The Love of My Childhood Friend, Who Has Overcome a Terminally Ill Diagnosis, Is Overwhelming
After apologizing, Takagaki seemed to remember something.
โOh, right. You two areโฆโ
She muttered as far as that, but didnโt say anything else. Instead, she looked away, looking awkward.
โYeah. Thatโs right.โ
I didnโt know what Takagaki had been trying to say, but it seemed Kanade understood.
โโฆI see. Well, I suppose hearing bad news about someone you know would make anyone feel a bit sentimental.โ
โHehe. Maybe so.โ
โฆI tilted my head in confusion.
โIn that case, Iโm sorry for making you worry. But donโt worry. My brother is just in the hospital.โ
Takagakiโs wordsโฆ brought a sense of relief that the worst had been avoided.
However, I realized I shouldnโt let my guard down just yet.
After all, there was no doubt that her brother had suffered some misfortune that led to his hospitalization.
โโฆTakagaki san, what exactly happened to your brother?โ
โA car accident.โ
โฆSo thatโs what it was.
โThe road near my houseโฆ the shoulder is narrow, and itโs a spot where cars can barely pass each otherโฆ but a lot of people drive pretty fast there.โ
โโฆโฆโ
โThere are apartment buildings nearby. People who live in places like that donโt know the unwritten rules of the local community, do they? So, thereโs no end to the people who drive like that.โ
โThatโs dangerous.โ
โโฆOn top of that, there was a sudden downpour that day at that time. You know, like that recent news story about flooding from torrential rain?โ
โYeah, I remember.โ
โBasically, visibility was terrible.โ
โฆTakagaki looked down.
โโฆWhen I got the call at home saying my brother had been in an accident, I felt like Iโd lost all sense of being alive.โ
โฆ
โFortunately, though, his only injury was a broken leg. So heโs in the hospital right now.โ
โโฆโฆYeah.โ
โโฆโฆThe only other thing I should mention is that the person who hit my brother still hasnโt been found.โ
โA hit-and-run, huhโฆโฆโ
โโฆโฆThatโs the whole story of what happened to my brother. Iโm really sorry for worrying you.โ
Takagaki-san seemed to have regained a little of her cheerfulness.
โEver since that accident, heโs been completely down in the dumps. Then, while he was in the hospital, he saw that plane on the news and muttered that he wanted to go see it. So, as his older sister, I figured Iโd step up and do my part.โ
โฆโฆTakagaki-san really is a kind older sister.
โโฆโฆ Iโm really sorry. Thank you. Thanks to you, I think Iโll get to see him happy again.โ
Takagaki-san smiled gently as she looked at the printed paper airplane.
Although he had broken his leg, Takagaki-sanโs brother was safe.
If he just focuses on his recovery, just as Takagaki-san saidโฆ heโll surely regain his old energy someday.
Seeing her expression, I was able to be certain of that.
ใโฆโฆBut.
โโฆโฆHey, Ayaka-chan.โ
โฆโฆIt seemed Kanade was wrong after all.
โWhat?โ
โIs that really all?โ
โโฆโฆThatโs all.โ
Takagaki gave a wry smile.
โHeโs in the hospital because he broke his leg in a car accident, and since heโs feeling down, I thought Iโd take a picture of the paper airplane for him. โฆโฆThatโs all.โ
โโฆโฆI suppose so.โ
Kanade looked down, then glanced up at Takagaki-san.
โโฆโฆBut, was the only reason you decided to go out of your way for your brother really just because you were worried about him?โ
Takagaki-san looked at Kanade in surprise.
โHmm. โฆโฆHmmm. I donโt know, this is just based on my own experience, butโฆโ
Kanade crossed her arms and continued.
โโฆYour brotherโs injury is a fracture. Heโs not feeling well right now, but from what Iโve heard, itโs only a matter of time before heโs discharged.โ
โโฆโฆโ
โBut youโve been visiting the hospital almost every day, and this time you even went out to take photos of airplanes because your brother said he wanted to see them.โ
โโฆโฆโฆโฆโ
โโฆโฆI donโt know how close you two siblings areโฆโฆbut isnโt this a little much?โ
โฆโฆShe might be right.
Takagaki must have her own things to do, and going to the hospital every dayโฆโฆfinding the time to go that often must be pretty difficult.
Even I, who had no schedule as a kid, could only visit Kanade once a week.
โโฆโฆDid I say I go to the hospital every day?โ
โNo. โฆWell, thatโs just my guess.โ
โโฆโฆI guess so.โ
โButโโ
Kanade was peering at Takagaki-san as if observing her.
โThe way you treat your brotherโฆ I get the feeling thereโs something more to it than just the bond between siblings.โ
โโฆโฆWhat do you mean?โ
โI almost died once. โฆIโve seen too many faces of people trying to put on a brave front. I can just tell, somehow.โ
Indeed, Kanade had previously picked up on the pained expression on my face when I met her as a child, after sheโd been struck by illness.
She hadnโt missed even the slightest change in my expressionโsomething even my own parents, whoโd been watching me up close, hadnโt noticed.
โThatโsโฆ quite a special ability.โ
โAyaka chanโฆโ
Perhaps because she was half-convincedโฆ Kanade lowered her head and continued.
โI get a vague sense of guilt from your face.โ
โฆGuilt, huh.
โโฆAyaka, are you really visiting the hospital because youโre worried about your little brother?โ
Maiasa