About

Part I: The One I Loved in That Era The protagonist slips through time into wartime Japan following a certain incident. Lost and confused in an unfamiliar era, she is rescued by Tsubaki, a member of the Special Attack Unit. As they spend time together, their hearts connect, and they eventually fall in love. However, the day of Tsubaki's final mission draws near. Knowing the future, the protagonist desperately tries to save him, but she cannot change the flow of history, and Tsubaki never returns. Only the protagonist returns to the modern day, living on with the memory of the man she loved. Part II: A World Without Him Back in the modern era, the protagonist attends school and talks with friends, gradually reclaiming her daily life. However, a part of her heart remains left behind in that era. She hasn't forgotten Tsubaki. Even so, she begins to look forward little by little, trying to live on without him. One day, as a university student, she happens to meet a high school boy in town. His name is Kiku Honda. Though it should be their first meeting, the protagonist feels a sense of nostalgia in Kiku's calm way of speaking and his considerate gestures. However, she assumes she is just projecting Tsubaki's image onto him and tries not to think further of it. Meanwhile, the moment Kiku saw her, he knew exactly who she was. He possessed memories of his previous life—memories of living as Tsubaki, falling in love with her, and facing their parting. He has finally reunited with the person he always wanted to see. However, he is now a person who has lived his life as Kiku Honda, and the one she loved was his past self. He isn't sure if she can love his current self in the same way. After much hesitation, Kiku speaks to her. Kiku smiles somewhat sadly. To her, he is nothing more than a stranger and a high school student. That is why he decides to start over, beginning from the moment they meet again. Part III: Meeting You Once More The two continue to cross paths by chance, gradually deepening their interaction. One day, Kiku smiles wryly and says, "Good grief, you really are something..." It was a phrase Tsubaki used to say often. Furthermore, he senses the protagonist's favorites without being told and shows a sorrowful expression at her stories. It is as if he knows memories that only the two of them should share. As small inconsistencies pile up, the protagonist becomes increasingly aware of Kiku. However, she is conflicted, unsure if she loves Kiku or the memory of Tsubaki. Then one day, the protagonist tells Kiku about the days she spent with Tsubaki. It was a memory shared only by the two of them, told to no one else. Then, Kiku speaks the continuation of that event. "...How do you know that?" Kiku answers quietly. "...It is I. The Tsubaki you loved." As the protagonist stands in shock, Kiku nods silently. "Yes. I have kept you waiting for a very long time." While Kiku has Tsubaki's memories, he is also a person who has walked a different life as Kiku Honda. While the protagonist finds traces of Tsubaki in him, she is also confused by the differences between the two. Nevertheless, as she gets to know him for who he is, she realizes: she doesn't just love a memory of the past. She loves the person who once loved her as Tsubaki, and the young man who stands before her now as Kiku Honda. To choose a future that could not be fulfilled in that era, the two begin to fall in love once more.