Azuma gave a noncommittal response as Koyuki headed back into the barracks. Once they were ready, it was time for Charon to disband.
She would be lying if she said she didn’t feel sad, but—no, she was just sad. Very much so.
Even if this all had just been a sandbox for the development of Chronoses, even if it had all been make-believe. It didn’t change the fact that it had been her youth.
“Ugh… This feels so strange.”
She had spent six years of her life in these barracks. A lot of things had happened in that time. Now that it was over, they were all important memories for Koyuki.
At some point, however, even these memories would fade. As the experiences that were surely waiting came rushing in, the past would likely be pushed into a corner of her mind.
A time would come, eventually, when she would likely think of even Sakura only occasionally.
But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It was just what it meant to live.
“I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
Cradling her relatively light luggage, Koyuki exited from the barrack’s rear entrance. The reason she didn’t leave from the front, like normal, was because she didn’t want Azuma to see her go.
She wanted to say good-bye with a smile at least.
“Ahhhh…”
She breathed in deeply and then exhaled. It was the only thing that was keeping her from crying.
Then she took a step forward. Just as she was about to set out, however, she turned around to get one last look at the barracks.
It had originally been a community center and would probably be torn down after they were gone. This was her last chance to see it. She tilted her head upward. Suddenly—
“Excuse me…,” a voice said.
“Ah…”
Koyuki’s eyes went wide. She spun around in the direction of the voice, coming face-to-face with a girl with scarlet hair and a worn-out expression.
“How…?”
Scarlet hair and pale violet eyes.
She must have been running. Her shoulders were heaving up and down. Her hair, which should have been neatly tied behind her head, was all over the place at the moment, making it obvious that she was flustered.
More importantly, however, was the question of what Kaguya was even doing here in the first place.
She had lost her memories; she shouldn’t have remembered.
Major Mirai. Of course, she had brought Kaguya here. Koyuki shot the major an accusatory glance, but Mirai just smiled and shrugged. Some people never changed.
“You’re…,” Kaguya began hesitantly while Koyuki stood there at a loss for words. “You’re Lieutenant Koyuki Asaharu, correct?”
“Huh…?!”
“I was, um, told your name…by someone named Major Mirai.”
“I…see…” If Mirai had told Kaguya her name, then obviously… “Then I guess there’s no need for me to keep up the act anymore.”
Koyuki suddenly leaned forward and hugged Kaguya tight. Kaguya’s body felt a little bit warmer than Koyuki’s own. Kaguya was of course taken by surprise. For her this was their first time meeting, after all.
“That’s right. My name is Koyuki Asaharu. I’m your friend.”
“My friend…? But…”
“That’s okay. We’ll be friends starting from today, then.”
It must have felt bewildering to hear that from somebody whose name you had only just learned. But Koyuki didn’t care.
“It’s okay if you don’t remember. We can create new memories.”
“Um, Lieutenant Asaharu…”
“Call me Koyuki.” Koyuki stepped back. “I’ll call you Kaguya, as well.”