111 is on fire, you are on fire.

Time slipped away, and before anyone realized it, a year had quietly passed.

In Windmill Village, at the Party Bar, every day was peaceful and serene. By now, Buzhidao had completely integrated into this small town and the tavern. Life was ordinary and warm; each day unfolded with a comforting normalcy. In this town, there were no sinister schemes or deceitful intrigues. It was a life to be savored, a life of happiness, and everyone cherished this atmosphere.

"Buzhidao, did you lock the door properly?" In front of the Party Bar, Makino wore a light red dress that perfectly accentuated her graceful curves. Her long, dark green hair danced in the breeze, releasing a faint, sweet fragrance. Ever since Buzhidao mentioned he liked seeing her with her hair loose, she had, quite unconsciously, stopped tying it up.

"Makie, it's all done!" He clapped his hands, a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze lighting up his entire world.

"What a fool, even your smile is so silly!" Makino rolled her eyes, throwing him a sharp, playful look.

"Hehe... let me handle that!" With a silly grin, Buzhidao snatched the basin of laundry from her hands and strode toward the beach. Every day at this time, the two would head to the shore to wash clothes. It was the place where they had first met, even though he had been unconscious back then.

"Yo! Buzhidao and little Makie are off to do the laundry as a pair again. How envious!" A teasing voice made them turn their heads.

"Aunt Wen, have you eaten yet?" Buzhidao waved, calling back.

"Buzhidao is truly polite. Little Makie, you'd better hold on tight to him!"

"Oh, honestly, Aunt Wen, don't say such things. Buzhidao will leave once he regains his memory." Makino’s face flushed red, and she cast a shy, fleeting glance at him.

"Let’s go, why are you still staring?" Feeling somewhat bashful, Makino lowered her head and hurried off into the distance.

"Ah... eh..." Stunned for a moment, Buzhidao quickly followed after her.

"Tsk, tsk... you two are so close, off to do the laundry together again?" A rough voice teased them from the sidelines.

"Uncle Ke..."

Throughout their walk, they passed by kind neighbors who teased them back and forth. By the seaside, Makino pouted, grumbling softly, "Honestly, Uncle Ke and the others are just too mean."

"Hehe..." Beside her, Buzhidao just chuckled foolishly.

"You're still laughing... I'll show you!" Reaching the shore, Makino’s eyes twinkled as she reached out and splashed seawater at him.

"You ambushed me..." With his face dripping wet, Buzhidao let out a loud shout, lunged into the water, and started splashing her back.

"Take this!" Caught up in the playfulness, Makino laughed and shrieked as she continued to retaliate. Back and forth they went, and within moments, both were soaked and lying on the sand.

"Hey, Buzhidao..." Lying on the beach and gazing at the cloudless sky, Makino turned to her side, tilting her head as she looked at his fierce yet gentle face. She whispered softly, "Will you leave me after you recover your memories?"

"I don't know!" Buzhidao turned, his dark eyes filled with confusion. "During this time, people I can't quite recognize keep appearing in my mind. One of them... it feels like they died for me. My heart feels so guilty."

"Is that so?" Makino turned away, staring blankly at the sky. She felt a hollow ache in her heart.

"Makie, I feel like those people are very important to me. It's as if... as if my heart would break if I couldn't find them. It’s suffocating. I feel like I exist just to find them, and... and..." By the end, Buzhidao was pale and visibly unsettled.

"And what?" Makino turned to look at the fool in her heart once more, asking quietly.

"And... I think I've killed many people... I'm afraid I'm a bad person. I don't want to regain my memories anymore; I just want to be with you!" Becoming agitated, Buzhidao sat up, looking at her with desperate urgency.

Silence fell. Makino sat up too, watching him quietly.

"If I am a villain, will you not forgive me, Makie? I know you hate bad people the most." With a foolish, desolate look, Buzhidao hung his head.

A cool touch, yet incredibly warm—Makino reached out to stroke his face and smiled. "How could that be? I don't care who you were in the past; all I care about is who you are now!"

"Really?" Buzhidao beamed with excitement, his face breaking into a wide, happy grin.

"But you have to promise me that, no matter what, you won't kill anyone again. What if you get hurt?" She extended her other hand, cupping his face with both palms, smiling at him with a mix of reproach and tenderness.

"Don't worry, Makie! I promise I won't kill another soul, and I won't ever try to remember the past." He patted his chest firmly, his expression earnest.

"Silly, you don't have to be like that. I'm not a fool, you know." Makino rolled her eyes, but her heart was blooming with joy.

"That's perfect then! Uncle Ke said a fool and a simpleton make a perfect pair!"

"You're asking for it..." Makino feigned anger, preparing to teach him a lesson.

"You can't catch me!" He stood up, stuck out his tongue, and made a funny face.

"Stop right there!" Makino was truly 'angry,' and the consequences were severe. One chasing the other, they ran along the shore.

"Ouch!" A cry of pain escaped her, and Makino collapsed onto the sand, wincing in agony.

"Boom!" The sand exploded as Buzhidao appeared instantly by her side, his face filled with panic.

Makino’s mouth hung open as she stared, stunned, at his worried face, then at the massive crater in the distance. Her mind went completely blank.

"Buzhidao... you... you..." She pointed toward the crater and then back at him, trembling, "How did you get here so fast?"

"Ah..." Buzhidao turned, looking at the crater five or six meters away, then back at Makino, looking utterly bewildered.

"Ouch..." Makino groaned again.

"What's wrong?" Shaken out of his stupor, Buzhidao looked down in alarm and saw her ankle was swollen. She had sprained it. "How could you be so careless? Does it hurt a lot?" He carefully examined her ankle, then bent down and scooped her into his arms.

"What are you doing..." Makino’s face turned bright red, and she didn't know what to do.

"We're going to Uncle Koku's; he's the doctor!" Without a second thought, he broke into a sprint. In the blink of an eye, they were moving so fast they were nothing but a blur.

"Slow... slow down... how are you running so fast?" Cuddled in his arms, feeling the frantic, scorching beat of his heart, Makino was shocked once again. The scenery around them was blurring by too quickly.

"Oh... you're on fire! Stop, you're on fire!" Suddenly, Makino noticed flames flickering around Buzhidao’s head, growing more intense by the second.

"Ah... wh-what..." Carrying Makino, Buzhidao skidded to a halt, looking completely lost.

"Your head is on fire..." She scrambled to the ground and began frantically trying to pat out the flames on his hair.

"How is that possible... I don't feel anything?" Buzhidao looked at her with suspicion.

"Huh! It disappeared again." Makino’s jaw dropped. She couldn't understand it; she had clearly seen his hair ablaze, yet it had vanished in an instant. And his hair was completely unscathed! How strange.

"You should worry about yourself right now!" He bent down, picked her up again, and dashed toward the town.

"Are you worried about me?" Huddled in his arms, Makino stared at him, dazed.

"Of course! If I don't worry about you, who would? You're very important to me." He ran with all his might. As he did, he felt as though he could fly—a very strange sensation indeed. But to keep Makino from worrying, he suppressed the restless energy rising within him.