Chapter 2: The First Love

A lie is a betrayal.

Even without the promise of my first love, it was always better not to lie.

Because lies hurt people.

That’s why I never lied.

The result of that was that my relationship with Yuki had been exposed to my classmates…

“I’m sorry, Shinya… This is my fault.”

“Feelings aren’t something you can easily control. It can’t be helped.”

If logic could control feelings, I would have broken the promise to my first love a long time ago.

Because that would be more logical and rational. It would make it easier to take the best course of action to protect Segawa-san’s and Yuki’s smiles.

“First love is special, so it can’t be helped.”

I said that, squeezing the hand of my cute Daily Girlfriend.

“Hey, stop bein’ all lovey-dovey and talk to us, I’m sayin’.”

The boy and girl sat on the sofa opposite us.

The Kansai-dialect boy was Souta Watarai, who wore his uniform casually and had spiky hair and a handsome face.

The girl was Nanami Takanashi, a shiro-gyaru (white gyaru) with flashy blonde hair that reached her waist, perfect makeup and nails, and a super-miniskirt, with her shirt unbuttoned down to the third button. She was always the center of the class, chatting excitedly with her gyaru friends about nothing in particular.

Nanami Takanashi laughed loudly.

“Seriously, Hayacchi is wild, right? You hooked up with Saracchi and Yukicchi?”

“I didn’t hook up! I’m just dating them!”

“So yer tellin’ me yer two-timin’ ‘em.”

“Just hear me out, please.”

With nothing left to hide, I explained the circumstances of the Daily Girlfriend to the two of them.

Fortunately or unfortunately, these two were my friends and listened to what I had to say.

“Please, don’t tell anyone.”

Yuki and I bowed our heads together.

“I get why ya can’t lie,” Watarai said, frowning and looking at Yuki.

“Well, if it’s a promise to yer first love, I guess it can’t be helped.” He laughed. “But it’s kinda hilarious that yer fine with keepin’ secrets, though.”

“But, but, what if Saracchi finds out about you cheating with Yukicchi?” Nanami asked.

“Of course, I’ll answer honestly.”

“Ugh, Hoshinomiya High is gonna turn into a total disaster zone.”

“I feel bad for ya.”

“It’s fine. The Daily Girlfriend is the perfect plan for us to all get along in school.”

“T-That’s right! I’m being careful, too!”

“Nah, Aiba. We just saw ya, didn’t we?”

“Ugh… Shinya…”

“I have no words.”

“Ya damn cheater, yer totally unreliable.”

I bowed my head again to Watarai and Nanami, who were giving wry smiles, saying, “I’m worried about ya.”

“So, I need your help to keep the Daily Girlfriend a secret.”

“I ain’t plannin’ on blabbin’ about it, ya know.”

“Yeah, yeah. No need to deliberately make our friends miserable.”

Since they both knew about my amnesia, they were quick to understand the Daily Girlfriend situation.

“But yer bowin’ yer head means ya want us to do more than just keep quiet, right?”

“Yeah. Something only you two can do.”

Watarai had played basketball in middle school to be popular, but he never got a girlfriend. In high school, he joined the Brain Psychology Research Society to try and figure out the female heart and get popular. That failed, too. He wasn’t popular because of his subtle air of sketchiness.

“The only thing I can do now is play dating sims, ya know.”

That’s right. He had quit the club to search for true love in a game where he dated a chat AI, saying, “I ain’t got no girlfriend in the three-dimensional world!”

But he was the closest to me when he was in the club, and he was definitely a friend I could be open with.

Watarai was the best person to help me keep the secret.

“Man, this is one hell of a relationship, but…”

Watarai grinned wickedly.

“Since yer my bad friend, I’ll help ya out.”

“Thanks. I’ll never forget this favor, along with the grudge I hold for that brutal spike in P.E.”

“That was your request, ya idiot!”

“There’s a limit to what I asked for!”

While we were having that exchange, Yuki said with a wry smile.

“What are you going to ask Nanami?”

“From Takanashi-san, I’d like some advice from a girl’s perspective, I guess.”

Besides, Takanashi-san was quite experienced in dating and had never been without a boyfriend throughout middle and high school. So, having her around was a bonus.

“Well, Hayacchi helped me out, so I’ll help you as much as you need!”

I had tutored Takanashi-san before the midterms. According to her, she would have failed every subject without my guidance.

I had forgotten my studies due to amnesia, but I had regained enough academic ability to teach Takanashi-san. In this case, it might just be that Takanashi-san was alarmingly bad at studying.

Both of them were my few friends, but they were reliable… I hoped.

“By the way, there’s one thing I’m worried about.”

Watarai said awkwardly.

“That Daily Girlfriend thing yer doin’—it ain’t gonna work out, is it?”

Watarai was right. Generally speaking, two-timing never works.

But that wasn’t the only concern.

“The problem is that Segawa-san really wants to know who my first love was.”

“That’s seriously bad news.”

Since the incident during lunch break, she had been subtly concerned about it.

Segawa-san was the Ultimate Romance Novice, who had just managed to realize her own first love. She must be dying to know who her boyfriend’s first love was.

“If Saracchi finds out Yukicchi was your first love, it’s gonna be a total shit-show~ Plus, you’ll be all clingy, sayin’ you can’t lie because of it, right? It’s gonna be bad.”

Especially since Segawa-san’s first love was me.

It would certainly be romantic if my first love was Segawa-san, too, but…

“Well, if it gets exposed, it’s gonna be a disaster, so ya better keep it hidden, alright?”

Watarai gave Yuki a warning, too.

◇◇◇

Watarai was worried that the Daily Girlfriend wouldn’t work out, but an event came up that proved his concerns were unfounded.

This weekend, Sara, Yuki, and I went to—

“My ears are ringing~”

“So this is a game center… what a noisy place.”

It was a game center inside a shopping mall a little distance from Hoshinomiya City.

The BGM from medal games and crane games echoed everywhere. It was an exciting, non-everyday atmosphere.

“Sara~! Since we’re here, let’s look around!”

Yuki said excitedly, flapping the sleeves of her pure white poncho blouse. Today, Yuki, paired with her shorts, had an intense summer-girl vibe. Her disguise was a newsboy cap.

Segawa-san, walking hand-in-hand with Yuki, was dressed in a black blouse and a beige flared skirt, giving her the air of a calm, mature woman.

As for me, I was dressed head-to-toe in black, a testament to my lack of fashion sense. I felt a little bad for Segawa-san, who had dressed up.

We walked through the arcade, accompanying the two girls as they looked around excitedly.

We headed to the corner with fighting games and other arcade cabinets.

Today was Segawa-san’s first time at a game center, so the commoners—Yuki and I—were supposed to show her the ropes.

But that wasn’t all.

We had made a bet to finally resolve the matter of my first love, which had been left ambiguous. If Segawa-san won, I would tell her who my first love was. If Segawa-san lost, she would treat us to the day’s arcade expenses.

There was no way I, who was somewhat used to games, would lose to a beginner like Segawa-san. Refusing the bet would only make things look suspicious.

So, I accepted the challenge, which led us here today… but Segawa-san was worse at games than I thought.

“Aaaah! That’s super scary!”

She screamed and was completely useless in the zombie game.

“Stop, stop! What is this?!”

She kept going off the track in the racing game.

“What? I can’t attack at all! Isn’t that cheating?!”

She was completely shut down by a combo in the fighting game.

Yuki wasn’t great at games either, as she didn’t come to the arcade often, but Segawa-san was so bad that I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“It can’t be helped… I’ve never played before.”

She looked dejected after trying everything.

Even the genius Segawa-san had things she wasn’t good at. That made me a little happy.

I had thought we lived in different worlds, but seeing this side of her made me feel a sense of closeness.

“I was going to help you win, Shinya, but I guess I didn’t need to,” Yuki whispered in my ear.

Yuki also wanted to avoid revealing my first love, so she had planned to give me covering fire.

“But I do need you, Yuki.”

Segawa-san wasn’t used to being alone with a guy. So, she still got embarrassed if we didn’t go out as a trio.

“Hey, hey, Sara~ Let’s play together, too~”

“Yes, let’s look for a game we can all play.”

After that, she didn’t press the issue of my first love, and we just played games until we were exhausted.

I tried to play cool to impress Segawa-san, but I made mistakes. Still, sometimes I succeeded, and the three of us got excited.

Segawa-san seemed to be watching my gameplay closely, as she was a fast learner and quickly became as good as me.

When we took a break, the three of us sat on a bench in the arcade’s rest area.

“Hayasaki-kun, you’ve apparently lived in Hoshinomiya all your life, but do you come here often?”

“This is my first time since I lost my memory, I think.”

I looked at Yuki.

“I used to come here with everyone in my class in middle school~”

But I couldn’t remember. Maybe I had come with Yuki, too…

“Then, Hayasaki-kun is enjoying a first with me today, then.”

Segawa-san’s voice was slightly cheerful.

Segawa-san really did value ‘the me of now.’

It was a small thing, but it made me incredibly happy. It might be a feeling only the amnesiac me could understand, but it was a fact that Segawa-san’s sentiment had saved me countless times.

After that, we left the game center and decided to relax at a cafe for a break.

“I’m looking forward to the cake~” Yuki said.

We took our seats with Yuki and Segawa-san sitting opposite me and placed our orders.

When the cakes arrived, their eyes lit up.

“Sara~ Let’s split my cake in half~”

“That sounds lovely. I was curious about yours, Yuki.”

Segawa-san had a sophisticated Sacher Torte, and Yuki had a simple shortcake.

They fed each other a bite. And both of them smiled brightly.

“Sorry, Hayasaki-kun, for flirting with your girlfriend~” Yuki teased.

“Hey, hey, what are you doing messing with my girlfriend!” I joked.

Segawa-san chuckled at our exchange.

“Yuki and Hayasaki-kun are so close, aren’t you?”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not criticizing you. I’m actually quite happy about it.”

Shouldn’t she be worried that her boyfriend and her friend are so close? I wondered.

“I was worried that things would get awkward between the three of us after I started dating Hayasaki-kun. So, I hope we can continue to be close, like today.”

Yuki and I smiled and nodded at her words.

After we finished our cakes, Yuki turned to Segawa-san and said, “Speaking of your relationship…”

“Sara, how did you confess to Hayasaki-kun?”

Wouldn’t hearing that just be painful for Yuki? I thought, but perhaps it was pure curiosity, as she didn’t look particularly distressed.

“It’s a little embarrassing, but…”

“W-Well, that was… embarrassing, to say the least…”

—It was after Golden Week last month.

I was completely relaxed after the long holiday, spending time with Segawa-san in the clubroom.

Since Yuki wasn’t there, we were alone. The atmosphere was subtly awkward. We were both conscious of each other as male and female at that point.

Breaking the silence, Segawa-san murmured.

“There’s a song I want you to hear.”

“I’d love to, but what song is it?”

“It’s one composed by the famous Satie.”

I wasn’t knowledgeable about music and didn’t understand, but I was looking forward to a song Segawa-san would play.

“…Segawa-san?”

It was unusual.

Segawa-san’s hand, holding the violin, was trembling. The tension felt like the final scene of a drama.

“I-It’s okay.”

Segawa-san took a deep breath, then slowly drew the bow, beginning the melody.

It was a gentle song, with a subtly romantic atmosphere.

I wasn’t an expert in the world of music, but I could tell Segawa-san was pouring her heart into it.

Her melody, her gentleness, her feelings, seemed to envelop me.

And when Segawa-san carefully played the final note, I was too stunned to even applaud.

“Thank you for listening.”

“O-Oh. I forgot to ask the title of the song.”

“Je te veux. In Japanese, that means, ‘I want you.’”

“Kyaa~! Sara, that’s so romantic~! Hayasaki-kun, you’re such a wimp for making her go that far~!”

I couldn’t deny that I was a wimp, but I had a rebuttal.

“I tried to convey my feelings subtly, too.”

“Did you? I’m sorry, I might not have noticed.”

Segawa-san had no dating experience, so maybe she just didn’t notice subtle approaches.

“Or maybe Hayasaki-kun just thought he said something~” Yuki added.

“In that case, let me give you a lecture on memory.”

“So sudden again.”

“I like hearing Hayasaki-kun talk, so I’m happy.”

In contrast to the wryly smiling Yuki, Segawa-san looked at me expectantly.

Segawa-san, freed from her ojou-sama school, was full of curiosity.

“Human memory is unreliable. It’s easily forgotten, and we experience memory errors. I’m sure both of you have experienced it.”

“I can’t remember what I had for dinner last night, Professor!” Yuki exclaimed.

“I’ve mistaken my violin lesson schedule, too… Professor.”

“Segawa-san, you don’t have to play along.”

I cleared my throat and continued the explanation.

“In any case, human memory is fragile because of things like that. And it can be easily rewritten. I’m sure you’ve argued over ‘I said this’ versus ‘No, you didn’t,’ but that’s a memory error, or rather, a False Memory (Kago Kioku).”

“Then, what about Hayasaki-kun’s claim that he approached me?”

“I might be experiencing a memory error… a False Memory.”

“But, but, does that mean Sara might be experiencing a memory error?”

“That’s one possibility.”

“Then, which one is the truth?”

“I don’t know. Not unless one of us recorded it.”

I cleared my throat again.

“And with that, the lecture is over. This will be on the test, so pay attention~”

“As expected of Professor Hayasaki~ I mean, President!”

“That was amazing, Hayasaki-kun. You really sound like a professor.”

The two of them applauded.

“Well, then I have to make sure I don’t forget things this time.”

Saying that, Segawa-san took a long, thin box out of her bag and handed it to me.

It was beautifully wrapped, but what could it be…?

“Open it.”

Segawa-san urged me, looking a little shy as I stared at the box.

I carefully peeled off the wrapping and opened the box.

“Is this… a fountain pen?”

It was a sleek, black, luxurious-looking pen.

“It’s a gift to celebrate our one-month anniversary.”

She said she had talked to Yuki, who had known me for a long time, to decide what would be a good gift.

“It’s good luck to use it for your diary so your memory doesn’t fade for a thousand years, right?”

The fountain pen was named because it ‘can be used for a long time,’ and since it used ink, it couldn’t be erased with an eraser.

And the more you used a fountain pen, the longer you spent with it, the more it adapted to the user. It was the perfect gift for us, who had just started dating.

“Segawa-san is a true romantic.”

“She went a little overboard trying to be cool, though~”

“H-Hey! That’s embarrassing!”

The three of us laughed.

I decided I would write about this day in my diary with the fountain pen, resolving to protect my memory, and the bond between the three of us, forever.

After giving me the present, Segawa-san seemed to get embarrassed by her slightly grand gesture. After paying at the cafe, she turned bright red and said, “I need to be alone for a bit.”

Just like the first-love conversation the other day, once she got like this, it took a while for her to return to normal.

We left Segawa-san in the rest area, who promised to contact us once she calmed down, and Yuki and I started walking around the mall.

“Do you want to go on a little date…?”

After walking for a while, Yuki asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, let’s go on a date.”

“Ehehe, thanks. Since we’re here, let’s hold hands~”

She said that, and I took the hand Yuki gently held out, lacing my fingers through hers.

Today was not one of the Daily Girlfriend days.

But Saturday and Sunday were outside the scope of our agreement.

So, I thought it was okay to indulge her a little.

Besides, holding my hand made Yuki feel safe. Even though she had overcome her distrust of people, the anxiety from that time still lingered.

So, I wanted to reassure her now, when there was no chance of Segawa-san seeing us.

“Your hand is so warm, Shinya~”

“It’s summer, after all.”

“Then let’s get closer and get even warmer! It’s summer, after all!”

Yuki, who was making up this nonsensical theory, was walking with light steps.

Yuki, who had been swinging my arm happily for a while, suddenly stopped.

“The truth is,” she said, gazing wistfully at the ceiling.

“This mall wasn’t a place the whole class came to in middle school.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was a place you and I came to all the time.”

Apparently, we came here often in middle school, and even after we started dating in high school.

She said we held hands back then, just like now.

“Sorry, I don’t remember.”

“It’s okay, although if I said that, it would be a lie.”

She said that, looked back at me, and smiled.

“Just holding my hand right now is enough.”

And, she continued with a mischievous grin.

“There’s no way Shinya would be hanging out with ‘everyone’ in the class!”

“H-Hey! I wasn’t that bad! Probably…”

“Even though you were the type who never went to after-school parties?”

“Waaaaah! You’re taking advantage of my amnesia~!”

“Mufufu~ The cheating boyfriend, dating his current girlfriend in a place full of memories of his ex-girlfriend, deserves to suffer~”

Yuki’s villainous act was spot-on.

“So, as punishment, you have to take Purikura with me!”

“That’s not really a punishment.”

When we arrived at the photo booth in the arcade, Yuki quickly operated the panel and pulled my hand, leading me inside. As we stood on the designated line, the countdown began.

The shutter clicked repeatedly, but being unused to it, my eyes were half-closed, and my poses were awkward.

But in that instant, Yuki managed to cup her cheeks with both hands, striking a perfectly adorable pose.

As expected of a former idol, she was excellent in front of the camera.

We took several more photos after that, but my face was generally terrible in all of them.

“Shinya, you look so good~” Yuki said playfully, operating the panel and setting the filters to maximum cuteness. She picked up the printed Purikura stickers and jumped up and down, exclaiming, “Purikura with Shinya~!”

“Didn’t I take pictures with the pre-amnesia me?”

“You used to say, ‘I’m not the type to do that,’ Shinya~”

“Was I that much of an introvert?”

But the me of now was different from the me of the past.

That’s why I wanted to do what I could for both Segawa-san and Yuki.

Thinking that, I felt that taking these Purikura stickers was a good thing.

“So, here’s your copy, Shinya! With the high school girl’s touch—image editing included!”

Yuki handed me the Purikura.

It showed Yuki in her poncho blouse, looking excited, and me looking flustered and overwhelmed. Of course, it was heavily filtered to look sparkling. Plus, there was graffiti that said, ‘Couple ♡.’

I put it in the deepest part of my wallet.

“Yuki, you should keep yours somewhere no one else can see, too.”

“I know~”

She said, putting it in the inner pocket of her smartphone case. That should be safe.

After that little episode, we left the arcade, and I noticed a poster on the wall as we walked.

“What’s the Tanabata Festival?”

“It’s the one they have every year in Hoshinomiya City on July 7th. People write wishes on paper strips and hang them on bamboo, but do you want to go together?”

“Yeah, it’s nearby. Let’s go.”

“W-We’re just going to enjoy the festival, okay! That’s all! It doesn’t mean anything deep!”

“O-Oh.”

I figured it was just a festival to enjoy, but Yuki sometimes said strange things.

It was then.

“Whoa…”

I opened my phone to check the time, and a flood of messages from Segawa-san poured in. I hadn’t noticed the notifications because my phone was on silent, but the content was concerning.

『I’m sorry, I’m fine now. Please come back.』『Hayasaki-kun?』『Hayasaki-kun, where are you?』『Please answer.』『Where are you?』『Why aren’t you reading my messages?』『Hey.』『Did I make you mad…?』『Did I do something wrong?』『Please, I’m begging you, answer me.』

I hadn’t known, but Segawa-san was apparently the type to send a frantic barrage of messages when she felt anxious.

Yuki, who had peeked at the messages, and I exchanged wry smiles, and we hurried back to Segawa-san.

After that, we played until we were exhausted with Segawa-san, who had returned to her usual cool mode, and Yuki.

As the evening approached, we left the mall and headed to the station, mindful of Segawa-san’s curfew.

As we walked through the shopping street in front of the station, bright with the setting sun, Yuki, who had accompanied Segawa-san and me on our date, spoke up.

“It was a nice date, but are you two done playing?”

“I might be able to stretch my curfew a little, but what should we do?” Segawa-san pondered.

I wanted to spend more time with her. But I didn’t want to pressure her, as I respected Segawa-san’s feelings. Her pace was fine.

“In that case, why don’t you two have a date at one of your houses!”

Nice assist, Yuki!

A suggestion from a third party made it easier to gauge Segawa-san’s feelings.

I gave Yuki a thumbs-up in gratitude, and she smiled shyly, giving me a peace sign and eye contact.

‘If it’s Shinya’s house, it’s your turf, so it’ll be easier for you to take the lead, right?’

‘Are you a genius! A love genius!’

It was right as we were getting excited.

“You’re right, a date at home… It might be a good time to move on to the next stage of our relationship.”

Segawa-san’s genius mind seemed to have derived some kind of solution.

“Th-Then! Why don’t you come to my house!”

◇◇◇

Yuki and I parted ways, and I was on the train with Segawa-san.

Perhaps due to the tension of having a date at her house, we both stared out the window in silence. The scenery flowing past the train window gradually turned into a calmer townscape, and the sky shifted from sunset to the curtain of night.

Watarai had worried that the Daily Girlfriend wouldn’t work out, but there had been no trouble with Yuki.

But a different problem had emerged.

The date at Segawa-san’s house, which was decided by Yuki’s excellent assist.

I was too excited at the time to realize, but Segawa-san had a curfew, so there was no way she could come to my house.

Therefore, a date at home was limited to Segawa-san’s house.

In other words, Yuki wasn’t a love genius; she was just her usual clumsy self.

And so, we got off the train in a high-end residential area and arrived at a room in a high-rise apartment building near the station—the Segawa family home. The high-floor apartment, which overlooked the night view, had a spacious living area and was furnished with a chic, cohesive atmosphere.

Segawa-san’s room was the same.

But the room, which smelled of Segawa-san’s floral scent and was not my own, felt strangely unsettling, and I couldn’t help but look around.

What are we going to do on a date at home in this room? I was thinking when—

“Um, I think you should take a shower.”

Although we had been at the mall all day, I had worked up a sweat on the way here.

She let me go first. I stood under the running water in the shower, thinking—What are we going to do?

This was the first time I had been to a girlfriend’s house and taken a shower. I couldn't help but imagine all sorts of things. However, my partner was the Ultimate Romance Novice, Segawa-san. It was unlikely that anything like that would happen. But Segawa-san’s parents weren’t coming home today. In that case, there might be a chance after all—

As these thoughts swirled in my head, I finished my shower and returned to Segawa-san’s room wrapped in a bathrobe she had lent me.

“S-Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“O-Oh, well, I’ll go take a shower, then.”

Segawa-san was also conscious of the situation, and the atmosphere was indescribable.

From then on, I was completely on edge.

I sat down in the seiza position to calm myself, but I was restless, fidgeting, and couldn’t collect my thoughts. I opened a manga app for no reason and completed my daily quests in a social game.

But the thought of Segawa-san showering nearby made it impossible to concentrate on anything, and if I strained my ears, I could faintly hear the sound of the water.

In the end, I couldn’t focus on anything, and time passed as I sat in seiza…

“Sorry for the wait.”

Segawa-san returned to the room in a bathrobe, too. She was enveloped in the lovely scent of shampoo, and her hair looked slightly glossy.

I had just used the shower and the same shampoo, so why did she look so different? Girls were a mystery.

“By the way, why are you sitting in seiza?”

“Oh, just for mental focus, or something.”

“Hayasaki-kun, you have a somewhat strange sensibility.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Segawa-san!”

As we talked, the tension eased a little.

We decided we couldn’t stay in seiza, but since there was no other chair for two, we sat on the bed. That alone somehow created that kind of atmosphere again, and we both fidgeted awkwardly.

The silence was becoming uncomfortable, but Segawa-san broke it.

“U-Um, Hayasaki-kun, I-I want to do it!”

“N-No, I don’t think that’s appropriate for us yet!”

We hadn’t followed any proper steps yet. Even with Yuki, we only touched each other.

Besides, it felt wrong to do that with Segawa-san while my relationship with Yuki was ambiguous.

“But I want to do it with Hayasaki-kun today!”

“Today!? Why the rush!?”

“That’s right! So—”

“W-Wait, let’s calm down for a second!”

I held out both hands to stop her, but Segawa-san, who was leaning forward, didn’t stop.

And then she said, with a look of determination.

“I want to continue the match from earlier today! The one where you tell me your first love!”

“Ah…”

I had been terribly mistaken and embarrassed, but I listened to Segawa-san.

“When I think about it, I was fighting under very unfavorable conditions, wasn’t I? I’ve never been to a game center before.”

She’s realizing this now.

And Segawa-san was still the Ultimate Romance Novice, desperately curious about her boyfriend’s first love.

“So this time, I was thinking we could have an ear-licking contest, since neither of us has experience with that.”

“...What do you mean?”

“I found out recently that ear-licking is apparently trendy.” This was the kind of thing often seen in ASMR videos, and streamers did it.

“So, how about we take turns licking each other’s ears, and the first one to give up loses?”

“So, if you win, I tell you who my first love was?”

“Yes. In exchange, if Hayasaki-kun wins, you won’t have to tell me anything about your first love again.”

That had a benefit for me, too. It would reduce the risk of a rift in the trio’s relationship.

“But Segawa-san, can you even do something like ear-licking? We only just started holding hands the other day…”

“It’s certainly embarrassing, but I think this much is fine. It doesn’t seem that difficult, and we won’t be kissing.”

and said, “If we’re going to have a contest anyway, I wanted it to be something Hayasaki-kun could enjoy.”

I appreciated her thoughtfulness, but—

“Is your first love that important to you?”

“Because my first love was you, after all. First love is special, isn’t it?”

She wanted to know what made it so special.

She was trying to uncover my secret, half-expectant, half-anxious.

But I was absolutely certain I wouldn't lose this contest.

It was obvious that the innocent (ubu) Segawa-san would give up immediately.

She was the girl who had fled the room just from the mention of first love.

I could knock her out in seconds.

It was an eccentric ear-licking contest for a first date at home.

To ensure fairness, we added a rule: the offense and defense would switch if the ear-licking was interrupted for a breath or any other reason.

“Well then…”

With a nervous look, Segawa-san climbed onto my lap and faced me directly.

The soft sensation of her behind through the bathrobe…

Then, Segawa-san’s sweet scent hit me, and I felt dizzy.

“I-I’ll go first.”

Segawa-san, surprisingly proactive, squeezed her eyes shut and began running her tongue over my ear.

“Nngh, chu… churu…”

She licked my ear hesitantly.

A slick sensation hit my earlobe. Just as I expected, she was incredibly clumsy.

This was more like earlobe-licking than actual ear-licking… While that was nice in its own way, it wasn't enough to make me give up. Segawa-san’s face was bright red when she paused for a breath, interrupting the ear-licking.

“My turn, then.”

She nodded, and I confirmed it before running my tongue deep into Segawa-san’s ear.

“Hyaaah!”

It was a very childlike, sweet cry, one I would never have expected from her.

But this was a contest. There was no need to hold back.

“H-Hayasaki-kuun… th-this is too much. I-It’s more than I thought, nnngh!”

Segawa-san, twitching in response, was already on the verge of a knockout.

The stimulation was more intense than she had anticipated, and she was trembling.

“You can give up, you know?”

“I-I’ll try!”

Segawa-san, who was refusing to back down, seemed to have evolved from The Ultimate Romance Novice to just a ‘Romance Novice.’

When I paused for a breath, the offense and defense switched, and this time, Segawa-san ran her tongue into my ear. It was a smooth, warm sensation.

Segawa-san continued to try her best, but perhaps out of sheer embarrassment, she stopped the ear-licking. When the offense and defense switched, I licked Segawa-san’s ear deeply.

“Ah, yaaah, unnngh…! Hayasaki-kun, your tongue is too deep!”

“It’s a contest. I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong.”

“I-I know, but…”

She was wriggling in a mix of shame and pleasure. This was Segawa-san, the girl who always maintained a composed expression.

Wanting to see an even cuter side of her, I deliberately made a wet, smacking sound.

“Th-That sounds so naughty… Hayasaki-kun, you sound like you’re used to this.”

“It must be your imagination.”

I genuinely had no experience with ear-licking.

But if there was an explanation, it was my desire to see the adorable Segawa-san.

I wanted to peel away the perfect, admirable Segawa-san and see the raw, exposed version of her.

She was cute when we held hands, but this was a different feeling. I could feel her femininity even more intensely.

“It’s not fair that Hayasaki-kun gets all the fun!”

Segawa-san, who had been on the receiving end, took her turn. When the offense and defense switched, she firmly put her tongue into my ear.

She licked the contours of my ear with her slender, delicate tongue, tracing the outline.

“Nngh… Haa, nchu, reru…”

And after we had switched roles a few times—

“Nngh, Hayasaki-kun, you react well right here…”

As expected, Segawa-san was a quick study.

She quickly learned what made me react strongly.

The wet sounds echoing inside my ear, the slick, warm sensation—it was an experience unavailable in daily life, and I was defenseless against the stimulation. But Segawa-san, when it was her turn to be licked, was the same.

“Ah, yaaah, Hayasaki-kun’s tongue is so naughty… Nnngh, Hayasaki-kun, Hayasaki-kuun.”

Although she probably didn’t intend it, having her call my name with a hot sigh made me feel like I was doing something terribly wrong.

Coupled with her wistful voice, the destructive power was immense.

But that wasn’t all.

As our mutual excitement rose, our breathing became ragged. Because of that, Segawa-san’s cheeks turned a rosy pink, and she became increasingly sensual.

“Hayasaki-kun, I love youu…”

The contest was forgotten. Segawa-san was completely melted.

But I was the same, intoxicated by Segawa-san’s allure.

And then, without either of us initiating it, we hugged.

My heart pounded with excitement at my first hug with Segawa-san.

“I love being able to feel you so much, Hayasaki-kun.”

I nodded, saying, “Me too,” and Segawa-san’s cheeks softened into a blissful smile.

Hugging the person you love is incredible.

You crave the other person endlessly. You seek them out without limit.

And Segawa-san seemed to feel the same way, her rationality more blown away than ever before.

Before we knew it, we had forgotten the rule about switching roles and were licking each other’s ears playfully.

“I want Hayasaki-kun to feel good more and more…”

“I want Segawa-san to feel more too…”

We thought about what would make the other person feel good and then acted on it.

We used their reaction as a reference and explored again.

Through trial and error, we learned each other’s preferences.

It was our first date at home, yet our understanding of each other had advanced rapidly.

“More, more…”

Every time we tightened our embrace, we felt each other’s heartbeats. Our pulses quickened. We felt happy. We felt stupid.

I was glad I had fallen for this girl.

She was so devoted, so single-minded, and so open with her feelings.

Our breathing was ragged, and our sighs were hot, as if we had run a full marathon.

Our ears were slick, covered in saliva.

Our bodies were hot, and we wanted each other more.

When I met Segawa-san’s eyes, they were clouded with passion but also flickering with anxiety. A feeling of what would happen if we went further?

So—

“Let’s stop now.”

I held up my hand to stop her.

Our bodies, which had been hot as if we were in a sauna, rapidly cooled down.

“…Why?”

“Maybe because the usual Segawa-san wouldn’t be doing this.”

A moment ago, Segawa-san was clearly anxious.

For a girl who got shy just giving a present, doing something like this was clearly skipping too many steps, forcing herself to be someone she wasn't.

I didn’t want her to do that.

“So, I lose this contest.”

Segawa-san’s dreamy eyes snapped back to reality. She remembered we were in the middle of a contest.

I had initiated the stop. That was my giving up, my defeat.

Even if it meant losing, I didn’t want Segawa-san to compromise herself.

“Then, um… will you tell me? Who your first love was?”

“Yes. It’s a promise, after all.”

Segawa-san looked at me with a mix of anxiety and expectation.

And then, her lips, which had lost the moisture from before, parted.

“T-Then, was your first love… me?”

“…I’m sorry, but no.”

At that answer, Segawa-san’s shoulders slumped for a moment, and she looked down. But she seemed to have half-expected my response, and she quickly recovered.

“…Then was it Yuki?”

Her trembling voice betrayed her anxiety.

There’s no way it was Yuki, she must have thought, but the possibility was still there.

It was true that Yuki and I had known each other since middle school and were close. We had met before Segawa-san, so it was entirely possible.

That was probably why she asked, despite her fear. But.

“It wasn’t Yuki, either.”

That’s right, my first love wasn’t Yuki.

It was true that my pre-amnesia girlfriend was Yuki, but she hadn’t been my first love.

“Th-Then who was it?”

Segawa-san didn’t know any other likely candidates.

And she couldn’t possibly know.

Because my first love was…

“Ichinomiya-san. That was the girl I first loved.”

That single sentence completely extinguished the lingering warmth between us.

Segawa-san’s eyes widened, and she froze, but then she managed to squeeze out a question.

“Ichinomiya-san… who is that?”

I decided to tell her about Ichinomiya-san, the first love who was the only memory that hadn’t faded with my amnesia. This was the first time I had talked about her to anyone other than Yuki.

Ichinomiya-san attended an all-girls school that spanned elementary, middle, and high school. I met her in the neighborhood public park when we were in the third grade of elementary school.

Every afternoon, she would be at the top of the jungle gym, watching the children in the same school uniform play with a cold gaze.

According to those children, Ichinomiya-san had the nickname ‘The Lonely Queen.’

The jungle gym where she always sat was, in a way, her palace.

But her solitude was inevitable. Ichinomiya-san was too perfect.

She excelled at sports and academics, and she carried herself with a mature air, her beautiful, silky black hair flowing around her. She was also skilled at the violin and exuded a cold aura that kept others at a distance.

She seemed to have a fervent fan base among the boys, but she never paid them any mind. Because of that, envious girls targeted her. But she met even their antagonism with a cold stare, which only fueled their resentment and accelerated her isolation.

I once asked the lonely Ichinomiya-san, “Why do you just watch? Why don’t you play with everyone?”

“I have cram school and violin lessons every day.”

She gave a mature answer, saying she knew how much her parents invested in her and wanted to meet their expectations.

Because of her schedule, Ichinomiya-san always had to leave quickly, but it seemed like she really wanted to join the other children.

Seeing her like that made me want to help her. I didn’t have many friends either, so maybe I felt a sense of camaraderie.

Before I knew it, I was talking to Ichinomiya-san every day.

But she would always cut me off with, “I have cram school,” or “I have a lesson.”

The repetition got to me, and one day, I took Ichinomiya-san’s hand and pulled her down from the jungle gym. Then, I just started running.

I hadn't decided where to go.

We did all the simple things children would think of: we got soaked jumping across the river mid-stream, calling it an ‘expedition,’ we slid down the grassy embankment, and we rode our bikes full speed down steep hills.

We just played simple games, and I remember us laughing the whole time. It was so much fun.

But the magic had to end.

“I have to go home…” Ichinomiya-san said wistfully as the sun began to set.

Skipping her cram school and breaking her curfew was apparently a serious offense.

In the end, I went with my parents to apologize to Ichinomiya-san’s family.

“I forced her to come with me,” I insisted, bowing my head.

But Ichinomiya-san’s parents didn’t get angry at either of us.

They seemed to realize that they had been suppressing their daughter more than they intended.

From the next day on, Ichinomiya-san was given time to play.

Ichinomiya-san could now spend time for herself, not just for her parents.

She would play the violin for me, and she would brag about her high test scores, which made me study harder to try and compete with her.

During those ordinary days, I realized I was falling in love with Ichinomiya-san.

She was a lady who colored my mundane life, and she had a more mature atmosphere than other girls her age.

Seeing her look so happy made me want to make her smile even more. I felt like I could do anything for that.

Love is a feeling that makes you want the other person to be happy and not want to see them sad.

First love, in particular, has a powerful pull. It was enough to make the indoor me grab Ichinomiya-san’s hand and rush out, which was quite an adventure for me.

From the day I realized my first love, my feelings for Ichinomiya-san swelled up every day, and I thought only of her, awake or asleep. I felt motivated to try hard that day just because I would get to see her.

And I learned something profound: first love is special.

The first time I felt my heart pound, the shock, the selfless desire to please her.

All those feelings mixed together and squeezed my chest.

And I wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Ichinomiya-san was, too.

We were each other’s first love.

One day, I was talking to Ichinomiya-san at the top of the jungle gym at dusk.

“I hate lies. I’m sick of adults always lying.”

Ichinomiya-san, the young lady, seemed to have suffered a lot, even as a child.

“Do you lie, Hayasaki-kun?”

“I don’t lie! Never!”

I said that impulsively because I didn’t want to disappoint Ichinomiya-san.

“Then it’s a promise. You absolutely must never lie.”

“I promise!”

At the top of the jungle gym, as the sun set, we, two first loves, made a pinky promise.

That was the reason I kept secrets but never lied.

And it was my first love, the only memory that didn’t fade even with my amnesia.

I knew Segawa-san would be upset if she learned her boyfriend’s first love wasn’t her, and it might affect our relationship. That’s why Yuki and I had desperately tried to hide it.

But one day, Ichinomiya-san suddenly left Hoshinomiya.

A classmate who was relatively close to Ichinomiya-san told me she had moved to Fukuoka. She probably didn’t tell me because the goodbye would have been too sad.

That classmate also gave me a charm, which Ichinomiya-san had entrusted her with.

It was a love charm.

I didn’t know her intentions.

But I had cherished it ever since.

I kept it in a cookie tin—my childhood treasure box—always, always.

Because of the promise I made to that special girl, I had never even considered lying since that day.

Because lying would make Ichinomiya-san sad.

“Do you still like Ichinomiya-san?”

I nodded truthfully at Segawa-san’s question.

“Do you want to see her again?”

I nodded again. But—

“She moved to Fukuoka. It’s too far from here, so it would be difficult.”

Besides, I didn’t even know where in Fukuoka she was.

“You might not believe me, but my number one priority now is Segawa-san.”

I wasn’t a child anymore, chasing after an unachievable love I could never see again.

Besides, Segawa-san was the first girl who had accepted ‘the me of now,’ making her special. She might even be on par with Ichinomiya-san.

But could I forget my first love? No.

The impact of a first love was simply too immense.

“Thank you. For telling me.”

Segawa-san smiled and left the room. She said she was going to take a shower to wash off the sweat.

“Phew…”

I sighed in relief that the conversation had ended without Segawa-san getting too upset.

I looked up at the ceiling and then back down. Something on her study desk caught my eye.

I knew it was wrong to look at her personal belongings, but my brain, which was still fuzzy from everything that had happened, couldn’t make a rational judgment, and I couldn’t help but look.

It was a cloth, like a handkerchief—a violin cloth.

It was used to clean a violin, an essential item for any violinist. Segawa-san used it after her performances.

But that wasn’t the important part. I hadn’t noticed it until now, but a name was embroidered on it.

“Ichinomiya…?”

In that instant, everything that had happened, all of Segawa-san’s words, clicked into place.

‘Actually, I used to live in this area, Hoshinomiya City, before.’

Both Segawa-san and Ichinomiya-san had lived here.

‘It was Hayasaki-kun, who I saw in the park back then, who was my first love.’

Ichinomiya-san and I were first loves who met in the park.

‘I lived in Fukuoka until middle school, so the habit just comes out sometimes.’

Ichinomiya-san had moved to Fukuoka, and Segawa-san had definitely lived in Fukuoka.

And both were excellent students, skilled at the violin, and had beautiful black hair.

It was too much of a coincidence.

There had been several matching points, and I had wondered before if Ichinomiya-san and Segawa-san were the same person.

But their last names were different, so I dismissed the idea. Most of all, the chance of my first love returning was too unlikely to be mere coincidence.

However, Segawa-san’s last name might have changed.

Segawa-san had mentioned that her mother remarried after the divorce. Her last name might have changed from Ichinomiya to Segawa because of that. The last name embroidered on the violin cloth confirmed it: Segawa-san’s former name was undoubtedly Ichinomiya.

And the single conclusion derived from all this deduction: