The Memory Remains

Ten years ago, in my first year of high school, at the age of fifteen.

My uniform fit me well – not too large and not too small, just the perfect size.

I walked through the corridors, passing groups of people laughing and chatting about anything and everything, making high school life as lively as ever. Even I had a smile stretched across my face, carried by this cheerful and peaceful atmosphere.

I waved at some students I knew, returning their greetings with a bright and warm smile. My joy overflowed from my body. I felt like a brand-new lightbulb being switched on for the first time.

I made my way forward and arrived in front of my classroom, the sign above the door reading ‘1-A’. It was my first year of high school and we were already in summer. Some months had passed, and I was now used to this life. It felt great, and in general, most days were as good as I could have hoped for.

I entered the room through the open door at the front of the classroom and looked around, searching among my classmates who were chatting or studying.

My gaze stopped on one of them at the back of the class, and I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Sato Leo… this guy is really strange.” I thought when I saw him brooding and withdrawn at his desk.

He was staring intently at something on his phone, a smile and a lewd look on his face. It disgusted me, and I shook my head, averting my gaze so it wouldn’t linger on him any longer.

In the middle of the class, I noticed my friend Hayate, eating his bento and studying his lessons at the same time. I approached him.

“Hey Hayate, still with your bento, I see. You’re lucky to have a mom who makes them for you.” I said jokingly.

“Oh yeah, I love them! You have no idea how much!” He chuckled loudly, almost choking on his food.

“Isn’t it becoming kind of an obsession at this point? You always talks about the bentos you eat.” I replied with the same eagerness.

“Well, even if I lose interest in them later, I know I’ll always remember them and keep them in a part of my heart. They’ll always follow me in some way!” He smiled at me after swallowing his food.

“By the way, did you see Atsuko? I can’t seem to find her.” I looked around the classroom once again but couldn’t spot her.

“Takahashi? She's on a bench in the courtyard. I saw her a little while ago when I looked out the window. She might be enjoying her meal in the sun – the temperature’s great today for eating outside, though not many people are doing it.” He laughed faintly, looking at me with lively eyes, joy radiating from him.

He packed most of his textbooks into his bag, along with his bento box, which he had just finished.

He tapped his forehead as if he had remembered something important, then pointed at me, sighing and teasing.

“Ahhhh, right – you two have been dating for two weeks now. I was wondering why you’ve been looking for her so much these past few days.” He said, followed by a faint chuckle.

“I’m quite the lucky guy – it was mutual. You can't imagine how happy I've been since.”

“Oh yes I can. You've been breathing and sweating joy lately... go on, go join her!” He stood up and gently pushed me toward the exit.

We laughed one last time, and I waved goodbye before walking as quickly as I could without actually running down the corridor.

In the courtyard, I searched for Atsuko while shielding my eyes from the bright sun. The atmosphere was peaceful, the warmth pleasant in this early summer.

I stopped for a second just to enjoy the light bathing my body, letting it warm me and relax every part of me, my face lifted toward the sky.

I looked down and saw her sitting on a bench between two trees, their shadows failing to obscure the light illuminating her silhouette. I walked steadily toward her, unable to contain the excitement on my face.

She turned her head as she heard me approach and smiled softly.

“Beautiful…” I thought, mesmerized by my girlfriend’s beauty.

Her light brown braided hair shone under the sunlight, the wind brushing through it and making it float gently in the air, and her soft gray eyes reflected its sparkling brilliance. Her slender, delicate silhouette, highlighted by the blinding light enveloping her, gave her an almost divine aura.

“Will I ever get used to this view? Maybe not…” I laughed at myself as I resumed my walk toward her, answering her wave inviting me closer. “My heart feels so light. I love these sensations – feel them even more intensely since I've been with her. My life... everything is so much more incredible with her. I wish it could last forever.”

I sat down next to her, though a small distance remained between us. We weren’t pressed together.

She placed her hand on the bench in the space between us. I took the opportunity to place mine over it, holding it softly, careful not to stare too much. When I lifted my eyes, I saw her already looking at me, her gaze filled with love and tenderness. As our eyes met, we both blushed and quickly looked away, embarrassed.

“Well… it sure is hot today!” I said, trying to break the awkward silence.

“Yeah… was the morning too long for you?” She mumbled.

I dared to look at her again. She was staring at our hands with a gentle smile, her face flushed – and not from the heat.

“The bell will ring soon. We should head back before afternoon classes start. Sorry for being late – we didn’t get to enjoy the break long enough.” I said softly, careful not to startle her as she was focused on our hands.

She nodded, and we stood up, returning to class together to attend the last lessons of the day.

Once the afternoon passed, I walked her home, talking about things we liked and things we wanted to do together, before heading back to my own house – preparing for a new tomorrow that promised to be just as wonderful.

Next morning, I woke up without difficulty after sleeping really well. Then I went to the bathroom, washed myself a little, put on my uniform, and combed my hair. I ate the breakfast my mom had prepared, and after brushing my teeth, I was ready to go. I picked up my bag and went outside, walking straight through the streets.

“It's time to go get her and go to class together.” I thought with a smile, the weather also favorable today, matching my joy.

After a few minutes, I arrived at the last right turn leading to the street where Atsuko lived, when I heard the clattering sound of something hitting the ground and approaching at high speed.

Without giving me time to realize or think, a bicycle with a cart attached to the back suddenly appeared in front of me, passing by quickly as it disappeared into the distance to my left. Not so quickly, though, since I could see the person on the bicycle – and more importantly, the person in the cart being pulled behind it.

“Sato!?” In just a second, my breathing stopped. “Atsuko…? Wait… it looks like she’s unconscious…”

Atsuko was inside the cart, seemingly asleep – or maybe unconscious. I ran after her. I chased after the bicycle and its rider, incomprehension filling my thoughts and tearing my face apart.

I ran as fast as I could to catch up.

“That’s not normal… that’s not normal… what is this strange guy doing to her? What are you doing? Stop now!”

I threw my bag to the side of the street to lighten my weight and run faster.

“The bike plus the cart, plus Atsuko's weight... it's quite heavy to pull alone. That's why he hasn’t been able to pick up so much speed for now. I can try to catch up with him. He'll probably brake at some point, and I'll have to be ready to stop him.”

I managed to get closer, but it wasn’t enough, and the street wasn’t crowded, nor were there any sharp turns that would have forced him to slow down. Sato was going straight ahead, only turning slightly to follow the curves of this never-ending, nearly straight street.

He accelerated again and again, putting more distance between us. I gradually lost sight of them.

I arrived at the end of the street, where three directions presented themselves – right, left, and straight ahead.

I couldn’t see where they had gone, and looking down each direction gave me no clue.

I saw a man sweeping the sidewalk in front of his store on the other side of the street. I crossed the pedestrian crossing quickly to reach him. Luckily, there were no cars, so I didn't waste any time.

“Excuse me! Please! Have you seen a guy on a bicycle with a girl in a cart just behind it?” I asked quickly, between ragged breaths, trying to recover some energy before running again.

The man didn’t speak and only pointed his finger toward the street to the right of the one I had come from.

“Thank you!” I shouted, running again down this new street without a second to waste.

Once I was a little farther, silence reigned. No people shouting, no cars passing by – only the clattering sound of the bicycle I had heard earlier.

“They're not far away. I have to hurry!”

I turned into a narrow alley between two buildings to take a shortcut leading to another street, running toward where the sound was louder.

Once on the other side, I followed the sound coming from the left, but without ever seeing them. The noise echoed, but its source was nowhere to be found.

After a few minutes, the sound vanished. I couldn’t hear it anymore. That’s when I finally arrived in a residential area filled with houses – far too many to search them all.

A bystander passed near me.

“Have you seen a guy… on a bike… passing through here earlier with a cart?” I asked, out of breath, panting.

“Oh yeah. Kind of strange activity, being transported like that. It was the Sato family’s son. He might be at his house right now.” He pointed to a house at the end of a street in the residential area.

I thanked him and ran, anger starting to distort my face. I had had enough of this.

The nameplate on the wall confirmed I was in the right place, as did the sight of the bicycle and the cart in the garden – without Atsuko or Sato. They must have arrived only a few minutes earlier.

The gate was wide open. I rushed to the front door, pulled down the handle, and luckily, it was unlocked. I crossed the threshold and carefully peeked inside to see if anyone was there, but there were no signs of life – no parents, no domestic animal.

A sharp scream echoed in my ears – a scream of pain, of someone being hurt at the very moment this suffering burst from their mouth.

“Atsuko! No… don’t tell me… what is this degenerate doing to her? I know they were here just a few minutes before me… but…” I thought, climbing the stairs two at the time, fear gripping me as another scream came from upstairs

At the top of the stairs, opposite me, was a door with a small sign that read 'Leo'. I approached, the screams growing louder, her pain echoing in my head and fueling my anger.

“It’s his bedroom… it’s coming from inside…”

I kicked the door with all my strength, and it burst open under the force of the impact.

What unfolded before me was a vision of horror – something that made my blood boil, my throat burn with rage.

On the bed lay Atsuko, half-naked, her body covered in scratches, wounds, and bruises, blood streaking across her face. She screamed in pain at the top of her lungs, trying to strike her attacker, but her blows were weak – too weak to break free.

Sato had his trousers pulled down and was laughing like a psychopath. All signs of sanity had left his eyes. He was lost in delirium. Atsuko's blows had no effect on her. He held her against the bed, hovering above her and pressing his full weight onto her stomach, while delivering punches to her sides, ribs, and face.

He started to lower his underwear and laughed even louder, stopping his blows as he did.

“You’re going to enjoy this! Well, I’ll be the one enjoying it more!” Sato shouted.

The sight was unbearable. My body froze in shock for ten seconds after I broke the door, then began to move on its own as I rushed behind him without him noticing.

I grabbed his hair and threw him to the ground, fury burning in my eyes, rage twisting my face. Confusion filled his – he couldn’t understand what was happening. The only thing he could do was gasp for air.

I positioned myself above him and held him pinned to the floor, just like he had done to Atsuko moments before, blocking his arms with my knees to keep him from hitting back. Then, I made blows rain down on him, hurting him in every place where I had spotted injuries on Atsuko’s body in the brief time I had before jumping on him.

I aimed for his face the most, breaking everything. I couldn’t restrain myself. I didn’t want to restrain myself. I wanted to make him suffer.

No words could come out of my mouth to express the rage I felt. I couldn’t find them, and only muffled grunts escaped me.

He could do nothing but try to retaliate – he failed. Soon, his attempts stopped, his arms falling limply to the floor, all strength drained from them.

I stopped. He was completely knocked out.

I pulled out my phone and called the police.

“Hello, yes, come to… there has been an attempted kidnapping. I managed to restrain the kidnapper at his home.”

After receiving confirmation that the police would arrive soon, I hung up and put my phone back in my pocket.

I stood up and walked over to Atsuko, still crying on the bed. Rage and sadness filled my mind, tears streaming down my face. I helped her get dressed as best I could. She cooperated with me. Then I led her out of the room, closing the door securely behind us so she wouldn’t have to see her attacker anymore.

Trembling and crying, she immediately threw herself into my arms. I held her gently, careful not to press too hard against her wounds.

“Ryota… Ryota! Ryota… I’m… I was so scared… Thank you… thank you so much…” Her voice was weak, broken by sobs. “He hit me… a lot… he… he touched me… He defiled me... he touched me in places I didn't want to… I couldn’t do anything… I was too weak… Everything happened so fast, I didn't know what to do…”

She broke down even harder. I offered her my chest and my clothes, letting her cry for as long as she needed.

A few seconds later, her crying slowed and she took a deep, shaky breath. She lifted her head and looked at me with a painful gaze, her eyes filled with tears, silently begging for help.

“Ryota… please… help me… protect me… stay by my side…”

My heart tightened with a sharp, stabbing pain that refused to fade, but I made sure not to let it show.

“She’s scared… traumatized… it hurts to see her like this… If only I had arrived just a few minutes earlier… I could have saved her before it began… if only I hadn’t had to run… If only I’d had a bicycle… Even though I stopped him from raping her... I couldn't stop the rest… I’m not worthy… And yet… I’m the one she’s asking to protect her…”

I looked at her tenderly, even as my tears continued to fall, and then I kissed her on the forehead.

“I promise.” I said calmly.

The sirens of police cars grew louder as they approached.

After that, I explained everything to the officers – from the moment I first saw the bicycle to the moment I helped Atsuko out of the bedroom. I added that several people had seen Sato riding quickly in a hurry and could confirm the abnormality of the situation, even though they hadn’t realized what was truly happening, making their testimonies of limited help.

I explained that I hadn’t had time to call the police earlier. Everything had happened too fast, and calling them hadn’t even crossed my mind – the situation had been too urgent to waste a single second.

I helped Atsuko fill in parts of her testimony when it was her turn to speak. Luckily, she managed to explain by herself how Leo had taken her by surprise and made her inhale some kind of substance before she collapsed, waking up later in the garden when they arrived at the house.

After everything was done, they took Leo away. He was still unconscious, but he regained consciousness just before being placed in the car. He looked at me with a wide, bloodied smile – one that showed no regret, only madness.

“Oh, it was so good… just a little more and I could have tasted an even more exquisite pleasure than what I already experienced… But I hate you, Ryota. I hate you for getting in the way.” He said machiavellianly, laughing at his own words.

I kept my anger from showing and watched as the police car drove away.

After all the police procedures, which lasted for days, we were finally able to breathe again. A few days later, we were informed that Leo had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital due to apparent mental disorders.

During the weeks that followed, I accompanied Atsuko to therapy sessions that slowly helped her feel better and begin healing from her trauma. I also made sure to always warn her with a short message before coming to her house, whether it was for a visit or to walk with her when she was able to return to school. Along with that, I knocked three long times on the door to signal it was me – a small ritual we had created to reassure her.

Her parents thanked me so many times I lost count. They praised my bravery but they were the ones who truly deserved thanks – for supporting Atsuko and giving her all the emotional strength she needed. Mine alone would never have been enough.

Thanks to everything, Atsuko slowly resumed a more normal life. Even so, I knew this would mark her for a long time, and even if she tried to hide it, it would still affect her deep down.

I made a promise to you, Atsuko. I promised to help you erase those bad memories and feelings.

I had to fulfill this promise, whatever it took.