Jet

“I-Isayama…” she called weakly from the bed, her voice hanging by a thread.

Dimly lit by the small lamp on my desk, the darkness of the room became the true protagonist.

“Isayama, it hurts…”

I turned from the desk, still jotting down my latest findings on the case.

“What’s wrong, Katy?”

“My body… it hurts so much.”

“Really? Let me see.” I sat beside her.

Covered by blankets despite the summer heat, her trembling limbs and vacant stare toward the ceiling painted a grim picture.

“What exactly hurts?”

“E-everything…”

I didn’t know what to say, so I simply caressed her cold cheek.

“I’m scared, I-Isayama…”

Katy…

“I don’t want to leave…”

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine,” I forced out the words, battling the lump in my throat.

My heart raced, not just from fear but from the shared symptoms of the biological weapon I carried.

In the dark, we succumbed to fate, powerless against it.

“Can you feel my hand?” I reached through the blankets for hers.

“N-no…” Her breaths were shallow and quick.

“Nothing?”

“I can’t feel anything… What’s happening to me?” She fought to hold back tears.

I couldn’t find the words. The weight of the moment crushed me, paralyzing my every muscle with regret.

I could only look into her golden eyes—dim, searching for answers I didn’t have. Fearful, teetering on the edge of the abyss.

“Hey, Katy.”

“I-Isayama…”

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

I knew her condition was critical, and the suffocating atmosphere of the room wasn’t helping. Overwhelmed by my investigation, I thought that fresh air might do us good. Who knew how many more chances we’d have?

…

Without wasting another moment, I carried her outside.

Once there, I lifted her onto my back and began to walk. Like Atlas, I bore the weight of my world— everything that mattered most.

The night was peaceful. Cool after a sweltering summer day. The distant hum of life carried on, indifferent to our quiet tragedy.

The breeze brushed our cheeks, the only solace in my punishment. Her trembling knees pressed into my back with each faltering step.

The faint lights on the horizon barely illuminated our path. I felt as though I too might collapse at any moment under the weight of my grief.

“How’s the ride? Comfortable on Horse Isayama’s back?”

She didn’t answer. Afraid of everything around her, she clung to my shoulders in silence.

“If you want, we can go to—”

“Hey, Isayama…” she murmured.

“Huh?”

“Do you think I’m going to die?”

“N-no. Uh, w-why would you say that?”

“I have a bad feeling… I don’t know where I am or who’s around me…”

The beautiful darkness of the street enveloped us.

Cars occasionally passed by, indifferent to our struggle.

“Everything hurts so much, and I don’t understand anything…”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get better soon.”

“I don’t want to die…”

“I’d never let the girl I love die. You don’t need to worry…”

“Then why can’t I remember loving you?!” Her cry was dissolved by the starry sky.

“Sometimes, we’d argue over the stupidest things… acronyms, protocols, ideals… I always loved talking to you.”

“I don’t remember that…” she said, her voice breaking.

“Sometimes, I’d just stare at you, and you’d always find my eyes in a crowd.”

“Stop.”

“There were nights when you had nightmares, and through tears, you’d come to my room and steal my bed.”

“Enough… That can’t be…”

“When we were in danger, you’d worry about me. And when I made you angry, you wouldn’t talk to me for a week… Tell me, Katy, is there anything in the world you find beautiful?”

“The other Katy is gone… I won’t be here much longer either, I forget everything I learn.”

“Doesn’t matter. I want to know what the Katy of today loves.”

“I don’t know…”

“Huh?”

Frustrated, she stretched her neck and, still on my back, kissed me on the cheek.

“Katy?”

“I guess what I love most today is spending time with you…”

Her words struck something deep within me.

Amid distant traffic lights and storefronts, I fought against the pain in my knees, pushing forward for both of us. Only the summer breeze urged me onward.

“Do you think this world is beautiful, Katy?”

“I don’t know. You’re the only thing I know in this world.” Her voice trembled.

“Then… do you still love me?” I struggled against the lump in my throat.

She took a few seconds to answer. It seemed like she was searching for the right words.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I’ll be happy as long as you’re here.”

“Idiot,” she muttered.

“There’s no need to insult me; I’ve got enough going on…”

“Didn’t I tell you I’d love you even if I lost all my memories?”

“Huh?”

“Even if I completely lost my memory, I’d fall in love with you again.” She repeated.

Her words reignited the flame in my heart, giving me the strength to keep weathering the storm.

Despite the pain in my body and the fog in my mind, her words breathed oxygen into my soul, warming me from within. It was a distant memory, faint yet undeniable, but it was there.

Even if I lost my memory…

Those words, in that exact order. I knew I’d heard them before.

The night, which was slowly consuming us, seemed to know it too.

After saying those words, she clung to my back as if afraid someone might steal her away. As if holding on to her one true memory with all her strength.

I let my gaze roam freely across the sky, holding back my tears. Letting my eyes take in the unique beauty of each star as they shone their light.

Where have I heard that phrase before…?