Before My Memories With You Melt Away in Tears - Episode 32

In the cheerful store with upbeat music playing, Ayaka was looking at the items neatly arranged on the shelves. She had realized that Kyoya’s birthday was coming up soon, so she decided to buy him a gift, but she had no idea what he would want.

Taking advantage of the fact that Shuri and Fujino didn’t have any club activities that Saturday morning, they came along to help her shop.

“But I think Kyoya would be happy with anything you pick, Ayaka,” Shuri said, holding up a kaleidoscope from the shelf. She looked good in her light green T-shirt and shorts, her legs long and slender.

“That may be true, but…” Ayaka hesitated.

“Come on, don’t be so mean, Shuri. We came shopping together, so let’s make it fun!” Fujino, wearing a white T-shirt and overalls, suggested as she showed Ayaka a mini globe. “How about this one?”

“Does Kyoya like globes?” Ayaka asked.

“I don’t know. I just thought it was cute,” Fujino replied with a shrug.

It was hard to make a decision, and the three of them kept looking at different things without finding the perfect gift.

“Don’t you ever talk about what you like when you’re chatting with Kyoya?” Shuri asked.

“Well… Kyoya’s not really the type to talk much about himself,” Ayaka replied.

“You’ve got to find a way to get him to open up.”

“I know, but…”

Ayaka was still adjusting to the fact that she was now in a relationship with Kyoya, even though they had only recently become a couple for a limited time. She hadn’t expected to still be together a month later. It was understandable that their conversations remained surface-level.

“So, what’s his favorite food?” Fujino asked.

“…I don’t know,” Ayaka admitted.

Realizing how little she actually knew about Kyoya, Ayaka felt a little guilty. Even though Shuri and Fujino were helping her pick a gift, it made her feel bad that she hadn’t made more of an effort to learn about Kyoya.

“Sorry…” she murmured.

“But if there are still things you don’t know, that just means there’s so much fun to be had learning about him,” Fujino said with a smile while holding up a springy, caterpillar-like figurine.

Ayaka and Shuri stopped and turned toward Fujino, ignoring the figurine.

“Tomorrow, you might learn something new you didn’t know today, and you can start creating memories together, right? I think it’s really nice, don’t you? The things you don’t know now, you can discover together,” Fujino continued. “What’s with you two? Why the serious faces?”

“Uh… well, we were just surprised by how wise you are, Fujino,” Shuri admitted, a little embarrassed.

“Yeah, you’re right… It’s just really meaningful,” Ayaka added.

Fujino puffed out her cheeks in mock annoyance. “Do you think it’s weird when I say something wise?”

“Sorry, sorry! But honestly, I think Fujino’s right. It’s true that we’re picking the gift together today, but next time, maybe you and I should go shopping alone if we don’t know what he wants. We can talk while we pick things out. Like, ‘Oh, I like this’ or ‘I don’t like that’—that way, it’s more personal.”

“You’re saying that would be memorable?” Ayaka asked.

“Yeah, I think so. It would become a shared memory between the two of you,” Fujino said with a smile.

Both Shuri and Fujino were right, and Ayaka had nothing to say. They were her friends, but they weren’t Kyoya. If she really wanted to give him something special, she had to face Kyoya himself.

“Well, it’s nice to give someone something they want, but I also think it’s fine to give something you want to give them,” Fujino said.

“What do you mean?” Ayaka asked, confused.

“I mean, for example, I’d be happy if someone I liked started liking something I’m fond of. I once gave my friend a keychain just because I liked it,” Fujino explained.

“I see… I never thought about it that way,” Ayaka said, surprised by Fujino’s perspective. She had been focused on finding something Kyoya would like, but the idea of giving him something that she liked was actually a nice one. The thought that Kyoya might wear or use something she gave him made her happy.

“I think I’ll do that too,” Ayaka said softly.

Shuri smiled and nodded happily.

With a clear direction, they were able to choose a gift. In the end, Ayaka selected a small hourglass to give Kyoya.

Actually, she already had the same one on her study desk. It didn’t work like a regular clock, but she thought it would be wonderful if they could share the moments of time, flipping it over together.

“Thanks so much for helping me, you two,” Ayaka said, holding up her drink at a café in the shopping mall.

“No problem. I should be the one thanking you for treating us,” Shuri said with a smile.

“Not at all. I wouldn’t have figured it out without you two,” Ayaka replied.

“Well then, I’ll accept it without holding back,” Fujino said, picking up her drink.

But Shuri seemed distracted, fiddling with her phone, perhaps looking something up.

“Shuri? Is something wrong?” Ayaka asked.

“Well… there’s something that’s been bothering me since the other day, after hearing your story,” Shuri said, looking at Ayaka seriously.

“What do you mean? The other day?” Ayaka asked, feeling uneasy.

“That story… from your past. I know it’s something you might not want to talk about, but I’ve heard something similar before,” Shuri said.

“Eh?” Ayaka’s heart skipped a beat.

“I wanted to confirm it first, but I couldn’t find anything… I’ve been searching everywhere,” Shuri continued.

“Just spit it out already!” Fujino urged, frustrated by Shuri’s hesitation.

Shuri glanced at Ayaka before speaking again. “It’s a rumor. I heard that there was a water accident when you were a child, and that Kyoya’s parents died in it. Kyoya was saved along with some other kids, but that’s the rumor.”

“Wh-what?” Ayaka whispered, the words slipping from her mouth as her heart raced.