The Story Of How I, Who Was Sentenced With One Year Left To Live, Met You,

Who Had Six Months Left To Live 

Sakurai Haruna Version

I was a weak and frail child ever since I was born.

My lungs were especially bad, they prevented me from running around outside or being physically active, so I was always stuck at home, I hardly made any friends at kindergarten or at school.　

If anyone asked me “Do you wanna play together?” I would say, “I’m ill so I can’t.” then they’d get cautious and just leave me alone. Some of them were so afraid of getting infected thanks to me, that they began making fun of me, saying that I was a virus who people should stay away from.

In spite of this, Miura Ayaka-chan was the only one who cared about me and stayed by my side even when I was left to be all alone.

I wasn’t able to make friends at school, but I made some good friends at the hospital. They were all children in the same children’s ward as me.

They were Yui-chan, Megumi-chan, Yuka-chan, Manami-chan, Sayaka-chan and then Ai-chan.

Every single one of them got discharged from the hospital before me and so I never saw them again. I have not met up with any of them after that. It seems like they were more concerned with being with their school friends rather than being with me.

I was always the one to see them off.

“Let’s meet again sometime!”

“Don’t forget about me!”

“Write me a letter soon!”

I desperately called out to my friends as they left the hospital. But our letters would last for only a single exchange.

All of them had forgotten about me and were busy enjoying their days with their other friends.

Even if I do get released from the hospital, I’ll definitely be admitted again soon. That’s why I try my best to not say goodbye. Because I’d be embarrassed to be hospitalized

again so quickly.

When I was in the sixth grade, I didn’t go on a school trip, even though I really wanted to, because I would have only caused trouble for everyone on the trip.

I was alone and pretended to be unconcerned, saying, “I don’t have any friends, so it doesn’t really matter.”

I was honestly envious of everyone talking about their so-called memories, choosing which pictures to buy, how much fun they had, how great that place was, and so on when

they returned from the school trip.

I sat in my seat, turned over, and cried quietly so that no one noticed, and then one day Aya-chan bought me a souvenir and handed it over to me.

“Here, Haruna. I bought you a souvenir.”

“Thank you, Aya-chan.”

She got me a bear key chain and a good luck charm for my health. These two items became my most prized possessions.

My father was killed in a traffic accident one month before my elementary school graduation. He failed to see a red light while on his way to see me, and that’s how the accident

occurred.

I blamed myself for that.

It was specifically because I had worried him that the accident had happened.

He would not have died if I hadn’t been hospitalized.

I’ve caused my parents a lot of stress throughout my life. I was born with an unhealthy body, and I have never despised myself more than ever right now.

In the end, I couldn’t even attend my father’s funeral.

My health continued to deteriorate during junior high school. I spent more time in the hospital than in school during my first year.

“Good morning Haruna. Your seat is here.”

Aya-chan was the only one who continued to treat me with the same kindness as always. Since I was in the same class as her in the first year, I didn’t have to be alone.

We switched classes in the second year of junior high school. My condition had stabilized by this point, and I was able to attend school every day.

Even though Aya-chan and I were in different classes, we still went to school together every day.

“You, what’s your name?”

Before class started, a boy seated next to me asked me my name.

He had clear noses and dazzling white teeth. He had short, fresh hair, so I assumed that he would be popular with the girls.

 “Sakurai……. Haruna”

“Haruna-chan, huh? I’m Ryota Kimura. Nice to meet you.”

“….Nice to meet you too.”

I was a little nervous because I had not had many opportunities to talk to boys during my freshman year.

His kind smile unintentionally startled me.

“Haruna-chan, were you a recent transfer to this school?”

“Not really. Why?”

“I was just thinking, since I hadn’t seen you here during freshman year.”

“Oh… I see.”

Ryota-kun would slowly call out to me during every break time. I did not tell him that I had spent most of my freshman year either in the hospital or at home. I thought that if I

told him that, he would probably leave me alone.

“Ryota, didn’t you know? Sakurai-san… she has a disease.”

One day, A female student sitting in front of Ryota-kun informed him about my illness. My heart ached because her words were just so straightforward.

I was certain that this girl was in the same first-year class as me. I’m sure she didn’t mean to offend me or such, but I wish she hadn’t said that.

“Eh? Haruna-chan is sick? What kind?”

“Well um… I’m just a little frail, it’s nothing serious.”

“I see… you’re pretty weak, huh?”

“….Yes”

I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t want the truth to come out.

My illness is actually serious. I’m not sure when I’ll get sick and have to go to the hospital again. I wanted to be a healthy girl in front of him until that day if possible.

Even after we switched seats and were separated, Ryota-kun and I still talked a lot.

Aya-chan was in the girl’s basketball team and Ryota-kun was in the boy’s basketball team, so I pretended to go watch Aya play when I actually went to watch Ryota-kun.

There were other girls who came to see him too, and I knew he was a popular boy.

It was enough for me to just stand back and observe. A sickly girl like me couldn’t possibly suit someone like him.

Nonetheless, when our gazes met by chance, he smiled and waved at me.

Each day, I felt like I was finally becoming a normal girl.

But in the end, Ryota-kun left me too.

Soon after the summer vacation started, Ryota-kun invited me to go see a movie.

At the time, my condition was worsening and I wasn’t sure if I could accept his invitation or not.

In fact, I had not been feeling well two weeks before the summer vacation even started.

“It’ll be summer vacation soon, so just hang in there for a while…” I told myself that and forced myself to go to school.

I didn’t want Ryota-kun to know about my illness.

After much hesitation, I accepted his invitation and went to see a movie. But this was a mistake.

“It seems like Haruna-chan isn’t having a good time at all.”

“Eh? What do you mean? I’m having fun.”

Even though my voice said that, I didn’t think I sounded like I was really having fun at all.

It was really fun, but I had a fever in the morning and felt as if I was about to die.

I couldn’t keep a smile on my face the entire time, and Ryota-kun appeared a bit bored. He seemed irritated by my slow walking pace.

I became dizzy near the end of the date and couldn’t move any longer, so I requested my mother to come pick me up.

That’s when Ryota-kun learned about my illness.

He became distant and stopped talking to me soon after summer vacation.

Because of my illness, I was unable to fall in love.

I told myself that I would not fall in love until I was cured of my illness, and so I gave up on love for the time being.

But my disease was an incurable disease. It was not only that though, I was doomed to not live a long life.

Shortly before my junior high school graduation ceremony, my mother suddenly confronted me with the news of my health.

I had to give up on not only my love, but my future too.