lized.

If I had carried out my duty as a representative and told others about how it keeps tilting its head, maybe the vet might be able to save it.

Why is it that I just cannot do anything.

I have a weak body, I am gloomy, I am fat, not cute, and have very poor athleticism. I can even fill the answers wrong, and I could not realize that the rabbit I loved is feeling sick.

“Mizuki-chan, about the rabbit, sorry..”

Yoshii-kun said to me in a concerned manner.

It was the same for Yoshii-kun. He is so kind to such a person like me, and I even said ‘I don’t like him’ after all that had happened.

All sorts of annoying thoughts swirled in my mind—the one little friend that would comfort me at this moment can no longer move because of me.

“Mizuki-chan, are you alright..?”

The things I hate, the things that cause me anguish, and the things that cause me bitterness, the more I thought about this..

“I HAD ENOUGH!! EVERYTHING..EVERYTHING!!”

I yelled without thinking about anything and ran away from that place.

☆

I did not remember how I ran.

Before I realized it, I was back at my hospital room when the lights were out, and I buried my face in the pillow, crying.

—Why is it that I cannot do anything?

—What am I doing wrong?

—Why is it that I am so useless?

This sudden sequence of events caused me to have negative thoughts.

—No matter what I do, someone like me will keep failing.

—Am I an existence that annoys people when I approach them?

—If that is really the case, am I going to be hated by everyone for the rest of my life?

I lost my little friend, and I could not stop hating myself as I cried for a rather long time. The nurse checking the room would probably feel annoyed about talking to me, so I covered the blanket over myself and continued to cry.

My throat hurt, and my tears were dry.

I lifted my head weakly, and saw that the hands on the clock pointed at 11.

“I should be sleeping now..”

I did not feel like sleeping, but I had to do this.

Okaa-san will be troubled if my body weakens even more after another late night. I don’t want okaa-san to hate me here..

“I don’t want to have any dreams tonight, whether they’re good or bad..”

I did not want to experience both the pain of the dream or the loneliness of waking up.

I closed my eyes that were swollen from the crying, slipped the blanket over myself again, and at this moment

“Hachoo!”

My ears suddenly heard this voice.

“Eh..?”

I dragged my sleeping body up and looked around.

This voice, did someone sneeze..?

Was it from the next room? But the walls were not so thin that a sneeze could be heard..

“Hachoo!”

As I thought about that, I heard that voice again.

The voice came from the large window facing the courtyard.

I, who was so tired from crying that I could not turn my head, did not want to think of anything as I got off the bed and pulled the curtain aside.

And then, I was shocked and made speechless by the scene outside the window.

“Wh..y..?”

There was a tall and large tree outside the window.

And Yoshii-kun’s body was shaking as he sat on a branch.

“Yoshii-kun!?”

I opened the window and called out to Yoshii-kun who was outside.

“Ah, Mizuki-chan, good evening.”

Yoshii-kun greeted me just like how he would greet me when I was on my way to school.

“Good evening isn’t the issue here! Why are you over there!?”

In contrast, I asked back in a thoroughly confused manner.

And then, Yoshii-kun stared at my face and said.

“Because you look really sad, Mizuki-chan.”

Eh..?

“Do you know? It’s better to be with someone else at this time.”

Yoshii-kun beamed as he looked like he was trying to encourage me. On the other hand, I was becoming more and more confused because I could not understand Yoshii-kun’s actions.

To be with someone else..so he’s been sitting on the tree outside so late at night, in such a cold weather, all for this!?

If he says that he wants to be together, would it not be meaningless to be outside without myself knowing in the first place!?

Why—

“Why must you do this!? You can just leave me alone!”

It is better to forget about someone like me who cannot do anything, who can only add onto other people’s troubles!

In response to my words, Yoshii-kun said with an incredulous look,

“Eh? Why must I leave you alone?”

Why? Why in..!

“Because of me! I said that I do not like you already, Yoshii-kun!? Did you not hear me say it that time!?”

“Yeah, I did hear it.”

“Then—!”

Then you would definitely hate me—

“But I do not mind about that. Onee-chan always said that I am not popular with girls, and also—”

Yoshii-kun kept his always smiling face as he continued,

“—Even if you don’t like me, Mizuki-chan, I do like you.”

At that moment, all the words that rushed to my mouth vanished.

Yoshii-kun’s ‘like’ and my ‘like’ were different. I knew that he was talking about the like between friends.

But even so—these words were already a big treasure I gained.

“Ah, that’s right. I got something I want to give you, Mizuki-chan.”

As I was at a loss of words, Yoshii-kun agilely used the branch to get to the window.

“Here, a get-well-soon gift.”

Yoshii-kun said as he pulled out something small from his pocket.

“..A rabbit, hairclip..?”

“Yeah.”

Yoshii-kun nodded.

“You might become very depressed about seeing rabbits, Mizuki-chan..but that kid definitely won’t wish for this.”

Yoshii-kun said as he was at arm’s length from me.

“So I hope you’ll continue to like rabbits for that kid’s sake, Mizuki-chan.”

And then, Yoshii-kun reached his hand out and put the rabbit hairclip onto my hair.

“Un. You look like a ‘Snow Rabbit’, Mizuki-chan, just like what everyone says.”

Once again, he showed the smiling face I liked most.

After that, 7 years had passed.

I was in a different class from Akihisa-kun after we went on to fifth grade, and we never actually had the time to talk to each other after that—until our second year in high school.

“But a lot of things happened recently..”

A lot of things happened one after another, as if it was a make-up of all the lost time at one go. I did all sorts of various things with Akihisa-kun, and our relationship is now better than before.

“Principal-sensei even talked about studying overseas..”

Really, so many things happened that I am all confused now.

“Hey, Akihisa-kun, what should I do..?”

I inadvertently let out a soft sound, and then—

—GACHAK

“Mizuki-chan, I’m going to wash the clothes. Is there anything you want to wash—”

“Hiyaaaaaaahhhh!?”

Okaa-san suddenly walked into the room. I, I thought my heart nearly stopped!

“Okaa-san! Didn’t I say to knock the door before entering the room?”

“Ah..sorry, okaa-san always forgets about this.”

“isn’t there a ‘knock please!’ sign hanging on the door?”

“Hmm..but okaa-san isn’t good at baseball, you know.”

“That’s not it, okaa-san!? This knock isn’t that kind of knock!”

Speaking of which, I only learnt this baseball-related knowledge recently.

“Then, Mizuki-chan, what were you thinking about?”

“Eh, well, that’s..”

Embarrassed, I turned my eyes away.

“In other words, you’re engrossed in your primary school life with Yoshii-kun—”

“Fueeh? How did you know?”

“You’re thinking that you should have switched the recorders secretly that time, right?”

“Ah, it’s okay, the latter half is all wrong—no, that’s not good at all, okaa-san!?”

“Ufufu, you’re asking me how I know? Of course I do, I’m your mother.”

“Stop! Don’t look like you guessed everything correctly! I never thought of doing that in the first place!”

I feel that okaa-san’s impression on me has changed ever since she saw the bolster. That..that, I just bought it out of convenience!

Okaa-san ignored my panicking self as she gave a steady look, continuing,

“I have only met him once, but Yoshii-kun is a good kid.”

“Ah, un. That’s right. He’s really kind, just like in primary school.”

“Yeah. He has become Mizuki-chan’s prince charming ever since then.”

“Do, don’t say that!”

Ever since she knew about this, okaa-san would occasionally tease me with this.

“But why has Yoshii-kun been so nice to you right from the beginning?”

“Eh?”

Okaa-san suddenly said.

Why? Because..he’s Akihisa-kun?

“Maybe Yoshii-kun likes Mizuki-chan in the first place?”

“How can that be? That’s impossible.”

I immediately denied okaa-san’s guess.

That is because there is nothing to like about me.

“Really? That might now be the case. Everyone has their own fated encounter, you know.”

Okaa-san continued to joke with me without knowing the truth. I said that it was impossible already.

“Okay, please go out. I’m thinking about something!”

“Okay okay, I understand.”

I pushed okaa-san by the back and nudged her out of the room.

“Fuu..really, okaa-san’s always like that..”

I closed the door and sighed hard.

“Akihisa-kun, huh..?”

Because of her, my mind was filled with this name.

I opened the drawer and took out something from within—

A rabbit hairclip.

The treasure I got when I was in primary school.

Akihisa-kun looked like he had forgotten that he was the one who handed me this gift, but I still remember it clearly.

At that moment, as I kept crying alone in that dark wardroom, Akihisa-kun said to me with a gentle voice, ‘So I hope you’ll continue to like rabbits’ and left this treasure in my hand.

I did not forget a single moment during this incident.

“Yes, I do like them..starting from that moment, until now..”

Akihisa-kun, I really love them; both the rabbits, and you.