AN: Hello again, dear readers! Not much to write about in this AN, other than maybe say that I've been struggling a little with this story. I've been brainstorming for ideas for a while now, and I've got some things that I'll add for sure, but there's still a lot I have to figure out. As you may have guessed, our main characters will be getting their memories back slowly but surely, but I haven't figured out how to do that for everyone yet. Then I also need to figure out logical ways for everything to tie into the story, of course.

Before I start rambling and make the AN extremely long, let's get back to the story!


Chapter 7 – The Meeting

"Yuzuru! Kanade! Kon'nichiwa!" Yuri's cheerful voice came from behind me, and I turned around in my seat to face her.

"Hey, Yuri!" I replied to her and raised my hand as she walked over to us.

"Hello, Yuri." Kanade said in her usual, cool tone, but with a small smile on her face.

"Has he called you yet?" Yuri asked me as she sat down next to Kanade.

"No, he hasn't. I'd assume that they've arrived here already, or will arrive soon. Have you heard from Iwasawa?" I in turn asked Yuri and took a sip of my coffee.

"She returned from Okinawa on Monday, as we know, and she told me that she would come meet us here before we head to that Net Cafe that she knows, where we should be able to talk in private."

"Good. So, it's just a waiting game now, huh?"

Yuri, Kanade and I were sat at our usual table in La Soleil. It was a Wednesday afternoon, and we had all decided to meet up here. For what reason? Because today is the day that Hinata and Yui would arrive here. I met up with Yuri during the weekend, and together with everyone involved, we organized a time and place to meet at. Iwasawa wanted to take a day to rest up from her vacation, as she returned from Okinawa late in the evening on Monday, and since both Kanade and I had shorter lessons in the afternoon, we figured today was the best day for our meeting. Hinata and Yui would be arriving by train, and Iwasawa knew about a great Net Cafe near the central station that would be an ideal location for the meeting. I was both excited and nervous for the meeting. On one hand, it might give us crucial insight on how to make the memories from our previous life and the Afterlife return (Which, at this point, all of us agreed on being the truth, given the evidence we had), or in the best case scenario, actually make them return. On the other hand… well, we were meeting complete strangers, after all. They might seem like they have information that is valuable to us, and they seemed honest, but a very small part of me was still nervous about the whole thing. I also worried if the whole thing would benefit us in any way, because that was also a possibility.

"What's the matter, Yuzuru? You look gloomy." Yuri asked me from across the table with concern in her voice, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just thinking about this whole thing. We might get all the answers we need from this, but… We also might get none." I replied to her and gripped my cup a little harder.

"Well… that's true, I guess. But, you shouldn't worry about it so much. If we learn nothing, we can just continue with Kanade's plan. It worked for Iwasawa, so it should work for us, too." Yuri said to me with a smile and took a sip the tea she had ordered. "Have you two made any progress with that, by the way?" I looked at Kanade, who tilted her head slightly to the side, then did a slow nod in my direction. I… guess I'll start then.

"Not much, no." I said and paused for a moment. "I asked Yagami-sensei yesterday if it was possible for me to change my degree from Economics to Healthcare, but at this point in the semester, it would be impossible. I would have to quit, and then go for the entrance exams again next year and hope I can get in. I've started to eat at the cafeteria every day, but all it seems to have done is lessen the Déjà-vu feeling I get every time I go near the place, kinda like I'm… getting used to it, or something. I don't have enough leads to go by, so I don't know what else I could try." I explained to the two girls. Seeing me finish, Kanade put down her cup and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"I'm making some progress." Kanade said and placed the napkin back onto the table. "I was able to get myself into the Student Government elections, and now it's just a matter of seeing if I win the campaign or not. Combined with my studies and everything else, it's taking quite a bit of my time, but I should be fine. What about you, Yuri?" Kanade turned towards Yuri, who flinched slightly and averted her gaze. That reaction… Wait… could it be that…

"Yuri… Don't tell me that you haven't… Done anything yourself?" Yuri stole small glances at me and I sighed. "I know you said that the idea sounded a little like 'becoming fate's puppets', but you did agree to it..." I said and closed my eyes while pinching my nose.

"I'm sorry!" Yuri said while clapping her hands together and bowing. "I tried to think really hard about what I could do, but I couldn't figure out anything… Iwasawa got her memories back from playing music, Yuzuru could try studying Healthcare, and Kanade's got the Student Government, but… I haven't really got anything like that. All the things that I've… encountered that have triggered my Déjà-vu have been small things, and none of them have given me a particularly strong feeling, either." Yuri explained to us and started to awkwardly poking her index fingers together, which was actually kinda cute.

"That's fine, Yuri. As long as you've put thought into it, you've done enough." Kanade said to reassure her friend. "While I am saying that, I do think you should try something, at the very least. Some of the things that trigger our Déjà-vu are shared across all of us, but as has already been proven with Iwasawa-san and Otonashi-kun, we each seem to have 'unique triggers' as well, and I'm sure you're no different, Yuri."

"Tachibana-san is right, Yuri. This meeting might even be key to finding more about that, since Hinata seemed to be very familiar with you." I said, not being able to suppress the smirk on my face.

"Oh? What are you trying to say, Yuzuru? Jealous that another guy knows me better than you?" Yuri replied to my teasing with some of her own while leaning forward, resting her chin on her hands with a smirk on her face. It was a pose she often took while we were engaging in our usual banter, but I always thought that she looked so… pretty when she did it.

"Accusing me of being jealous again? Maybe I should go for that too. Aren't you jealous that I'm friends with other girls?"

"Fighting fire with fire, huh? Let me just destroy that counter-argument of yours. Let's see… Hatsune is your little sister, and I think even a siscon like you would go that far." Hey! Don't call me a siscon! That just simply isn't true! "Iwasawa-san herself said that she had no interest in you, so you'll be disappointed in that regard as well. Kanade is… well, she's Kanade, nothing much to say there. And finally, Kotegawa-san..." Yuri paused for a moment to think. "Well, you found out that she didn't actually hate you, and wanted to be friends with you? Nothing more, nothing less. I think we both know what that means. To put it shortly, no, I am not jealous that you're friendly with other girls, because I know that you won't have any chances with any of them." Yuri closed her eyes and smiled as she crossed her arms under her chest while puffing it out, seemingly brimming with pride after her verbal assault.

"You don't have to put it that harshly..." I said and sighed. "I get you, I get you. Although..." I smirked as I thought of a way to get back at Yuri. "...The way you phrased that makes it sound like you're saying that I have chances with you." I chuckled a little as I finished, and mimicked Yuri's pose. How do you like that! Finally, I'll be able to get back at you! Although, now that I think about it, my counter does seem like it could be easily expected…

After a few moments of silence, I opened my eyes and looked at Yuri, confused as to why she hadn't said anything yet. Her reaction was… not entirely what I had expected. Yuri looked back at me blankly, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, with a slight blush on her cheeks. Once she noticed that I was gazing back into her green eyes, her mouth closed shut and she looked away. I glanced towards Kanade, who was looking at Yuri with an intrigued expression. Her eyes met mine for a second, and she raised an eyebrow at me. This is… Not the reaction I was waiting for. I was sure she would either say something akin to "Hah! You think you've got chances with me?", or maybe she's ridicule my thought process resulting in that, or… just… something. Complete silence is… Wait… Could she have actually- My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden ringing and a vibration coming from my pocket. I shook my head a little and took my phone out of my pocket, revealing to me that Hinata was calling me.

"Hello?" I said after picking up the call, and could briefly hear a slightly feminine voice listing out what sounded like the names of train stations in the background before I got a reply. That sounds like an announcer, so they're probably still on the train.

"Sup, Otonashi-kun! I wanted to give you a call to let you know that we're almost there. We're all supposed to meet at some Net Cafe, right? The one Iwasawa-san suggested?" Hinata's voice came from the phone.

"Yeah, that's the plan. Me, Yuri and Tachibana-san are currently at another cafe waiting for Iwasawa-san, as she's supposed to take us to the cafe." I glanced at Yuri, who seemed to have regained her composure. Leave it to Hinata suddenly calling to get us out of awkward moments…

"Oh, I see. Do you know where the cafe is, then? We weren't able to find the place, yet. This city is really confusing!" Don't you two live in Chiba, which is right next to Tokyo? I don't think you're qualified to call another city 'confusing'…

"No, I don't actually know where the cafe is, unless Yuri found out about the location..?" I looked towards Yuri, who seemed to understand what I meant and shook her head. "Which she didn't. Hmmm… Hold on a sec." I lowered the phone from my ear and placed a hand over the speaker. "Hinata says they're almost here, but they don't know where the Net Cafe we're meeting at is. Should we take a detour to the train station, or..?" I consulted Yuri and Kanade on the other side of the table.

"Hmmm..." Kanade brought a hand to her chin and thought for a few moments. "I don't think all of us have to go. If Iwasawa-san shows us to the cafe, she could then go and pick up Hinata-san and Yui-san from the station. Since they've all regained their memories, they should be able to recognise each other. Of course, we should ask if Iwasawa-san herself agrees to this first." She then said, and Yuri nodded after she finished, so I lifted the phone back up to my ear.

"We'll ask Iwasawa-san if she can go meet you two at the station, then take you to the cafe where we'll be waiting. You should know what she looks like, right?" I said to Hinata on the phone.

"Yes, we remember what she looks like, and seeing as she's also regained her memories, she should also recognise us. Alright, give me a call when you know what the plan is, Otonashi-kun! I hope we can finally meet again soon!"

"Yeah, we'll see you two soon!" After exchanging farewells with Hinata, I pocketed my phone and let out a small sigh.

"Is something wrong, Otonashi-kun?" Kanade asked and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Your sigh would indicate that you are dissatisfied with something, or maybe bored? Or there's something weighing on your mind?" She began counting the possible reasons for my sigh with her left hand, and I couldn't help but smile at her.

"I'm fine, Tachibana-san. Just that… Well, speaking with Hinata always feels like a bit of chore, you know? He seems to be very cheerful and energetic, kinda like Yuri is, but… More so, I guess?"

"Are you saying you find talking with me to be boring, Yuzuru?" Yuri cut in with a teasing tone. Sounds like she's recovered from whatever happened before the phone call. I still can't imagine what would cause such a reaction from her, though. "But you've always said that you enjoy talking with me… Wait, could it be… You're a masochist, so you get your kicks from talking with someone you don't enjoy talking with? That would also explain why you always take my insults head on..." A devious grin made its way on Yuri's face as she paused for a moment before continuing. "Hentai." She couldn't hold it in any longer and began giggling.

I sighed and took a large swig of coffee from my cup, leaving only a little bit left at the bottom. I'll let her laugh this one out. Better than going back to the awkward atmosphere of before, for sure. Yuri and I continued to lightly joke at each other, with Kanade occasionally joining in on the conversation. It didn't take long before another familiar voice called out to us, as we were greeted by the face of Iwasawa, who had a guitar case slung over her back.

"Yo! Been a while since we've seen, huh?" Iwasawa said as she walked over to us. The way she wore her smile and the confidence in her steps gave off a vastly different feeling than the one I got when I first met her. Did… regaining her memories… change her? "It feels a bit odd to see you all now, after everything that I've learned." Iwasawa's gaze shifted to Kanade. "Especially you, Tachibana-san. You were an enemy to the SSS, and while I was only part of the distraction unit, I was still very much wary of you. Although, last Thursday, when I talked with Hinata and Yui over the loudspeakers of Otonashi-kun's and Yuri's phones, Hinata did mention that after I attained peace and moved on, you did eventually become a friend of the SSS, to some degree, at least."

"Yes, Otonashi-kun said something similar, and that apparently he himself was the one who… befriended me in this 'Afterlife'." Kanade replied to her, then drank the remaining tea in her cup. "But, we should talk about these things once we have all gathered. Would it be okay for you to go and meet Hinata-san and Yui-san at the Train Station after you've taken us to the Net Cafe? Hinata-san informed us that they do not know its location, and we thought that since you would know what the two of them look like, you could find and lead them to the Net Cafe." Kanade said and stood up from her seat.

"Of course Hinata would still be an idiot in this life..." Iwasawa said and sighed, then let out a little chuckle. "Yeah, I'm fine with that. I should be able to recognise Hinata, and while I can't remember interacting with Yui much back then, she'll probably recognise me. She did say that she was a big fan of me, after all."

"Alright, let's get going then." Yuri finished her drink and stood up as well, and I followed suit. "You can tell us a little bit on the way, okay?" Iwasawa nodded to her as an answer, and we left La Soleil behind.


The walk the Net Cafe was nothing but quiet. I had asked Iwasawa to tell us a little bit about the Afterlife, and everything she remembered, but she had been talking non-stop from the moment we left La Soleil. But it wasn't like it was not fascinating to listen to. She told us about how the Afterlife was a place for those who died young to find peace and be reincarnated, and how I was apparently the first person to rebel against the idea of an eternal cycle of reincarnation. She told us how we began to wage war against Tenshi – Or Kanade – with weapons and equipment created out of dirt. She told us how she was part of a band called "Girls Dead Monster", which acted as a distraction group for many operations. And how she was able to find peace by singing the final song she wrote in the Afterlife. She then told us about how she bought the acoustic guitar she was carrying while in Okinawa, and the immense feeling of Déjà-vu she had from simply holding it in her hands. As she began to play the guitar, note by note, song by song, she slowly began to remember to everything that had happened to her. As she played the songs she had written in the Afterlife, all the feelings and memories associated with them allowed her to remember her previous life, and her time in the Afterlife. Before long, we had arrived at our destination. The Net Cafe didn't look too different from the surrounding buildings, but a peek through the window revealed a very unique interior. The floors and walls were made of a dark wood, and all the furniture matched them. The interior was dimly lit, with only a few leps here and there. From what I could see, the place was divided into two halves, with one side of the cafe looking very much like a traditional cafe, while the other side had areas divided by walls that didn't quite reach the ceiling. This must be what Iwasawa-san meant when she said that this place could give us some privacy.

"Right, here we are, then." Iwasawa said as we entered the Net Cafe. "You guys can go and reserve one of the private tables for us. Each table has a laptop, but remember that using them has a fee. You can order drinks and stuff from the counter, but you're not allowed to drink them at the private tables, so that the laptops don't get damaged if an accident happens." She explained to us.

"Alright, sounds good. We'll wait her until you come back with Hinata and Yui, then." Yuzuru said.

"Yeah, see you soon!" Iwasawa turned around and left the cafe, throwing a hand up as she did.

"Let's go reserve a table." Kanade said and began to make her way towards the counter, with Yuzuru and I right behind her.

After reserving our table, one of the employees took us to our table and we took a seat. She asked us if we wanted to use the laptop and explained to us how the fee for using it was calculated. We simply said that we didn't plan on using it, and she left us in peace, reminding us that if we wanted to order anything to drink, we would have to do so in the cafe side of the establishment.

"This place has got a nice atmosphere, I have to say." Yuzuru said and stretched. "Not as great as La Soleil, though. I don't think I've ever thanked you for teaching me about that place, Yuri." He then said and looked at me.

"Oh, you don't have to thank me. I'm surprised you didn't know about the place, though, since it's so close to the University." I replied to him. "If you really want to thank me, I guess you could… I don't know… buy me something nice, or something..." Only after I said it did I realize how embarrassing I made it sound, and I could feel my cheeks heating up.

"Oh, uhh..." Yuzuru looked away and scratched his cheek. "Well… If you want to… Maybe we could… go and hang out after school some day? I mean… I do really want to thank you for a bunch of stuff, not just that."

"Oh… well… I-I guess that's fine… How about… tomorrow then? We could go and… hang out." I began playing with the hem of my skirt underneath the table. What am I even saying! Wait… Kanade is here too… I turned my head to look at Kanade, who looked like she was about to say something.

"Um… If you two don't mind… Could I… tag along? I've been busy with the Student Government elections and such, and in fact, there's something I need to do today after this meeting as well, but I think I could make some time tomorrow." Kanade said and glanced between Yuzuru and I. That… Well… It does relieve some of the awkwardness that she'd be coming with us, but… I would have liked it if it was just Yuzuru and I…

"Yeah, I don't see any problem with that. Usually we just have some drinks at La Soleil, so going shopping and such might be a nice change. At what time should we meet? My last lecture should finish at around 3 pm tomorrow." Yuzuru said, his gaze shifting between the two of us.

"I should be free whenever." I replied to him.

"Hmmm…" Kanade took on a thoughtful pose and kept silent for a few seconds before answering. "If I manage to do that today… then tomorrow I'd only have to do… Yes, I should be able to make it for 3 pm." Kanade said and nodded.

"I… guess that's decided, then." Yuzuru said with a smile and moved his gaze to meet mine. "I'll… buy you something nice tomorrow, to show my gratitude. Nothing too expensive, though."

"Y-yeah..." I replied to him and averted my gaze, then cleared my throat to regain my composure. "Right! I'll take you up on that offer, Yuzuru! And if I don't like whatever you buy me… You better know a good a doctor." I said with a playful smirk.

Yuzuru let out a little laugh, and soon were back to our usual banter. After a little while, thanks to Kanade's intervention, we moved on to discuss everything Iwasawa had told us, and what we could expect from Hinata and Yui based on that. Iwasawa had told us how the "school" in the Afterlife worked, with all the teachers and most of the student body consisting of people that weren't… well, real people. Apparently, Hinata had likened them to NPCs found in video games, and everyone in the SSS called them that. Kanade was the president of the Student Council in the Afterlife, and we fought her because living a normal student's life – something which Kanade apparently wanted the members of the SSS to do – resulted in real people "disappearing", possibly being reincarnated. Iwasawa was reincarnated before everyone else, so she didn't know what happened to the rest of us, and frankly, I was curious. Iwasawa was reincarnated after she accepted everything that had happened to her, and found peace, but… What about the rest of us? Did the same happen to each one of us as well? And what about Kanade? She was our enemy, although Hinata did say that Yuzuru managed to befriend her… I hope he knows more than Iwasawa does…

"Yurippe! Otonashi-kun! It really is you two! And Tenshi is with you, too!" A vaguely familiar voice called out to us, and upon turning towards the source of the voice, I was struck by a powerful feeling of Déjà-vu.

Walking towards us was a blue-haired boy with matching eyes to boot. At first glance, he seemed to be about the same height as Yuzuru. He had a large grin on his face, and was waving his hand around frantically. Is this… Hinata? It must be him, he feels so… Familiar. Juts like Yuzuru, when I first met him. This is the person I founded the SSS with in the Afterlife? Why do I feel like I want to punch him..?

"Oi, why are you so excited to meet Yuri, huh? Do I need to punch some sense into you?" A female voice came from behind the person I assumed was Hinata. Looking past him, I saw a small and angry bundle of pink hair rapidly making her way towards us, all the while cracking her knuckles. Once again, I was assaulted by Déjà-vu immediately upon seeing her.

"You two are… Hinata and Yui, yes?" Yuzuru asked and pointed a finger towards the two new arrivals. I looked back at him, and his face gave me the feeling that he was also having a strong Déjà-vu moment. That's right… Hinata did say that he was apparently best friends with Yuzuru. I wonder if he's feeling anything… different now because of that.

"We are indeed, Otonashi-kun!" Hinata said while holding back Yui from hitting him. As I was looking at the scene, I could feel a headache forming, and could see flashes of… memories in front of my eyes. "Man, it feels really strange, but awesome, to see you all again. It's a shame you don't remember everything like the two of us and Iwasawa-san do. We told her a whole lot of stuff that happened in the Afterlife after her disappearance on the way here." Hinata took a seat next to Yuzuru and wrapped an arm around his shoulder while leaning in closer to him. "Ahhh… I've missed this feeling, you know? Being all touchy-feely with Otonashi-kun is great, you should all try it at some point!"

"EH?! W-what d-do you mean b-by that?" I blurted out as my cheeks heated up again, and everyone's eyes were suddenly on me. "I-I mean… W-what are you doing? Y-you're being a little too friendly with Yuzuru, aren't you?" I asked and crossed my arms, hoping that my blush would be interpreted as anger, rather than embarrassment from his comment. Although, I don't think being angry at this is a good reaction either… Both would give the wrong idea.

"Uh, yeah, Yuri is right. Isn't, um, Yui your… girlfriend?" Yuzuru said and pried Hinata off himself. "Or do you perhaps… swing both ways?"

"No no, that's not it. Sorry to disappoint you, Otonashi-kun, but Yui is the only person I'll ever love! I mean, we were fated to be together, given everything that happened in the Afterlife." 'Sorry to disappoint'? What is Hinata talking about? Wait… if he knows Yuzuru really well because of what happened in the Afterlife… Don't tell me… Is Yuzuru into that?

"Hinata, seriously..." Iwasawa commented with a sigh as she walked up to our table. "We aren't in the Afterlife any more, and they don't remember a thing anyway, so you should probably stop with the teasing." Teasing? So Yuzuru doesn't actually…? That's good.

"Ahem." Kanade cleared her throat to get all of our attention. "Since we are all here now, should we… start? It doesn't seem like any of us have regained any memories, but telling us about the things you remember might help us." She then said, her gaze shifting between everyone.

"Yeah, I'm… eager to hear all you two have to tell us." I said and laid my hands back on the table, glancing at Yuzuru on the other side of the table.

"Alright. How about the three of us with all of our memories sit on this side of the table, and the three of you can sit on that side." Iwasawa said and first pointed at where Hinata and Yuzuru were sitting, then moving her hand to point towards Kanada and I.

"Sounds good to me." Yuzuru said and stood up, then made his way to our side of the table. Wait… he's going to sit right next to me, isn't he? A slight blush made its way onto my cheeks again as he sat down next to me, with only a few centimetres separating us. I noticed that Iwasawa narrowed her eyes a little as she eyed me for a few moments.

"Aw, man! I wanted to sit next to Otonashi-kun! Well, I guess Yui will have to do." Hinata said and sighed as the pink-haired girl plopped down next to him and jabbed his arm with her elbow.

"What was that? Could you say that again, I couldn't quite hear you?" Yui said as she grinded her elbow against Hinata's arm. I saw Yuzuru smiling at the scene, and I found a smile of my own forming on my face as well. I shifted my gaze towards Iwasawa, who was still looking at me. Once our eyes met, though, she looked away and moved to sit down next to Yui. Why was she... looking at me so intently?

"Right, cut it out already, you two. I've already told the three of them just about everything I can remember, so you two should get talking as well." Iwasawa said as she sat down, taking the guitar she was carrying off her back and placing it on the floor, leaning against the table.

"Right, yes. Now, where to start..." Hinata said and took on a thoughtful pose for a few moments, before beginning to tell us about all the different things in the Afterlife.

Hinata began with his own first memories, when he woke up in the Afterlife and I was the one who found him. Together, we had founded the SSS, and became close friends in the process. He told me that he began calling me "Yurippe", because his mother's name in his previous life was Yuri, so he felt strange calling me that. I advised that he call me "Nakamura-san" from now on, unless he wanted some broken bones, to which Yui commented that I was "Finally speaking her language".

Hinata told us of the early days of the SSS, and everything that happened before Yuzuru arrived in the Afterlife. Many of the things and events he described felt very familiar, and some of them even caused brief images to appear in my head, though I couldn't remember any of them ever happening. Then he told us about the time that Yuzuru arrived in the Afterlife, and how it changed everything for the SSS. Yuzuru couldn't remember anything about his life, but still did his best and managed to become friends with everyone in the SSS, and even managing to befriend Kanade, the enemy of the SSS. Even Iwasawa was intrigued by the things Hinata said, as she had apparently disappeared from the Afterlife shortly after Yuzuru's arrival. Kanade was especially interested in what she herself had been like, though Hinata wasn't able to provide a clear answer, once again saying that Yuzuru was the one who knew her better than everyone else. Yuzuru was curious if the three of them remembered their past lives before the Afterlife, and if his little sister Hatsune had been in the Afterlife with them, to which Hinata simply said that he didn't even know if Yuzuru had had a little sister, since Yuzuru hadn't remembered anything about his own past life himself, and if he had regained any memories during his time in the Afterlife, he had apparently spoken about them. All three of them, however, did remember their past lives, all riddled with sadness. Hinata was a baseball player, and after losing an important match, he began to use drugs to help his depression, and died young in a traffic accident. Yui was paralyzed from the neck down from a very young age, and her condition eventually led to her death. Iwasawa lived a very traumatic life thanks to her dysfunctional family, but music was her escape from her depressing life. She died in the aftermath of a cerebral stroke caused by her father hitting her on the head with a beer bottle when trying to stop an argument between her parents, which left her unable to move or speak, bound to a hospital bed for the rest of her life. All of their stories are just so… sad and depressing. Both Hinata and Iwasawa did say that the Afterlife was a place for those who died young, but… Was my life also like that? What about Kanade and Yuzuru? This just makes me more worried about them…

"Wow, we've been talking for quite some time." Hinata said as he took a glance at his watch after Iwasawa had told us the story of her past life. "Well? Have you three remembered anything yet?"

"Not… fully, no. Many of the things you and Iwasawa told us did sound vaguely familiar, and I did have a feeling that the events you described might have happened, and some of them might even work as explanations for some of the things that act as triggers for my Déjà-vu, but… I still can't remember any of this." Yuzuru said, rubbing his foreheadas if to stifle a headace.

"Yeah, Yuzuru's right. I could see some haze imagery when you described certain things, but that was about it. All the names sounded a little familiar too, but I couldn't say for sure." I said and leaned on the table, glancing at Yuzuru.

"That's a shame, but… I hope this will help at least a little bit." Hinata said and turned his gaze towards Kanade. "How about you, Tachibana-san?"

"From your description, you didn't know much about me in the Afterlife, and didn't interact with me much, so I cannot say that I feel the same way that Yuri and Otonashi-kun do. These… 'Guard Skills' that you said I had, though… They do sound familiar." Kanade replied and placed a hand on her chin. Before anyone else could say anything, Yuzuru's phone began to ring.

"Hold on, I'll answer this quickly." Yuzuru said and took out his phone. "Unknown number? Alright… Hello?" Yuzuru said as picked up the call. "Yes, I am Otonashi Yuzuru, why do you ask? Yes, she is, why?" Suddenly, Yuzuru's eyes widened and his mouth was left hanging open as all the colour was drained from his face. He looks like he's seen a ghost, or something. Has something… happened?

"Yuzuru..? What's wrong?" I asked him and moved a little closer, causing our thighs and shoulders to come into contact. Yuzuru slowly turned to face me and lowered the phone from his ear.

"Hatsune… she..." Yuzuru looked like he was on the verge of crying. Hatsune? "She… She's been in an accident."


I had never ran so fast in my life before. My heart was pumping blood at an extremely fast rate, but I was too preoccupied to care about my Déjà-vu right now.

Hatsune was in the hospital.

That's what the doctor who called me had said. Apparently, she had been in a traffic accident, and had been rushed to the hospital not that long ago. They had already informed our parents, but had only gotten hold of me after Hatsune's operation, since she had wanted me to know about this as soon as possible.

"Yuzuru! I know... you're worried, but... hold on a little! You're going to be in an accident of your own... if you don't slow down! The hospital is... just around the corner, we'll make it there soon." Yuri's voice came from behind me, and I stopped to catch my breath. She's… right. The doctor said that Hatsune was awake, so she's alive, at least.

"You're… right… Yuri. Sorry." I said between laboured breaths as I leaned against the metal pole of a traffic light. I could see the hospital already, these were the last traffic lights between here and there. "Thanks for… coming with me." I said once Yuri caught up with me.

"No worries. I'm… worried about Hatsune, too." Yuri replied to me with a smile.

We had to cut our meeting with Hinata and Yui short, but we promised that we'd meet up again soon, since the two of them were staying here for some time. Yuri and I had rushed directly to the first intercity train that would take us as close to the hospital as possible, and as soon as we got out, I made a run straight towards it. Hatsune was very dear to me, and hearing that she had been in an accident made me very worried. Although… Something about going to meet my sister in the hospital is causing a strong feeling of Déjà-vu for me… I thought as Yuri and I entered the hospital and made our to the reception.

"Excuse me! I'm Otonashi Yuzuru, and my little sister, Otonashi Hatsune is supposed to be here at the moment, and we'd like to see her." I said to the receptionist.

"Otonashi… Otonashi… Ah, yes. Otonashi-san can be found in room 301. That's the first room in the western hallway of the third floor." She said to me after a few seconds of searching on her computer. "The lift can be found just over there." She continued and pointed to the left of us.

"Arigatou!" I said and made a small bow before making my way to the lift with Yuri.

"Did the doctor tell you anything specific about Hatsune's current condition?" Yuri asked as we stepped into the lift and I pressed the button labeled '3rd Floor'.

"He told me that Hatsune had been in a traffic accident, and that both of her legs were broken, but otherwise she should be fine. They're keeping an eye on her in here, just to make sure she doesn't have any other major injuries." I explained as the lift took us up two floors and we exited.

"Well, at least she isn't in a critical condition." Yuri said as we made our way to room 301. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in." The unmistakeable voice of my little sister came from inside, and I opened the door.

Hatsune was lying down in the hospital bed, with an upside-down Manga in her lap. She was covered with a blanket, so I couldn't see her legs, but I figured they must have had casts over them, given the large lumps I could spot where her feet would have been. As she looked at me from the hospital bed, with the Manga in her lap, I was assaulted by an immense feeling Déjà-vu. There's… Something oddly familiar with this scene…

"Oh, it's you, Onii-chan. And Yuri-san, too? Were the two of you on a date? Should I call you onee-san now?" Hatsune said and smirked.

"N-no, we were not. There were o-others too." Yuri said as we approached the bed. "But, how are you feeling? You must have only just had your operation, right?"

"That's right. Once I woke up, I immediately asked if my Onii-chan had been informed, and got the doctor to call you. I hope I didn't interrupt anything~!"

"Nothing that isn't more important than you, Hatsune. Are you… Okay? How did this even happen? Can I… help you somehow? Do you need me to bring you something?" I asked as I sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"It's fine, you don't have to do anything. I'm just glad that you came here." Hatsune picked up the Manga from her lap and closed it, then smiled at me brightly. "Arigatou, Onii-chan!"

At that very moment, seeing my sister like that caused… something to happen. There was an immense feeling of Déjà-vu, bigger than anything before. This… This is… My mind was assaulted by images, words, conversations, events, memories. My sister in a hospital bed just like this one, with a Manga in her hands… Myself in a bookstore, buying that very same Manga for her… Working part-time while studying… Taking my sister out of the hospital on Christmas Eve so she could see how pretty the main street of the city was… Her funeral… Studying Healthcare… The train crash… Everything.

"Yuzuru? You look like… I don't even know…" Yuri said with concern in her voice, and as I turned to face her, I felt tears running down my cheeks.

"Onii-chan..?" Hatsune said quietly, tilting her head to the side as she saw me crying.

I turned back to face her, then leaned towards her on the bed and took her into my embrace, as the memories from my previous life I had forgotten all flooded back to me. I… I don't want to lose you again, Hatsune.


AN: Finally, I've got this finished and published. I tried really hard to keep to my schedule for this week, but procrastination and video games got the better of me. This was supposed to come out much earlier this week, but alas, that did not happen. Still, I'm happy with this chapter.

We are getting closer to the conclusion to this story, it might only be a few more chapters away!