A Story About a Girl Who Took Life for Granted and Fell in Love With a Kind and Introverted Boy - Chapter 43.1

…That night, the sky was full of stars.

Even though we were in the city, the Milky Way was clearly visible, so beautiful it took my breath away.

“Miyuki-chan, is something wrong?”

Standing beside me, Ninomiya Rei-san spoke, noticing I was staring at the starry sky.

“Hmm… it’s nothing.”

“Really? You seemed lost in thought.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Sorry for taking up your time; shall we head there now?”

Rei-san and I quietly walked through the night streets together.

As I looked at the familiar Japanese townscape for the first time in a while, I felt a wave of emotion. Together, Rei-san and I were on our way to a certain hospital.

After entering the night’s general hospital, we checked in at the reception and headed to Room 21. It had been a long time since I visited such a large hospital—probably not since Kenji-san fell unconscious due to his accident.

“……………”

Standing before Room 21, I knocked softly. Soon, a faint voice from inside responded, “Come in…”

Sliding the door open, I saw a woman lying on the bed.

Her body was emaciated, an IV line ran into her arm, and her hair had turned completely white with age.

“Onee-san.”

When I said that, the woman slowly turned to look at me.

She gave a frail smile and, with a hoarse voice, murmured, “Ah, Miyuki.”

“It’s been a while… Since Kenji’s funeral, I think?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It’s been so long. Thank you for coming, Rei-san.”

“Of course. Thank you for making the trip, ” Rei-san replied politely.

“Onee-san, how’s your health?”

She chuckled weakly.”Well… I think it might be nearing the end.”

“Don’t say that, Kana Onee-san! You’ll get better, I’m sure of it.”

“It’s alright. I know myself best.”

“But still…”

“Soon, the time for the train will come. I understand that well…”

“Train?”

“……………”

“What do you mean by ‘train,’ Kana Onee-san?”

She didn’t respond to Rei-san’s question, only smiled softly and gazed out the window at the stars.

Rei-san and I exchanged silent glances.

Rattle.

The door to the hospital room opened. Entering were my sister’s daughter, Kaoru-chan, her husband Ryunosuke-san, and their young son Atsushi-kun.

“Oh, Kaoru, Ryunosuke-san, and even Atsushi-kun came. It’s so lively tonight, ” Onee-san said, her eyes crinkling with joy.

“Grandma…”

“Mother-in-law…”

Kaoru-chan and Ryunosuke-san stood beside us, looking down at Onee-san with sorrowful expressions.

“Grandma! Are you going to sleep already? It’s only eight o’clock!”

Only three-year-old Atsushi-kun spoke cheerfully to her.

“Atsushi, be quiet!”

Kaoru-chan scolded him, but Atsushi-kun wasn’t fazed.”Mama, give me candy!” he demanded, pestering her for a treat.

Kaoru-chan, once so delicate, had become a strong, reliable mother. It filled me with a nostalgic sense of wonder.

“……………”

I found myself staring at Onee-san’s profile as she lay there, quietly looking up at the ceiling.

Though perhaps inappropriate, I started to understand why she said”it’s almost over.”

Her eyes seemed to be gazing far beyond the ceiling, past the stars outside the window.

She looked so fragile, it wouldn’t have been surprising if her life faded away right then and there.

(…Onee-san.)

When had her face become so wrinkled?

When had her hair turned so white?

Both Onee-san and I had grown older. We’d seen countless summers and winters together.

And now… it felt as if all of it was coming to an end.

Cough, cough…! Hrk…!

“!”

Suddenly, Onee-san coughed up blood.

Just moments ago, she had merely been coughing lightly, but now blood trickled from her mouth.

Her pristine hospital gown was stained a vivid red.

“Mom!”

Kaoru-chan rushed over immediately, her face contorted with pain as she gazed down at Onee-san.

The doctor was called to check on her condition. Listening to her chest with a stethoscope, he grimaced and told us,

“If you have any other relatives or close friends, please call them immediately.”

“……………”

With that one statement, we all understood. Onee-san was not going to make it through the night. Her intuition had been right.

Kaoru-chan, her voice trembling, called her younger brother Tadashi.

“Tadashi… Mom doesn’t have much time left. Come to the hospital now.”

While Kaoru-chan made the painful call, Ryunosuke-san held her close, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

I, in turn, contacted Onee-san’s friend, Yanagihara-san, a high school classmate of hers whose number I had.

“Hello?”

Yanagihara-san’s voice on the other end sounded lively, mixed with the clinking of dishes and laughter, suggesting she was at a gathering.

“It’s been a while. This is Tashiro Miyuki.”

“Oh, Miyuki-chan! It’s been ages! How are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“What’s the matter? Did something happen?”

“Yes, it’s about my sister…”

“Kana-san?”

“Yes…”

I swallowed hard before explaining, haltingly.

“She… might not make it through the night.”

“Wha…?”

“She just coughed up blood… The doctor said we should call her loved ones.”

“…I see. I’ll be there right away. I’ll also inform Naito-san and the others.”

“Thank you so much.”

I hung up the phone.

“……………”

Onee-san’s gaze grew increasingly vacant. Her breathing became faint, raspy.

A deep sense of helplessness gnawed at me.

Thinking back, I realized I had never been very close to Onee-san.

When I was little, my older sister used to tease me a lot, making me cry. Before she started dating Kenji-san, we were constantly fighting.

“Ahh! Sis, not that outfit again!”

“Shut up. What I wear has nothing to do with you, Miyuki.”

I hated my sister. She was careless, rude, and never thought about how others felt.

And yet, because of her good looks, she was incredibly popular. That irritated me even more. I couldn’t stand it. It made me so mad that I swore I’d never be like her. I threw myself into my studies, striving to be as serious and diligent as possible.

So, when my sister and Kenji-san broke up, I was genuinely happy. I thought, Finally, it’s my turn to shine.

“See, sis? It’s all catching up to you. Your beloved Kenji-san has dumped you. Serves you right. Serves you right. This is what you get for living so carelessly. Be hurt so badly you can’t recover.”

“………”

But in the end, I was the one Kenji-san rejected. And worse, it was because of me that he ended up in a coma.

I blamed myself completely, to an unbearable degree. I convinced myself it was punishment for celebrating my sister’s misfortune, for resenting her so deeply.

“You idiot, Miyuki…! Don’t say things like, ‘I should’ve just died’!”

“………”

The door to the hospital room creaked open. It was my sister’s son, Masaru, who came in.

He was out of breath, sweat dripping from his forehead. In his right hand, he held a small bag.

“Hey, big sis… How’s Mom?”

“Yeah… she’s still hanging in there.”

“………”

Catching his breath, Masaru walked over to my sister’s bed.

“Oh? Masaru, you’re here too.”

Noticing him, my sister smiled warmly.

“Mom…”

“Thank you, Masaru. You must be so busy with work right now.”

“What are you talking about? I’d come running anytime.”

Masaru pulled a tablet from the bag. On the screen was an e-book of a cookbook, its cover illustrated.

It showed a family of four around a dining table: a father, a mother, a sister, and a brother. The drawing wasn’t precise or particularly beautiful, but it had a warm, cheerful atmosphere.

“Look, Mom. This is my drawing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. They featured it on the cover of a magazine. They said it’s the kind of kind, heartfelt art that AI can’t replicate.”

Masaru pointed to each character on the cover, his voice trembling.

“See? This is Dad, this is you, this is big sis, and this is me.”
“Ah, I see.”

“Remember when we all went on that trip to Hokkaido? I drew this with that memory in mind. See, the girl is holding a crab.”

“Yeah, yeah, I see.”

“That’s so like you, Masaru, ” my sister said, laughing softly. Seeing her smile, Masaru bit his lip and cried silently.

“………”

The hospital room door opened again. This time, it was Yanagihara-san, whom I had contacted.

“Kana-san…!”