Volume 1. Chapter 70

The café manager looked at us with a smile as I handed him the voucher.

— Wow, you guys didn’t hold back, huh? — he joked, eyeing our massive order.

Well, how could we not? The coupon I received for setting the baseball record allowed us to pile on food, and we took full advantage. Trays filled with meat dishes, snacks, drinks, and — most importantly — a mountain of desserts.

When we reached the table, we realized there were only six chairs.

— Well, looks like we’re one chair short, — I said, already turning to ask the manager for another.

But just then, soft hands landed on my shoulders.

— Don’t worry, Ken! It’s all taken care of, — Sayaka’s cheerful voice rang out.

She gently nudged me into a seat. And the next moment...

She sat down on my lap.

— I’ll just sit here on your lap! — she declared as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The table froze.

Hayato and Saito exchanged glances, struggling not to laugh.

Naoko and Ayaka covered their mouths in shock.

And Rin…

Rin’s face flushed bright red.

She stared at the floor, pretending she wasn’t there.

But Sayaka was unstoppable.

I sighed.

— Don’t you think this is a bit much? — I asked calmly.

She smiled slyly.

— Nope. This is your reward!

— For what?

— What do you mean, “for what?” — she said, glancing away, slightly flustered. — You won the voucher that got us this meal. And… you saved me…

She trailed off.

Then added:

— Us. From those jerks.

I narrowed my eyes.

— Sounds more like punishment.

— Oh, hush! Just bear with it, — she replied with a satisfied grin, clearly not planning to move.

Rin twitched nervously but said nothing.

And so our meal began.

When it came time for dessert, Sayaka went even further.

She picked up a spoonful of creamy cake… and began feeding me.

With the spoon.

On purpose.

— Come on, open wide, Ken, — she cooed teasingly.

Saito choked on his soda.

Hayato covered his face with a hand.

Rin… seemed frozen.

— This is just torture, — I muttered but calmly opened my mouth and took the bite.

No reaction.

I. Will. Not. Be. Embarrassed.

Sayaka beamed with delight.

— That’s it! Now another bite!

I knew Sayaka’s game. If I flinched even a little, she’d take it as a win.

So I played along.

Calmly. Coolly.

Took another bite.

Then casually grabbed my straw and took a sip of strawberry milkshake.

…

What’s this?

What an incredible taste?

Strawberries? But how? I’ve never seen strawberries in my world.

And I’ve definitely never tasted them. How do I know this flavor?

Wait.

Where am I?

What’s happening?!

Something’s wrong.

I look down… and see hands.

Not mine.

These aren’t my hands!

But… I’ve seen these hands before.

I lift my gaze.

In the reflection of the phone screen, I see a face.

Ken’s face.

Lily gasped sharply.

What… what was that?!

Why… why did she see everything through Ken’s eyes?

Why did she feel his thoughts, his body?

Were those… his memories?

But… why was she seeing them now?

She closed her eyes.

Focused.

This isn’t her body.

Not her life.

Not her past.

Lily, pull it together!

She summoned all her willpower.

And…

Stepped back.

As if she retreated from the scene.

She felt like a bystander now.

No longer Ken.

She watched everything from the outside.

But it was real.

Too real.

As if she were really there.

In his past.

But… why?

The scene continued before her eyes.

Sayaka was still feeding Ken dessert, smiling like nothing unusual was happening.

Rin still stared at the floor, blushing.

But Lily now saw it differently.

From outside.

Now she understood.

She was witnessing Ken’s memories.

And feeling them.

As if… their souls were intertwined.

The group finished eating and got up.

— Alright, let’s go! — Saito called cheerfully. — The arcade games await!

— I’m hitting the racing games! — Hayato perked up.

— I want the dance arcade! — Naoko added.

Sayaka stood up last, stretching.

— So, Ken? — she asked slyly. — Wanna win me a prize?

Ken just sighed.

— Let’s just go.

Lily watched this.

She felt it all.

But… why?

Why was she here?

What does it mean?