The next strike landed on my left cheek with a snapping sound.
I see, in my childhood days, I had reset Hanazono’s emotions. To manipulate someone’s feelings like that… I had done something unforgivable.
Hanazono’s eyes were burning with a powerful presence. She’s angry, but I couldn’t help but find her beautiful.
“You know, I’m your childhood friend who loves you, loves you, loves you so much! So no matter how many times you reset me, I’ll always remember you, you idiot! Come on, try resetting me. Even if I forget for now, just like back then, I’ll remember you after some years! Come on, come on!”
I see, Hanazono had broken through my reset. That’s an incredible feat. Even though I had sincerely tried to recover Tanaka’s memories.
Despite the slaps to my chest, I don’t feel bad. My heart is filled with warmth. I’m so happy that Hanazono said she loves me for the first time.
“The atmosphere is just like back then! You were trying to disappear, weren’t you? You were trying to reset everyone, weren’t you? So that no one would suffer… so that everyone would forget…”
No, I wasn’t planning to choose that option. But now, words aren’t necessary.
“Toudou Tsuyoshi, I absolutely won’t let you do that!! Anyway, what’s this about going abroad? You need my permission for that, because we’re childhood friends! You should just resist what that weird old lady says!”
I firmly embraced Hanazono. She’s always been sacrificing herself for me. So I’ll never make her sad again.
“Huh…? Why…?”
All my future predictions in my orderly thinking crumbled.
Because of this “childhood friend” existence.
“Hanazono”
We don’t need a sad ending.
“Honestly, Hanazono is too hasty. I have no intention of resetting anyone.”
“B-but… you, you’re going to leave…”
I had thought that exceeding the limit was the only way to reset. I had thought that resetting meant erasing unnecessary things.
It’s fine to start over as many times as needed. It’s fine to talk it through as many times as needed. It’s fine to face people as many times as needed.
That’s what resetting is. I’m sure I can talk to Eri too.
“Hanazono, this is not a fleeting affection. It’s probably… the emotion called love.”
No matter how many times I reset, it never goes away, I always remember this feeling. I’ve realized that now.
The intense emotion from the depths of my heart has returned —
But it’s different from the time with Tanaka. No, that reset was the beginning of everything. If not for that, I wouldn’t have been able to feel human emotions.
The intense emotion burns even brighter. It heats up my body. Hanazono noticed the change in my body.
She looks up at me with a worried gaze.
“What are you doing…?”
I stood up and looked up at the sky.
I’ve reset unpleasant things over and over, erased memories over and over, reset my limits over and over.
Then they would be my sustenance.
If emotion has power, then I should reclaim it–
“I will reset myself–“
In the state when I had not yet gone to elementary school, I will reset all my emotions and memories. I will erase Eri’s curse and spell. I will rebel against Eri. …Like a small child rebelling against their parent.
The memories with Tanaka alone do not make me who I am. It is only when I recall everything that I exist.
“Can you really do that?”
“No, I will do it.”
Perhaps Eri had wanted me to rebel against her.
Even if that was part of her plan to confuse me, she must have wanted me to break through something.
“I will regain all the memories and emotions I reset.”
I will reset the fact that I reset. I will retrieve the emotions that should have been.
–By regaining all memories and emotions, I will confront my true self. This is my choice. To liberate myself from the elementary school’s curse. In that moment, my intense emotions will transform into power.
“Tsuyoshi? Your eyes…?”
The uncontrollable emotions welling up just by being next to her, that is love. I want Hanazono to smile. For that purpose–
Parallel thoughts unfold in my mind. Numerous past resets stand in line.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“–Reset”
Each time I reset the past events, negative emotions assault my heart. I should have accepted them.
If my body cries out, then exceed the limit.
“–Reset”
Sad memories contain not just sorrow, but also important memories.
Parting with Hanazono was painful, but discarding the memories we built up would be meaningless.
“–Reset”
Parting with friends is painful. Resetting would make the unpleasant feelings disappear and feel lighter.
But that was something necessary for growth. I shouldn’t have erased it.
“–Reset”
A dear person vanished from in front of me. The girl I thought I saved was deeply wounded. I, unable to bear the sorrow, reset. That was my regret. I must not reset the regret.
Then, this time I should save her. I can fly to anywhere in the world.
“–Reset”
By repeatedly resetting, I had lost my emotions. I no longer understood others’ joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Yet–, I had acquired dear people.
“–Reset”
I should have believed. Humans sometimes misspeak out of shyness. I should have accepted even that. This time, I won’t reset, but face people.
“–Reset”
The affection for Tanaka, it was so warm, but I had erased it. Unknowingly, emotions had been growing. I will never reset it again.
“Reset, reset, reset, reset–“
The chains binding my soul, Eri’s brainwashing curse, were something that would break one’s heart to resist. But those chains were fragile and ephemeral. Eri must have wanted me to break them. She must have wanted me to discover human potential. As I touched the chains, Eri’s, humanity’s shield of sorrow crumbled like sand.
“Reset, reset, reset, reset, reset, reset, reset–“
The overwhelming negative emotions and memories are physically devouring my body. They are the surface and reverse sides of important things.
I won’t resist, I will accept them.
The sound of breaking glass echoes repeatedly in my mind.
The deleted memories, the changing personalities with each reset, all of those emotions are–integrated as Tōdō Tsuyoshi.
“Switch”
I see, this was the power of will to change myself–
There was one thing that could not be changed even by resetting. No matter how many times I reset–it was deeply engraved in my soul.
[Love] had transformed my resetting, evolving it into a “switch”.
And my mind now has a distinct outline.
“That’s why, Hana-chan, I’ll never let you go again.”
I clearly recognize the girl in front of me. My words are imbued with emotion.
The girl I had forgotten for so long. Hanazono Hana, who lives next door to my house.
An amazing girl who barged into my elementary school. I might be able to remember even the smallest details. Hanazono’s actions in kindergarten, her behavior in middle school.
The colors of the scenery change. The vivid colors that emerge are completely different from before. How incredibly beautiful the world is! And the Hanazono next to me…so beautiful…something wells up inside me.
“Idiot! Don’t make me worry! You, you, you…I thought you were going to break…”
I embrace the crying Hanazono again. I know these tears. They are not tears of sorrow. They are wonderfully refreshing tears.
“As expected, my emotions are overflowing…now, it’s starting to become painful.”
“Hey, you, are you going to collapse? I can’t carry you by myself, you know!?”
“Don’t worry. Shimafuji must be nearby. There’s no problem.”
At that moment, my phone vibrated. Hanazono and I look at the screen.
[You know what will happen if you defy my orders, right? You’re going to London.]
I shouted towards the sky–
“Eri, I won’t go overseas!”
No abnormalities occur in my body. No pain accompanies it. All I feel is Eri’s sorrow.
After a short pause, a large number of messages flooded in.
“Hmm…this is…”
“Ahaha, she’s kind of like an anxious mother worrying about Tsuyoshi.”
“Indeed.”
There were no bad messages. They were all words of life advice out of concern for me.
Hmm, it’s hard to judge. Eri is…simply worrying about me like a real child.
“By the way, you’re still hugging me…hey, let go!”
“Ah, yes, this is certainly embarrassing.”
Hanazono separates from me. And then she takes my hand again–
“Tsuyoshi, even if you’re reset over and over, I won’t give up, right?”
For some reason, fireworks were going off in the distance. Perhaps Eri is celebrating for us.
Hanazono and I stand hand in hand, gazing at the fireworks. No words are needed.
Hanazono, illuminated by the fireworks, is…so beautiful.
My emotions are about to explode.
Tears are overflowing.
I’m holding back the urge to break down–
But they are not tears of sorrow.
They are very, warm tears.
(The End)
TLNOTE: there’s still interlude and extra chapter left
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
