When the Yanderes Whose Affection Reversed Regained Their Memories - Chapter 2: Awakening

Chapter 2: Awakening

“…”

When I opened my eyes, the ceiling above me wasn’t the usual one.

I tried to get up as if I were in my healthy state, but my frail body wouldn’t obey. I felt nothing but pain rushing through me.

Unable to rise quickly, I gradually managed to move my body just enough to get up.

As I moved my face to check my body, I noticed that while my missing arm hadn’t regenerated, my legs, which I hadn’t been able to control, were back to normal. To my surprise, even my fingers had returned to their original state.

“I didn’t die. Or perhaps, I couldn’t die?”

I was definitely on the brink of death at that time. Had I been left alone, I certainly would have died.

It seemed I had been saved.

I recognized this house; I had visited it several times before. I moved my head once again to survey my surroundings and became certain. Perhaps a deity granted my small wish to meet one last time and express my gratitude.

This mansion belonged to my best friend, Chloe.

Many questions cluttered my mind and heart—how did I end up here, what happened to Aria who was trying to kill me, and how eager I was to meet Chloe to thank him for saving me. I needed to confirm this wasn’t a dream.

Unable to move freely, I took a deep breath, exhaled, and closed my eyes to calm my racing heart.

What would happen to me now? The women probably still harbored increased animosity and murderous intent towards me. Maybe, even now, someone was lurking nearby, ready to strike me down.

If that’s the case, my presence here would undoubtedly be a significant burden to Chloe’s family.

I’ve been nothing but a hassle ever since they changed, and now he’s even saved my life. I can easily imagine Chloe laughing it off, saying, “Don’t worry about it; what’s done is done.”

However, I can’t impose on him any further, and I have to repay the favors I’ve received thus far.

But right now, I have nothing to give in return. So, perhaps the greatest way to repay him would be to leave the house as soon as I’m able to move again.

If these injuries heal, I’ll make it a point to depart immediately. Repaying him kindness is the primary reason, but it’s also worth noting that Chloe is a noble while I am just a commoner. Chloe’s parents are incredibly kind people who treat even someone like me with respect, but I can’t stay here indefinitely.

As I was resolving this, there was a knock at the door, and it swung open.

“Good morning, Chloe.”

“Good morning, Roa. You’re sleeping again—wait, Roa!? You’re awake?”

“Yeah, just woke up.”

As I tried to sound casual, Chloe made a face that was a mixture of surprise and immense relief. Then, he sighed.

“Good morning, Roa. I’m really glad you’re safe.”

“Sorry for worrying you. And thank you. You’ve truly saved me.”

Chloe approached me and lightly hugged me. One might question what two guys are doing hugging each other, but we’ve been through a near-death experience. This much is acceptable between best friends.

“I’m really glad Chloe is my best friend. Thank you, truly.”

“Whoa! Don’t suddenly say embarrassing things like that. Well… we are best friends, right? Isn’t this kind of thing normal?”

“Yeah, the fact that you think this is normal is why I’m really glad you’re my best friend. Thank you.”

“You really are… well, I’m truly happy from the bottom of my heart to be best friends with you, too.”

As Chloe mumbled this, his cheeks turning red, my own cheeks naturally followed suit. I surprised myself with the embarrassing things I had said, but I was genuinely grateful.

I hoped that even a little of that gratitude had come across.

Pleased that I could have this conversation with Chloe, I decided to move on to the main topic after a bit more small talk.

“So Chloe, may I ask why I’m sleeping in your house? And how did you find out where I was?”

“Ah, yes, of course. You have every right to know. Let’s start by talking about how I found your whereabouts.”

Chloe knew that I had been relentlessly bullied by those girls and had tried to stop it multiple times. However, Chloe couldn’t always be by my side. Fearing that something irreversible might happen when he wasn’t around, it seems he had put a tracking spell on the pendant he gave me for my birthday. That’s apparently how he found out my location.

It was fortunate that the pendant had been destroyed near that place.

“I’m sorry for tracking you without permission. Even if we are best friends, it must feel uncomfortable to be monitored like that. I apologize.”

“No, it’s fine. Thanks to that, I was saved. But next time, I’d like a heads-up.”

“Ah, of course. I’ll make sure to let you know next time.”

For some reason, Chloe looked slightly surprised, then gave a faint smile—a smile tinged with a hint of shadow—as he said this.

He must be concerned about monitoring my personal life. I’m not too bothered by it, honestly. Given the circumstances, where I could have been killed at any moment, it can’t be helped.

In any case, as soon as Chloe realized I was in danger, he rushed over to me.

Once again, I felt grateful to Chloe.

I had been genuinely willing to die at that time, but now that I’ve survived, I honestly don’t want to die anymore. I want to make sure nothing like this happens again…

“What happened to her… Aria? She was supposed to be there at the time. Her followers were also there.”

She really intended to kill me, and she didn’t look pleased with Chloe, who had been protecting me. So, a fight could have easily broken out.

Wait, if a fight had happened, I would probably be dead by now. My condition was critical; my life could have extinguished at any moment during a fight.

“Ah, yes, she was indeed there.”

“Hm?”

Chloe gave an oddly vague reply with an indescribable expression on his face.

“Did something happen?”

“…Aria, she went mad. So did her followers.”

“…What?”

I couldn’t understand what he was saying. She went mad…?

“So that’s what happened. She was going mad. She was crouching down on the spot, struggling and suffering, banging her head on the ground repeatedly, and apologizing to Roa while covered in blood.”

Chloe said with a dead-serious face.

Since Chloe said it like that, it must be true. I know Chloe isn’t someone who would lie, and there’s no benefit for him to do so.

“Then she used her healing magic on Roa until her mana was depleted. The fact that Roa is alive now is, to some extent, thanks to her.”

What on earth is going on? She went mad, and then she was casting healing magic on me—someone she had been trying to kill just moments before? Aria is a master of healing magic, often referred to as a ‘Saintess.’ She could probably have healed me, who was barely hanging on to life.

… Well, thanks to that, I had to go through the hellish suffering of being cut in my arms and abdomen over and over, only to be healed and cut again.

“Then, somehow I managed to pull her away from clinging to Chloe, and we were able to go home. And that brings us to now.”

I see. The latter part was so shocking that it’s hard to accept, but if Chloe says it, it must be true. I have no choice but to accept it.

But why? Why did she suddenly start apologizing and using healing magic after trying to kill me? Could it be that she…

As I was contemplating this, there was a knock on the door.

“Chloe-sama.”

“Again, huh?”

Chloe let out a deep sigh in response to the maid’s nodding.

What’s going on?