January 21st, 2005 – 6:42 PM
Ward 502, Chiba National Hospital
The long hallway of the maternity ward was finally silent. For the last two hours, it had been echoing with the hurried footsteps of doctors and nurses, soft spoken instructions, and the occasional clinking of surgical instruments.
Then, suddenly—
A sharp cry pierced the quiet.
A newborn's first breath. His first cry.
And following it, a calm but delighted voice—
"Congratulations… You have a healthy baby boy."
Kaori Isshiki lay on the hospital bed, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. Her face was pale but her eyes shone with warmth and strength as she turned toward the source of that cry. With a trembling but affectionate smile, she whispered,
"My... baby... Mama is here..."
Huff... Huff...
The baby, still crying, tilted his small head instinctively toward her voice. His tiny hand lifted just slightly into the air, as if reaching out.
The nurses, practiced and gentle, cleaned the child and carefully placed him beside his mother. His skin still bore the reddish hue of birth, and his eyes blinked open for a moment, catching the soft hospital light.
Kaori gazed at him silently for a long while. Then, as the warmth of his body against hers settled her breath, she slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
But the baby—
He wasn't asleep.
Not yet.
---
'What the hell is going on...?
I'm... reborn? Or is this time travel? Reincarnation?'
The infant's mind raced in silence.
'I remember I was a guy... and I had regrets. A lot of regrets. I was missing something... someone? No... something important. But why can't I remember clearly? What was my dream...?'
Despite the whirling chaos of questions in his mind, there was a strange calmness in him, like something automatically calm his mind. Slowly, that awareness gave way to fatigue. With his body unable to stay awake any longer, the boy closed his eyes. The last thing he heard before drifting off was the soft beeping of the machines around him and the rhythmic sound of his mother's heartbeat.
---
8:13 PM – Same Room
The door creaked open and a man in his early 30s stepped in, slightly out of breath. His tailored suit was wrinkled from the rush, his tie loosened, and his face carried a mix of panic and excitement.
"Honey… Are you alright? You're okay, right? And the baby… Is he...?" he asked hurriedly.
Kaori, now awake, looked up at him with a smile.
"I'm fine, honey. And the baby's sleeping. Quiet now," she whispered, her finger to her lips. "Congratulations on becoming a father."
Naoya Isshiki exhaled with relief. He stepped closer and took her hand, kissing it gently.
Naoya was a diplomat—calm, sharp, and well-spoken under most circumstances—but at this moment, he was just a man whose entire world had expanded by one small heartbeat.
His family carried political clout and ran several businesses in urban Japan. Kaori, in contrast, had grown up in a more average household, and had been a passionate music enthusiast all her life. The two had met in high school, where their unlikely pairing quickly turned into something permanent. They married soon after graduation.
"Naoya-kun," Kaori said, her voice teasing, "have you thought of any names for our son? Or were you too busy to even do that?"
"Haha, of course I have! I came up with so many great ones—like... Gotan! Or Yoruichi, or Sasuke... ahh, yeah, even Ichi—"
Kaori cut him off with a flat stare. "You're banned from naming him. Those are anime characters."
"They're great characters!" Naoya pouted, then sighed. "Fine. You decide, love."
She smiled softly. "How about... Ritsu?"
Naoya repeated the name under his breath. "Ritsu... Isshiki..."
They both looked at the sleeping baby, wrapped snugly in a white blanket, his tiny hand resting against Kaori's chest.
"Yeah," Naoya said, eyes moistening, "it's a beautiful name."
---
One Month Later
'It's been what... a month or two? And I still can't wrap my head around any of this. My body won't listen to me. I cry when I'm hungry. I cry when I shit. I cry when I can't sleep. Just... crying all the damn time!'
'What happened to my adult pride?...I was a adult in my past life...right?'
The thoughts raced silently in the baby's mind as he lay on his crib. From the outside, he was just another newborn sleeping peacefully. But inside, he was a grown consciousness trapped in a helpless body.
'I know I had regrets... and I had dreams. But what were they? Why does it feel like something important is just out of reach?'
A shadow passed over him. Kaori leaned in, gently picked him up, and cradled him to her chest.
'Ah... here comes my beautiful mom. Honestly, I should stop thinking about what I forgot and focus on making new memories with her. And Dad too, I guess...'
He let out a soft coo and nuzzled closer. The warmth of her body, the smell of her hair, the rhythm of her heartbeat—it was addicting.
---
Twelve Months Old
'It's been a year since I was born. I think I've monologued every day of it. Is this a side effect of being aware from birth?'
By now, Ritsu could crawl with ease. He had started around six months, but not without drama.
'I remember trying to crawl way too early. My legs gave out and I face-planted so hard I bled from my nose. Mom nearly had a heart attack. She cried so much... I never want to see that again.'
Since then, Kaori had been extra attentive. And Ritsu, in turn, had been extra careful.
'I remember the first time I managed to crawl over to her while she was cooking. She looked down, screamed with joy, picked me up like I was a medal of honor, and spun me around. I thought my stomach was going to explode. Then Dad rushed home from work and we all celebrated—well, they had sushi. I had... milk. Again.'
Ritsu sighed inwardly.
'I want sushi too…'
Things only escalated from there.
'My first word was "Da-Da.", I actually wanted to "Ma-Ma" but this damm body won't listen... Whatever, Dad was so overjoyed, he started handing out some sort of rice sweets to the neighbors like we'd won the lottery. Mom glared at him the whole time. I'm 90% sure he slept on the couch that night.'
'Then the next day, I said "Ma-Ma." Same situation. But Dad still ended up on the couch. I think he secretly likes it.'
Then came the day Ritsu walked for the first time. His first birthday. He remembered the bright flashes of cameras, the spark of pride in Kaori's eyes, and the tears Naoya couldn't quite hide.
'They looked... happy. Really, really happy.'
Still, the nagging emptiness remained. The forgotten dream. The life before.
'But there's something comforting about being in this home. Lying in Mom's arms while she plays music. I don't know why, but I feel drawn to it. Music. It stirs something. Maybe I loved it in my past life too...'
---
January 2006 – Night Before First Outing
Tomorrow, Kaori had told him, they would go to the park for the first time. Apparently, the neighbors had a baby girl around his age. Ritsu didn't know what to expect, but he found himself oddly excited.
Lying in his crib, tucked in warmly, Ritsu let his mind wander once again.
'Maybe I don't need to remember everything just yet. Maybe it's okay to start small. Eat, crawl, walk, speak… love. I'll rediscover my dream. I'll make a new life. And this time, I won't waste it.'
He yawned. His eyelids drooped. Kaori leaned over and gently kissed his forehead.
"Good night, Ritsu," she whispered.
"Guu ~ Gaa~ Ma~ Ma~" Ritsu yawned while babbling.
Inside his mind, the boy smiled.
'Good night, me.'
———————