The Girl Everyone Admires Loves Me… and I Don’t Remember Why. - Chapter 2: Takanashi Mitsuki Remembers.

Takanashi Mitsuki Remembers.

Takanashi Mitsuki’s POV.

“Why the hell not?! That doesn’t make any sense!”

Yuuki shouted, his face twisted with frustration and panic.

“…I see.”

In stark contrast to him, I murmured in a voice that felt utterly devoid of emotion.

…But you know, Yuuki—the one who doesn’t understand is me.

How can you say something like that?

How can you do something like that?

And not just once or twice.

How…?

But it’s already too late.

Even if I understood, nothing would change.

Because I’ve already…

“H-Hey, wait, Mitsuki! We’re not done talking! Where are you going?!”

He called out to stop me as I started walking away.

I paused once, turned back to look at him, and told him the honest truth.

“To the person I love.”

“…Eh?”

Leaving Yuuki behind as the color slowly drained from his face, I resumed walking.

After that, I could hear him desperately calling my name over and over, but I neither stopped nor looked back as I left the scene.

A farewell to the childhood friend I’d spent so many years with.

Yet right now, my heart was strangely calm.

That very calmness made me acutely aware that there was no longer any room for Yuuki in my heart.

And it also made me realize one other thing, with crystal clarity.

I am in love with him.

I am completely, undeniably in love with the one who helped me—who saved me… with Miyase-kun.

Without hesitation, I headed straight to where he was.

***

Ding-dong, ding-dong…

The school chime suddenly rang in my ears.

“…Eh?”

As my hazy consciousness cleared and I lifted my head, I found myself in the familiar classroom.

“Wh-What…?”

I was sure that just a moment ago, I’d been with Miyase-kun…

When did I get back to school…?

I couldn’t make sense of the situation.

Could what happened earlier have been a dream? But it felt far too vivid for that.

Moreover, memories were flooding back with increasing clarity—every moment, every event we’d shared—insisting that none of it had been a dream.

Then what on earth was this…?

My gaze drifted to the blackboard.

The lesson from earlier was still written there.

The instant I saw it, a strange sense of dissonance hit me.

…Wait, didn’t we already have this lesson before?

I remember it clearly. There’s no mistake.

Because the day this lesson took place was the very day I first became involved with Miyase-kun.

Wait—that means…

I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked the date.

I… had gone back several months into the past.

The sheer impossibility left me reeling in confusion and disbelief when, suddenly, someone called my name.

“Mitsuki.”

“…Yuuki.”

“It’s rare to see you napping during class.”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

This feeling… Could it be…

“…Yuuki, you don’t remember anything, do you?”

“Remember what?”

…It seems Yuuki hasn’t traveled back like I have.

“You’re acting strange, Mitsuki.”

“No, it’s nothing. Forget it.”

As I spoke, he held out his hand.

“All right. Then, Mitsuki—mind giving me my lunch? I’m starving.”

“Ah, sure.”

On reflex, I handed him the bento I’d prepared for him.

Every once in a while, I make lunch for Yuuki like this.

…Come to think of it, I gave him a bento on this exact day last time too.

The moment that memory resurfaced, Yuuki…

“…Haa.”

“…Haa.”

Let out the exact same deep sigh as before.

The same displeased, almost exasperated expression as before.

But there was one thing… different from that time.

Back then, I’d been shocked and hurt by his ungrateful reaction to the lunch I’d worked hard to make.

But now…

“Thanks, I guess. But next time, skip the salad, okay?”

Saying the exact same words as before, he headed back toward his friends.

Even after coming back to the past, Yuuki hasn’t changed—and he isn’t going to.

But the same is true for me.

Even after returning to the past, my feelings remain unchanged—and they aren’t going to change. I felt that truth more strongly than ever.

And now that I’m fully aware of those feelings…

“…”

I scanned the classroom, but he wasn’t there.

…Then he’s probably there.

I left the room and headed toward a certain place.

…I wonder if Miyase-kun came back to the past like I did.

If he had, we’d both remember everything, and things would move quickly.

But either way, what I need to do stays the same.

As I drew closer to my destination, my heart pounded like a drum, tension building with every step.

Yet I didn’t stop walking, and soon…

“Eh—Takanashi!?”

…He really was here.

This was Miyase-kun’s favorite hidden spot.

And the place where we’d shared lunch alone together so many times—a place filled with memories.

“Hello, Miyase-kun.”

After talking with him for a bit, it became clear: Miyase-kun hadn’t traveled back.

He doesn’t remember anything.

But I remember everything perfectly.

How he helped me, how he saved me.

And how my heart now belongs entirely to him.

That’s why, Miyase-kun… this time, I’m going to steal your heart.

I won’t let anyone else have you.