The Love of My Childhood Friend, Who Has Overcome a Terminally Ill Diagnosis, Is Overwhelming
The next morning, I woke up at my usual time and went through my morning routine of studying.
After studying for about an hour, I went to the living room, ate the breakfast my mom had made, and then left the house.
On the way, I studied again while walking and looking at my phone, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the station.
It was while I was staring blankly at my phone, waiting for the train to arrive.
“Akkun. Akkun.”
A familiar voice called out from behind me.
“……Ah, Kanade.”
“Good morning!”
When I turned around, there she was—Kanade.
“Good morning. What a coincidence.”
We hadn’t planned to meet, so I never expected we’d be waiting for the same train.
“It really is. What an amazing coincidence. It almost feels like fate.”
“……No, it’s not quite that extreme.”
“I can’t help but feel it’s fate!”
“……Yeah.”
Ever since I reunited with Kanade yesterday, I’ve been thinking about this a little: somehow, compared to when we were kids, Kanade seems to have become a lot more intimidating overall.
Well, since she’s always had a bit of a pushy personality, I’m taking it pretty positively… but I don’t know. Sometimes, she’s just a little scary.
“……Akkun. Is something wrong?”
“Huh? …Oh, no, it’s nothing.”
“Really? You don’t look so good. Want to take a break?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”
…I never thought Kanade would worry about my health.
“Well, the train’s here. Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
We boarded the train that had just arrived.
“Akkun.”
There had been no conversation between us for a while, but Kanade finally spoke up.
“Is school fun?”
It was such an abrupt question.
“It’s not like it’s fun or anything. School is a place to study hard, right?”
And studying isn’t exactly fun.
“……Hmm.”
“……”
“Akkun. Are you being bullied by your classmates or something?”
“Huh?”
It was such a leap in the conversation.
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise.
“……No, not really.”
“Really? But even though we just saw each other again yesterday, you don’t seem to be having as much fun as you used to, Akkun.”
……Who do you think is to blame for that?
“That’s why I got worried.”
“……I’m fine. I’m not being bullied or anything.”
“Really? You shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”
“I’m not pushing myself…”
“If anything happens, you should talk to me.”
“If I talk to you, will you do something about it?”
“Of course.”
Kanade gave a bright smile.
“If it’s for none other than you, Akkun, I can do anything, you know?”
I see.
If that’s the case, there’s no way I can talk to her about it.
“……Kanade, aren’t you the one who acted without reading the room after school yesterday? Are you okay?”
As I looked out the train window at the scenery, I suddenly remembered what happened after school yesterday.
Yesterday, Kanade was invited out to hang out by many of our classmates—everyone except me—but in the end, she turned them all down and stopped by my house.
She must have prioritized spending time with me—someone who’s at the very bottom of the class hierarchy—over spending time with her other classmates.
“……People might think I’m getting too big for my shoes”
“What would happen if people thought you were getting too big for your britches?”
“……You might get bullied.”
“Haha. Right, right.”
Kanade laughed.
“From someone who’s nearly died, getting bullied by some high schoolers is nothing.”
…I wonder.
From Kanade right now, I sense a presence comparable to a soldier who survived the battlefield and returned home.
“…No way. You can’t let yourself get bullied.”
“Hm?”
“…Now that you’ve finally recovered from your illness and can enjoy school life again, You only get to experience school life once, so you have to enjoy it.”
Kanade’s eyes widened at my words.
“You’re saying that, A-kun?”
Then, Kanade fired back with a valid point.
It’s true that just a moment ago, I said school is a place for studying, not for having fun. For someone like me to tell Kanade to enjoy herself… that’s a contradiction if ever there was one.
“…Well then, if you’re going to enjoy school life too, I’ll enjoy it too.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
Kanade nodded firmly.
“We’re in this together, after all.”
I see. A brand-new backstory just popped into my head.
Soon, the train arrived at the station closest to our school.
“Ah.”
Just as we passed through the ticket gates, I remembered something.
“Come to think of it, Kanade, didn’t you leave something in my room yesterday?”
I asked as I rummaged through my bag.
“……”
“……Kanade?”
“Ah. …Yeah. I might have left my charger.”
“That’s right. Here.”
I held out the AC adapter I’d taken from my bag, but Kanade hesitated to take it.
“It’s fine, you know. You could’ve just used the AC adapter yourself, Akkun. It’s just a consumable item.”
“No way. I have to be thorough about things like this.”
“……”
“It’s precisely because it’s you… that I want to be thorough.”
“Well, I guess I have no choice then!”
In a complete turnaround from her earlier reluctance, Kanade snatched the AC adapter from my hand with a beaming smile.
“Akkun! What are you spacing out for?! Come on, come on, let’s hurry to school!”
“……You’re suddenly super energetic.”
It’s been a little over a day since we reunited.
I still don’t seem to be able to keep up with Kanade’s high spirits now that she’s back.
Maiasa