The case where I was gradually getting buried in the heavy love of my childhood friend who had miraculously recovered from their illness was perfect!

[PoV] Rion :

“Rion, it looks like Nagisa came today too.”

“Yeah… he doesn’t have to come, though.”

“You say that, but you always seem in a good mood when Nagisa comes. And if he would be busy, you’d visibly become less cheerful.”

“…It’s just your imagination.”

I averted my gaze from my mother.

Ugh… It’s almost like she hit the nail on the head, and now I’m blushing!

My mother, seeing my displeased expression, smiled wryly, said she’d change the flowers, and left the room.

“…My mood will improve huh.”

It’s quiet now since no one else is here… I mutter while understanding that it’s just sour grapes.

“It’s so quiet.”

My mother is still not back, and I know it’ll get lively when she returns, but as it gets dark outside, this place will also become quiet. Even though I’ve gotten used to it, it’s still lonely.

“Nagi-kun.”

I found myself saying his name like this quite naturally. Nagisa Rokudo — My audacious childhood friend with whom I’ve had a long association. Our parents are close, and that’s how Nagisa and I started interacting. To be honest, I never thought I’d become so close to him because I’m not exactly the most charming or pleasant girl.

“Hey, Rion-chan?”

“Rion-chan… Can I just call you Rion?”

“Hey Rion, I’m here to play!”

He’s… Nagisa is a peculiar person. He’s cheeky compared to kids our age, and, despite my pride in being smarter than most kids, he always seemed more mature than me. Black hair, black eyes, not too fat or too skinny… there was nothing remarkable about him, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off him for some reason.

“Why does Nagisa-kun pay attention to me?”

“My mom and dad told me to get along with you.”

…Being so brutally honest has its merits and demerits.

But his straightforward personality made our interactions easy, and his inexplicable adult-like qualities made it comfortable for me not to worry about what he might think.

“Haha, Rion seems to like Nagisa-kun, doesn’t she?”

“Yep, seems that way, I’m really happy about it.”

Even my parents’ warm gazes… It’s frustrating, but I couldn’t do anything but deny that.

Even though we’re childhood friends, it’s just a relationship that came from being close for a long time. That’s what I thought, but it wasn’t the case – Nagisa genuinely cared about me.

“You have a weak body, so don’t overdo it.”

“I’m not making fun of you. I’m just worried.”

“Hey, Rion, are you okay?”

I was born with a weak body. My family, as well as my friends, worried about me a lot. But Nagisa, not only worried about my health but also protected me from any guys who tried to harass me. I felt a certain comfort in having his strong back by my side.

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Rion.”

I know that I have an appealing appearance.

Because of that, I’ve encountered not only people my age but also adults who harbored unsavory desires. But every time, Nagisa protected me. There’s not much that scares me. Well, being suddenly threatened with a knife is scary, but apart from that, I can handle most situations myself, cornering and causing despair to those who trouble me.

“…Sigh.”

I let out a small sigh.

Apart from the one who’s entered deep into my heart, I respond to others in my mind, without regard to their gender or age. The one who can penetrate the deepest into my heart is Nagisa, and I’ve allowed him in without even realizing it.

“Why does Nagisa care so much about me?”

Nagisa is a peculiar person, and he uses strong words at times. But he has never made an unpleasant face when dealing with me, and I don’t think most people would want to deal with someone as troublesome as me. And above all, I have no one else.

“…..”

It hurts… my heart hurts.

I’ve always been physically weak, constantly under the care of my attending physician, and most of all, I’ve been mindful of my health to avoid causing Nagi-kun any more worry.

But fate was cruel, pushing me into despair. The incurable heart disease revealed by the doctor left me unable to move from this point… I was imprisoned in this hospital room.

“….I can still smile. I can still have conversations with Nagi-kun… and we can exchange banter… but I know – I understand that my body is nearing its end.”

Yet, he… Nagi-kun is such a terrible person.

I’ve asked him not to fuss over me anymore, to cherish his time with friends, knowing there’s nothing more that can be done for me, and still, he keeps coming to visit me.

And I’m so happy that he does… but at the same time, my heart aches.

“I want to live…”

That’s an unattainable wish for the future… but as a human, it should be a wish anyone is allowed to have.

“I’m back. I got caught up talking with an acquaintance.”

“I see. I was starting to think you were quite late.”

“I’m sorry about that. Look, I changed the water, and the flowers look lively.”

I don’t understand the expression of the flowers… I won’t say something so oblivious. My mother still looks youthful and, at times, could be mistaken for my sister when we go out together. She’s trying to force a smile, and even that pains my heart.

After clearing her throat as if trying to hide something, my mother continues, gazing outside at the scenery.

“I mentioned Nagisa earlier, but he also gave me a stern talk.”

“…?”

“He said, just seeing Rion smiling makes me feel at ease… so he asked me to keep on smiling for her.”

“Nagi-kun said that?”

“He’s a peculiar child, isn’t he? Despite being a young boy your age, he’s remarkably observant. Mature, or rather, he often seems older than you mentally.”

“…I think so too.”

“Right? That’s why… maybe because of him, I feel so relieved. He’s been by your side for so long.”

Why is it that my cheeks feel so hot? I can’t help it. My mother gazes at me with a warm smile and then leaves the room to use the restroom.

Alone once again, I look out the window. Despite my troubled heart, the sky is clear. It’s a very beautiful evening sky.

“If… if there were a God… would you grant my wish?”

I don’t believe in God… but even though I know it’s futile, I still wish to live.

I can’t be straightforward… I believe that I’ll stay the same in front of Nagi-kun. But that’s okay… if it means I can hope for a future with him…

“…This is making me sound like… like…”

I was writhing alone, but my returning mother was flustered by my condition. To her, it might have seemed like I had a seizure.

I assured her that I was fine, that there was nothing wrong… but I hope that I can continue to say that in the future, always.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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