A Warm Place

III Restart

“Onee-chan.”
“Uu…”
“Onee-chan!”
“Mm?”

Slowly opening my heavy eyelids, my younger sister fills my vision. I raise my back from the seat and look around to see that we have reached our destination. Since we are traveling far by car, it seems I ended up sleeping before I knew it.

I open the door and step outside to stretch my body that is stiff from sitting too much. I take a deep breath, then I slowly breathe out while looking at the scenery around me once again.

“I see… we’ve arrived.”
“Haa~ I’m so tired.”

Getting out from the driver’s seat, Mother staggers as she walks next to me. She must be tired after driving a long distance, she looks pale with fatigue.

“I think our luggage hasn’t arrived yet, so let’s take a break!”
“Agreed~! I’m tired from sitting in the car for the whole time.”

Looking at my sister who is scrambling to be the first one to enter our house, Mother and I make a wry smile. I find our family name [Hayase] engraved at the nameplate by the front door. That’s when it finally hits that this place has become our new home.

“Hinata~ would you massage my shoulders later? They hurt so much.”
“Sure, but can I take a walk around the town first?”
“Don’t go crying if you get lost, okay?”
“I’ll be okay, I have my cell phone.”

I take out my cell phone and show it to my mother. If I get lost, I can look up the internet for a map. If that doesn’t help, then I can just use it to contact someone.

“Alright then. Take care, though.”
“Oka—y.”

I wait for Mother to enter our new home after my sister, then I go for a walk.

People are born, and death will eventually come. It may come earlier for some, and latter for others, but everyone shares the same, unavoidable fate.

When I had been in my 3rd year of high school, I had thought that [death] was something far away. But on the contrary, it came so soon for me.

Right, I have departed from this world once. But for some reason, I am back living again in this world. Although, since I have a different appearance and name now, perhaps it’s more appropriate to say that I have reincarnated. However… I can clearly remember my memories from before I died.

I don’t know how or why I get to keep the memories of my past life when I reincarnated. What I do know is, that I have been living my second life uneventfully.

(This is so nostalgic.)

As I walk leisurely, I look at the landscape of the town. Every time I see a familiar scenery, I feel my chest tighten. It’s strange how it feels both warm and cold at the same time.

“………”

I have come to this town for the first time in my life. But, it’s not my first time, either. The previous me had lived in this town for eighteen years before I died, so it’s natural for me know this town well. I smile wryly at the contradiction, as I look around this nostalgic town.

(So, it’s been 16 years since then.)

I come to realize how long it’s been since I died before, and I am hit by the fact that time flows really fast.

I was in my second mother’s womb right after the previous me died, and I was born several months after. I started having my own awareness when I was a kindergartner, and that is when I recalled the memories of my past life. Either way, I have been living my life normally.