Chapter 2: No Memory? Fake It Until You Make It

Lunch might have been a simple chicken soup for Chris, but the sight of her parents alive and well made the homemade meal ten times more delicious and comforting. Their conversations about music, as lively as ever, felt like talking to her real parents.

After doing some digging on the computer and phone—"Thank God my counterpart didn't set up a password"—Chris confirmed that Valverde didn't exist in this world. She combed through every detail she could find about herself: messages, photos, and videos.

There were videos of her parents' concerts, with massive audiences cheering and clapping. Messages from two friends, Kaori Murayama and Yui Katase, asked why she hadn't attended class. Using the truth about her fever, she easily tricked them into sending photos of themselves, so she'd recognize them at school tomorrow.

Among the photos of family members she didn't recognize and random people stored in the phone, she found an image of the boy from the childhood photo. Now older, he sat unaware as she secretly took his picture. Scanning for more information about him, she came up empty. Why would "she" take a photo of someone she knew as a child unless they hadn't seen each other in a long time?

A quick search revealed that Kuoh Academy had been an all-girls school until last year, when it transitioned to co-ed and admitted a small group of male students. Something about it felt off. There was another normal school just a few blocks away, yet the academy's headmaster's speech explaining the change seemed questionable. "It sounds like they either got desperate or there's another reason behind this."

In one of the pictures, the boy sat at a table chatting with two others—one bald and the other wearing glasses. "So, you're attending Kuoh Academy, whoever you are. I wonder if 'I' tried to get closer to you because we hadn't seen each other or because 'she' wanted to reconnect." Better not overthink it.

After more digging, she pieced together some details:

Chris Yukine, second-year student at Kuoh Academy.

Parents: Masanori, a professional musician, and Sonnet, a famous singer in Europe, both retired.

Family moved to Kuoh some time ago.

Childhood friends: no further details—hopefully, no run-ins with them, especially not the girl.

Friends at Kuoh Academy: Kaori Murayama and Yui Katase from the Kendo Club, both of whom despise a group called "the Perverted Trio." What a name. But I am not in the club.

Diligent student.

Childhood friend returned: Took a secret photo of him. Let's hope "she" didn't interact much. At least until tomorrow—Friday.

Making sure she had her story straight to justify any surprises, Chris descended from her room, hoping to find a quiet snack. Instead, she walked right into her first trial. Hearing two people talking, she pressed herself against the wall to eavesdrop. One voice belonged to her mother, and the other, calm and composed, belonged to another woman.

—I'm happy for Issei. It's a small step, but maybe this will help him mature. —said her mother.

—Yes, but something about this doesn't sit right with me, Sonnet. —the woman replied. —Issei can be extreme in the things he does, and if this girl is just playing with him, he might take it badly. I wouldn't want my son to fall into depression over his first failed relationship.

—You're right; it is strange that a girl suddenly invited him out. But from what you told me, she's from a different school. Maybe she's been stalking him for a while. Issei isn't unattractive, even if he does need to control his impulses. Maybe she doesn't know what he's like yet. I'd say give it a week. I don't think it'll crush him too much, given everything he has in his room.

The woman with long brown hair chuckled, holding a cup of tea.

—Hehehe. Cruel, but I suppose it'll be nice while it lasts. And if it doesn't, we'll still look forward to grandkids. He's as determined as his attitude suggests. Though if it doesn't work out, you have other ideas, don't you? —the woman said, flashing a sly smile.

Her mother laughed knowingly. —We know each other too well, Miki. Masanori might not like it, but for me, the best option will always be- Oh, speaking of the devil. Chris, there's some cake here if you want a snack.

Her mother's violet eyes gleamed as she caught Chris hiding like a curious cat. The other woman turned, and her amber eyes locked onto her after her mother revealed her position. It was the same woman who had greeted her at the door earlier.

—Oh, Chris-chan. How are you? I hope you're feeling better, —the woman said kindly.

—Ah... y-yes, I'm feeling better, Miki... —Chris tried to mimic the name her mother used to avoid suspicion, but her hesitation earned puzzled looks from both women. What did she get wrong? Was Miki not her real name? Was it a nickname only her mother used? Or was it something else?

—I guess this is to be expected, Miki. —her mother remarked with amusement, while Miki sighed, looking at Chris with pity. The woman turned dramatically, as if offended.

—Yes, I suppose I'll no longer be Oba-chan for a while. At least until the 'new girl' calls me that or even Oka-san. —she said, feigning distress.

—Wait, what did I say wrong? —Chris asked, trying to dig for answers, but both women simply smiled at her as though she were pitiable.

—Oh, Chris-chan, your frustration is understandable, but don't take it out on me. Save that for him. You two go to the same school. —Miki said.

—Yes, not wanting to know about him doesn't mean you should stop calling Miki 'Miki Oba-chan like you used to. —her mother added, feigning frustration as she puffed out her cheeks.

—Am I the only adult here, judging by how you two act? I don't even know who you're talking about! — "Seriously. Who is he?" she wondered, frustrated by her lack of information. It seemed they were mistaking her memory loss for her ignoring someone deliberately.

—Oh, well, I guess you're claiming amnesia now. —Chris tensed as Miki hit the mark, but the woman sighed before continuing. —If that's the game you want to play, fine. Issei—my son and your childhood friend. Haven't you seen him at the academy all month?

—N-No, I haven't. —Chris was growing frustrated. She didn't understand why her mother and Miki were teasing her like this. She couldn't remember Issei, and asking more questions would only lead to regrets. She could already imagine her mother saying, "He's your fiancé," or something worse. Knowing her mother's playful personality and Miki's matchmaking tendencies, this was clearly their idea of fun.

—Hah, I suppose you've only heard of him. After all, your kendo club friends are quite diligent at keeping him in line. —Chris found the comment odd, only to realize what her mother meant: this "Issei" must be one of the members of the infamous Perverted Trio. Well, at least his image wasn't as vivid as the other two—one bald was practically drooling in the photo, the other with glasses who was probably spying on someone behind his friend.

—I've been ignoring a lot of things lately. Can I have a piece of cake? —Miki stifled a laugh while Sonnet nodded and opened the fridge.

—Very well. I'll drop the subject for now. By the way, Chris, are you still practicing for the music club?

—E-Eh? Ah... well...

—I don't think I mentioned it before. —Her mother returned with a slice of cake on a plate. —The club had to shut down due to a lack of members.

—Oh, that's a shame. Chris' best talents are singing and archery, but there's no archery club either. That must have been frustrating, probably the reason for you coming home late.

—Was I late yesterday?

—Yes. You called me to say you'd be late doing something. I assume you were out with Murayama and Katase. But by the time it was too late, Miki found you at the entrance, too tired to get back on your own, and with your fever worsening. —Chris glanced at Miki, who smiled at her warmly.

—Thank you, —she murmured softly.

—You're welcome, Chris-chan. The heatwave must still be affecting you. Try not to spend too much time in the sun.

—Maybe I'll remember that.

—Oh, and Issei, too, —her mother added, teasing again.

—… —Chris, sensing the jokes would start again, chose to retreat. She took the cake, but before she could leave, Miki pulled her into a hug. Balancing the cake plate took some adjustment, but she managed not to drop it.

—I'm glad you're okay, Chris-chan. I'm sorry for teasing, but don't worry—everything will be fine. Although… Could you do me a favor in return?

—S-Sure?

—Could you, even from a distance, keep keeping an eye on Issei for me?

—A-Ah, of course. Wait, keep? —Did Miki know she had already been watching him? Or was it because of her that she had been doing so? Miki simply nodded. —I'll do it, Miki-Oba-chan.

After that, Chris returned to her room and sat, deep in thought. The cake was good, but her mind was preoccupied with the relationships she seemed to have in this world. There was still so much more to uncover, and she resolved to study her surroundings to avoid being caught off guard like this again.

Still, the question of who Chris Yukine was in this world lingered. At least she managed to avoid drawing too much attention at home.

Tomorrow would bring another day, another challenge. For now, playing dumb had worked.