“So what, Natsunagi? You’re saying that you feel like you’ve forgotten someone recently and can’t seem to remember who they were? Do I have that right?”
This was on our way home after our last conversation.
We stopped by a cafe to go over Natsunagi’s request again in detail over coffee.
“That’s right. There’s someone that I absolutely must meet and talk to… but I have no idea who they are. Not their age, their gender, where they live, nothing. I have no idea at all… Oh, this is tasty.”
Natsunagi smiled faintly as she sipped her coffee. I envied that she could look so picturesque from merely ingesting caffeine.
I don’t know how many times my old partner would tell me that “your face is so bland that I’d forget it after two days of not seeing you.”
“…What? Why are you staring at me…?”
Eventually Natsunagi noticed my gaze and shifted her chair back slightly. She continued glancing back at me as her fingers played with the hem of her short skirt.
“…You trying to show off?”
“…Y—!”1
I was whacked hard in the head by some harisen-like object.2
“…That’s absurd.”
“I-It’s cause you’ve been getting strange ideas… And again with the “that’s absurd”? Is that your new catchphrase?”
“When an absurd and unreasonable being is before my eyes, I have no choice but to tell them so.”
Thanks to her, that phrase was used yet again after its one year absence. It’s not like I want to say those words either.
“So, getting back to business.”
After taking one more sip of my coffee, I said,
“This unknown person that you’re looking for — let’s call them X for now — do you really not have any idea of where to start?”
“No, I don’t even know why I’m so determined to find them. All I know is that one moment, I suddenly wanted to meet X.”
Said Natsunagi, staring out the window.
And yet you don’t even know who they are.
“So roughly when did this all start? Since you first became aware as a child? Since you entered highschool? Or maybe—”
“One year ago.”
That’s an awfully exact date for someone who doesn’t remember anything else.
Despite not knowing their gender, nationality, or age, she knows the exact time when she became interested in X.
“Did something happen one year ago?”
“I was on the brink of death when I was saved— no, given life.”
She deliberately corrected herself. There must be an important reason why.
For some reason Natsunagi was pushed to the brink of death, and it doesn’t sound like a simple ‘close call’ either. Then that means—
“That heartbeat you heard back in the classroom, it wasn’t mine.”
“— a heart transplant huh.”
Natsunagi nodded slightly.
“Apparently I used to have a heart disease when I was little. While waiting for the day I could receive a transplant, I was constantly in and out of the hospital… which is why I couldn’t go to school until now.”
“I see, that explains why I had no idea who you were.”
“Of course, otherwise how could you have overlooked a girl this cute?”
“Sorry, I’ve actually had this bit of earwax stuck in my ear since yesterday and haven’t been able to hear anyth— Ow, ow, ow, ow! Don’t grab my pinky — don’t squeeze it — don’t break it!”
“That’s because you interrupted me.”3
“What the hell kind of logic is that!”
Please stop with the sadist character. Stop coveting it.
Ignoring my sighing self, Natunagi continued,
“And then one year ago, we finally found a suitable donor, and I underwent heart transplant surgery. It started then — that’s when thoughts about X started flickering in my head.”
“Natsunagi, does that mean you’ve already been looking for X for a whole year now?”
“No. After the heart transplant my body had to rest for a while, so even though I wanted to act, I wasn’t able to move. But recently I’ve finally been able to go to school again, and then I learned about you — because I read articles about Kimizuka.”
I see… I’m starting to piece together the gist of things here. Looks like I’ll be able to finish this sooner than expected.
“Memory Transfer.”
In response to my statement, Natsunagi tilted her head in suspicion.
Apparently those words were being recognized as a foreign language in her head.4
Then maybe wording it this way would be easier to understand.
“The true identity of this X you’re searching for — it’s the person who your heart’s previous owner wants to see.”
“…That’s crazy.”
“If you think so then why was your heart transplant the first thing you brought up?”
Pressed by me, Natsunagi stayed silent.
“When you say it’s been one year since you started wanting to see X, I hear “something happened one year ago”. You had an organ transplant and your life was saved. Doesn’t that mean you’re already aware of it? That this X and your heart transplant are correlated. Am I wrong?”
“…Kimizuka, you have a terrible personality.”
Said Natsunagi, glaring at me. Looks like I was right.
“The phenomenon of “Memory Transfer” is something that hasn’t been scientifically verified, but there are multiple first-hand testimonials of cases. In 1988, a Jewish woman by the name of Claire SIlver had heart transplant surgery, and apparently saw a large change in her eating habits a few days later. She began liking bell peppers which she previously hated, and began craving fast food that she previously avoided because of her ballet work. Later when she talked with the donor’s family, she found that her cravings matched the favourite foods of her male donor.”
“Isn’t that just a coincidence?”
“It doesn’t end there. Claire saw the first name of her donor in a dream, and confirmed with the donor’s family that it was the name of their son. There are multiple other cases like this but… Would you like me to continue?”
“…Kimizuka, you have a terrible personality.”
What she thinks of me doesn’t matter just so long as she’s convinced.
“Then what? It’s not that I want to meet X, it’s my heart’s previous owner who wants to meet X?”
“Yeah, most likely. That’s why this X has to be your donor’s close family, lover, or friend… Something along those lines.”
“I see…”
Natsunagi rested her hand on her left breast and bit her lip slightly.
“Well, thankfully that’s how it is. Case closed.”
I’ve helped her out thus far, she could pay for my coffee now at least.
Thinking that, I put the bill down and stood up— however…
“Huh? Where do you think you’re going?”
Natunagi stared daggers at me.
“If you say you’re “going home now”, then I will kill you in spades right here.”5
“Original threats are actually too scary.”
Overpowered by the bloodlust, I reluctantly returned to my seat.
“I thought your story was over?”
“Looking at a somber girl with one hand on her chest while biting her lip, how on earth did you come to that conclusion?”
“No, I just thought you were basking in the epilogue or something.”
“You really lack basic human emotions don’t you?”
Basic human emotions? I already abandoned those — one year ago, I threw those away in a back alley somewhere.
“That said, you’re right. Like you said, the one who wants to meet X isn’t you, it’s that heart’s original owner. It’s just memories from when they were alive. It has nothing to do with you right?”
“You’re wrong!”
Natsunagi yelled, slamming the desk as she stood up.
“You’re wrong, these aren’t just memories — they’re regrets. Even if their body is dead, I’ve inherited their heart, and I still want to meet X. This heart gave me life. So I want to at least repay the favor. I want to let this heart meet X.”
Her wording is different from before.
Her words had emotion, she spoke her true feelings. It was proof.
“That’s just self-satisfaction.”
“That’s right, it’s self-satisfaction. This heart is mine now. That’s why I want to meet X.”
“You’re contradicting what you just said.”
“…Shut up. At least help me.”
The hot towel flew—6
Right in my face, squashed flat on there.
It being a used towel made it especially disgusting.
“…I’ll be compensated for this right?”
I took the towel off my face and met eyes with a seemingly displeased Natsunagi.
“Haven’t I paid in advance with my chest already? I let you touch it, remember?”
“That was an insane scam.”
“If you’re still not convinced, I’ll just expose your kinks to everyone at school.”
“Like I said before, I want to send those words right back at you!”
“Ugh… Hey, do you really think it’s that…?”
This was the world’s most unpleasant counseling session… Setting nonsensical thoughts aside I said,
“…Well, I did say I would help.”
This is a job I’ve taken once before. I guess I have to protect her then huh.
— The client’s interests must be protected no matter what.
That was something she scolded me for time and time again.
“How about tomorrow? Two o’clock at lunch, let’s meet in front of the station.”
“Huh? Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, it’s getting late today.”
I am going home this time, so I reluctantly picked up the bill as I stood up.
“You want to meet X right?”
1 – She was going to say something, but decided to let her actions speak for her?
2 – A type of large paper fan used in manzai comedy acts. Lit. slapping fan. Maybe he was slapped with a menu?
3 – The phrase 話の腰を折る (hanashi no koshi wo oru) means to interrupt someone, but it also uses the same verb ‘oru’ or “to break” that was used in the previous sentence. So the logic here is “interrupt me (break the conversation)” —> “I will break your finger.” Great logic?
4 – She isn’t familiar with the Japanese term 記憶転移 (kiokuteni) as it isn’t very common, so it’s being recognized as katakana in her mind (i.e. she thinks it isn’t Japanese and must be some foreign loan word written in katakana).
5 – This is an original word even in the Japanese. It’s a play on 倍返し (baigaeshi) or to get payback. Instead of the kanji for return, she replaces it with kill, making 倍殺し (baigoroshi). I went with “kill you in spades” because it feels as off as the Japanese phrase (i.e. seems like an original threat), implies that she will kill him with more pain than he inflicted on her (i.e. payback), andddd fits in somewhat nicely in the phrase “paid back in spades”.
6 – Oshibori – warm hand towels used in restaurants.
TehDunsparce TLs 
Thanks for the translation!
I’m pretty sure the donor is the Mc’s partner.
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