“You’re still not fully calm, are you?” Sanae asked.

  “What makes you think that?” he asked, turning his head away.

  “Well, for one, only your face is sticking out from under the blanket.”

  “That’s... that’s just because I’m still cold!” he insisted, clearly denying the obvious. The girl pretended to believe him.

  “Then how about a hot bath?”

  The suggestion lit up the boy’s face for a split second before the excitement faded just as quickly.

  “Sounds nice, but I’m afraid I would collapse in the shower right now.”

  “I didn’t say shower, I said bath. You know, the kind you can sit in. If you want, I can get it ready for you and help you in,” Sanae offered.

  Eventually, the boy agreed.

  A few minutes later, just as planned, they made their way to the bathroom. It was a stark contrast to the bare essentials he had grown accustomed to.

  The floor and walls were covered in marble-patterned tiles. The bathing area was separated from the toilet, and the tub, which was suitable for both soaking and showering, was enormous. It was as if he had just fallen into a dream, already a joy because no one was trying to kill him.

  “As far as I know, all the apartments were originally furnished the same way, so you should find clean towels and robes in the closet. And the used one, just put it in here,” the girl said, pointing to the laundry chute.

  “I don’t have to wash anything by hand anymore?” Ryūta asked, and Sanae clarified,

  “You won’t have to do laundry at all. They take care of it for you. Actually, they do almost everything you don’t want to. Though Naonon insists that I learn to do things myself before leaving it to others,” she added with an awkward laugh.

  “This place is incredible...” the boy murmured again as he explored the well-equipped room.

  “I know, right? Do you have any questions?” the girl asked brightly.

  “Just one,” Ryūta replied, glancing at the bathtub. “Why are there rose petals floating in the water?”

  For a moment, Sanae was at a loss for words. As usual, she began to stammer.

  “S-s-sorry! I accidentally put them in, like I was preparing it for myself! I’ll take them out right away!” she exclaimed, already moving toward the tub, but his voice stopped her.

  “Leave them. They smell nice. It’ll do me good. Besides, they don’t seem real anyway.”

  “Y-yeah. They’re actually soap,” she confirmed, and Ryūta gave a small smile.

  “Thank you! I think I can manage on my own from here.”

  “Great, then I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be right outside if you need anything,” Sanae replied, gently closing the bathroom door behind her.

  Without hesitation, the boy took off his robe, tossed it down the laundry chute, and sank into the tub filled with hot water and flower petals.

  For a while, he tried to stay focused and gather his thoughts, but the scent of roses filling the air slowly loosened his grip on consciousness. It became harder and harder to keep his eyes open, until finally, they gave in and shut.

  Once again, the image of the white-haired little girl, Mafuyu appeared before him, this time clear and sharp. It didn’t morph into a nightmarish vision, and she didn’t cry out for help. She just looked at him with quiet sorrow in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, big brother,” she finally said.

  Ryūta’s head shot up in an instant.

  “Again… Why do I keep dreaming about her?” he sighed, then drifted back into his thoughts for a few moments.

  With that thought, he ended his internal debate and got back to his routine.

  He didn’t want to keep his bored friend waiting outside, so he rubbed himself with a few rose petals, splashed his face with a handful of water, and got out of the tub. Or at least, he tried to. As he stood up, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him, and the moment he set his foot on the floor, he collapsed, unconscious.

  When he came to, he found himself back in his bed, dressed in a clean white robe just like an hour and a half earlier. But this time there was one important difference: Sanae wasn’t sleeping beside him. She was wide awake, fanning his face with a large notebook.

  “What happened?” Ryūta asked, holding his head.

  “Well, maybe the hot water wasn’t the best idea while that stuff is still in your system. I’m sorry,” the girl replied with a trace of panic in her voice. But the boy only smiled at their mistake.

  “Figures. Hot water lowers blood pressure on its own, and we went and added to that. No wonder this happened.”

  “But at least you’re not cold anymore!” Sanae laughed innocently until the boy shot her a look and asked,

  “And how did I end up back in bed with a robe again? Do you happen to know anything about that?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the girl replied flustered, even though the boy clearly had more reason to be.

  “Alright, then I guess I was wrong...” he let it go, but added with a smirk, “Next time, feel free to just leave me there. You’re already leading two to one.”

  “I could never do that! Besides, you’ve got nothing to complain about...”

  By then, both their faces had turned crimson, so they dropped the subject. Or at least, they could have, but Ryūta decided to make the most of the awkward yet oddly cheerful moment.

  “Alright, then it’s only fair you tell me something about your body too,” he said, prompting Sanae to wrap her arms tightly around herself, as if trying to hide.

  “W-what do you want to know? I know I said I would share everything with you, but there must be limits...”

  “Don’t worry, this is nothing compared to my secrets,” the boy reassured her. Eventually, the girl gave in.

  “Fine, let’s hear it then.”

  “What’s your natural hair color? I know you dye it, but you’ve never told me why.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “Wow, that’s all?” Sanae let out a breath of relief, then laughed. “It’s white. I’m kind of an albino. Surprised?”

  “That’s an understatement,” the boy breathed, mouth slightly open. “And… uh… do you, by any chance, have a sibling?”

  “I don’t think so,” the girl replied uncertainly.

  “You don’t think so? You mean, you’re not sure?”

  “Yeah,” she said with a nod, then went on. “My earliest memories go back to about six months ago, around the time I transferred to Honshitsu. They say I had an accident.”

  “I’m sorry... I didn’t know...” The boy lowered his gaze, but Sanae quickly cheered him up.

  “Whoa, déjà vu! You said the same thing when we first met, with the same look on your face.”

  “Did I?”

  “Mhm! And I’m going to say the same thing I said back then: Don’t be! Sure, it wasn’t easy at first, but my life now is definitely better than it was before the accident. And from now on, yours will be too! Speaking of which, we’ve got some paperwork to take care of first...”

  As she thought it through, the girl’s enthusiasm dimmed for a moment.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I just remembered that ‘a bit of paperwork’ actually meant a ton of paperwork. But I’m willing to go through it all again for you!” she brightened up, then added, “And I say that if you’re feeling well enough, we should get started.”

  “Can I ask one last question first?”

  “Of course! Ask me anything!”

  “Are you sure your name is Sanae?”

  At that, the smile suddenly froze on the girl’s face.

  “Ryūta, are you mocking me? Or do you really think I don’t know my own name?”

  “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. I just—”

  “I’m kidding! Here!” Sanae laughed, pulling out her ID.

  As Ryūta began flipping through the various documents, he stumbled upon something surprising.

  “None of these are older than six months. She probably lost them in the accident and had to replace everything,” he thought, but his friend snapped him out of it.

  “So, did everything check out, officer?” she asked playfully.

  There was something else about the documents that struck the boy as odd, but for the moment, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. In the end, he let it go and answered in kind.

  “Everything’s in order, citizen!”

  “Great! Then can we finally go?”

  “Absolutely. Just let me get myself together.”

  Ryūta handed back the documents, dug out a clean set of clothes, and returned to the bathroom.

  Once he was ready, he and his new neighbor got started on the long administrative process of moving in. Even though it took several hours to get through everything, it went surprisingly smoothly. All that remained was registering the biometric identifiers such as voice, fingerprints, palm scans, iris and retina patterns.

  “Alright, that’s all set. Now, please open your eyes wide and look right here,” said the woman responsible for taking the samples, pointing to the lens of the device in her hand.

  Following the instructions, the boy brushed aside the lock of hair covering his right eye. A few seconds later, the result came up.

  “Well, this is strange,” she said, staring at the screen in confusion.

  “Is something wrong?” Ryūta asked anxiously, but the woman reassured him with her returning smile.

  “I wouldn’t call it a problem, just unusual.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It seems the device can’t capture an image of your right eye.”

  “Could it be broken?”

  Her expression turned serious.

  “It can’t be… It worked perfectly with your left eye, and this has never happened before,” she replied, then dropped the matter as if it were nothing. “Well, there are plenty of other ways to verify your identity. One eye more or less doesn’t make a difference.”

  “I see...” the boy breathed out in relief, though perhaps a bit too soon.

  The woman promptly placed a nearly fifty-page contract in front of him.

  “Just a few signatures, and we’ll be good.”

  “You don’t mean—”

  “Both sides of every page, please!”

  With a defeated sigh, the newcomer resigned himself to the notorious paperwork. When he finally finished after many long minutes, the woman lifted the hefty stack with a playful smile.

  “Just a moment. I’ll bring the second and third copies.”

  It was at this moment that Ryūta lost all will to live. He set down the pen and was about to curl up in the shadow of the counter when his gaze happened to fall on Sanae. She was clearly struggling to hold back her laughter, tears forming in her eyes.

  “What...?” the boy asked in confusion, and the woman, by then giggling softly herself, clued him in:

  “I was just teasing. We’re done.” With that, she slid a small card in front of him. “Enjoy your new home. If you need anything or anyone, you’ll find all the contact info here.”

  “Thank you…” Ryūta replied as the life slowly returned to him, though he didn’t have much time to savor it. Sanae was already dragging him away.

  “Now you have access to all the tower’s services, including the restaurants. You must be starving. Come on, I’ll show you one of my favorites,” she said, linking arms with her newly and officially registered neighbor and heading off without waiting for a reply.

  A few minutes later, they arrived at the top of the skyscraper, where Sanae’s favorite spot awaited: the observatory restaurant.

  “What is this place?” the boy asked as they stood in front of a surprisingly dark door in the hallway.

  “I’ll explain once you’ve seen it,” the girl replied and, with a hint of impatience, practically shoved Ryūta into the room. A moment later, his jaw dropped.

  The ceiling, shaped like a massive dome, displayed a breathtaking panorama of astronomical phenomena. Planets, stars, galaxies, nebulas, black holes, and more wonders of the cosmos filled the view.

  “This is beautiful…” the boy whispered in awe, his eyes fixed on the mesmerizing display. “Are these recordings?”

  “No,” Sanae shook her head. “They’re all live images. Dozens of space telescopes orbit Earth and beam their captured footage directly here.”

  “Incredible…”

  “It really is. But that’s not what’s making me happy right now.”

  “Then what is?”

  As the boy looked at her, the girl took his hand.

  “That I can share it with you. Thank you, Ryūta. Thank you so much.”

  Tears began to stream down Sanae’s cheeks one after another. Her words touched the boy, but he didn’t know how to respond. Not that he had much chance to anyway, as his classmate leapt into his arms.

  “Sanae…!”

  “I’m sorry... Just for a second. Please,” she pleaded.

  Although Ryūta eventually gave in and held the girl close, he couldn’t help noticing that the guests were watching them more than the stars.

  “Sanae, people—”

  “I know. Let them watch,” she cut in, seemingly unfazed by the attention. A few moments later, though, she let go of the boy. After wiping away her tears, she smiled and said, “Let’s order something!”

  “Yeah,” Ryūta replied, and they headed toward one of the empty tables.

  Once they left the restaurant, full and satisfied, their tour continued. They visited the aquarium, the movie theater, the bathhouse, and even stepped into a purikura booth. Just when the boy started feeling a bit tired, they stopped in front of an electronics store.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to pop in for a few minutes. You can rest over there meanwhile,” Sanae said, nodding toward a nearby bench.

  “I’m fine. I’ll come with you,” Ryūta answered, but the girl wouldn’t have it.

  “If you come in with me, I won’t be able to do what I want to.”

  “Why not? We’ve done everything together so far,” the boy protested with a small pout.

  “Yeah, but this is... a little different.”

  Though Ryūta still didn’t understand what was going on, he eventually gave in.

  “Alright, I’ll wait here,” he sighed.

  “Sorry! I’ll be quick,” Sanae said, then disappeared into the crowd inside the store.

  About fifteen minutes later, she came back. Hugging the backpack she’d been carrying on her back, she walked over to the boy sitting on the bench.

  “Sorry! It took a bit longer than I expected. There were a few people ahead of me.”

  “No worries. Were you able to do what you wanted?”

  “Yep! So now we can head back to your place!” the girl replied cheerfully.

  “Already...?” the boy asked with a touch of irony, because he could hardly wait to get home.

  “Yes. Or did you want to go somewhere else?”

  “The zoo and the amusement park. I think those are the only places you haven’t taken me yet…”

  “Unfortunately, those two are closed today for maintenance.”

  “You mean there’s really both of them here?”

  “Of course!”

  “This place is terrifying...” the boy said, looking at her in shock.

  Sanae replied with a smile,

  “Then let’s not scare you any further. Come on, let’s go.”

  After that, they headed back. By the time they arrived, the new resident was nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

  “Hang in there a little longer! We’re almost done.”

  “What else are you planning?” the boy muttered anxiously.

  “I want to thank you for today,” the girl said, and with a firm yet gentle touch, she began guiding her friend toward the bed. Once she had him seated, she continued, “Close your eyes. I have a little surprise for you.”

  Though hesitant, Ryūta obeyed. He closed his eyes and waited. Moments later, he heard the sound of a zipper being undone and the soft rustling of fabric.

  “Sanae—”

  “You can open them now.”

  As he looked up, he saw a carefully wrapped box in his neighbor’s hands.

  “What is this?” he asked, surprised.

  “A gift. Go on, open it!” the girl encouraged him, and the boy untied the ribbon wrapped around the box.

  When he unfolded the autumn-patterned wrapping paper and saw what was inside, he could hardly believe his eyes.

  “This... is a smartphone?”

  “Bingo! It’ll make things a lot easier for you.” Sanae beamed proudly, though the reaction she got wasn’t quite what she had expected.

  “This is really expensive. I can’t accept it,” Ryūta said, downcast. But the girl quickly reassured him.

  “Don’t worry. Naonon paid for it.”

  “In that case, I’ll gladly accept it!”

  After powering on the device, Sanae gave him a quick crash course on how to use it. Then they saved the most important phone numbers and said their goodbyes.

  The first day of Ryūta’s new life, as long and exhausting as it had been, had finally come to an end. Or at least, that’s what he thought. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, his new phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Nao.

  “Are you awake?”

  Following the instructions he had received earlier, the boy managed to respond, though his lack of experience showed in the brevity of his reply. A moment later, their exchange unfolded into a short conversation.

  “Yes.”

  “If you’re not too tired, can we talk?”

  “Yes.”

  “In person.”

  “Where?”

  “Let’s meet at your place.”

  “When?”

  “Now.”

  As the last notification flashed across his screen, the doorbell rang.

  Ryūta thought, springing out of his bed and heading to the door.

  The president was standing at the door. Instead of her usual school uniform, she wore a plain black short-sleeved blouse, blue denim shorts, and sandals. It was a perfectly ordinary street outfit, in contrast to the boy’s, who was clearly dressed for bed.

  “So this is the famous teddy bear pajama,” the girl remarked, her eyes scanning the new resident from head to toe.

  Ryūta responded with a half-hearted grimace.

  “Problem? Sanae likes it...”

  “Fair point,” Nao said with a smile, but Ryūta cut right to it.

  “So, what did you want to talk about?”

  “You tell me. I promised I would answer all your questions, and I keep my word. If you’re ready, we can get into it now. There’s a quiet little bar a few floors down. We won’t be disturbed there.”

  At the sound of the idea, sleep instantly left the boy’s eyes.

  “You mean... you’re finally going to fill me in on everything?” the boy asked.

  Nao nodded with her usual confidence.

  “Yes. Exactly that.”

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