Two days before Christmas at Yu Nai's house...

"Hey buddy, any plans for Christmas? I have several new games for the gaming consoles prepared here. We have to battle until dawn!"

As Yuanhui sent me this email on the computer, I continued to receive it on my end.

"More games again...?"

I felt a bit helpless about Yuanhui's interests.

"Is that so, I'll consider it."

Speaking of Christmas, it seems that Beiyu Park is going to have a Christmas-themed event, so maybe it would be nice for the two of us to go and check it out.

So I secretly crouched under the dining table and replied to him in a message.

"It seems Beiyu Park is open, how about we go there before playing games? It's said to be free for the whole day!"

Buzz...buzz...buzz...!!

Not long after I sent it, Yuanhui replied with a text message.

"T^T sob...don't send such hurtful words, that kind of place isn't for us single losers, right?!"

"Eh?"

I couldn't quite understand what he was saying (mainly because I haven't had much interaction with people in years), but it seemed like he didn't want to go.

So I hung up the phone and set it to vibrate!

Ah, finally I could take a breath and wait patiently for the leader. Oh right!!

"Yu Nai, Beiyu Park is having a Christmas event and it's free, do you want to go together?"

"...Eh...eh...eh!!!"

Yu Nai, who was momentarily stunned, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"Chr...Christmas...with me...?"

It seemed like my words shocked her, and even her response became a bit stuttered.

Upon careful analysis of her words, together...of course, if Yuanhui doesn't want to go, then it's just me and Yu Nai!

As for Yukari, I guess she won't have any trouble since she is often close to her classmates, right?

Thinking of this, I confirmed what she said confidently.

"Yes! Let's meet tomorrow evening at Beiyu Park, rain or shine."

Half an hour later...

"I...I didn't mean it like that..."

The leader was so angry that he almost stood up from the dining table, which startled me.

I wasn't trying to deceive the leader, it's just...I really can't remember!

Just like the fleeting moments here, the only thing I can remember is when I first arrived here and saw a little girl with blonde hair appearing and disappearing in an instant.

Yes, my memory during that time was always fragmented, maybe someday I will remember something.

Or maybe someday, I will forget it completely.

For the past decade, I have been trying my best to learn how to let go.

Because I cannot forgive...myself...eh?

"Juxi, hey...Juxi?"

"Huh?"

Being awakened from my own world by the leader's loud voice was like dreaming about seeing someone who has passed away, but just as I was about to see them, I realized it was all just a dream!

I clearly remember what I just said, but not long after, my face inexplicably had two streaks of tears.

"Juxi, ah? I said...tsk, this won't do."

"Dad, it's clearly because you're too strict and scared Juxi!"

"No way? I'm innocent!"

He looked at me clumsily and then at his expectant daughter beside him, deliberately raising his voice in anger.

"Being wishy-washy is not a quality of a man. I hope you take responsibility for what you said!"

Then, he glanced at the seated Yu Nai next to him, as if to confirm that what he said was correct.

If it were any other time, I would have laughed at such a comical performance.

But now, I kept wondering why I cared so much about my past self, whether it was because of Yu Nai... or her?

(At home during that time)

Big sister Yukari was sitting alone on the dimly lit living room's single sofa, texting me on my phone using the light from the TV screen.

"Where are you?" "Come home early." "Don't go crazy and forget to come back too late!"... "Wherever you are, remember to wake up early the day after tomorrow for school, so don't stay up too late!"

After sending the messages, she turned off her phone with a snap.

After some anxious hesitation, Big sister Yukari patiently opened her old flip phone again and sent another text.

"Come back, I want you to teach me how to use a smartphone. I'm also planning to buy a new computer..."

"How about a new computer? Dad said he's giving us one and asked you to teach me too..."

"Sorry, where are you? Can you reply to me?"

... As expected, there was no reply...

"Forget it, it's already late. I think I should go back..."

"It's impossible, there are no more cars now!"

Just as I was about to bid farewell and leave, the chairman stopped me calmly, pointing at the clock on the wall.

"The day is already late, why not spend the night here? Although you have no choice..."

Watching the clock pointing to ten o'clock, I felt like time was passing by quickly, so quickly that I had completely forgotten. It was only around eight o'clock just now, but now it had been over two hours!

"Is it just my imagination?"

"Um... yeah!"

Facing my puzzled expression, Yu Nai's eyes also seemed strange.

But she still let out a soft hum, indicating her agreement.

"Oh, I see... Maybe I've been having trouble sleeping lately, which caused the illusion?"

I always feel like someone is silently crying, hiding in a dark corner!

In that pitch-black night, a person who seemed strong on the outside but actually felt very helpless stared at me from a distance.

He was like a lingering ghost, trying to convey something to me but unable to communicate.

"Comrade, in order to avoid living in the past, you keep trying to escape. While facing the future is a good thing, but..."

The voice sounded somewhat familiar, it was my own voice.

"Sigh, it's that dream again..."

I woke up and realized that I was in a monotonous and coldly decorated room, unmistakably a guest room.

The dizziness still lingered in my mind, so I hesitated for a moment...

I couldn't fall asleep in the dull and cold room of the guest room.

Although the heat was on in the room, it did nothing to melt my frozen heart.

"Well, let's pass the time by playing with the phone for a while."

He said, and took his phone from the nearby cabinet, ready to turn it on.

"Hmm...?"

He felt that the view outside the window seemed a little different than usual. After all, Christmas was just a few days away, and there was already a bit of a Christmas atmosphere.

Even in Yu Nai's remote place, they had started decorating with trendy things like Christmas trees.

"Yukari must have already decorated the house for Christmas, right?"

I chuckled, feeling somewhat expectant, and muttered to myself.

"I wonder how Yukari will decorate the house... hehehe, it wouldn't be some old-fashioned and rigid decorations again, would it?"

I blew warm air into my palms and picked up my light wallet.

Originally, I wanted to bring back some small trinkets that Yukari liked as a token of appreciation, using the little salary I earned from working at a fast food restaurant.

But...

"Ah, it seems like my meager salary this month isn't quite enough, huh?"

The few bills and coins inside probably could only buy a silver necklace, right?

Although she's my sister, she's still a girl. Can't continue like this...

"Not enough, not enough! Who would just give a girl jewelry and only give her a necklace? And it's silver!"

I exhaled into my hands, trying to keep warm, and muttered as I blew.

"It's not like I'm proposing, why do I need to take it so seriously..."

"...Huh?"

Proposing to my own sister...?

I almost jumped off the bed, thinking about it. But then I forcefully scratched my head and calmed down.

Seriously, marrying my own sister or something like that!

I scratched my hair in a somewhat ridiculous manner and reminded myself.

"Although it's legally allowed, that's not a reason for a sister to have to marry her brother, right?"

If that were the case, could this country still claim to be equal? Don't think too much.

Tonight was another sleepless night. Bored, I opened my phone and was shocked by the countless number of messages inside! Especially when my eyes moved to the top, that row of three digits - four hundred and sixteen messages!!

I felt like my breath was about to stop, my hands were no longer cold from the winter, but rather trembling out of fear!

The whole world felt so desolate at that moment.

Behind this world, I always felt that someone was conveying some thoughts to me.

Before my eyes, there was a starry sky again. It was no longer a cramped little room, but a sparkling sea, with colorful lights flickering in the depths of the ocean.

Beside me, a girl who looked somewhat like Yukari, but had a completely different temperament, softly murmured.

"...Juxi, are you there?"

"Juxi, come back to me!"

"Don't be fooled by the masks of this world, the world you see is no longer as clear as it was in our eyes."

Just as Yukari was about to grab my hand, I felt a pair of warm and soft hands tightly wrapping around my outstretched cold hand.

In an instant, I broke free from the illusion and saw Yu Nai's somewhat absent-minded eyes.

I stammered and called her.

"Yu Nai... me!"

"Is it Yukari sister?"

"..."

I was stunned by her sudden words.

Her urgent expression, eager to know the truth, left me speechless. Then, she continued to probe.

"The relationship between you and your sister... It's not just a normal sibling relationship, is it?"

"I..."

"According to our country's law, you can't marry within three degrees of kinship... But you two aren't, are you?"

"I...!"

"I've always felt that there was something unusual about your relationship, and it's because of this, isn't it?"

"Listen to me, Yu Nai... it's not what you think!"

I finally lost my temper!

I shook Yu Nai's shoulders vigorously and told her.