Shared Memories

"Eri Tsukumo."

The teacher read the name aloud to the class. It was their first time together as a group, and the teacher, midway through teaching them classic literature, was learning their names one by one, asking them to read passages from the text by selecting them from the register.

But this time, two girls stood up from their seats.

"Um..."

The teacher checked below, and there was indeed another name listed as Tsukumo. Another Eri Tsukumo.

They glanced at each other across the room, as if being acknowledged in a way that neither of them had recognised in their entire lives. A confusion, one that manifested from a circumstance that occurs so rarely, one that forced them to see each other as equals, bound by an unintentional connection.

"Ahem, Tsukumo-san, if you could please read the passage."

It was then that the teacher tilted their neck forward and aimed their stare at one of the two girls. This Eri Tsukumo was tall, slim and of fair complexion, oval glasses resting on their dainty nose. Her musky eyes were studious and composed. To the other Eri Tsukumo, if she were to describe her, she was the prime example of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

This other Eri Tsukumo stood gawking at the person that shared their name. She became increasingly aware of how she appeared in comparison to her. She sported a mop of dishevelled hair and eyes that radiated distrust and quiet, passive antagonism. She was shorter, and her body proportions were nothing like the statuesque beauty who, while reading to the class, did so with unwavering posture. Seeing that someone who shared her name could be so pristine and accomplished only served to highlight her own faults.

That day at baseball practice, I could barely get myself to swing the bat. The few times that I did, the baseball was punted into the ground in the lamest way possible. I wasn't even angry at myself.

"Come on, Tsukumo B! We've got a game to practise for!"

Tsukumo... B?

Those that had heard of the fast-spreading rumour of the girls that both had the same name had already come up with a nickname to separate the two. And this Eri Tsukumo was Eri Tsukumo B.

"You had the hardest slug in the last practice. I bet if you kept it up, you could aim for a home run."

"I know you guys have what it takes but... Kuwabara-senpai, I don't think I'm cut out for something like that."

"Don't be silly, we need you there for the game."

"Do you need me? Or... do you need someone to fill out the last spot on the team?"

Kuwabara fell silent, holding his cap against his chest.

"Regardless of the reason, you can't step out on us. The club needs this game. You better be there. For now, go and take a break. If you can't practice with us, go and eat lunch or something. Come back when you're ready."

---

I sat on the roof of the school, surrounded by the chainlink fence, and lulled by the sounds of balls striking bats and the chattering of students, blissfully living through the best years of their life. I bunched up my uniform in my hands.

I didn't want high school to end. Not for the same reasons as them. Not because I was living my perfect life and experiencing rose-coloured school days. But because if it ended, I'd have to deal with the fact that I'd let everyone down. Let myself down. Let my mom down. By accomplishing nothing and becoming a failure. Known only as the ex-delinquent with average grades. High school let me convince myself that I still had time, that it wasn't all over yet. If that time could last forever, I could hide from the despair that waited for me at the end.

"I never thought I'd meet someone that had my name. I suppose nobody ever does."

The door behind me had clattered open, and straight, flowing black hair caught the wind.

It was Eri Tsukumo. Eri Tsukumo A.

"I didn't know where to find you. I asked people in our class but not many of them seemed to know much about you either. It wasn't until somebody mentioned that you play in the baseball team that I went to check with them, and the captain sent me here."

"You're Representative Tsukumo's daughter, aren't you? I'm not into politics, but I guess that's a reputation that's hard to hide in high school."

"Yes, that may well be the case. But here, I am Eri Tsukumo. Nothing more, nothing less. Much as you are. I want to avoid making a scene about it, so I don't tell anyone here about my father's life, and neither do I tell my father much about my school life. I'd like to keep them separate. But as you said, I can't exactly keep something like that entirely secret of my own accord..."

"Even then, you... wanted to see me that badly?"

"Is that wrong? I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

"You shouldn't apologise for that. It's not like I own the roof or anything. Pretty sure I'm not even allowed to be up here."

Eri B refused to look toward Eri A as they spoke.

"Anyway... why did you want to see me? I'm eating lunch."

"I promise I won't take up much of your time. But, I wanted to ask you something."

"...Go on."

"Do you think... we could be friends?"

"...Friends?"

I was struck by the weight of the question. Why on earth would she want to be friends with me? She must have seen me earlier today too, we both looked at each other in surprise for the same reason. We were nothing alike.

"Everyone's too scared to approach me, and those that do only do it because they know my father is a politician and they want to get to know him or date me for my money... But today, when the teacher said our name and I saw you stand up at the same time as me... I thought... 'maybe I don't have to be alone because of who I am. There's somebody else out there who shares something with me.' 

It's probably a silly thought..."

"No, I-I..."

Without even thinking, I had already turned around, my torso resting on my arm. I could see her again.

"Hm?"

"...I mean, that'd be fine I guess."

"That would be lovely. I brought some lunch too. Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Like I said, I don't own this place. Sit wherever you like."

"Thank you."

She placed a bento box down onto the ground and she lowered herself along with it. The bento box was well-wrapped in a pastel pink cloth, and the bow that held it together was tied into cat ears, with even the design being painted in a way to resemble them. Beside it was my crumpled white cloth, within which was the half-eaten corpse of a yakisoba pan. She opened the box, untying it as the pinched ends of her cloth unfurled to reveal the neat, curated display of rice and tako sausages, and the warm, juicy aroma that floated out from it. I couldn't help but peek, drooling at the deliciousness. I forced myself to regain composure. Must not be tricked by the food.

"Do you sit up here often, Tsukumo-san?"

Still only showing her half of my face, the corners of my lips crinkled upon hearing what she said. 

"Oh, sorry. Would you rather I call you something else?"

She was calling me Tsukumo-san. It made theoretical sense but... I had already accepted my inferiority to her. It was why I was stubbornly maintaining an informal tone when we talked, to keep the one thing that gave me a sort of power dynamic in our interactions. But it was a childish and shallow thing to uphold.

"I mean, it's fine, but..."

"Eri."

"Eri?"

"Yes, Eri. Is... that okay? I thought it would be a good idea. We're the only two people in the whole school that can call out to each other with the name 'Eri' and not have it be confusing. Doesn't that make it... rather special?"

"Eri..."

It was the first time I'd ever been on a first-name basis with anyone. The fact that it was someone who had the same name as me made it even weirder. But it was also strangely comforting.

"Sure... Eri."

---

I couldn't understand why I was going back to the baseball team, clutching my bat in my hand like a child would hold their teddy bear. We'd lost the game catastrophically. Even though I'd strayed further from the goal I set for myself, it was her words that had given me a reason to want to try again.

I thought it was stupid too. But something within me wanted to experience that again. The moment that was so unlike me to be attracted to that it took the shape of a cloud so big and incomprehensible in my mind that it blotted itself out. I wanted to experience it again so I could understand it. Feel it. The rush. The energy.

My body was already alive with heat. It almost felt like it was... burning.

"Tsukumo B! What are you doing!? Get out of there!"

At first, I heard one voice shout out to me. Then, I realised that the voice was only the loudest of many, and it gave way to screams and shouts of fear, and other students ahead of me started to flee.

A faint crackling sound grew around me as I became aware of my surroundings. A scent invaded my nostrils and assaulted my throat. Was that... smoke?

I looked back. The hallway was bathed in a sick, orange glow. Fire licked at the walls and crept along the floor, crawling ever closer.

What the hell is this... An accident? Arson?

My feet were ahead of my body, dragging me step by step, faster and faster. Where was I running? All I could think was run, run away, run somewhere. If I had to find somewhere I wanted to go, it was...

The roof. I wanted to see Eri. No... I just wanted to see anyone that might care about me right now. It was a terrible idea, I would be trapped there if the fire spread.

There was a burst of fire, followed by a cracking sound directly beside me. I was launched, landing and scraping along the ground, grazing my elbow. A cracking sound reached my ears as I struggled to recover, and I searched for the origin.

The roof... no, the ceiling. A beam from the ceiling had burned and fallen. Splintered. Fallen onto me.

Hm?

My chest...

It's warm... and wet...

And what's this...

Blood?

My hand was drenched in blood. The debris had fallen onto me and punctured my chest. My bleeding was only slowed by the fact that the wound was still filled with it.

I teetered my head backwards to look for my classmates. Some had stopped out of shock.

"Come on! We need to get out of here!"

I was about to reply when I noticed he wasn't talking to me at all. Another student beside him was also looking at me with eyes of pity.

"But..."

The first student clenched his fist and vomited words of desperation.

"I won't wait for you!"

"R-Right!"

Through bleary, involuntary tears, I saw them flee through the smoke.

I couldn't disagree. I couldn't complain. I wasn't worth saving, I wasn't worth someone putting themselves at risk for my sake. I was the delinquent, the boring and untalented Eri. Eri Tsukumo B. 

I laughed to myself ironically as the fire crept ever closer. My consciousness faded as the blood pooled under my palm grew cold.

"I had it coming. Mom... I'm sorry I was such a failure..."

Nobody would miss Eri Tsukumo B. Eri... I hope, at least, that you're okay...

The last sensation on my empty shell of a body, as even my blood left me behind, was a lifting. I wanted to believe it was the feeling of my responsibilities and regrets lifting from my shoulders now that I was dead. But I was wrong.

---

The next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed. As soon as my consciousness came to me, I jerked my head up, something which the blonde-haired woman beside me rushed over to stop me from doing so.

A question sputtered from my numbed lips.

"I-Is she okay? Eri..."

"She..."

Anya pushed her glasses up her nose.

"You wouldn't be here if not for her."

"What's that supposed to mean? Where is she? Where am I? I want to go back. Let me go back, damn it!"

As I started to feel the breath in my lungs, there was an unrecognisable weight inside me.

"Please, don't strain yourself. You've been asleep for a while but your waking body is still not used to the implant. I'll explain everything to you. We were asked to implant a RepliCor in Eri Tsukumo by urgent request. By a man named... Takahiro Tsukumo. Her father."

"Her father? Wait... no... no."

"I'm sorry, Eri. You being here in her place..."

"Of course... it's an accident. I wasn't supposed to survive."

I grasped at my chest, peeling back the clothes to reveal a fresh scar on my skin.

"This... thing, a RepliCor, that's what... kept me from dying? So... this isn't a dream?"

"...No, this is real. We implanted the RepliCor in you as soon as we discovered your body. You were unconscious but alive, but the wound was fatal and we had little time.

"...how did she die?"

"She was in the hallway along from the one we found you in. It was only after the procedure when her father... informed us of our mistake, and we discovered her body in the ashes. There's likely an autopsy being done but... I doubt we'll ever hear the results. Tsukumo has cut all associations with us."

"...What now?"

"...That would fall under the Captain's responsibility. Your RepliCor, as well as keeping you alive, will also grant you a unique ability. The one that belongs to the unit implanted in you is, I believe, the ability to switch the places of two objects with the same value."

"...What use even is that?"

"...I'm sorry, there's not much I can say about that. I didn't have much time to select a more suitable specimen."

The door to the hospital-like room slammed open, and an imposing lady with a cap appeared, her longcoat flowing behind her like a flag in the breeze.

"Hello, Eri Tsukumo. Anya here shared the details about what's happened to your body and what a RepliCor is. There's no way back for you. No way to undo what's happened. So if you want to make the most of what you have left, then I'd encourage you to join us."

"Use me if you want. I have no right to be alive right now. If you need me to be useful for something, anything, then I'll do it. I'll be the container to your expensive toy. There's nothing else for me to live for."

Anya's face was downcast. Even she had never been struck by such acquiescence of someone to the fate put upon them by having a RepliCor. It was almost unheard of, and Anya felt empty, having her usual role of the sympathetic mediator stripped away from her. But it put her at ease knowing that Eri had something to hold onto.

But before Anya could even muster any words of sympathy, Minamoto cut in.

"Very well. You will make an excellent soldier, Eri."

"Soldier? No, not a soldier. A tool. A container."

"If that is how you would rather see it, then I won't contest it. Takahiro Tsukumo's smear campaign will land a big hit on our reputation from now on. Your contribution to our success will be paramount in turning that around."

"Anything you say, Captain. Just point me where you want me and I'll go. Even if it kills me."