A Story About a Girl Who Took Life for Granted and Fell in Love With a Kind and Introverted Boy - Chapter 29.1

…My life changed drastically from the day Kenji had his accident.

Every single day, after school, I went to his hospital room and stayed until visiting hours ended. Sitting by his side, with a chair beside his bed, I would keep talking to him as he slept. This became my new daily routine.

“Good morning, Kenji.”

Once again today, I found myself at Kenji’s side.

“There was a Japanese test today, you know. I’ve always been bad at Japanese and could never score well…”

As I said this, I pulled the test paper out of my school bag and, with a “Ta-da!”, I spread it out wide for him to see.

“Guess what! I got 53 points! No failing grade this time!”

“…”

“And I got over half of the points! This is my highest score ever!”

“…”

“Maybe I’ve gotten a little better at Japanese because I’ve been reading Night on the Galactic Railroad, your favorite book. Just a bit, maybe, hehe.”

“…”

“…”

I stopped putting on a brave front and went quiet. I knew that trying to smile was just empty, but if I didn’t hold myself together, I’d probably end up crying again.

(…Kenji)

I clenched the test paper tightly. It crumpled, and I bit down hard, pressing my teeth together painfully.

“Kana-chan.”

Suddenly, a voice called to me from the doorway. Turning around, I saw a female nurse standing there.

It was Asahi, Kenji’s nurse. She knew that I visited Kenji often. The first time I came to his room, she had been the one to gently pat my back.

“It’s almost time.”

Looking apologetic, Asahi reminded me. She was talking about visiting hours. The hospital didn’t allow visitors after 5 p.m., so she had come to tell me that.

“Yeah, I got it.”

I answered her and quietly got up to pack my things to go home.

“…”

I looked at Kenji once more, taking in the peaceful expression on his face as he slept.

“…See you, Kenji.”

Finally, after a few moments, I turned my back to him and left the room.

The sound of my footsteps, along with Asahi’s, echoed through the hallway.

“…Asahi.”

With my head bowed, I spoke to her as we walked.

“Yes, Kana-chan?”

“Asahi, do you have a boyfriend?”

“…Well, he’s my husband now.”

“…”

“We got married last summer.”

“…I see. Congrats, Asahi.”

“Thank you.”

“…”

“…”

“So, marriage…?”

“Hm?”

“Is marriage… fun?”

“Well… yes, sometimes it is.”

“…”

“But, of course, there are tough times too. We argue sometimes.”

“…I’m envious.”

“Huh?”

“I’m envious that you can argue.”

“…”

I stopped for a moment, glancing back to the distant sight of Kenji’s hospital room.

“Even if it were a fight, I’d like to talk with Kenji.”

“…Take care, Kana-chan.”

“Thank you, Asahi.”

Asahi saw me off, and I headed home.

The sun had set completely, and I walked alone down the dark, empty road. My breath formed a white puff in the chilly night air.

Suddenly, I felt a cold sensation on my nose. A snowflake had fallen there. As more tiny flakes drifted down, I blew at one, and it disappeared into the mist of my breath. It was so small, it must have melted.

Watching this, I felt an intense sense of loneliness, something heartbreakingly fragile.

“…I’m home.”

When I returned, I slipped off my shoes and headed for my room.

Along the way, I noticed Miyuki slumped over the dining table.

“…”

Since the accident, Miyuki had stopped going to school.

The shock of Kenji’s accident, which she believed was her fault, had drained all life from her.

She no longer left the house, nor did she speak to anyone in the family.

She was usually shut up in her room, so this was the first time I’d seen her in quite a while.

“…”

Glancing at Miyuki as I passed the living room, I silently went to my room.

Part of me wanted her not to blame herself so much… but another part wanted to yell, “It’s your fault Kenji’s like this!”

Kenji had gotten hit because he was protecting Miyuki. Though I didn’t want to add to the burden of guilt she already carried, I felt that if I opened my mouth, all I’d be able to do was hurl harsh words at her.

So I, too, couldn’t bring myself to speak a single word to her.

…School carried on as usual, the same routine every day.

Even though Kenji had been in an accident, hardly anyone seemed concerned. Occasionally, I’d hear someone say, “Hey, is Saito-kun doing okay?” but that was about it.

There were no dramatic gestures like in TV shows—no one folding a thousand cranes or organizing visits.

Despite the teacher mentioning the accident during homeroom, my classmates’ indifference infuriated me.

(Kenji was part of our group for the play… And this is it?)

That’s how I felt. But, honestly… if I were my old self, I might have reacted just like my classmates.

If something terrible happened to someone I didn’t know well, it’d be like a fire across the river—no one else’s suffering would feel connected to me, and I’d ignore it, mindlessly scrolling through videos on my phone.

Of course, Kenji wasn’t the type to fit in easily with the class, so maybe it wasn’t surprising…

“…Wait, you want to visit him?”

About three weeks after Kenji’s accident, on my way to the hospital after school, four classmates stopped me at the door.

“Yes, we want to visit Saito-kun. Since you know where the hospital is, could you tell us?” asked Yanagihara from the health committee, looking me straight in the eyes.