Kenichi walked on the sidewalk. The streets were filled with cars and pedestrians. He passed by many buildings. He grabbed his chin in contemplation.
He thought of the dream he had. The first one was of a boy yelling at a woman in a scanty dress.
'I likely saw Kyoya's life as a kid.'
But who was that woman? Perhaps it was his mother? But those clothes that left little to the imagination aren't the kind a mother would wear in front of her child. At least Kenichi's mother wouldn't.
'Kyoya also was screaming for that woman to die.'
Kenichi couldn't imagine saying that to his own mother. Suddenly, it all seemed to click.
'Maybe it is his mother.'
Now that Kenichi thought about it, if it were his mother, perhaps that'd explain why he lives alone. It partially did at least.
'He doesn't get along with her.'
Kyoya must've had a bad childhood.
'Maybe that's why he grew up to become a bully.'
Although it didn't excuse Kyoya's actions, at least Kenichi could understand.
The second memory was with a girl from another school. Likely the girl Kyoya cheated with. There wasn't much information that Kenichi could benefit from; however, the more he thought about the girl, the more his heart began to race.
It was odd; he had no feelings for her. Maybe it was that kiss that was making the blood rush… Or perhaps these were Kyoya's feelings. Even if that were to be the case, why cheat? Why not break up with Amemiya and get with this other girl?
Having spent some time in Kyoya's body, the answer felt obvious.
'Because he thinks he's a god.'
Lastly, the last vision he saw wasn't a memory. He dreamt of himself with Kyoya. So far, Kenichi has been trying to be just like Kyoya; in order to maintain his relationship with Amemiya, and not only that, but maintain his status as well.
But Kyoya said to him, "You're not me."
It's not like he had a choice; he had to become like Kyoya, but wouldn't that mean treating Amemiya like trash?
Kenichi shook his head.
'I don't need to think about that right now.'
It was easier to postpone that thought and focus on something far more important.
Kenichi stood in front of his old two-story house. He could finally answer the question: Is Kyoya dead?
He noticed the car wasn't in the driveway.
'Dad shouldn't be working today.'
He stared up at the window; there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary.
Finally, he arrived at the door, pushing the doorbell.
He stood, waiting for a moment. But no one came to answer the door.
He tried again, but still no answer.
'Perhaps no one's home.'
If he had died, then perhaps he would have been taken to the hospital. Kenichi felt annoyed. It'd take too long for him to go to the hospital and be on time for his date.
Letting out a sigh, Kenichi surrendered to his circumstances. As he was turning away, the door slid open.
He spun back around and saw his older sister, Yui Sato, standing at the door.
"S—Sorry for taking s—so long, c—can I help you?"
Her eyes were red and puffy, likely from a lot of crying.
As Kenichi stared into her eyes, he felt his chest tighten.
"I just came to see how Kenichi was doing."
"Oh, you must be one of his friends. Thank you for visiting. But I—"
Tears began to fall from her eyes.
"I—I'm sorry, I don't know."
Kenichi couldn't help but feel at fault for his sister's feelings. He gave her a smile.
"I'm sure he's doing okay."
Yui stared back at Kenichi.
"Thank you."
Kenichi walked away. He didn't get what he came for, but from his sister's appearance, it seems like he got an answer. Still, leaving without a definitive answer left a bitter taste in his mouth.
But what rattled his heart the most was that as he stared at his sister, he was reminded of the family he had. He paused for a moment. He knew he shouldn't say this, but he had to.
"Yui! Thank you for everything. Take care."
Yui stared at him with a confused expression. Her eyes lingered on him for a while.
Kenichi turned his back, wrapping his fingers around his face. He realized that Yui hadn't introduced herself yet.
'I'm such an idiot. She's probably wondering how I know her name.'
Kenichi felt nervous, but perhaps Yui would simply assume he had gotten the name from her brother. But what was more embarrassing was that he used her first name out of habit.
He continued walking. Kenichi's chest tightened.
'This is the last time I'll likely see her.'
'I'll never get to see my family again.'
Had Kenichi been in his old body, he'd be bawling his eyes out, but in Kyoya's body, he didn't shed a single tear.
Going back to his family would be extremely challenging. If he tried to form a connection with them, it would never be the same as the one he once had with them, since he's no longer related to them. The second problem would likely be Akira and Kiwi, his old friends.
They'd likely tell his family that Kyoya was the one who used to bully Kenichi. So he'd be blamed for Kyoya's sins. Kenichi's heart sank to his stomach as he imagined his mother and father staring at him with animosity.
'I don't ever want to experience that.'
After a long while of walking, Kenichi was almost at the location for his date. His heart had steadied. The situation with his family still affected him, but for the most part, he was alright.
Though Kenichi managed to keep his cool, it was all the proof he needed to know he was no longer the old Kenichi. It should've taken him a lot longer to get over leaving his family, but it didn't. On the other hand, in his dream, Kyoya told him that he wasn't Kyoya either. Then who was he?
Kenichi arrived to a plaza with many stores and restaurants. The place was crowded; there was no way Amemiya would find him. Fortunately, he had arrived thirty minutes early. Had he arrived on time, he'd probably waste time searching for her.
'I should send her a picture of where I'm at.'
After thirty minutes, Amemiya arrived.
The first thing Kenichi noticed was her nicely done makeup, especially her red lipstick. She wore a blouse tucked into a skirt and heels.
"I never expected you to come early. Did you wait long?" Amemiya asked.
"Not at all."
She stared closely with a smile, then paused.
"You look sad. Is that nightmare from earlier still bothering you?"
"No, I just watched a sad movie while waiting."
"About what?"
"Some guy who lost his family."
"I never took you for someone who'd get emotional over a movie. It's kinda cute."
That compliment would've made the old Kenichi excited, but now he felt annoyed.
However, seeing Amemiya's joy, Kenichi remembered that although he may have lost his family, at least he still had something. Now he had to make sure he didn't mess it up.