Like on autopilot, I walked back to my room.

I lay down on the mattress and wrapped my arms tightly around my knees. Completely frozen, I lay there, staring into nothingness. All my hopes -every single one- had been destroyed in an instant.

But the worst part of it all was that Chishiya obviously thought I was some delusional lunatic. I doubted that he would ever take me seriously again after everything, no matter what I did or said.

Should I have kept the truth from him? Would our reunion have turned out differently if I had pretended we didn't know each other? Maybe I should have acted like a normal person, shown interest in him in a more conventional way. Then we could have gone on a few dates, and with a bit of luck, he might have fallen for me, too.

But no... I just had to tell him everything. Because I knew it wouldn't have given me any peace unless I told him the whole truth. Because I wanted him to remember. And I wanted us to continue where we had left off.

But I could kiss that hope goodbye now.

I had been given two chances, and I had ruined both. A third time, he definitely wouldn't listen to me.

A silent tear ran down my cheek, even though I had sworn to myself that I wouldn't cry this time. I wanted to stay strong and move forward.

Somehow.

Giving up was not an option.

Even though I had no idea what to do next.

How was I supposed to face him again? How could I make him believe me?

Theoretically, there was only one way: he had to remember on his own.

At the moment, I had no clue how to make that happen. Would I just have to wait long enough for his memories to return on their own? Or did he need the right trigger first? Seeing me clearly hadn't been enough. Maybe, like me, he needed a déjà vu moment to pull his memories out of his subconscious.

But how could I create such an event?

My gaze fell on the folded drawing I had made of him.

I sat up slightly, reached for it, and unfolded it.

Back in that world, I had started drawing a comic about everything we players had experienced there.

But what if I tried again... and then showed it to Chishiya?

Hurriedly, I sat up and rummaged through my bag for my sketchbook and pencil. Once I found them, I opened a blank page and began sketching.

The story started on a hot day in Shibuya, in front of the Hachiko statue.

As I drew the scene, the memory returned - how I had stood there, desperately waiting for Hayato. Then Niragi, who had been sitting on a bench nearby, making rude comments when I had decided to go home.

The three young men playing around in the middle of the street.

One of them had been Arisu. I hadn't known that at the time. The other two must have been the friends he had mentioned - friends he had lost in the tragic disaster.

It was harder to recall their faces since I had only glimpsed them briefly.

And then...

I paused for a moment, staring in shock at the panel I had drawn.

Chishiya.

It was my very first encounter with him.

I smiled, now that I could finally remember, and ran my fingers thoughtfully over the drawing.

He had walked right past me, and I had immediately felt a strange pull toward him.

After that, I had turned around and followed him, without really knowing what I was doing.

I only knew one thing - I didn't want to lose sight of him.

Then, those strange lights had appeared in the sky... and in the next moment, all the people in Shibuya had vanished without a trace.

At that time, I hadn't known that I would meet Chishiya again at the Beach.

◇

When my mother came by in the evening, I was still completely engrossed in drawing the comic.

I flinched slightly when she suddenly appeared beside my bed like a ghost.

"Didn't you hear me knocking?" she asked, her voice sharp.

I quickly set the sketchbook aside to hide the drawing.

"Sorry, I was a bit caught up."

My mother sighed.

"Did you spend the entire day sitting here? How are you supposed to recover if you just stay inside?"

I pulled a sulky face.

"I was already outside today, Mom," I grumbled.

"Fine. The nurse just told me that if your vitals look good, they'll discharge you tomorrow morning."

"Really?" I asked, a bit dazed.

"You didn't know?" she asked, frowning.

I shook my head.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Being discharged meant I wouldn't see Chishiya again anytime soon.

He would probably be released soon too, and then I'd have no way to contact him. After all, I didn't even know where he lived.

"I expected a little more enthusiasm," Mom interrupted my thoughts.

"Um... yeah. I was just... sad for a moment because I met some nice people here, and I'll have to say goodbye."

Suddenly, my mother looked completely moved, as if someone had flipped a switch.

"Oh, right. How's it going with your new acquaintance?"

"Pretty well," I lied, wishing it were true.

"Well, I hope he at least asks you out on a date."

I forced a smile.

That was still light-years away.

"We'll see."

When I was alone in my room again, I immediately returned to my drawings.

By now, I had at least 11 pages-just rough sketches, but maybe it would be enough for my plan.

I still wanted to give Chishiya the cookies, hoping they might help trigger his memories. But now, it was almost too late.

Since my mother and Naoki were picking me up sometime in the late morning, I had to try and give him the things before then.

More than anything, I wanted to see him one more time before I left the hospital.

Even if it meant risking another rejection.

Even if he still thought I was some crazy stalker.

If he couldn't remember me, then I at least wanted to look at him one last time and cherish every moment in his presence.

Because, memory loss aside, he was still the same Chishiya I had hopelessly fallen in love with in Borderland.

His entire demeanor, the way he carried himself - it was unmistakably him.

And I couldn't help but adore him unconditionally.

I couldn't even be mad at him for rejecting me so thoughtlessly earlier.

If I were in his shoes, I probably would have reacted the same way.

◇

The next morning, after breakfast, I packed my sketchbook and the cookies into my shoulder bag.

Then, full of determination, I set off toward the west wing.

I just wanted to hand him the two things - nothing more.

I was sure he hadn't suddenly changed his mind and started taking me seriously.

But for now, it was enough if he simply accepted my gifts without any objections.

The closer I got to his room, the more anxious I became.

On one hand, I couldn't wait to see him again. On the other hand, I dreaded another rejection.

Chishiya was never particularly considerate of other people's feelings.

And because of my deep affection for him, I was especially vulnerable.

Every cold word from him felt like torture.

But Borderland had changed him. It had shown me that Chishiya did have a gentle side - one he usually kept well hidden, only revealing it in rare moments.

Even if he had never said it outright, I was sure that he had cared about me.

And I had to believe that I could rekindle those feelings somehow...

If he never regained his memories, then I had to find another way. That hope was all I had left as I finally reached his room.

But something was wrong.

The door was slightly ajar, and I could see inside. Both beds were empty. The sheets had been stripped. Panic surged through me.

I stopped a passing nurse.

"Excuse me! The two men who were in this room yesterday, where are they now?"

She gave me an annoyed look.

"They were just discharged."

"Just now? When?" I asked, my voice shrill.

"Maybe ten minutes ago."

She turned away indifferently.

For a moment, I was paralyzed with shock.

Then I rushed toward the elevator, frantically pressing the button for the ground floor.

But of course, now, of all times, it stopped on every single floor.

When the elevator doors finally opened, I stumbled out impatiently, dragging my injured leg behind me.

Out of breath, I reached the hospital foyer and looked around desperately.

But Chishiya was nowhere to be seen.

I hobbled further toward the large glass entrance, the automatic doors sliding open as I stepped outside.

Frantically, my eyes scanned the street.

My vision blurred as I realized-

It was too late.

Everything around me started spinning.

I dropped my crutches first, then collapsed onto the steps, sobbing uncontrollably.

Tears streamed down my face without restraint.

People passing by cast confused glances at me but walked on without saying a word.

I gasped for air, my hands trembling as I brought my inhaler to my lips.

And suddenly, I was no longer here - I was sitting on the courthouse steps, feeling just as lost and helpless as I did back then.

But this time, Chishiya didn't appear out of nowhere to take my pain away.

How much I wished for his embrace right now...

"Tsuki! What are you doing here? And what happened to you?"

I looked up and saw into my mom's face.

Next to her stood Naoki.

"We were just coming to pick you up. Have you even been to your final check-up yet?"

I sobbed again and shook my head.

My mother pulled me up with some effort and handed me my crutches.

"What in the world happened?"

"I... I don't know," I mumbled softly. "Must be my nerves."

She shook her head incredulously.

"You really need to pull yourself together, or I'm going to lose my mind. You should be glad you're finally going home."

"Yeah, Mom..." I muttered without enthusiasm, then trudged behind them back to my room.

The nurse checked my oxygen levels one last time and gave the final approval for my discharge.

I signed the papers without even glancing at them.

I felt like an empty, emotionless shell, blindly following orders.

On the way home, I was unusually quiet.

Even Naoki, who usually never missed a chance to tease me, noticed something was off and didn't say a word.

When we finally arrived at my apartment, everything felt oddly unfamiliar.

It was as if I had returned from a long journey.

And suddenly, I felt homesick.

Not for any specific place, but for Borderland.

When I was there, all I had wanted was to go back home-

But now, being here felt wrong.

Yet, it wasn't Borderland itself that had felt like home.

It was Chishiya.

I unlocked the door, and something soft and white squeezed through before I could even open it fully.

"Nanya?" I gasped, bending down to pick her up.

She let out a loud meow.

I had assumed she was still staying with my family and was surprised to see her here.

"Surprise," Naoki said. "Though, I would have loved to keep her. I'm trying to convince Mom to let us get a cat."

"Keep trying," my mom huffed. "There's no way I'm letting one of those hairy monsters into my house. I've been cleaning up cat hair all week."

I clutched Nanya protectively, covering her ears.

"How can you say something so mean in front of her?" I protested. "She's a very clean and dignified lady!"

My mother only rolled her eyes and pushed the door open while Naoki carried my suitcase inside.

I set Nanya down, and she darted off.

Then, I turned to the living room and was stunned to see a colorful banner with the words Welcome Home hanging across the room.

Underneath it, my dad stood, holding a plate with a small cake, a single candle flickering on top.

For a moment, I was so moved that I forgot my sorrow.

"Welcome back, Suki," he said, setting the plate aside before pulling me into a brief hug.

Immediately, tears welled up in my eyes again.

I wanted nothing more than to break down and tell him everything-

Because if anyone could understand how I felt, it would be him.

But now wasn't the time.

My parents expected me to be happy.

So, at least for today, I would pretend to be their happy daughter.

"Are you sure you want to stay alone tonight?" my dad asked later that evening.

My family had spent the entire day with me.

We played board games like we used to and watched a funny movie together.

It was nice. But it didn't feel complete.

If Chishiya could remember, I would be truly happy. That was all I wanted right now. To have him by my side again. To spend time with him the way we had before.

Without those deadly games.

Without the constant fear of dying every day.

We could have a normal, fulfilling relationship. And Mom would be over the moon that I had managed to snag a soon-to-be doctor.

"I'll be fine," I replied, trying to sound convincing.

Apparently, I succeeded because, just a few minutes later, they were gone.

And I was alone.

Well, not entirely.

I still had Nanya.

And for that, I was truly grateful.

For the first time in a long while, I took a proper look around my apartment. Everything was just as I had left it. A little dustier, perhaps. But nothing indicated that I had been gone for weeks, maybe even months. Yet, it felt that way.

I walked over to my desk, almost reverently placing my hand on my drawing tablet.

How many times had I wished I could use it in Borderland?

I retrieved the sketches I had intended to give Chishiya from my bag. The box of cookies, however, I stored safely in a kitchen cabinet - somewhere Nanya couldn't reach.

Then, I turned on my laptop and scanner.

I needed a distraction from my endless spiral of thoughts.

One by one, I scanned my drawings, uploading them into my graphics program. Then, I started my drawing tablet and began coloring the pages.

By the time I looked up from the screen again, it was already 2 a.m.

Exhausted, I collapsed onto my bed without even changing clothes and fell asleep surprisingly fast.

◇

The next morning, after a quick shower, I grabbed breakfast and brought it back to my desk.

I turned on my computer and continued where I had left off the night before, barely thinking about anything else.

But in my mind, the entire story was already fully developed.

Back then, I had been unsure of what exactly my webtoon should be about or who the main character should be.

For some reason, I had hesitated to make myself the protagonist.

But now, I had never been more certain of anything.

I, Izumi Tsuki, was the protagonist of this webtoon.

Only the ending of her tragic story was still unwritten.

I wanted the chance to write my own ending.

And maybe - just maybe - this webtoon would be the key.

The key to Chishiya's memories.

And to his heart.