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  ——Even if we are reborn.

I met him on a spring evening.

A boy who picked up a keychain I dropped on the way to the station.

"Here, you dropped this."

That was the first conversation between Shunta and me.

At first, it was just a coincidence.

But after that, we started meeting again and again.

At the station. On the way home. In the park after school.

"We met again."

"It's not exactly a coincidence, though."

Spending time with him as he laughed and said that had, before I knew it, become a natural part of my life.

In the summer, we ate ice cream together and laughed at silly things.

In the autumn, we walked together on the way home as it grew a little colder.

There was nothing special about it.

Even so, I was happy.

One evening, at our usual park, he held out his pinky finger.

"Let's meet here again next year."

"...A promise?"

"A promise."

Our linked pinkies felt unusually warm.

A few months later.

One day as winter approached, a message arrived from Shunta.

『Make sure you come today.』

『Why?』

『I have something important to tell you.』

I headed to our usual spot, feeling a tiny bit of anticipation.

But he didn't come.

Not after ten minutes. Not after an hour.

Even when the sky turned dark, he didn't appear.

That day was the last time we ever saw each other.

The words I couldn't say.

The promise I couldn't keep.

I left them all behind on that day.

However, I only remember the night I last spoke to him.

"Hey, if we're reborn,"

His voice over the phone.

"Do you think we'll meet again?"

I laughed and answered.

"We will. I'll find you."

"Then, I'll look for you too."

After a short silence, he spoke.

"Even if I don't know your face or name, I'll probably know the moment we meet."

That was our last conversation.

And then——time passed.

I was born once more.

I don't remember a single thing about my past life.

Yet, for no reason I can understand, my chest tightens whenever I see the sunset.

Then one day.

At my new school, a name I should have been hearing for the first time reached my ears.

"Shunta Sono."

In that instant, for some reason, my heart gave a great leap.

I look back.

My eyes meet his, standing there.

A face I don't know.

A person I shouldn't know.

And yet——

"...Hey, haven't we met somewhere before?"

The moment he says that and smiles.

Memories of a long-ago past flicker back for just a second.

The sunset.

Linked pinky fingers.

And the promise from that day.

——Even if I'm reborn, I will definitely find you.

The story of two people that had stopped is finally beginning to move again.*