Chapter 29: White Egret Misora 3

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Translator: Soafp

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June 10th. Monday. 11:26 AM. I'm sixteen years old.

“Haa!”

I had dozed off in the chair by the hospital bed. Misora Shirasagi was still lying there, breathing softly in her sleep.

I rubbed my right hand… I was scared. The dream I just had was so vivid, it felt real. The sensation of her grabbing my hand, the unnatural strength with which she squeezed—it was as if the marks of her grip were still on my wrist.

…What time is it? I looked at the clock. It had been about forty minutes since I sat down. I needed to leave soon. Her family would likely arrive any moment. Just as I stood up to leave, turning my back to her—

“Kai…ri…”

She muttered that name again, in a voice so faint it was barely audible. But she had definitely said it.

“Hey,” I whispered, deciding to try calling out to her.

“How do you know my little brother? What was your relationship with him? What do you know about my little brother who's already gone?”

But in the end, she didn't regain consciousness while I was there. I decided to leave the hospital room. I quietly opened the door and looked down the hallway… No one was there. I quickly made my way to the elevator.

Ding.

As I reached the elevator to head down to the lobby, a couple in their forties, somewhat on the heavier side, stepped out.

“I hope Misora is okay. What if something happens to her…?”

The woman said, clearly worried.

It seemed they were Misora Shirasagi's parents. We narrowly missed each other as I exited the hospital.

…

“Arama is friends with Shirasagi? That's surprising.”

The gym teacher, Shibata, had said.

Why did he say “surprising”?

I had pretended to be her friend. Of course, it was just an excuse to visit Misora Shirasagi. Shibata-sensei didn't seem to doubt it, yet he still found it “surprising.”

…Could it be that she's been telling people, people I don't even know, about the truth behind Kairi's death?

That Kairi's suicide… was my fault?

I can't understand why she would think that. Kairi… We couldn't live together, but I treated him like a proper older sister until the very end.

I loved him, and I always made sure to show it. Yet, on June 8th last year, without any warning, he left a final message on my phone and jumped off the rooftop.

He died instantly after hitting the concrete edge of the flowerbed headfirst.

…

I don't understand anything. No matter how much I think about it, I can't find an answer. I loved him. I protected him. That's one thing I can say with certainty. And yet, here's this girl I've never met, accusing me of killing him.

…

…There's no point in thinking about this any further. It won't get me anywhere. I'll go visit my mom, even if it's a little early.

It was noon. I was hungry, but payday was still five days away. I decided to skip lunch and boarded the bus heading to Tama Center.