"So, is this some god's prank, or the so-called parallel world theory?"
Although she was reluctant to admit it, Horikita Suzune let out a sigh of relief after learning that Kitagawa Ryo also possessed the inexplicably implanted memories. On one hand, it was better for two people to face such an abnormal phenomenon than facing it alone. On the other hand...
Memories between two people should belong to both sides. If one party were to lose them, then all the past experiences of the other would fall into the black hole of time—like sand slipping through one's fingers. Every word, every moment that one treasures becomes nothing more than a corpse left by time, worthless if remembered by only one.
"In any case, this can't be considered a bad thing."
Kitagawa Ryo folded his hands under his chin and spoke in a calm tone:
"Putting aside the things between the two of us, the other objectively existing facts should be real."
"Before coming to me, you must've verified it yourself, right, Suzune?"
Horikita Suzune nodded.
"So, other facts should also be real—like your brother's views on you and his own confusion, or the accident that will definitely happen during this year's cultural festival. Since these are events outside of our influence, they are very likely to occur in reality."
"At least regarding my brother, I won't deny it."
Suzune bit her lip and answered with difficulty. It was like comparing answers with a reference sheet—she could easily tell that Horikita Manabu's real thoughts were exactly the same as those in the memories. In other words, everything she had insisted on was false and meaningless. It was as if her past life had been entirely negated.
"Want to cry? There's a tissue."
Kitagawa Ryo casually pulled two tissues from the box on the desk and handed them over. After all, in the simulation, Suzune had broken down in tears upon learning her brother's true thoughts.
"..."
Suzune angrily crumpled the tissues into a ball and threw them back.
"I've already cried once. There's no need to cry a second time."
Though she said that, Suzune still seemed lost. Her arms, once firmly planted on the table, weakened and bent. She slowly crouched down, resting her head on her arms.
She probably still needed some time to adapt, but she would no longer be confused. Because the one guiding Horikita Suzune now was the brighter, future version of herself.
"Is this... considered growth?"
Kitagawa Ryo heard Suzune ask in an almost inaudible voice. It sounded like she was talking to herself, yet also seeking his answer.
"Rather than that, it's a second chance."
[Life Restart]
-------------------------------------
"Guh... at this point, you'd be better off killing me."
"If I recall correctly, it was you who decided to help Horikita Manabu, wasn't it?"
"But what I meant was that you should give him a heads-up through Sakayanagi Arisu."
"Well, there was no way to guarantee that the other side wouldn't come up with some alternate method to sabotage things. Rather than face unknown disruptions, it's safer to just let the original accident play out and resolve it. That's the most reliable plan. I've already generously agreed to substitute for the missing pianist, so Suzune playing the female lead shouldn't be a problem."
"I can only feel your deep-rooted sadism."
"Nonsense, I'm your partner, Suzune."
Kitagawa Ryo withdrew his hands after fiddling for quite some time, then grabbed the mirror nearby:
"Tadah—Cat-eared Suzune!"
"Please just kill me already."
Suzune covered her eyes but still peeked through her fingers, catching a glimpse of the fluffy cat ears on top of her head.
Right now, her greatest wish was probably to question her brother about why on earth he chose Cats as the cultural festival performance.
"One of the key reasons why the musical Cats became so successful is because the costumes and makeup were designed to realistically resemble actual cats. Cat ears are just the most basic part. On stage, every actor even has special cat fur applied to their face, long tails trailing behind them, and walking on all fours is the default posture."
"Which means... today's teacher is Hotaru."
Kitagawa Ryo picked up Hotaru, who had been watching TV nearby. Ever since the golden talent [Hotaru] had solidified, he'd felt she was constantly toeing the line between cat and something more. It wouldn't be surprising if she turned into a cat-eared girl someday.
Speaking of which, there already was a cat-eared girl standing right in front of him.
"Meow."
Hotaru licked the back of Kitagawa's hand, then tilted her head curiously as she examined the human in front of her who had the same kind of cat ears.
"From here to there."
Kitagawa pointed to the other end of the coffee table. Though Hotaru didn't quite understand what her designated human was trying to do, she was in a good mood today, so she graciously complied, walking over with elegant feline steps.
"So cute."
Even Horikita Suzune, who wasn't particularly fond of pets, couldn't help but compliment her. Upon hearing that, Hotaru proudly raised a paw at Kitagawa.
"Cute, right?"
Kitagawa's eyes narrowed with joy. He crouched down in front of Suzune and patted her head:
"Your turn. Let's see you do it."
Suzune: orz.
The last time she felt this humiliated... was the last time.
"It's fine, it's just the two of us at home."
"It's precisely because you're here that it's humiliating."
"You can't give up, Suzune. You're Horikita Manabu's sister."
"That line is outdated."
"Wow, didn't know you had the makings of a tsukkomi character."
"..."
After a brief silence, Suzune tentatively raised her right hand, lowered it, then raised her left hand, and lowered that too.
As expected, walking on all fours was beyond the grasp of the foolish two-legged human.
Hotaru, now lying on Kitagawa's shoulder, yawned.
"All four limbs need to move, Suzune. You need to imagine that you're a cat."
"Who knows, this might come in handy someday when you swap bodies with a cat."
"What kind of romcom light novel trope is that?"
Trying to endure the embarrassment, Suzune began imitating Hotaru's movements as best she could.
"Be smoother, you're too stiff."
"If you have time to talk, how about demonstrating it yourself?"
"Gladly."
To Suzune's surprise, Kitagawa really did drop himself onto the carpet without hesitation. The next moment, he stretched out like an actual cat, moving his limbs with agile grace. His lazy demeanor and incredibly flexible movements exuded a mysterious, distinctly feline aura.
She had completely forgotten Kitagawa Ryo was a genius in the theater world.
Suzune: orz.
"If the movements are too tough, let's start with the eyes."
Kitagawa stood up and placed Hotaru in front of her.
"I've heard that many anime artists use cats as references when drawing eyes—emphasizing the eyes while shrinking the nose and mouth."
Hotaru's amber pupils met Suzune's violet-red ones. As she stared into Hotaru's eyes, Suzune thought she saw a faintly human-like smile.
Suzune continued practicing for another half hour, deep in thought. Once she had barely adapted to moving on all fours, she called Kitagawa over excitedly.
"I just realized a problem while flipping through the script."
But Kitagawa gave her an awkward yet polite smile:
"The female lead in Cats is an old cat who returns to the tribe from the outside world. So, there are barely any scenes in the whole show that require moving on all fours."
"..."
Sensing the change in mood, Hotaru fluffed up and darted from Kitagawa's shoulder to the bookshelf.
"Ryo."
Suzune's smile now carried the danger of a wild cat:
"Between 'regret while in pain' and 'regret while in despair,' which one do you prefer?"
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As a musical, Cats doesn't have a particularly complicated plot. It mainly tells the story of a tribe of cats known as the Jellicles, who hold an annual ball where each cat gets a chance to showcase themselves. In the end, the tribe's respected elder selects one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer.
Grizabella is a once-glamorous cat who left the tribe long ago. Now aged and weary, she tries to return but is rejected by the other cats. Eventually, through her heartfelt performance of the song "Memory," she gains their recognition and is chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer.
Since the musical was originally adapted from a collection of poems written for children, the entire production carries a fairy-tale-like tone aimed at younger audiences, and it ends with a typical happy ending.
"So that's basically it. The drama club's final audition the other day was mostly centered around casting for this script."
Kitagawa Ryo and Ichinose Honami were strolling down the tree-lined path on campus, casually chatting about recent events during their lunch break.
"So that Horikita-san made it through the final audition in the end, right?"
"Yeah, she was specially selected for the role based on this script. Her performance during the final audition was decent."
Kitagawa took a bite of the pineapple bun in his hand. He never really liked yakisoba bread—too many carbs piled together. Whenever he bought a quick meal from the convenience store, he usually chose something sweet like this instead.
"Her voice is actually pretty good."
Ichinose tilted her head slightly in curiosity and asked, "So how are musicals different from the plays you've done before, Ryo?"
"Musicals generally involve a lot more singing."
Giving a simple explanation, Kitagawa added, "Especially Cats. It's basically composed of dozens of songs and dance numbers."
"Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever heard you sing before, Honami."
"I don't really go to karaoke with friends, so even I'm not sure how well I sing."
"Then how about we go after school today?"
"Just the two of us?"
"Of course."
"Then no problem."
Ichinose clapped her hands happily. More than the karaoke itself, what she truly enjoyed was spending time alone with Kitagawa Ryo.
As long as it was something they did together, whether it was singing or anything else, it was something to look forward to.
Because every moment was a step toward building shared memories between the two of them.
-------------------------------------
"'Memory'? As in the song?"
Ichinose Honami turned back from the karaoke machine and asked, "Is that the famous song from Cats you mentioned earlier, Ryo?"
"Yeah. You should give it a try too, Honami. The lyrics aren't that hard. Want to sing it together?"
Kitagawa Ryo patted the mic in his hand. The karaoke room was lit up with colorful, dazzling lights. On the table sat a pile of junk food, dominated by fries. In this vibrant, chaotic glow, he brought the mic close to his mouth.
"Memory, Turn your face to the moonlight"
"Let your memory lead you. Open up, enter in"
"If you find there the meaning of what happiness is"
"Then a new life will begin"
It was the first time Ichinose Honami had heard Kitagawa Ryo sing. At first, she lightly shook the maracas in her hand to the rhythm, but she was soon completely entranced by his gentle voice. She eventually closed her eyes, letting herself be immersed in his singing.
During the instrumental interlude, Kitagawa took something from his pocket and quietly walked over to her. With gentle fingers, he placed it on her head.
The motion was as soft as a lover's touch, yet heavy—imbued with all their memories.
His fingers brushed against her silky hair.
Ichinose Honami had never worn any hair accessories before.
No scrunchies, no headbands, no clips.
She was the first girl Kitagawa Ryo met in this "Life Restart Simulator."
Unlike Karuizawa Kei and the others who came later, Ichinose Honami was a character formed entirely from words. Across three simulations, Kitagawa had gathered fragments of her, slowly assembling a complete person—reviving her through the movement of his fingertips.
They were both the kind of people who overestimated themselves, trying to protect their families with nothing but their own strength.
"Ryo?"
Ichinose opened her eyes in confusion, and in the reflective surface of the karaoke room's brightly lit walls, she saw her own appearance.
The pink hair clip was shaped like a divine bird spreading its wings, its tail flowing with a gradient of brilliant red flames.
"Your turn to sing, Honami."
Kitagawa Ryo beamed at her, shaking the maracas in his hand.
"It's my first time singing—if I sound bad, you're not allowed to laugh."
Ichinose stuck out her tongue playfully.
"I'd never laugh. Don't worry. In fact, you might just have a hidden talent for this."
"Memory, all alone in the moonlight. I can smile at the old days..."
Ichinose Honami was surprisingly poised. Even though it was her first time singing karaoke, she showed no signs of stage fright.
Kitagawa Ryo smiled at her as she sang. Though they were in a noisy karaoke room, a quiet peace and serenity welled up from within him.
Memory was the song that moved the entire tribe of cats in the musical and allowed the heroine to be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer.
It wasn't a song of lament or self-pity. It was a song about stepping forward toward tomorrow after understanding all the pain one had endured.
Just like the phoenix engraved on the hair clip he gave Ichinose Honami.
"If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is..."
"Look, a new day has begun."
Honami's shadow stretched long beneath the shifting lights. Holding the mic with both hands, she finished the final line with her eyes closed, then slowly opened them and gave Kitagawa Ryo a radiant smile.
Her sky-blue eyes sparkled like starlight.
[Rebirth]
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