67 Are you also here to pray?

"the number is unreachable."

kiyohira tosses away his phone. umezaki yushiro's phone is not reachable. who should he call at a time like this?

ren?

he and ren still stayed in contact. that old man also blocked ren's number. but, ren can find a way to contact. he calls the redheaded man.

[long time.]

he doesn't sound happy to receive his call.

"find a way to contact dr. umezaki."

[why?]

"i saw her hailing a cab from the streets of t city."

[damn! why is she back? does she remember? keep following her. i will find a way to contact her father.]

his driver stops it in front of the temple. "master, the cab stopped here."

the woman starts climbing the stairs to the temple. kiyohira rubs his forehead. why is she going to the temple? "wait here. don't tell anyone about what you saw today."

"as you wish, master." the driver stares at the back of the woman. master kamiyama is already engaged to someone, but he keeps delaying the wedding. is it because of this woman?

***

it was a bad idea to come here. why there are so many stairs? the cab driver told me that the wishes come true if one goes and pray at this temple. but, i will reach heaven if i keep climbing the stairs.

i put my hands on my waist. it's fine. physical therapy to walk again was worse than this. i can do this. climbing down the stairs is easier than climbing up. i will sit and rest for a while.

the man behind me is surprised when i turn around. he is five steps behind me, dressed in an expensive suit. he must have been startled by my action. i feel dazed when i stare at that face. did gods personally sculpt that face with all the time in the world?

he turns his back to me. does he also want to rest?

"are you also here to pray?" i ask the handsome man.

he doesn't answer me and walks sideways like a crab. is he shy or something? if he doesn't want to talk, i shouldn't bother him either.

i resume climbing the stairs. he is always 5 steps behind me. neither less nor more. strange. is it some rule of this city? other people are climbing without any hesitation. i try to climb faster to get away from him. i miss a step.

"aaah!"

a pair of arms catch me before i fall down the stairs. it's the same crab man. my heart skips a beat. his arms are strong.

"are you..." he doesn't finish his words. there is fear in his eyes. what's he afraid of? i won't cook and eat him.

"thank you." i step away from him. "you saved me."

"carefully..." he turns his back to me again. "climb."

the man is weird and rude. "you should face the person when you are talking to them."

he looks at me after a moment. "are you fine?"

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"i am," i tell him quietly. i don't have any interest to continue the conversation. he seems worried and edgy for some reasons.

"if you feel any discomfort, tell me."

"we are strangers. why would i tell you?" i narrow my eyes at him. "are you flirting with me?"

***

she doesn't have memories, but she misunderstands his every intention. even without her memories, she's still same in some way.

kiyohira smiles at her. "if i am, would you tell me if you feel any discomfort?"

she blushes a bit and looks up at the gate of the temple. "i don't date men who walk like crabs."

"i don't walk like crabs." he climbs the stairs alongside her. "take my hand. don't fall again."

"you are too fast, mister." she clicks his tongue. "we just met and you want to hold hands."

she still has a sharp tongue. "i don't intend to date you. i am just accompanying you until you reach the top."

"aren't you here to pray?" she is slightly tired. "you make it sound like you are here for me. how is that possible? we only met today."

he grabs her arm to support her. "tell me about your wish."

she looks at him with annoyance. "i don't know even your name. why should i tell you my wish?"

"ichihara kiyoshi." he blurts out with a second thought. that's the name that her father gave him when he met her in the farmhouse. he will probably never see her again after today.

"my name is umezaki rie." she smiles at him warmly. "rie as in blessing."

he knows that.

they reach the top of the stairs. she wipes the sweat from her forehead. "i am going to wish to win the gaming tournament. i want to become a professional gamer coach. i am probably too old to wish for things like this. i don't care what other things. what will you wish for?"

he stares at her. "my wish is that the woman i love never remembers me and her nightmares."

she furrows her brows. "why do you want her not to remember you? did you do something horrible to her?"

he becomes quiet. his silence is enough to answer her.

"you seem like a good guy." she pulls him along with him to pray. "it sounds irresponsible and selfish though. it should be her decision whether she wants to remember or not. if you have wronged her, you should ask for her forgiveness. if she doesn't remember, she can't decide whether she should forgive you or not. then, you should pray that her memories return. if she hates you after she remembers, that's okay. you have a lifetime to get her forgiveness."

she presses her palms together and closes her eyes to pray. he watches her silently.

he can't pray for the return of her memories. it's better if she lives like this. he will live without her forgiveness as long as she's happy like this.

***

"umezaki san!"

"rie!"

i am on way out of the temple when i hear their voices. what the -! how did they find me? i can't be caught now. i look around for an escape. i look at ichihara kiyoshi. "it's been nice meeting you. i have to run. bye."

he grabs my wrist. "my apologies. i can't let you run."

"what are you doing?" i glare at him. "i have to go now. let me go, pervert."

he shows me a small smile. i slap his hand hard, but he wouldn't budge. by then, my father and yuhara reach me. my father and ichihara kiyoshi share a meaningful look.

"umezaki san, you scared us. how could you come here alone?" yuhara looks like he will cry. "i thought that something bad would happen to you."

ichihara kiyoshi walks away from us without any word. i point at that lonely back and ask my father,

"father, do you know that man?"