Fragments of Memory 2

Dark clouds loomed low in the sky after school. Heavy raindrops began pelting the ground outside the library window, their rhythmic patter amplifying the quiet within the room. I unconsciously opened my phone on the desk to check the weather forecast. Though I had brought an umbrella, I decided to wait for the rain to let up, thinking it would be difficult to get home without getting wet in this downpour.

I was alone in the library. I always spent time here after school to avoid contact with others. In this space filled only with silence and the sound of rain, I turned my attention to the math workbook on my desk. But something felt different today. The shadows cast by the raindrops streaming down the window seemed to create unfamiliar patterns.

Outside the window, the rain intensified. The schoolyard was enveloped in a curtain of grey rain. As I listened to the melancholy sound of rainfall, suddenly I heard something else from the courtyard.

"There, there, it's alright. You don't need to be afraid."

A gentle voice carried through the rain reached my ears. Looking through the window, I saw Yuta crouching by a bench in the courtyard with an umbrella in hand. In the pouring rain, he was reaching out and speaking to something. As I watched his gestures, I was enveloped by a strange sensation, as if hearing faint whispers from somewhere far away.

"You're soaked through. But don't worry, I'll take you somewhere warm."

I found myself standing up and walking to the window. In Yuta's hands was a drenched grey kitten, curled up and trembling. He gently reached out to the kitten and carefully lifted it up.

In that moment, small ripples spread through my heart. It felt like forgotten waves washing up from an ocean of memories. Yet rather than clear memories, they were hazy like dreams from distant days.

Gazing at the rain beating against the window, my hand naturally reached for my umbrella. As if guided by someone, I left the library and descended the stairs toward the courtyard. Each step felt strangely light, and I felt confused by how unlike myself I was acting.

"...You'll get wet."

Having reached the courtyard, I held my umbrella over Yuta.

"Oh, Sora-san?"

Yuta's eyes widened in surprise. I reflexively took a step back, meaning to leave. But I couldn't take my eyes off the trembling kitten in his arms.

"Actually, this little one seems to be in really bad shape..."

Yuta explained with a slightly troubled look while gently holding the kitten.

"Could you come with me to the vet?"

I hesitated at the unexpected request. Normally I would have refused immediately. The usual me would surely have coldly turned away. But faced with this small life shivering in the rain, I felt the ice mask I had built up over years beginning to melt little by little.

"...You can borrow my umbrella if you'd like."

Words I surprised even myself with slipped out naturally. As if someone else was speaking for me.

"Thanks. But I'd really appreciate it if you could come along. This little one is really scared... I'd feel better not being alone."

Yuta's hesitant smile stirred another wave of déjà vu deep within me—a warmth so familiar, it felt like something I had known long ago. Something inside me was definitely beginning to awaken.

By the time we finished at the vet and started heading home, the rain had stopped. The evening sky was beginning to turn purple in the humid air. A somehow nostalgic scent drifted through the rain-washed streets. The kitten had been dried off and regained some energy. Its small heartbeat resonated warmly in my arms.

"I'll keep it."

The words came out naturally, as if spilling from someone else's memories.

"Eh? But Sora-san..."

"I have a garden at my house, and I live alone so I get lonely."

As I said this, I felt confused by my own change. I felt strange sensing this self that could speak such honest feelings.

Yuta thought for a moment, then smiled gently.

"Yeah, that makes sense. We run a shop at my house, so keeping a cat would be difficult."

The kitten purred contentedly in my arms. Those small vibrations gradually warmed my frozen heart.

"How about... Ten for a name?"

I found my eyes widening at Yuta's suggestion. In that moment, another strong sense of déjà vu enveloped me. As if I had been waiting for this name "Ten" since long ago.

"Since we met when the sky was clearing up. Plus, its fur color looks like the sky after rain, don't you think?"

I nodded silently. Ten began purring even louder, as if approving of the name. I found myself smiling at the gesture.

That night, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling in my room, I was lost in thought. Why had I acted that way? Why was I struck by such strong déjà vu then? And why did the name Ten feel so perfectly fitting?

By my pillow, Ten was curled up sleeping. Listening to those peaceful breaths, I sensed definite signs of spring arriving in my long-frozen heart. It was a warmth so delicate it couldn't be touched, yet undeniably real.

Outside the window, the full moon was shining. The moonlight softly bathed Ten's grey fur, lending it a silvery glow. As I gazed at this ethereal scene, I felt certain—this meeting was no mere coincidence. Something within me, important memories that had been sealed away for a long time, were beginning to awaken bit by bit.