/POP Sana/
While they were on the way to Alice's home, the road was empty—there was no one around.
Sana suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.
His face turned dark and a little scared. He didn't have any memories except his old world.
[Did I need to take something from my room? But I don't remember anything… I don't want to meet that girl… that woman too…]
Alice held his hand, looking worried."Why do you look so serious? Is there something bothering you?"
[Is holding hands like this normal for friends? It doesn't feel normal…]
He could feel her warm hand. It was soft. This was the first time he realized he had been holding her hand many times before—but back then, his mind was full of pain. Now he could feel it clearly.
When Sana noticed she was holding his hand, she even held it tighter and teased him:
"Oh? Are you scared you'll have a child just from holding hands with me?"
Sana blushed.[I never thought I could hold someone's hand like this… it feels special, like Alice. If I keep feeling this way, I might not be able to live without her… this is bad.]
His heart started beating faster.
"No, I'm not some shy guy or a female character in an anime."
Alice leaned closer."Really?"
Sana looked around."You're shameless, aren't you?"
Alice, in a challenging voice:"Yes. What are you going to do about it?"
[This girl… why does she keep teasing me? She's making my heart feel… how dare she, this naughty girl. I'll show her.]
Sana whispered near her ear:"Do you want a kiss?"
Alice's face turned red, and she quickly hid it with her hand.
Sana laughed."You're the loser now."
Her face turned sulky.
Sana immediately apologized."Sorry…"
But her expression suddenly became serious."Kiss me. Now."
Sana froze."What?"
He couldn't believe what he just heard. He had never kissed anyone before, not even in his past life.
Alice grabbed his face with both hands. Her breathing became heavier. Her scent reached his nose, making Sana's face even redder.
She stared straight into his eyes with strong emotion…
Sana hesitated under her pressure."But… we're just friends."
Alice's voice turned heavy."This is just practice for pretending to be a couple, you know? That's your promise. So don't overthink it or think I have feelings for you."
Her face moved closer.
Something inside Sana—an "inner instinct"—woke up, but he still controlled himself well. He didn't want to hurt Alice. Maybe she was acting like this because she was lonely and just wanted to feel love more than normal.
[But I can't make her feel bad by rejecting her… she believes in me…]
With no choice, he closed his eyes. His heart beat faster. He could hear her breathing clearly.
Alice:"I want to do it somewhere private."
Her face turned red.
Sana breathed heavily and teased softly:"Are you scared?"
Suddenly, a mischievous look appeared in Alice's eyes—and an uneasy feeling rose inside Sana.