Even if I completely lost my memory…

Gently, the night and her company restored my heart…

Hello, my name is Isayama Tore. By some twist of fate and the randomness of life, I’ve ended up accompanying my beautiful coworker to a ‘dynamics strengthening session.’

I had to admit—I was nervous.

Many of you might be wondering, “What is a ‘dynamics strengthening session’ anyway?” I was asking myself the same thing this morning...

A little tense, I held the door open for my colleague to step inside, inhaling in the process more disinfectant vapor than was probably recommended by doctors.

Together, we walked to an open table in the center of the room, near the main stage.

Everything felt strange, like if Katy and I had suddenly started speaking the same language. I didn’t dare let my guard down, though.

“Hmm, everything okay?”

“All’s perfect…” We sat side by side, carefully positioning ourselves so we wouldn’t turn our backs on the wooden instrument.

From what I’d gathered, these ‘dynamics reinforcement sessions’ were about as close as I’d ever been to something resembling… a date.

“Two juices, one orange, one pomegranate, please.” I addressed the handsome waiter who had come to take our order.

“Ahem, so, why did you pick this place in particular?” she asked, trying to sound less tense than I was.

“This is where I come when I want to disconnect. Don’t you like it?”

“Yes, I do.” She ran her hand over the wooden table, looking at the decor and the ambiance. “It’s just… it doesn’t seem to fit you.”

“Well, you haven’t seen the best part yet. Look, do you see this?” I gestured calmly toward the black piano less than ten meters away. “Have you ever seen one of these before?”

“Hmm, no. Is it something from the old world?” She tilted her head to the side curiously, her adorable movement accompanied by the sway of her bangs and earrings.

“I thought so…” I smiled.

“Is there a problem with me not knowing it?”

“Not at all. It just makes me even more certain you’re going to love it.”

We watched as an elegant man approached the stage and took a seat in front of the instrument, ready to begin the show.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoy tonight’s performance!”

“It’s called a piano, and I don’t think you’ll ever forget it…”

Katy took a moment to glance at the wooden instrument, captivated by my statement.

As silence fell, the pianist began his spellbinding performance. That evening, he played Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

I couldn’t see it, but I was sure that with just a few notes, Katy’s breathing had shifted, hypnotized by the music.

I had hit the mark. Katy Shimizu, like most people in our time, had never experienced classical music before.

I let myself be carried away by the serenity of the piece, following each note on my imaginary piano, my left hand moving with precision.

The music reached Katy’s heart; captivated, she searched for my eyes amidst the notes.

But she couldn’t find them—I was at peace, flowing with the instrument. What she did see, however, was my fingers tapping lightly on the wooden table, the same way she’d seen me do at the office.

Surprised, she simply closed her eyes and smiled, silently admitting that my choice of bar had been flawless.

Everyone in the room seemed illuminated by the music, transported to a serene meadow of fresh grass under a calm night sky. One of those perfect moonlit nights that caress the skin of anyone who submits to its pale glow.

The piece ended five minutes later.

I opened my eyes and clapped, quickly looking to see Katy’s reaction.

She liked it…

I watched as she applauded, her gaze fixed on the wooden machine, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes glistening.

“You know, music is one of the things I love most in this world,” I said to her amidst the applause. “I’m sure that, even if I lost all my memories, I would fall in love with it all over again.”

She looked at me for a few seconds, lost somewhere between my eyes and my words, slowly letting her applause fade.

“Hey, Isayama…” she said, struggling not to break eye contact. “The other day, you asked me how it felt to have so many implants in my body…”

“Oh, right… I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to be rude—” I stopped mid-sentence as Katy reached for my hand.

Her touch was soft, warm. None of the resentment I felt toward my own implant was there. It felt real, like I was holding the hand of a goddess.

Soon, our fingers intertwined, and my heart began to race.

I never thought anything could captivate me more than the notes of that piano.

“Even with so many implants, I feel everything just like before…”

Katy…

“After all, what’s inside remains untouched.”

She placed her other hand on her chest…