“Alright.” Hadley nodded, her composure restored. Since they were already in this mess, they might as well accept the situation. She hadn’t anticipated that after so many years, she would once again find herself stranded without shelter.

“Don’t be afraid.” Eric’s voice was gentle.

“I’m here with you. Whatever happens, I’ll ensure your safety.”

Hadley remained silent. She felt somewhat disoriented. Years ago, when she had been forced to spend the night on the streets with her daughter, she had desperately wished he would appear before her.

Since she kept silent, Eric assumed she was still upset. He drew out the red string from around his neck, cradling the peach pit whistle in his palm.

“I’m sorry that because of this, we’re now in this predicament. But it’s incredibly important to me.”

Hadley’s heart skipped a beat. Could it really be that Eric had remembered everything? Was he actually pretending to have lost his memory? But then—

“The memories from before…” Eric held the whistle gently, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“I don’t recall any of it… but this—I think I remember.”

“What?” Hadley asked, puzzled. His words didn’t quite add up.

“What do you mean you think you remember?”

“Just promise you won’t laugh.” Eric paused.

“It’s just a feeling. When I see it, I feel incredibly sad.”

That was all? A pang of disappointment struck Hadley. Perhaps she had read too much into things. He wasn’t pretending. He truly couldn’t remember anything.

Eric slipped the whistle back inside his collar and stared out into the vast darkness, releasing a quiet sigh.

“To everyone else, it looks like I have it all. But I can’t remember a thing. Everything I know… is because someone told me when I woke up.” He paused, pressing a hand to his chest.

“But this—this I kept for myself. And honestly, it makes me feel… unsettled.”

He squinted slightly and looked at her.

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“I think that feeling won’t go away until I finally remember everything.”

Hadley’s heart grew uneasy. She quickly turned her face, dodging his gaze. Eric was momentarily surprised, then gave a soft chuckle.

“Talking about this must be boring you. I’ll stop. But… are you still mad at me?”

“No.” Hadley shook her head, quietly gathering her scattered thoughts. She shifted the topic.

“I was just thinking—Andrea slipped away again. All our efforts were for nothing.”

“Not entirely. At least we know she’s settled here now.” Eric caught on.

“Can I ask—why were you following her?”

Hadley pressed her lips together and gave a small shake of her head.

“Better if you don’t know.”

If he knew she was tailing Andrea to deal with Linda, while he remembered none of what Linda had done—wouldn’t that be ironic?

“Is it inconvenient?” Eric smiled wryly.

“Alright, I won’t ask again.”

“Okay.” Hadley nodded, cutting the topic off entirely.

Eric was left at a loss. Silence fell between them. So she really wasn’t going to say anything? He thought they were already friends… but perhaps she didn’t see it that way. Right—she hadn’t answered on the train, either, when he asked if they were friends now.

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