heavy with something I couldn't explain. I was so sure there was something I should remember--someone I should be searching for. But the more I tried to think about it, the more it all slipped away from me. There was a figure in my mind, someone important, but I couldn't grasp their name. I couldn't even see their face clearly.
Every morning, it felt like a new chapter. I would wake up, and the day would start over, like I was living in a loop. I would see her, but... I couldn't remember. Her face--there was something so familiar about it, something that tugged at me, but I couldn't put it together. Who was she? And why did it feel like a part of me was missing when she wasn't there?
I thought about her as I walked through the town, the feeling of longing growing stronger with every step. But I couldn't place it. I couldn't figure it out.
Something was happening. Something I didn't understand. The world felt... different.
And then I saw her.
Yui. She was standing beneath the apple tree, her silver hair catching the faint light of the moon. The same tree where we had shared our memories, our laughs, our love. I had forgotten everything--yet, when I saw her, the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place. I could feel her presence deep in my chest, like a heartbeat, something that was always meant to be there.
I approached her slowly, my heart racing in my chest. It was as if I was drawn to her, pulled by something greater than myself. But when I got close enough, I froze.
There was no recognition.
Her face was familiar, yes, but the bond we had, the love we had shared--it was gone. I couldn't remember a single moment, not a single word we had exchanged. The connection that had once been so strong was gone.
"Yui?" I whispered her name, but it felt hollow. Like it was just a name I was saying because it felt right. "I... I don't know what's happening."
She turned to me, her eyes filled with confusion and sorrow. Her lips parted, but no words came out. She looked as if she was trying to remember something too--something important, something that was slipping away from both of us.
"I... I don't know," she said softly. Her voice was fragile, as if she too had forgotten everything.
I could feel it, though--the weight of the past, the invisible thread that had tied us together. But now, it was gone. I could no longer grasp it.
She reached out for me, her hands trembling.
"I wish... I wish I could remember," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't want to forget you... but I can't remember. I... I love you, Ren."
Those words--I love you--cut through me like a knife, but it didn't make sense. It didn't feel like it should. I should have been able to respond. I should have been able to tell her I loved her too. But all I could do was stand there, my heart aching, my mind blank.
I had forgotten her.
I had forgotten everything.
And yet, there was this undeniable ache inside of me, a yearning for something I couldn't understand, something I couldn't hold onto.
I stepped forward and reached for her, my heart pounding in my chest. But when my hand brushed hers, it was like a wall came crashing down. I couldn't touch her. I couldn't hold her.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what happened. I... I can't remember."
Yui's eyes filled with tears. She looked at me with a mixture of sadness and longing, but she too seemed to know that it was slipping away.
"Ren, please," she said, her voice shaking. "I need you. I can feel it. I can feel that we're supposed to be together. But I... I don't know how."
I wanted to hold her. I wanted to make everything right. But I couldn't. It was like we were standing at the edge of a cliff, with the past and the future stretching out in front of us, and no way to bridge the gap between us.
And then, we did the only thing we could do. We embraced.
I held her tightly, even though I didn't remember why. Even though I didn't remember the moments we had shared, I knew in my soul that she was the one I wanted. But I couldn't make it last.
The memory of her was fading too quickly. The love we had built was slipping through our fingers. And with every second, I felt myself slipping away from her.
"I'll never forget you," I whispered, even though I didn't know how.
She clung to me, her tears soaking into my shirt. But deep down, I knew. We both knew.
This was the end.



Yui
It wasn't supposed to happen like this.
I had hoped--prayed--that we could hold onto something. That we could keep our love, our memories, our bond intact. But with every day that passed, it felt like I was losing him. It was like we were fading in and out of each other's lives, never able to fully hold on, never able to grasp what we had shared.
And now... Now, I couldn't even remember.
Standing beneath the apple tree, I felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. The moonlight bathed the tree in soft, silvery light, casting long shadows across the ground. But instead of feeling comforted by the tree, which had once been our meeting place, I felt like I was standing in the middle of a void--empty and alone.
Ren stood before me, his figure so familiar yet distant, as if he were a memory I could barely recall. His face, his smile--everything about him was etched into my soul, yet it felt like I was staring at a stranger. A feeling of longing twisted in my chest, but the memory of what we had shared was slipping through my mind, like water through my fingers.
I reached for him, my hand trembling as I touched his arm. It felt warm, solid. But it also felt like nothing at all. He was right there in front of me, yet I couldn't remember how we got here. I couldn't remember why we were so connected. I couldn't recall how it had started--the moments we shared, the laughter, the nights spent together. It was all fading. Each time I tried to hold onto it, it became more distant.
"Ren," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. The sound of his name felt so natural, yet it was foreign on my tongue. How could something so simple feel so wrong?
"I don't want to forget you," I choked out, my chest tightening with the weight of the words. "I can't... I can't do this without you."
But as soon as the words left my mouth, I could see his expression shift. A faint flicker of recognition passed through his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with confusion, and that cold emptiness that had taken hold of me also seemed to latch onto him. He reached out for me, and my heart skipped a beat.
But the closer he got, the further away he felt. It was like we were always just out of reach. We were standing on opposite sides of an invisible wall, unable to connect, to hold on to what had once been so real.
"I don't know what's happening," he whispered, his voice laced with uncertainty. His eyes searched mine, desperate for answers that neither of us had. "I don't remember."
Those words stung, each syllable a sharp reminder that everything we had built together was unraveling. The bond we had shared, the love that had blossomed between us--it was all gone, slipping away like a dream you try to remember but can't quite piece together.
My heart trembled. He didn't remember. He didn't remember us. And no matter how hard I tried to make him understand, no matter how much I wanted to scream the truth into his ears, I knew it was too late. We were losing each other, bit by bit.
"I... I love you, Ren," I managed to whisper, my voice breaking under the weight of the words. I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't pretend that I didn't feel it, even if he couldn't remember it. Even if it felt like a distant echo.
The look in his eyes when I said those words was devastating. There was a flicker of something there--a yearning, a sadness--but it was quickly overshadowed by the crushing weight of the confusion that lingered between us.
"I..." He hesitated, then looked away. "I don't know if I can..."
His words faded into silence, and in that silence, the truth of what was happening hit me harder than anything else could. He didn't remember. Not the love we had shared, not the laughter, the quiet moments of just being together. Everything was gone.
But I couldn't let go. Even though everything was slipping away, even though I could feel the connection between us unraveling, I couldn't walk away. He was still here, still in front of me, still Ren. And somehow, that was enough to keep me tethered to the fragments of the love we once had.
Without thinking, I threw my arms around him, pulling him into a desperate embrace. I buried my face into his chest, my tears soaking into his shirt. I could feel the warmth of his body, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. The memory of him was fading too quickly, and I couldn't stop it.
"I'll never forget you," I whispered through my sobs, even though I knew it wasn't true. Even though I knew that soon enough, I wouldn't even remember that I had said these words.
But right now, in this moment, it didn't matter. I couldn't let go of him. Not when the ache in my chest was so overwhelming. Not when I could still feel him, even if everything else was fading away.
And yet, as I held him, I could feel him pulling away too. The connection that had once been so strong, so unbreakable, was slipping through my fingers. The bond between us was unraveling. And even though I held onto him, even though I told him I loved him, I knew it was too late. We had already started to forget.
With my arms around him, I wanted to hold him close. I wanted to make sure he knew, even if we couldn't remember, that we had been something special. That we had shared something beautiful, something irreplaceable. But my mind was starting to slip, the memories fading as quickly as the night.
This was the end, I knew.
But I didn't want to let go.
"I love you," I whispered again, as my grip on him tightened, unwilling to let him slip away. "I'll always love you, even if I can't remember."
And for the last time, I held him, feeling his warmth against mine, even though we were losing each other.
We were losing everything.
But at least, for one last moment, we were together.
And that was enough.



Chapter 4: A New Memory
It had been years since that night under the apple tree. Since the memories had begun to fade and I could no longer remember the person who had once been so close to me. The world had kept moving forward, as it always did, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. Something that I was supposed to find.
It had started with a feeling. A quiet, persistent tug in my chest. I had pushed it away for so long, but today--today it was louder than ever. The quiet hum that had been there for years was now a deafening call. A need to find something, someone--anything that would make the pieces of this strange sensation fall into place.
After all, I was in Tokyo now, living the life I had always thought I'd wanted. College was fine, my job was stable. But deep inside, I knew something was wrong. I was successful, yes, but I didn't feel whole.
And that's when I realized--I had been feeling this way ever since I got here. Since moving to the city. But I never could put my finger on it. It was like a constant ache at the back of my mind, just out of reach.
I walked through the bustling streets of Tokyo, the crowds moving past me in a blur. The sky above was an endless shade of blue, the sun bright and hot. The noise of the city echoed in my ears, yet my mind was distant. I didn't know what I was searching for. But I couldn't stop walking, couldn't stop looking.
Something about today felt different. I couldn't explain it. But I knew--today would be the day.
It wasn't until I found myself in a quiet park, away from the noise of the city, that I realized I had no idea how I'd gotten here. I had been walking, just walking, trying to shake this feeling from my chest, and suddenly, I was standing in front of an old apple tree.
The sight of it sent a jolt through me, like a lightning strike to my heart. The tree stood there, its branches swaying gently in the wind, casting long shadows onto the ground. It looked the same, as if no time had passed at all. The apple tree where... where what? The memories were hazy. I couldn't grasp it.
But something inside me told me I was close. That I was standing in the place where everything had once changed. That I was about to uncover something I had long forgotten.
And then I saw her.
She was standing across from me, her silver hair gleaming in the sunlight. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. I knew her, I recognized her, but at the same time, I didn't. She wasn't a stranger, but... who was she?
I could see it in her eyes--she was just as lost as I was. We stared at each other from opposite sides of the tree, the distance between us palpable. And yet, I felt something draw me toward her. Something I couldn't ignore.
My feet moved on their own, taking me toward her, step by step. I was hesitant at first, unsure of what to expect, but the pull was undeniable. It was like gravity, pulling me toward her with a force that left me no choice but to follow.
I reached the other side of the apple tree, and I stopped. She did the same.
We stood there, facing each other. I couldn't find the words to speak, but she didn't say anything either. It felt like the entire world had paused, holding its breath. My heart raced in my chest, but I couldn't look away from her. It was as if the world was urging me to recognize her, to remember what we had shared.
But I couldn't.
I couldn't remember.
But I knew.
I knew she meant something to me. That feeling, that ache in my chest, was still there, as strong as ever. I just didn't know how to explain it. I had to tell her something, had to say something, but the words wouldn't come. It was like the past, the part of me that was tangled up in her, was locked away--out of reach.
And yet, despite everything, despite the uncertainty, I felt the urge to reach out to her. To touch her, to connect with her in some way.
"I..." My voice was shaky, my throat tight. But I needed to say it. I needed to tell her what I felt. "I don't know who you are... but I feel like I've been searching for you. I don't know why, but I can't shake this feeling that I'm supposed to know you."
There was a long pause, and then she stepped forward, closer to me, and I saw it in her eyes. The same confusion, the same longing. The same search. She had been looking for me, too.
"I... I feel the same," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I don't know you, but... I can't explain it. Something about you feels so familiar. Like I've been waiting to find you."
And just like that, everything fell into place. It wasn't a memory, not a specific moment in time, but the emotions, the connection, the bond we had shared. I didn't need to remember everything. I just needed to feel it.
I took a step forward, then another, until I was standing right in front of her. Her eyes were wide, and for a brief moment, I could see the uncertainty reflected in them. But then, something shifted.
We were so close now. I could feel her breath against my skin. I could see the way her lips parted, as if she was about to speak, but the words never came. Instead, it was as if everything between us had collapsed into silence. No need for explanations, no need for questions. The feelings were already there, unspoken.
I reached out, my hand trembling slightly as I gently cupped her face. Her skin was soft under my touch, and I could feel the warmth radiating from her. My heart raced again, louder now, and without thinking, I leaned in. My lips found hers in a soft, tentative kiss.
The world seemed to stop. The weight of all the lost time, all the forgotten moments, melted away in that instant. I could feel the years slip by, the confusion and the hurt, as if they had never existed. We didn't need to remember everything. We didn't need to have all the answers.
We just needed each other.
When we pulled away, we didn't say anything. We didn't need to. The silence spoke louder than any words could.
And as we stood there under the apple tree, I knew--this was the beginning of something new.
Something we were finally ready for.



Yui
Years had passed. So many things had changed, and yet, a part of me still felt as if I was searching for something. The feeling had lingered, haunting me, no matter how much I tried to push it away. The ache, the emptiness--like I was waiting for something, someone, that I couldn't quite remember.
I had grown up, graduated from college, started my career in Tokyo. On the outside, everything was fine. I was building the life I had always dreamed of. But there was always that missing piece, that quiet voice in the back of my mind telling me I was incomplete.
The days blurred together. I went to work, saw friends, did everything I was supposed to do--but something about today felt different. As if the world had tilted slightly, and I was about to discover something I had long forgotten.
I couldn't explain it, but it was there. A pull, a magnet that urged me to move, to do something. It was as if I was walking toward something, yet I didn't know what that was.
That afternoon, I found myself wandering the streets of Tokyo, the weight of the sun heavy on my shoulders. The city was alive, bustling, the sounds of traffic and people mingling in the air. But my mind felt distant. My steps, slow and deliberate, took me on a path I couldn't quite predict. I had no plan. I just knew I needed to find something.
The pull led me to a park--a quiet spot away from the noise of the city. I didn't know why, but it felt like I was supposed to be there. Like something was waiting for me.
I walked through the park, the trees casting long shadows over the grass, the cool breeze lifting the strands of my hair. And then, I saw it.
An old apple tree, standing alone in the middle of the green. The sight of it made my heart skip a beat, as if something inside me recognized it, but I couldn't place why. It was the strangest sensation, like dvu--but it was more than that. It was as if the tree was calling to me, reminding me of something long forgotten.
I approached it, unsure of what I was expecting to find. And then I saw him.
Ren.
He was standing across from me, his back to the tree. He looked just as confused as I felt. His eyes met mine, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. The world seemed to stop, the air thick with something I couldn't quite describe.
I didn't know him, not really, but at the same time, I did. It was a feeling deep inside me, like I had known him for years. I could see it in his eyes, too--he was just as lost as I was. But there was something more. Something that tugged at my heart.
I didn't know what to do. The words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat. I couldn't make sense of the feelings flooding through me. But one thing was clear: we were both searching for something. Something we couldn't remember, but something we could feel.
I took a step forward, and then another. Without thinking, my feet carried me to him. There was no doubt in my mind that I had to get closer, that I needed to reach him.
When I was close enough, I stopped, unsure of what to do next. My mind was racing, my heart pounding in my chest, but there was a calmness in the air. A quiet peace that seemed to surround us.
His eyes searched mine, and I could see the same confusion reflected there. He was struggling to make sense of it all, just like I was. But we didn't need to understand. We didn't need to have all the answers.
We just needed to be together.
"I... I don't know you," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "But it feels like I should."
There was a long pause before he spoke. "I feel the same way," he replied, his voice soft but certain. "I don't know who you are, but it's like I've been looking for you."
The words hung in the air, and I could feel the weight of them, the truth in them. I wasn't sure how or why, but I knew deep down that this was what I had been searching for all along. This feeling, this connection--it was familiar, like coming home after a long time.
I took another step toward him, and he did the same. There was no hesitation now, just a quiet certainty. We stood there, face to face, our eyes locked in an unspoken understanding. The world outside felt distant, as if it had faded away, leaving only the two of us.
Without thinking, I reached out. My hand trembled as I cupped his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin under my fingers. His eyes widened slightly, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned into my touch, his gaze softening.
And then, before either of us could say anything else, he closed the distance between us. His lips brushed against mine, tentative at first, but then with more certainty. It wasn't a kiss full of passion or urgency--it was gentle, filled with the weight of everything unsaid. The memories that had been locked away, the bond that had never truly been broken, even after all these years.
When we pulled away, we didn't speak. There were no words that could capture the emotions that swirled between us. Everything felt right, as if the universe had brought us back together, even after all the time that had passed.
We didn't need to remember everything. We didn't need to understand it all. The connection between us was enough. It always had been.
I took a deep breath, my heart racing, and looked into his eyes once more. "I don't know how this happened, but I think... I think we were meant to find each other again."
He nodded, a small, almost sad smile on his face. "I think you're right."
And just like that, the world seemed to make sense again. We were standing there, together, under the apple tree. The place where everything had started, where everything had changed. And now, it was where everything would begin again.
As we stood there, side by side, I couldn't help but think that maybe this was the start of something new. Something beautiful. Something we had both been waiting for, without even knowing it.
The past didn't matter anymore. What mattered was the present. What mattered was this moment.
And in this moment, with him beside me, everything felt right.



Sometimes, you don't ask to many questions when your happy to remember.
The End.
Thanks to OpenAI's product: ChatGPT for helping me write, brainstorm and complete this. Thaks Miku!!! Contact: [e-mail] Do not copy