How Long is Forever [COMPLETED]

... Another One Begins (Final Chapter)

IN MEMORIAM

Kyuuma Ginji
Tatta Koudai
Arakida Ichika
Samura Takatora
Kujou Asahi
Terumii Hibiki
Kanou Mira
Karube Daikichi
Segawa Chouta
...

"Exactly six months after the catastrophe, most of Japan and especially Tokyo still struggles with rebuilding both the city and economy. Not only have the suicide rates increased noticeably, but a majority of Tokyo's population still feels helpless and aimless towards their future. With over 2000 confirmed casualties and hundreds still missing, hope is still few and far between. How long will it take to..."

The newsreader's voice fades into the other sounds around you. It's the same message day after day. With each rising sun, more corpses are found under the majority of Tokyo's buildings still in ruins. Half a year already, and it feels like reparations have not made any progress at all.

Half a year since your heart, like hundreds of others, has stopped beating for an entire minute while a huge comet was crashing down on Tokyo. You stare at your hands cupping the Latte in front of you. The scars around your wrists have fully healed and will vanish more with every year passing, and the same goes for the other scars you carry.

Although no doctor has been able to explain where exactly those wounds came from. Most of them assumed that you had been carrying metallic bracelets during the catastrophe, and the heat caused the material to burn into your skin...

While you don't remember anything about the incident, you know for sure that you have never owned such bracelets. But what reason is there to argue, when the scars remain nonetheless?

"A penny for your thoughts?"

You look up and blink a few times until you're able to focus on the person sitting opposite to you. Kuina is wearing a colorful shirt with some superhero printed on it, and her dreadlocks loosely fall over her back. She grins at you and stuffs another piece of chocolate cake into her mouth.

Within a few months, she has become your best friend, ever since that moment you first met her in a support group for survivors. And about four or five weeks ago, you both decided to quit that group and meet in your favorite café once a week instead.

"I... I was just wondering what exactly happened on that day... you know."

"Oh, come on, honey." With a half-heartedly annoyed grunt, she reaches for one of your hands and pins it down on the table. "How many times have we talked about that now? What is it – survivor's guilt? Post-apocalyptic depression? Menopause?"

With your other hand, you reach into your pocket and pull out the tiny note. A nurse gave it to you after you woke up in the hospital, saying that it had been found with you. You have no idea why the name of an university is written on it, and you would have dumped it long ago if it hadn't been your own handwriting.

The note has been taped multiple times already, and somehow it feels too important to let go. Something about it...

"Aaaaand you're gone again."

Kuina rips the note out of your hand and examines it with little interest. "You still keep that! Ugh. How many times have you been there already?"

"...two."

You were surprised to find out it's a medical university, and a few weeks apart, you have gone there to see if it'd lead you to anything. Both times, you'd spend almost an hour to stroll through the hallways of the university, sit down on the lawn and watch the students around you, but there has been nothing.

"Why do you still keep it?"

"Because..." you try to get back the note, but Kuina holds it up so high you won't reach it, causing you to roll your eyes. "It feels as if something is missing. I know it is important and I should remember, but... it always slips from my grasp!"