Memories of a Starry Night

Neo woke up startled when one of the cats jumped on his stomach.

"Is it already time to wake up?"

On his way to school, he found the ball he had hit earlier lying in a bush. Had he hit it that far?

He placed it in the same bag as his bat.

After class, he decided to stop by the courts, hoping to see the baseball team. They were practicing. He smiled faintly and took out the ball he had found. It could serve as an excuse to talk to them. But then he dropped the smile and stayed at a distance, just watching them.

Back at the tree garden, Neo felt uncomfortable being sweaty. Without wasting time, he headed to the river. He tossed his bag and shoes onto the riverbank and jumped in, uniform and all.

The water soaked his uniform and face, and he ducked his head under to wet his hair too.

"Neo?!"

Startled by the sound of his name, his hair covering his face, he couldn’t see who it was. He looked toward the voice and brushed the hair from his eyes, only to be even more surprised.

It was Saya.

"What happened? Did you fall in?"

He didn’t know how to explain what he was doing. He couldn’t tell the girl he liked that he was bathing in the river. Desperately, he looked around and then down, noticing his glowing blue necklace. An idea struck him.

"I dropped my necklace and was looking for it in the river."

Her face filled with concern.

"Wait here."

Saya stepped away to make a call. From a distance, Neo couldn’t make out who she was talking to or the conversation itself. She seemed to ask something and nodded after receiving an answer.

She turned her attention back to the boy standing in the middle of the river.

"I live nearby. Do you want to come to my house? That way, you can dry off."

He grew nervous. He had never thought he’d go to a girl’s house so suddenly, especially one who was special to him.

He nodded.

Walking side by side, they didn’t exchange a word, and his nerves grew with every step.

When Saya opened the door, her mother came to greet them. A beautiful woman with long dark hair and blue eyes like Saya’s, her face only slightly aged. Neo wondered if Saya would look like her when she grew older—he’d heard somewhere that was common.

"Oh! You’re Mia’s son. It’s been so long." She moved to hug him but stopped midway, realizing something. "Oh, right, you’re all wet."

"Wait here. I’ll get you a towel," Saya said, running into the house.

"So, what happened?"

Her expression was the kind only mothers had when their child had done something wrong. It was incredibly hard to lie under those circumstances, but he couldn’t tell the truth.

"My necklace fell, and I went to get it."

Saya’s mother gave him a skeptical look. Saya returned just then, carrying some towels.

"I hope this helps."

Saya’s mother took the towels and wrapped them around him. She touched his arm and noticed he was freezing.

"Goodness! You’re like ice! You’ll catch a cold like this. Why don’t you come in and take a hot shower? It’ll warm you up."

"Can I really?" Neo asked curiously, glancing inside Saya’s house.

"Of course. And you can have dinner with us afterward," her mother insisted.

"I can dry your clothes in the meantime," Saya offered, already leading him toward the bathroom.

He didn’t have much time to look around the house, but it was tidy and ordinary. Certainly better than sleeping on a bench in an abandoned park, though it lacked the company of cats.

Neo stood in front of the shower as Saya explained how to adjust the water temperature. She left, closing the door behind her, and Neo began undressing when he heard a knock.

"I forgot to ask for your clothes."

He opened the door just enough to hand her his clothes. She returned with a set of formal clothes.

"They’re my dad’s. You can wear them while yours dry."

Neo struggled a bit with the shower despite her instructions, setting the water slightly too hot.

As he bathed, he eyed the variety of shampoos and conditioners in front of him. Since they’d offered him the shower, it seemed right to wash his hair too, right? He couldn’t waste the opportunity—who knew when he’d get another hot shower?

Neo left the bathroom a bit flushed, wearing Saya’s father’s formal clothes, and headed to the living room.

Saya laughed when she saw him.

"Looks like you fought with the shower."

Neo said nothing, sitting on the couch with a sulky expression. Still laughing, Saya added:

"I put your clothes in the washer. They weren’t just wet but dirty too. Funny how falling in water doesn’t clean clothes—you need soap for that."

In all the weeks he’d been bathing, he’d never thought of that. It was a smart observation.

Saya grew curious.

"Who gave you that necklace? I don’t remember seeing you wear it before."

"Someone very important. A woman with short dark hair. I just can’t remember her name. Actually, I don’t remember anything except her face."

"Do you know where she might be?"

"No."

Saya’s smile faded at his response.

"Actually, there’s not much about my past I can remember."

Saya’s mother appeared to announce that dinner was ready. Neo’s uniform had finished washing, and Saya got up to put it in the dryer while Neo sat at the table.

"A hot vegetable soup is perfect for warming up," Saya’s mother said, placing a large pot in the center of the table.

Saya looked at her mother with dismay upon seeing the soup.

Saya’s mother was warm and friendly, recounting stories of Saya’s childhood and funny moments. Neo listened attentively, feeling a bit out of place. He was saddened by his inability to recall anything from his own past to share—his amnesia weighed on him.

Still, he masked his sadness well, or so he thought. Saya noticed something was bothering him and pieced it together.

After dinner, Saya retrieved his now-dry uniform. Neo thanked both Saya and her mother for the food and hospitality.

"It’s getting late. I should head out."

Saya walked him to the door, visibly uneasy. She tried to grab his arm before he left but hesitated.

Outside, she found the courage to speak.

"I noticed you weren’t okay when my mom talked about the past."

"I’m fine."

Despite his reassurance, his face said otherwise. Saya looked up at the star-filled sky, a beautiful night.

"Even though I have so many memories, I’ve had hard times I wish I could forget."

"But I don’t remember anything—not even the good ones."

She looked at him with empathy.

"Don’t be sad. Even without memories, you’re alive! You have the chance to create new ones just as special as the ones you’ve forgotten."

Slowly, he began to agree. Today had been special, and perhaps more special days lay ahead.

"Thank you, Saya."

Saya smiled, and Neo found himself smiling back. Her smile was as beautiful as the stars shining in the sky.