Once the train stopped, I boarded and took a seat—it was a long ride to the hospital.
When I finally calmed down, I leaned back and gazed at the sky through the window.
The day after our meeting at the hospital, I went to school. My grandmother had convinced me to attend before she was discharged—she would be staying in the hospital for a few more days.
Even though I didn't really feel like going, I fulfilled her request.
Nothing had changed for me: I walked into class and sat near the two girls who had been calling me their "friend" since elementary school.
I didn't have much of a choice; they liked keeping me around, whether to have someone to mock or to send out for errands.
I had given up resisting a while ago, so now I just went along with whatever they said.
After taking care of what they wanted, I went to the cafeteria, bought something to eat and a sweet coffee drink.
Since I didn't usually eat in the cafeteria or in the classroom, I headed to my usual spot—the stairs leading to the rooftop. The door was locked, so it wasn't a popular place among students, which made it comfortable for me to have lunch there.
When I arrived, I was surprised to find someone already eating there. What shocked me even more was that it was the same boy from the day before.
"Life's full of coincidences."
That was his reply when I told him I hadn't expected us to be at the same school.
We talked briefly about the sweet coffee—which I was starting to enjoy—and a few ordinary things. Once he finished eating, he said goodbye and went back to class.
Though the conversation was short, I found it pleasant.
After classes ended, I went home, changed, and followed the same route to the hospital.
For some reason, my grandmother looked paler, but she brushed it off, saying she was just very tired.
We chatted about general things, and then I left her to rest.
On Tuesday at lunch, the line at the cafeteria was long, so it took me a while to buy what they asked for. Just as I was about to eat, they told me I had forgotten their drinks. With no way to refuse, I headed toward the vending machines—and by chance, I ran into him again.
At first, I didn't know what to say. Should I greet him?
While I was still wondering, he spoke to me, and I can't even remember what I replied.
But I ended up walking alongside him—standing there doing nothing must have seemed odd.
Even so, on the way, I wanted to ask if he had already had lunch, but I couldn't find the right moment. When we reached his classroom, he said goodbye and went inside.
I returned to mine and handed over the drinks.
After classes, I followed the same routine as the day before. This time my grandmother looked much better, which made me happy—it seemed likely she would be leaving the hospital soon.
On Wednesday, in good spirits, I bought their lunch and quickly headed to my usual spot.
I sat down and started eating, and before long, he showed up as well, sitting on one of the steps with his own lunch.
That day I even hummed a tune while eating. We didn't talk, but the silence felt comfortable.
Unfortunately, I couldn't see my grandmother that day. My father told me she was under observation to prevent anything like that from happening again. If it was for her well-being, I decided to believe there was nothing wrong, though his tone didn't help.
Yesterday—Thursday—something happened that I never would have imagined.
After finishing their errands, I rushed out of class to eat lunch.
When I got there, we exchanged a quick glance that worked as a silent greeting.
Everything was normal until those two girls—the ones I had been stuck with since elementary school—showed up at my spot, complaining that I hadn't bought their drinks.
I had left class so quickly, I had completely forgotten.
I lowered my head and nodded at her words. It was my fault, so I had no excuse.
Just when I thought it was over, one of them turned on the boy next to me. Apparently, they had argued the day before, and she was expecting an apology from him.
They were both popular girls, so it was rare for anyone not to know them—but he mocked them, even emphasizing that he didn't.
I kept a calm expression, but inside I laughed at how he humiliated them with such simple words. It was incredible.
The two of them lost to him verbally.
They deserved it, I thought to myself.
But after realizing they couldn't do anything to him, they turned on me, pointing out how strange I had been the last few days—and blamed him for it.
For a moment, I hesitated, but in the end, I denied knowing him. I didn't want to cause him more trouble.
Yet just as we were about to leave, his words stopped us.
"I think I've had enough of this shit."
His voice in that moment carried both seriousness and anger.
What followed was nothing but verbal humiliation on his part—he countered every word they said and twisted it back on them.
Even when one of them tried to slap him, he caught her wrist with ease, adding a sinister edge of threat to his words.
"Then, I suppose you two have better things to do, don't you?"
Those simple words sent them away, defeated and furious. It was more than amazing.
That was why I asked him to teach me to be like him. If I could imitate him, maybe I wouldn't have to keep being the errand girl anymore.
I had always been aware of my situation, but I never had the courage to say or do anything.
He was reluctant, but in the end, he gave me advice in his own way. I thanked him when he left for his classroom.
Those words gave me the courage and confidence to finally say the things I had always wanted to say.
When classes ended that very day, I asked the two of them for a moment to talk.
I was direct and concise—I told them I was sick of following their orders and didn't want to be their "friend" anymore. They complained and scolded me, but I ignored them and left them talking to thin air.
Even though it had only happened yesterday, I had never felt so satisfied and fulfilled just by saying something out loud.
Later, when I got to the hospital, I talked a lot with my grandmother. I must have been too excited and energetic, since I completely lost track of time while speaking with her.
Even now, there was still so much I wanted to tell her. She had always been important to me, but back then I had never had the courage to talk about what I was going through.
But after what had happened, I realized there was no point in hiding things—it was better to be straightforward and not let others influence me.
It had taken me a long time to figure that out and finally be able to do it. Even so, if it hadn't been for him, I didn't know when I would have found the courage to pull it off.
I stopped thinking about it when I noticed I was already close to my destination.
Once the train stopped, I got off and started walking toward the hospital.
It wasn't far from the station, so after just a few minutes, I arrived.
I passed through reception without any trouble—being the daughter of the hospital's chief physician made things easier. According to my father, I could come and go as I pleased.
When I reached my grandmother's room, I knocked on the door.
"Come in."
I opened it and closed it behind me once inside.
"Hi, Grandma," I said with a big smile.
"Yumiko, it's so good to see you. And from the looks of it, you're in an even better mood than yesterday."
Her hair, once the same brown shade as mine, had turned completely white—something age inevitably brought.
"A lot has happened," I said, moving closer and taking a seat by her bed.
"If I had to guess, that friend of yours is involved, isn't he?" Despite her pale, weak appearance, her voice was just as strong as ever.
Her personality had always been warm and lively. Unlike my father, who was very serious, she always did her best to welcome me with a smile whenever I came back from school.
"We're not friends…"
Even though we had talked and he had walked me home, he never actually said we were friends.
"It's only a matter of time. From the way you told me things, I can assume he's a good person."
"He is. He may seem apathetic and serious, but he's kind in his own way."
From the moment I met him, he had always given off that cold impression. But the more time I spent with him, the more I realized he was kind—just in his own way.
"It's good to know. Sharing moments with people who can make you smile like that is always a blessing," she said in a calm tone.
I hadn't realized it, but when I thought about it, a faint smile had formed on my face without me noticing.
"I guess you're right…"
I felt a little embarrassed.
"You must have a lot to tell me."
She had always been kind to a useless granddaughter like me. Even though I had caused her trouble since I was a child, she always welcomed me with a warm smile.
"Yes, well, today…"
And so, I told her about what had happened that day. I left out a few parts so she wouldn't worry too much, but I made sure to highlight how he had given me advice and walked me home.
"I'm glad to know you found someone who cares about you."
"I… don't know what to say."
Maybe it was the situation, or maybe because I had dragged him into trouble without meaning to, but part of me refused to believe that what we had was actually a friendship. Never having had a true friend before, I didn't know how I was supposed to feel.
"Sometimes you shouldn't think too hard about things. If you do, you might end up stuck on a one-way path."
"What do you mean by that?" I tilted my head in confusion.
"It means you've made your first real friend, but you haven't realized it yet."
"Grandma, you…"
"Yumiko, I'm older. You're easy to read. But you need to be able to solve your own problems. You can ask for advice or listen to others, but in the end, if you don't overcome it yourself, you'll never grow as a person."
Her words reminded me of what he had told me in the infirmary.
"When did you figure it out?"
"Since elementary school. I was just waiting for the day you'd have enough trust in me to come and talk about this. But it seems someone beat me to it… I'm jealous," she added playfully.
"I'm sorry…"
Tears began to well up in my eyes. All this time, I had avoided telling her because I didn't want to worry her. But in the end, it had only hurt her more. I was such an idiot…
"It's okay, Yumiko." She gently stroked my head. "What matters is that now you understand."
"Don't worry, it won't happen again. If I have any doubts, I'll tell you!" I said as I wiped my tears away.
"You're a good girl, Yumiko. You still have much to learn, but I'm relieved you've found someone you can trust."
"I don't think that's…"
"I told you, I've lived a long time. I can see it in your face and hear it in your voice."
"I can't really argue with that…"
I gave in. There was no denying her words.
"Yumiko, it's good to trust others, but only when you're sure about them. Not everyone has good intentions. Some will pretend to be someone else just to get close to you. But eventually, you'll find people you can truly trust, and sooner or later, you'll call them friends."
I knew that was true. Until then, I had only stayed by those two—people who used me as their servant and laughed at me. I had always known it, but I had never dared to confront them. That wouldn't happen again.
"Then… I think I've found my first friend," I answered, looking at her.
She only smiled softly.
On Monday, I would tell him. I wanted him to be my friend.
"It's good to see you growing, Yumiko. And also..."
Before she could finish, she started coughing.
"Are you okay? Should I call someone, or…" My voice faltered at the end.
"Don't worry, it's just the change in weather." She recovered and spoke again in her usual gentle tone.
"Are you sure?"
"I have no reason to lie to you." She shook her head.
Part of me didn't believe it, but I forced myself to accept it. I took a deep breath to calm my emotions.
"Grandma… I want to sleep here tonight. I don't have school tomorrow, so… I want to spend the day with you."
Something told me that if I didn't, I would regret it forever.
For a moment, she looked a little surprised, but then she quickly smiled.
"Alright, I guess your father won't like the idea, but it's not like he can refuse."
"Because..."
"The hospital food isn't bad at all—it's nothing like the rumors."
She changed the subject.
"I suppose…"
There were things she wouldn't tell me—I knew that well—but I wanted her to trust me more. I didn't want to keep being a useless granddaughter. Once she came home, I would make sure she saw a new me. I wouldn't go back to being that girl who didn't know how to face things.
We spent the next few hours watching the room's TV and chatting about unimportant topics.
It was fun—for the first time in years, I felt happy and carefree.
"It's getting late, Yumiko, you should rest."
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already ten. I yawned without realizing. Today had been exhausting, but spending time with my grandmother had been so much fun—I felt tired in a good way.
"I still have energy…"
"It's not good to lie, Yumiko. If you're tired, you should sleep." She gently stroked my head.
Sitting on the chair beside her bed, I couldn't help but lean my head against it.
"But I…"
"I'm not going anywhere. Tomorrow we can keep talking and do more things together."
Slowly, sleep began to overtake me.
"You promise…?"
"Of course I do. Now rest."
Her gentle hand on my head grew more comforting with each stroke.
"Thank you for everything, Yumiko. Keep being a good girl."
As sleep finally claimed me, I couldn't hear the last thing she said.
…
When I woke up in the morning, I wanted to talk to her. But since she was still sound asleep, I decided to wait. The hours passed, and she never woke up.
"Liar!" I whispered through tears.
The promise she had made me would never be fulfilled.
No matter how much I called or screamed her name, she never woke again.