Emi walked down the peaceful streets with her parents, letting the cool evening air envelop her. Everything seemed a little unfamiliar and new – the houses were arranged in rows, street lamps cast a golden glow, and the neighborhood was not filled with buzz and noise as it used to be back home. Naturally, they were only in Britain for a short holiday and she still had that feeling of unfamiliarity in her surroundings.

お母さん！あれは誰？すごく見覚えがある！
Mom! Who is that? I seem to know her! She looks really familiar!
As they walked, Emi spotted another family on the sidelines. The daughter caught her eye – she appeared to be the same age as Emi. She had to squint to try and figure out why the girl looked so familiar. There was something in her that tugged at a memory, but she couldn’t place it in the moment.

Her mother followed Emi’s gaze and hesitated, thinking. Then she smiled broadly and walked up to them.

Huh? What is Mum doing? Why is she going over there all of a sudden…?

Emi stood still, confused, and watched her mum walk up to the other family. Within a moment, the adults were talking and laughing as if they were already acquainted.
Wait… they’re laughing? Do they know each other?
Curiosity got the better of her, and Emi took a small step forward. Being in another country had already made her feel kind of shy, and seeing this unfold just made her feel even more unsure.
Hmm… I feel like I know them, but the harder I think, the harder it is to remember…

Right then, her mum turned round and called out to her, waving.
“Emi, come here! This is Mr Jiang and Mrs Jiang, remember? We met them in China last month! They were the kind family that invited us for dinner!”

Ohhh… now I remember…
Last month, when we were in China… we met such a nice family… we even had dinner together…

It all began to come back. Emi’s eyes widened as her fuzzy memory sharpened.
But… what are they doing in Britain too? Do they live here?
A little nervous but also excited, Emi walked over to the girl. She hesitated for a short moment before speaking, her voice coming out a little faster and brighter than she planned.
“Hi Cassie! Do you remember me? I’m Emi! We met last month! I can’t believe you’re here!”

She blurted it all out in one go, beaming and hoping Cassie remembered her too.