Ayane was fully immersed in her sword practice and didn't notice someone slowly approaching her. By now, it was a little after six in the morning, and Ayane had been practicing for over an hour. She was nearing the end of her routine, and she hadn't forgotten that there was still an unconscious person lying in her bed. She needed to prepare breakfast for herself and Matsurize.
Last night, Matsurize had inexplicably spent the entire night awake, lying in bed with his eyes open. Eventually, exhausted, he fell back into a deep sleep.
Around 5:30 in the morning, the sound of Ayane's sword slicing through the air had woken him. Drawn by the noise, he wandered into the courtyard, strangely without any clothes on. If not for the bandages wrapped around his body, he would have been completely naked.
Ayane had anticipated that Matsurize might wake up, so she had left a set of her father's old clothes by his bedside. However, instead of putting them on, Matsurize had fiddled with the clothes, making a mess of them but not actually wearing them.
And so, Matsurize stepped into the courtyard, completely exposed, without a second thought.
He stood behind Ayane, watching her practice swordsmanship. At first, he was too afraid to approach her, intimidated by her skill. But after observing for a while, he finally summoned the courage to walk toward her.
Ayane, although deeply focused on her training, was not oblivious to the sound of someone approaching. Her instincts kicked in, and she drew her sword, slashing toward the person behind her. However, the moment she realized it was a person, she quickly pulled back, stopping just short of cutting Matsurize in two.
The blade hovered mere inches above Matsurize's head.
Ayane, now recognizing the man as the one she had saved, was both shocked and relieved to see him awake and standing in the courtyard. Her initial joy quickly turned to embarrassment when her eyes drifted downward, seeing him completely exposed. Although she had seen his body while treating him, seeing him fully awake and naked was an entirely different experience.
Ayane blushed, muttering a quiet "tsk" under her breath before quickly sheathing her sword and rushing into the house. She slammed the door shut behind her.
Matsurize, confused, stood there unsure of what had just happened. He looked dazed, his expression vacant. Through the gap in the door, Ayane peeked out, puzzled by why Matsurize was just standing there, unmoving.
Suddenly, Ayane remembered that Uncle Abin was supposed to come by soon to pick up the repaired plow. If he saw a naked man in her courtyard, it wouldn't take long for the entire village to hear about it. Although Uncle Abin was a kind-hearted man, he had a reputation for being a bit of a gossip.
Ayane, realizing the potential for embarrassment, quickly put her sword down on the dining table and pushed the door open. She strode across the courtyard, grabbed Matsurize by the arm, and dragged him back into the house.
Matsurize, still in a daze, was no match for Ayane's strength. Once inside, she pulled him into her own room—the same room where he had been staying. She shut the door behind him and, from the other side, asked, "I left clothes for you by the bed. Why didn't you put them on?"
Matsurize's response came through the door, simple and direct: "I don't know how to wear them."
The simplicity of his answer gave Ayane pause. Something seemed off. Remembering his odd behavior, she asked, "What's your name?"
Matsurize thought for a moment, as if trying to recall something distant, and finally said, "I think my name is Matsurize. Ah! My head hurts! It hurts so much! Waaah!" Matsurize cried out, clutching his head in pain. He sounded nothing like a grown man, more like a child throwing a tantrum.
Hearing the sobs from inside, Ayane was stunned. What's going on? she thought. A man this grown, crying like a child? And Matsurize—what a strange name!
Ayane's heart softened as she listened to his cries. She began to suspect that he might have amnesia, which could explain his strange behavior. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. When she remembered the state she had found him in, injured and unconscious by the river, everything seemed to fit.
Feeling sympathy for Matsurize, Ayane couldn't stand hearing him cry any longer. She pushed open the door and stepped inside, disregarding the fact that he was still naked.
There he was, sitting on the floor by the bed, clutching his head and sobbing. Ayane felt guilty for being so harsh with him earlier. She crouched down next to him, gently patting his head and soothing him. "Don't cry, don't cry. It's okay, little Ze."
Matsurize immediately stopped crying at her touch. He looked up at Ayane with teary eyes and said, "I don't know how to put on clothes."
Ayane, seeing his pitiful expression, remembered from her medical book that people with amnesia often regressed, losing many basic skills. It wasn't uncommon for them to act like children, forgetting even the simplest tasks.
After observing Matsurize's behavior closely, Ayane was certain now—he really had lost his memory.
She spoke gently, "Do you only remember your name?"
Matsurize nodded. "Yes."
Ayane smiled warmly. "Alright, from now on, I'll call you Little Ze, okay?"
Matsurize nodded again. "Okay."
Ayane patted his head softly and said, "Little Ze, my name is Ayane. You can call me Little Ayane, okay?"
Seeing Ayane's kind smile, Matsurize felt a strange sense of comfort. In his amnesiac state, this was the friendliest face he had encountered. Of course, she was the only person he had met since losing his memory, but to him, her smile was the warmest he had ever seen.
Matsurize returned her smile and said, "Hello, Little Ayane."
Ayane helped Matsurize to his feet. Now, standing face to face with him in his bare state, she no longer felt embarrassed or disgusted. In her eyes, Matsurize was no different from a helpless child.
She quickly gathered the clothes that Matsurize had scattered all over the bed and began tidying them up, ready to help him get dressed.