Chapter Text
The memories came rushing back. She could still remember every laugh, every smile, the happy moments and the difficult ones. She still couldn’t believe she remembered all of them—along with everything they had been through together.
They…
The candle in front of her began to burn down. She needed to hurry.
She clenched the edge of her dress tightly with her hands. She couldn’t lie to herself—she was truly nervous.
What if it didn’t work...?
She shook her head in denial. She had to face the consequences. Just one more time… of many, but she was going to do it.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and—
•
It had been two weeks since the accident, and ever since, everything felt different for Jack Rose. He felt confused, like something was missing—and he couldn’t figure out why. He felt like he was forgetting something.
The doctors had told him that his brain was still recovering from the accident, but it wasn’t as serious as it had first seemed. They even said that with time, the confusion might fade away.
In a way, they were right. The amnesia Jack had suffered had only lasted a day after waking up. He recognized his mom and his friends, who hadn’t been hurt as badly as him—just some bruises and scratches. But he couldn’t remember the name of his school or what had happened that day. It took a few hours for him to realize he had temporarily lost his short-term memory. Maybe all he needed was rest so his mind could clear up.
Still, no matter how much he rested, the strange feeling of confusion lingered. Whenever he walked through the halls of his mother's tower, he’d stop and stare at his surroundings, hoping something would trigger a memory deep within. His rehearsal room was, in fact, to the left—just like he’d remembered. His mother told him not to worry, that it would pass. But it didn’t.
He still felt like he was forgetting something.
Despite that, two weeks had passed since the accident, and he was free to return to school. But he hadn’t. Every day, Mihaly, Wanderlust, and Brezziana would message him, asking if he was okay. He always replied with a simple, “Yeah, I’m fine,” or “I’m not ready to go back yet, but I will soon.” He’d get dressed, put on his school ID badge, grab his backpack, and lie to his mom, saying he was going to school. But he never did.
Instead, he’d walk along a river far from campus and head to an old grocery store by the road. The owners were almost never there—it was rare to see them—but he didn’t mind.
Jack liked this place: it was far from the noisy city, which always bothered him. Here, he could sit peacefully under the shade of a tree and watch the world go by, or lie in the grass and fall asleep. It was his safe haven, far from responsibility and full of comfort. So much so that he started forgetting he even had to go back to school—spending most of his time there instead.
One day, he was trying to sleep—well, trying. The sunlight filtered through his eyelids, and the breeze gave him chills. But most of all, he could hear faint voices. His brain would sometimes replay blurry fragments of memories. One thing Jack knew for sure: he didn’t remember much from the day of the accident. So he thought those voices and visions might be from that day. They kept him from falling asleep, so he opened his eyes and stared at the tree branches swaying gently above, the leaves slowly falling, and the sun’s rays touching his injuries. It was a comforting feeling. He felt the urge to close his eyes again.
But a voice woke him up completely:
"Why didn’t you come?"
Jack immediately sat up and looked for the source of the voice. No one was in front of him.
"Who...?" he asked, then sensed someone next to him. He turned and saw a girl sitting beside him, watching him.
“No, why didn’t you come to class today?” the girl repeated. “The art teacher felt bad for me. I… I wanted to draw a pretty face, but since you didn’t come… who was it?” She paused briefly, then looked at him again. “Unai?... or something like that. I drew his face instead.”
She popped a lollipop into her mouth like it was no big deal. Jack stared at her, confused, but she didn’t seem to notice. She held out another lollipop—identical to hers but vanilla-flavored, his favorite. Jack accepted it without saying a word.
The girl was about his height, with blue hair falling past her shoulders. Her blue eyes were wide and occasionally glanced sideways at him, as if waiting for a response. Her fluffy yellow jacket had a school badge—the same as the one Jack wore—which read: Sara Benson.
Did he know Sara Benson? He wasn’t sure. Her face felt vaguely familiar. The accident was still affecting his memory. He felt bad for forgetting her.
Maybe… one of his classmates?
The thought made him feel worse. She seemed interested in him, worried for him… like his friends were.
In fact, maybe they remembered her. After all, they hadn’t taken a blow to the head that wiped their memories like he had.
Jack gave a small smile at the thought and quietly licked his vanilla lollipop. The only thing keeping the silence from turning awkward was the sound of rustling leaves in the wind, the crunch of footsteps from people passing by, and the birdsong. Those sounds calmed him. So much so, he forgot Sara was still there—until she stood up and began to walk toward the exit. Jack watched, thinking she would just leave. But then she turned around and asked:
“Wanna go for a walk?”
Jack didn’t answer right away, but Sara didn’t seem in any hurry. He took another lick of his lollipop and nodded before getting up and walking beside this girl—who didn’t feel quite so unfamiliar anymore.
Now that he thought about it, they had to be close friends. Sara didn’t seem bothered by the silence between them. She must’ve known him well. Known that he wasn’t very talkative—unless he trusted someone. They walked in silence, but it felt… natural.
After a while, Jack noticed Sara glancing at him—not at his face, but at his hands. He got nervous and didn’t dare look at her. He still felt ashamed for possibly forgetting someone important to him. So he waited for her to say something. And she did:
“So… why do you want to be an actor?”
Jack was surprised, but tried not to show it. He had never told anyone about his dream—not even his mom. It was something he kept to himself. He practiced alone and never performed in front of others because he didn’t think he was good enough. He didn’t want to be laughed at. So his only audience was his reflection in the mirrors of his rehearsal room.
He wondered where Sara got the idea—until he noticed the papers in her left hand. It was the script he’d been working on before the accident. He hadn’t found the courage to continue, but still carried the script to his hiding spot, hoping to feel inspired again. But the pages remained unread.
It wasn’t that Jack didn’t want to act—acting was what he loved most in the world. And right now, he needed the comfort it brought. But with the injuries on his face from the accident, he couldn’t bear to look at himself in the mirror. And the script no longer felt exciting the way it had at first. Maybe it just wasn’t the right piece for him anymore—not after everything.
“Hm…” Jack tried to find the right answer. Something more than just “Because I like acting.” No, it was deeper than that. But he couldn’t find the words.
He looked around at the people walking by—some running, others with partners or pets. They all looked happy and carefree. He didn’t need them to smile to know it; he saw it in how they moved, spoke, even how they looked at the world around them. The atmosphere was warm. The green trees made everything feel peaceful. The river flowed slowly beside them, its calm sound adding a fresh, soothing touch to the scene.
That’s why Jack loved this place. Every detail like that gave him peace. He could forget the memories that haunted him—and the endless questions waiting for him once he went home… or when he finally returned to school.
On that walk, he felt…
“Free,” he said aloud, still not looking at Sara. “Acting makes me feel free, I mean,” he clarified. Sara was staring at the ground now, but clearly listening. “You get to be different people. And when I watch actors, it’s like I’m seeing the world from my window.”
Finally, he dared to look at Sara. Their eyes met instantly, and he smiled without knowing why. Maybe because he remembered how acting made him feel—or because he felt comfortable telling her this, walking beside her.
“Your dream of being an actor is a good one, you know?” Sara said with a smile. “You’re really good at it.”
“But you know if you want to make it happen, you have to go back to school, right?”
Jack couldn’t help but laugh—and so did Sara. But she wasn’t wrong. He’d spent so much time hiding away. Maybe it was time to go back. When the laughter faded, he said:
“Yeah, I know,” he admitted, scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. “But I think it’s time to return.” He looked at Sara, a smile still on his face.
Sara smiled too without saying anything. She slipped her left arm over Jack’s shoulders, pulling him close. Their smiles remained as they walked, and even though Jack still couldn’t remember everything about her, he felt comfortable with her.
Both feelings were soothing. And he felt a calm he hadn’t felt in a long time—along with a sudden confidence that made it impossible for his smile to fade.
And he didn’t want that feeling to go away…