A Yandere Who Can Turn Back Time Confesses to Me Until She Succeeds - Chapter 26

The Girl Named Akari Sakurazaka ③

That was a story from when I was eight years old and Sakurazaka-san was seven.

Back then, we often played together.

I’d always notice her sitting alone on the swings at the park and invite her to play.

“Yu-kun, wait for me.”

“Hurry up, Akari.”

It became a routine for us to go on ‘adventures’ to various places.

However, those fun-filled days didn’t last long.

“I’m moving away. So, we can only play for a little while longer.”

“No, I don’t want that! I want to be with Yu-kun forever!”

Due to family circumstances, my move was decided.

It was an inevitable reality for the young me.

That’s why I had no choice but to accept it.

So, I thought, at the very least, let’s spend our remaining time together.

The one-month grace period seemed to diminish in the blink of an eye, and then there was only one day left.

Our last day came.

“See you someday.”

“No… I don’t want this! I don’t want this at all!”

She grabbed my sleeve, resisting.

But it was an unavoidable reality.

It wasn’t a situation that could be resolved by a child’s refusal.

I didn’t want it either.

I didn’t want us to be apart.

However, I was rather understanding for a child.

So, I shook off her hand and hurriedly left the park.

Otherwise, I felt like I might make selfish demands too.

Then, the next day.

I experienced something unknown.

I kept repeating the same day.

Even when I told my mom and dad, they wouldn’t take me seriously.

When I went to the park, Sakurazaka-san——no, Akari was there.

“Ah, good morning, Yu-kun!”

Akari greeted me with a beaming smile.

“Go…good morning.”

“You know, I made a wish to the gods. And then, I got to return to today again!”

She said excitedly, even though it didn’t make much sense.

But somehow, I understood that the cause of this phenomenon was Akari.

“So, let’s play together forever. If today continues forever, then you don’t have to go away, right?”

Akari’s innocent smile, as she spoke without any hesitation, was a bit frightening.

After that, for a month, we played non-stop.

As we kept repeating the same day over and over, I began to realize the abnormality of our situation.

“Isn’t it about time… that we stop this?”

“Huh?”

“This isn’t right. Let’s stop it, okay?”

“Why? We can be together forever.”

She looked calm, her face showing no distinction between right and wrong.

I thought it was abnormal.

“A-anyway, it’s not okay anymore. We can’t play together anymore!”

I said that and hurriedly went home.

When I woke up, I was repeating the same day again.

I didn’t go to the park.

This was the only way I could express my intent.

It continued for several days.

Out of curiosity, I decided to go to the park.

Akari was at the usual swing.

When she saw me, she said,

“Aha! Finally, Yu-kun is here. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”

It was around sunset.

She hadn’t played with anyone else and had just been waiting for me.

Probably, she had been waiting even while I had been locked up in my house.

Even as a child, I thought she was insane.

It’s an unhealthy obsession with me.

I felt something close to fear. No, it was undoubtedly fear.

“Why… why are you going this far…?”

“Because I want to be with Yu-kun forever.”

One reason she might be so fixated on me could be the absence of other friends in her life.

That’s why she had no one to cling to but me.

I thought about it.

Even as a child, I thought deeply.

And the conclusion I reached was——

“I want to be with Akari too.”

I decided not to deny Akari’s feelings.

Words wouldn’t get through to her. All I could do was be there for her.

“Really? Ehehe, yes, together forever.”

“But only when we become adults.”

“When we’re adults?”

“Yes.”

Continuing to relive the same day like this is wrong.

So——

“When we grow up, let’s get married.”

“What?”

“If we get married, we’ll be together forever. So even if we have to be apart for a while, be patient.”

Akari’s face showed mixed emotions.

“I want to get married, but I don’t want to be separated from Yu-kun…”

“Don’t be unreasonable.”

She didn’t understand my point.

In the end, we continued to repeat the same day.

So, I prayed to God.

I wished that Akari would distance herself from me.

That she could erase the memory of my existence from her mind.

——I prayed, and I acquired it.

The power to manipulate memories.

After that, I erased the memories of our times together and the absurd power to turn back time from Akari’s memory.

I also erased my own memories of my times with Akari and the existence of the memory-manipulating power from my own memory.

However, Sakurazaka-san once mentioned,

That she had an accident and was on the verge of life and death.

Later, she regained her memory.

And I too, was killed by Yuuki-san and experienced death.

Perhaps that was the trigger to regain our memories.

※

“In short, I have the power to manipulate memories.”

Concluding my flashback, I looked straight into Sakurazaka-san’s eyes.

“…I don’t understand what Yu-kun is trying to say.”

“You don’t? I can use this power again to erase the memory of me and the existence of this absurd power from Sakurazaka-san’s memory.”

Just like the younger me did. I will do the same now.

But this time, I’ll make sure not to tamper with my own memories.

That way, I won’t repeat the same mistake.

“No, don’t! Let’s be together forever.”

Sakurazaka-san flashed a wry smile.

I don’t deserve it…

“There are two choices. Let me tamper with your memories, or never associate with me again.”

“…I don’t want to choose either!”

Sakurazaka-san roared, but I can’t compromise either.

Sakurazaka-san pulled a knife from her pocket and pointed it at me.

“If you really insist, shall we die together, Yu-kun?”

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as she narrowed them slightly.

“You won’t listen to me until the very end, will you?”

“Let’s be together, always. We’ll be together forever.”

Her voice was gentler than ever before.