How can someone hate you if they don't even know you?
The question echoed quietly inside Harry's head as he walked through the school halls of Utashinai.
And somehow…
He already knew the answer.
Sophia Reynolds knew him.
Maybe not completely.
Maybe not anymore.
But the way she spoke to him, the way her eyes sharpened whenever he asked about the past, the irritation in her voice whenever he got too close to the truth…
It wasn't the behavior of someone speaking to a stranger.
No.
She definitely knew him before he lost his memories.
The real problem now was different.
How was he supposed to make her talk?
Harry didn't know anyone close to her. Hell, barely anyone in school even seemed to know who she was. And after yesterday's disaster with his classmates, he still felt strangely uneasy around them.
He sighed quietly.
Running away like that over a single question…
Even he didn't fully understand why he reacted that way.
It wasn't like he wanted to hear the question.
But he didn't want to run either.
His body just moved before his thoughts could catch up.
As Harry walked toward his classroom, he noticed someone ahead of him.
Blonde drill curls.
Seraphina Knox.
She was walking in front of him without noticing he was there.
Harry immediately felt relieved.
Not because he hated her.
He just… didn't know how to deal with people yet.
The idea of suddenly talking to classmates, suddenly becoming part of a group, suddenly belonging somewhere… it left an uncomfortable twisting feeling in his stomach.
Still, sooner or later, they would have to talk again.
Might as well do it now.
Harry took a slow breath.
"…Hey, Seraphina."
"Huh?"
She turned around casually.
Then froze the moment she realized it was him.
Her eyes widened instantly.
And before Harry could even react
"IM SORRY IM SORRY IM SORRY IM SORRY IM SORRY IM SORRY IM SORRY..."
Harry nearly jumped back.
"WHOA WHOA WHOA! What?!"
Seraphina hurried toward him with watery eyes, her voice cracking from panic while nearby students immediately started staring at them.
"I'M SORRY FOR WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY!" she cried desperately. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO MAKE YOU FEEL THAT WAY, I SWEAR I'M SORRY!"
Harry immediately lifted both hands awkwardly, sweating from the sudden attention.
"Okay okay okay, calm down first!"
Seraphina wiped at her eyes quickly.
"…You're not mad at me?"
Harry exhaled tiredly.
"Look… I probably shouldn't have run away like that either." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "But you don't gotta make a whole scene."
"I'm really really sorry though…"
"Yeah, I got it already."
Her voice became smaller.
"So… you're really not mad?"
Harry stared at her for a second before sighing again.
"What did I just say?"
Seraphina finally relaxed a little.
"Thank God…" she mumbled. "I thought you wouldn't even wanna look at me anymore."
Harry hesitated briefly.
Then decided to ask.
"Hey… do you know a girl with white hair called Sophia Reynolds?"
Seraphina blinked.
"N-No?" she answered slowly. "Is she from our school? What about her?"
Harry immediately looked away.
"…Never mind."
He tried walking past her.
But Seraphina suddenly grabbed his sleeve lightly.
"W-Wait."
Harry glanced back.
"…Hm?"
"We can walk together."
Harry visibly hesitated.
"…Ugh. Sure."
And just like that, the two headed toward class together.
...
The moment they entered the classroom, the atmosphere noticeably relaxed.
Damien literally sighed in relief.
Lucien looked seconds away from thanking God.
Nora smiled softly while Owen leaned back in his chair like a burden had just been lifted off his shoulders.
Even Elara, though silent as always, looked slightly less tense.
It was obvious everyone had been worried things would stay awkward between Harry and Seraphina forever.
The rest of the day passed surprisingly smoothly.
For the first time since arriving in this town, Harry actually spent time with people normally.
Lunch turned into conversations.
Conversations turned into laughter.
Stories.
Complaints.
Jokes.
Most of the time Harry simply listened, but eventually they started asking him questions too.
Mostly about himself.
Or at least… what little he remembered.
"So wait," Damien said with disbelief, "you seriously woke up with no memories at all? That sounds awful."
Nora tilted her head slightly.
"But who exactly is Lilith?"
Harry leaned back slightly in his chair.
"She took me in after the hospital." His voice softened a little. "Apparently none of my relatives wanted me."
The table grew quieter.
Owen frowned slightly.
"How come?"
Harry shook his head.
"I don't know."
Seraphina lowered her eyes.
"…That's rough."
Damien immediately spoke up afterward.
"Hey, don't overthink it too much, alright?" He smiled casually. "You can always talk to us if something's bothering you."
Lucien nodded quickly.
"Yeah. Seriously. We'd listen."
Nora smiled warmly.
"We're here for you."
"You bet we are," Seraphina added immediately.
Only Elara remained silent.
Still listening quietly.
Harry stared at them for a second.
Then, slowly-
He smiled.
A real smile.
One wide enough to show his teeth.
"…Thanks, guys."
His voice came out quieter than expected.
"But really… it means a lot."
The group immediately laughed the awkwardness away.
And for once, Harry didn't feel completely alone.
...
By the time school ended, the sun had already begun sinking behind the city buildings.
Most students headed home quickly, but Harry stayed behind with Owen for a while inside the library.
Though eventually, even Owen left first.
"See ya tomorrow," he called casually while waving.
Harry simply waved back from his seat.
Then silence returned once more.
Honestly…
He liked the library.
The smell of books.
The quiet atmosphere.
The endless amount of things to learn.
Even with his lost memories, one thing became painfully obvious very quickly.
Harry loved knowledge.
Loved reading.
Loved understanding things.
Time passed without him noticing until the sky outside darkened completely.
Only then did he finally close the book in front of him and decide to leave.
But the moment he stepped outside the library
He stopped.
Someone was already waiting there.
Leaning quietly against the wall beneath the dim hallway lights.
White hair cascading down her shoulders.
Cold silver eyes watching him silently.
Sophia Reynolds.
Only the distant ticking of the school clock echoed softly through the building.
Her silver eyes stayed fixed on Harry as he stepped out of the library carrying a few books beneath his arm.
Then, finally, She spoke.
"So," Sophia said calmly, "you were asking people about me?"
Harry stopped walking.
"…Apparently no one knows you," he answered honestly. "It's almost like you only exist inside my head."
Sophia tilted her head slightly.
"Is that so?"
Before Harry could react, she suddenly stepped closer.
Then flicked his forehead.
Thwack.
"Ouch!"
Harry immediately grabbed his forehead and glared at her.
"What was that for?!"
Sophia stared at him blankly.
"What?" she asked innocently. "I thought I was only in your head."
Harry frowned harder.
"People can still feel pain in their heads, genius."
For the first time, the corner of Sophia's lips twitched upward slightly.
Barely noticeable.
"Interesting."
Her eyes drifted toward the books in his hands.
"So that's why you stayed in the library so long?"
Harry looked down at the books himself.
"Not really." He shrugged lightly. "The school year literally just started and I'm already drowning in homework."
Sophia stayed quiet.
"And besides," Harry added, "I kinda like studying."
"Is that so…"
Her voice softened slightly.
Not warmer.
Just… less sharp.
Then she stepped away from him again.
"Well," she said calmly, "see you next time."
And she walked off down the hallway.
watched her disappear into the dim school corridor.
Strangely enough…
This time, she didn't look disgusted talking to him.
Didn't look irritated.
Didn't look like she wanted him gone.
"Is that so…"
Her words repeated quietly inside his head during the entire walk home.
By the time Harry arrived at the apartment, the city outside had already fallen asleep beneath the cold night sky.
The apartment lights were dim.
Lilith had already fallen asleep on the couch, an old blanket draped over her shoulders while the television played quietly in the background with no one watching it.
A plate of food waited for him on the kitchen table.
Still warm.
Harry stared at it for a second silently.
Then quietly ate alone before heading to his room.
...
That night, He dreamed again.
The same dream.
The same endless darkness.
No light.
No ground.
No sky.
Nothing.
Harry couldn't even see his own body.
Only emptiness.
Then-
A feminine voice echoed through the void.
Soft.
Distant.
"Name."
Harry frowned.
"…What?"
"Your name."
"…Harry."
Silence followed briefly.
Then the voice spoke again.
"What's your last name?"
"…Grey."
Another pause.
Then-
"What about my name?"
Harry blinked slowly inside the darkness.
"…I don't know it."
"What about my last name?"
Harry frowned harder.
"I can't even see anything," he muttered. "How am I supposed to know you?"
The voice answered immediately.
"You used to know me without seeing me."
Harry froze slightly.
Then slowly raised his hands toward his face, Only to suddenly feel another pair of hands covering his eyes.
Soft.
Cold.
Human.
Harry's breathing hitched.
Slowly, carefully, he grabbed the unfamiliar hands and pulled them away from his face.
And the darkness disappeared.
Warm sunlight flooded his vision.
Harry's eyes widened.
He was sitting on a park bench.
Bright golden light poured through the trees while flowers swayed gently beneath the wind. Butterflies drifted lazily through the air, and somewhere nearby, the faint laughter of children echoed softly beneath the afternoon sky.
The entire place felt peaceful.
Beautiful.
Almost unreal.
Harry slowly stood up from the bench, stunned by the sudden warmth surrounding him.
Then he turned around.
And saw her.
Sophia.
She stood quietly behind him with her head lowered, white hair falling over her face as the wind moved gently through it.
Harry stepped closer slowly.
"…Sophia?"
She didn't answer.
Unable to see her expression, Harry carefully lifted the strands of hair covering her face.
And froze.
Tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks.
Her lips trembled slightly while her silver eyes remained lowered weakly toward the ground.
Harry's chest tightened painfully.
Still-
He answered her question.
"Your first name is Sophia," he whispered softly. "And your last name is Reynolds."
Sophia's tears fell harder.
"…B-but," she whispered shakily, "that's not what you used to call me…"
Harry's eyes snapped open.
Darkness.
His bedroom ceiling.
Cold night air.
He stared upward silently while his heartbeat echoed loudly inside his chest.
Something had changed.