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

Kenji had been asleep for quite some time.

The signs of winter grew deeper, and the town was already adorned with Christmas decorations. Trees, Santas, illuminations—all kinds of festive displays filled the streets.

I watched the scene while exhaling puffs of white breath. Even with a scarf on, the cold still got to me, maybe because it had started snowing.

“…………”

I was out in this freezing weather because I needed to buy some study guides from the bookstore.

Honestly, it was my first time properly buying study guides, so I had no clue which ones were good. I figured it’d be better to pick them out in person instead of relying on online reviews, so here I was.

“Ahh, so warm…”

The moment I stepped into the store, the heating hit me, wrapping me in a cozy warmth. Ah, I could stay here forever.

(Let’s see, study guides… oh, they’re over there.)

The section for study materials was stocked with guides and practice books for everything—from middle school entrance exams to high school, college, and even specialized certifications.

I wasn’t aiming for a specific college or qualification. I just found that studying made me feel like I was with Kenji. It gave me the sense that he was right there beside me.

And if Kenji was going to be in the hospital for a long time, we’d need money. So, I decided I’d study hard, get a good job, and help support his expenses.

The old me would never have thought of something like this. Even I was surprised by how much I’d changed.

(Hmm… these two should work.)

I picked out two study guides that seemed right for me. Two should be enough for now.

(It feels dull to just head home after this. Maybe I’ll browse a bit more.)

Before dating Kenji, I used to read a lot of magazines. Feeling nostalgic, I wandered over to the magazine section.

(Oh, this outfit is so cute!)

I picked up a fashion magazine that caught my eye and flipped it open. Inside were pages of trendy outfits worn by girl models, with a bold caption spanning the pages: “Trending on Social Media!”

(Come to think of it, I haven’t checked Insta in ages. I have no idea what’s popular now.)

I used to feel uneasy if I couldn’t keep up with trends. Staying updated seemed like the most important thing back then.

But after stepping away, I realized it didn’t really matter. I still thought cute clothes were nice, but I no longer felt the need to obsessively keep up with trends.

(Maybe I’ll go clothes shopping sometime.)

With a faint sense of nostalgia, I placed the magazine back on the shelf.

…Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Once I got home, I buried myself in studying.

In my room, I opened the study guides and a notebook I’d bought earlier. I scribbled so much that the side of my right hand turned black with pencil marks.

“Come on, Kana-san, let’s work hard together. I’ll study right beside you.”

Kenji’s voice echoed in my mind. During summer break, he had encouraged me like this.

Back then, I didn’t want to do my homework, but Kenji patiently cheered me on and helped me with anything I didn’t understand.

“The Summer Triangle is made up of three stars: Deneb, Vega, and Altair. Vega and Altair are also known as Orihime and Hikoboshi in Japanese.”

Because of those memories, whenever I studied, it felt like I was talking to Kenji in my head.

(Hey Kenji, what’s the North Star again?)

“The North Star is a star that always stays in the northern sky, no matter how much time passes. Back in the day, sailors used it for navigation.”

(I see. Thanks, Kenji.)

Reading study guides alone would’ve been boring, but imagining Kenji explaining everything made studying enjoyable.

It felt silly, but this method worked best for me.

“Phew…”

When I finally reached a good stopping point, I put my mechanical pencil down on the notebook and stretched my arms, arching my back.

“…………”

My eyes landed on the script lying on my desk.

It was the script for Night on the Galactic Railroad. I had bookmarked pages and highlighted my lines so much that the cover was worn out, and the page edges were torn in places.

(That cultural festival feels like a distant memory now…)

“I love watching swans. Even if they’re flying far away, I can still see them…”

Thanks to all the practice, I hadn’t forgotten my lines at all. I could recite them fluently even with the script closed.

I opened it again to check, and sure enough, I remembered everything word for word.

“…………”

I placed the script on my desk and glanced at the window. The outside world was pitch dark now, and I couldn’t see much.

I stood up, turned off all the lights in my room, and sat back down. When I looked out the window again, a few tiny stars were faintly visible.

They weren’t breathtakingly beautiful, but staring at them filled me with a strange, serene feeling—like my heart was drifting far away yet becoming calm.

“…Ah, Giovanni.”

I whispered a line from the script to the stars.

“We’ll always be together.”

“…I see. So Saito-kun still hasn’t regained consciousness.”

Yanagihara-san muttered sadly.

It was lunchtime at school, and I was eating my bento alone when a group of students gathered around my desk.

Yanagihara-san, Naito-san, Fujiyama-kun, and Nagasaki—they were the four who had visited Kenji in the hospital before.

“‘Unconsciousness’—what exactly does that mean? Is it like sleeping?” Nagasaki asked with his hands clasped behind his head.

“It’s not the same as sleeping,” Fujiyama-kun replied.

“There’s a chance he might never wake up.”

“Never? That’s rough. Would slapping him awake work?”

“Hey, hey, he’s not a broken TV or something. Saito’s like that because of the accident, so messing with him might make it worse.”

“Hmm, that’s complicated.”

“Which is why it’s a problem, you know?”

Fujiyama frowned, sighing in exasperation.

“Hey, Tashiro.”

“What is it, Yanagihara?”

“Would it be okay if I went to visit him again today?”

“Visit?”

“Yeah. Saito-kun hasn’t woken up yet, but I was thinking of going again.”

“I see. Thanks. I mean, it’s not like I have the authority to allow or deny visits, so go whenever you want.”

“Okay.”

“Uh, Tashiro-san, can I ask you something?”

“What’s up, Naito?”

“Have you ever brought a thousand origami cranes for Saito-kun?”

“Oh, uh… now that you mention it, no, I haven’t.”

“Well, I’ll fold a few during lunch today.”

“Thanks. If you don’t mind, could you teach me how to fold them too? I want to give some to Kenji.”

“Sure, no problem.”

A thousand origami cranes, huh? I’d never even thought about it before.

Hearing Naito bring up the idea made me feel happy, like, Yeah, that’s a great idea! But at the same time, there was a tiny twinge of jealousy in my chest, wishing I had thought of it first.

“Tashiro! You here?”

Suddenly, our homeroom teacher, Mr. Hiraizumi, peeked into the classroom.

“Yes, I’m here.”

When I answered, he raised the smartphone in his hand and said, “There’s an urgent call for you.”

“An urgent call?”

“Yeah, the caller said to put you on immediately.”

“Uh… okay.”

Why would someone call my teacher to reach me? And why was it so urgent?

Exchanging glances with Yanagihara and the others, I quickly walked over to the teacher, taking the phone from him.

“Hello? This is Tashiro.”

Cautiously, I spoke into the phone. The voice on the other end responded urgently, “Thank goodness! You’re Kana Tashiro, right?”

“Y-Yes, this is Tashiro… May I ask who’s calling?”

“It’s me, Kenji’s mother!”

“What?! Kenji’s mom?!”

“I wanted to contact you, but I didn’t have your number. So, I called your homeroom teacher instead.”

“K-Kenji’s mom, why are you calling me now? Did something… did something bad happen to Kenji?”

The fact that she was urgently trying to contact me… I couldn’t help but fear the worst—that Kenji’s condition had taken a turn for the worse.

My hand holding the phone was sweaty, and my nerves made me feel restless.

“Who is it?”

“Kenji’s mom, apparently.”

Before I realized it, Yanagihara and the others had gathered around me, likely drawn by the mention of Kenji’s name.

“Listen carefully. Just now, Kenji… he woke up, if only a little.”

“…What?”

“He opened his eyes for a moment, though he closed them again shortly after. But he definitely woke up. He even responded faintly when I called out to him.”

“R-Really?! Kenji… opened his eyes?!”

“Yes, do you think I’d joke about something like this?”

“…”

“But after that, he closed his eyes again and hasn’t responded since. The doctor said that if we keep talking to him, he might fully wake up.”

“…”

“That’s why, Tashiro-san, I need you to come to the hospital right now.”

“M-Me?”

“Yes, because I think Kenji… is waiting to hear your voice.”

“…”

“Please. You’re the only one I can rely on. I’m sure you can help wake Kenji up.”

“…Got it! I’ll definitely be there right away!”

I shoved the phone back to my teacher and sprinted to my desk.