The fragrance of the flowers combined into one was so soft. Hiro was curled up inside the flower that was already closed perfectly. The inside turned out to be quite sticky and slimy. However, when Hiro examined the slime, he was very sure that it smelled very sweet, like honey.
When he was inside, it turned out that the flower was no longer opening its crown. It kept the crown closed and trapped Hiro inside. Until Hiro suddenly felt that his body was very relaxed and comfortable. Even his heart rate seemed to slow down near the resting scale.
Slowly, the scent of the flowers made him drowsy, as if its effect was to make someone fall asleep. Hiro closed his eyes without hesitation, and in a matter of minutes, he fell fast asleep.
…
Hiro opened his eyes and found himself in a very familiar room. However, everything was black and white. In front of him was a little boy who was sleeping soundly on a long sofa. The boy was him.
“Hiro… Hiro! Wake up!”
Then, a man who was not that taller than him suddenly appeared into the room and ran over to the young him. The boy rubbed little Hiro’s head gently to wake him up. A wide smile spread across his young face.
That man was Yuujin, and he was already wearing his high school uniform. He was neat and ready to go to school while little Hiro was still asleep.
“You have to go to school today, Hiro. It’s your first day at the new school. Come on, wake up. The world is waiting for you to act!” Yuujin said, then picked up the little Hiro who had just woken up and carried him into the bathroom.
While viewing all his past memories like a television, Hiro could only stiffen on the spot with his mouth tightly shut. Shouldn’t he have seen one of his dreams in his sleep? Why was he shown with one of the memories in his life? Was Hiro dreaming?
Hiro walked into the living room. It was the first apartment that Hiro and Yuujin lived in for the first time since their parents died. The apartment was very small and cramped, but full of love.
“You must look very handsome, Hiro. Let the girls fight over you!” Yuujin rubbed little Hiro’s still wet hair to dry.
“No wonder my hair is falling out easily now. It turns out you’re that rough, Yuujin,” Hiro thought while watching it.
“Lie! How can girls like me if every time big brother comes, the one in their eyes is brother,” replied little Hiro while looking at Yuujin with an annoyed look.
Yuujin laughed at him. At that time, for him, there was no other entertainment in his difficult life other than his brother’s funny and too frank attitude. He really enjoyed the expression on little Hiro’s face with a satisfied laugh.
“What the hell is that crazy narcissist?” Hiro frowned at his brother’s expression.
Ding!
[One happy memory has been obtained]
[1 out of 3 happy memory]
“Huh? That one is a happy memory? Seriously, I don’t even look happy there!” Hiro protested before he was moved again to a different scene.
Suddenly, the scene in front of him changed. From a narrow room that only contained two people, it swiftly changed to a classroom that was bustling and full of cheers.
Bang!
One boy hit the table hard because he was thrown by his three much bigger friends. The fallen boy was Hiro. His body was indeed smaller than the others because his above-average intelligent brain made him have to move class faster, and he had to be in the same class with the older children.
“You poor, stinky, dirty! When was the last time you showered, huh? Don’t talk in class. I want to throw up!” snapped a man standing in front of little Hiro in a loud voice. Little Hiro just huddled near the table while crying. Meanwhile, Hiro, who was watching all of this, clenched his fists in anger. “That bast–”
“Hiro!”
Yuujin suddenly entered the classroom and hugged little Hiro who was still shaking. Yuujin was still wearing his school uniform when he entered the classroom. “Hiro, are you okay? Don’t be afraid, Brother is already here, okay? Remember, you will be a future hero. The world is waiting for you to grow. Don’t cry.”
Hiro was astonished to see and hear the words Yuujin spoke to him when he was a child and became the subject of bullying by his friends because he was very poor.
Meanwhile, little Hiro seemed to be trying hard to stop crying even though his breath was already hitched, and he was clutching his own chest.
“Brother Yuujin, Brother Yuujin, he’s the one who beat up Hiro!” exclaimed a girl in Hiro’s class, calling Yuujin’s name repeatedly and standing by him as if they were already familiar.
Hiro still remembered who the girl was. She was Hinami. She used Hiro to approach Yuujin and ended up being flatly rejected by Yuujin when she came to Yuujin’s graduation ceremony.
Yuujin lifted Hiro’s small body and sat him down in the chair. He then turned away with a bright red face, his eyes moving to find three young boys who were only as tall as his chest.
Yuujin clenched his fists tightly. His body was shaking. He looked like two different people from the one who hugged Hiro earlier.
“No, don’t. They’ll put you in jail. I don’t wanna be alone. Don’t do that, brother.” Little Hiro knew very well what was going to happen, and he immediately jumped onto Yuujin’s back to stop his brother. Yuujin, who had been overcome with anger, suddenly got back his logic. He immediately lifted Hiro’s body, lowered him onto the floor, and hugged him gently.
“I am really sorry… I am sorry… I am sorry, Hiro, my little Hero.”
This time, it wasn’t Yuujin who was laughing at little Hiro’s words. But, it was Yuujin who was crying like a child in Hiro’s chest with a half-shaking body.
[One happy memory has been obtained]
[2 out of 3 happy memory]
Hiro didn’t know how his past memory selection system was. What was obvious now, his lips were tightly shut, and his chest felt really tight when he saw the scene. He seemed to be reminded of his life journey, and two of the three happy memories had Yuujin in them.
“This is not fair. What actually happened here?” Hiro could feel transparent liquid flowing out of his nose and eyes. He quickly wiped them both before someone saw him even though he wasn’t actually there.
The next scene…
Hiro felt that he had to prepare his heart now. The test was much more difficult than he had imagined.