The night after learning the truth felt endless.
Kaito sat in his room, staring at the two letters on his desk.
The first one Hikari had left in his school desk.
The second one Mika and Yui had given him.
Both were written in the same gentle handwriting.
Both carried feelings he had never realized until now.
Kaito read them again and again.
Each time, his chest felt heavier.
I think I fell in love with you.
The words echoed painfully in his mind.
He covered his face with his hands.
"…Why didn't you tell me?"
But deep down, he already knew the answer.
Hikari didn't want anyone to worry about her.
She wanted people to remember her smiling.
Just like Mika and Yui had said.
Kaito clenched his fists.
But one thought kept repeating in his mind.
She's still alive.
She was in a hospital in another city.
That meant there was still time.
Maybe he could still see her.
Maybe he could still tell her how he felt.
Maybe…
He stood up suddenly.
"I have to go."
The next morning, Kaito stood at the train station.
The platform was crowded with commuters.
But the noise around him felt distant.
In his pocket were the two letters.
He held them tightly as the train arrived.
The doors opened with a quiet mechanical sound.
Kaito stepped inside.
The train began moving.
The journey felt longer than it actually was.
Outside the window, buildings slowly gave way to open roads and unfamiliar streets.
Kaito leaned his head against the glass.
Memories filled his mind.
Hikari laughing in the classroom.
Hikari bringing snacks to the library.
Hikari holding the umbrella in the rain.
Even the small moment when she noticed his first smile.
Every memory felt precious now.
Too precious.
Because he didn't know if he would ever see her again.
After what felt like hours, the train finally stopped at the city where the hospital was located.
Kaito stepped onto the platform.
Everything around him felt unfamiliar.
He quickly checked the address Mika had written down.
Then he started walking.
His heart beat faster with every step.
The hospital building stood tall and quiet.
Large glass doors opened automatically as he walked inside.
The air smelled faintly of disinfectant.
The hallway was calm.
Doctors and nurses walked past occasionally.
Kaito approached the reception desk.
A woman looked up from behind the counter.
"Hello. How can I help you?"
Kaito hesitated slightly.
Then he spoke.
"I'm looking for someone."
"Her name is Hikari Aoyama."
The woman began typing on her computer.
Seconds passed.
But something about her expression slowly changed.
Her movements became slower.
Then she looked up at him again.
"Are you… family?"
Kaito shook his head.
"…No."
"I'm her friend."
The woman remained silent for a moment.
Then she spoke gently.
"I'm very sorry."
Kaito felt his chest tighten.
"She passed away two months ago."
For a moment…
The world stopped.
Kaito stared at her.
"…What?"
His voice barely came out.
"I'm sorry," the woman repeated softly.
"Hikari Aoyama passed away two months ago due to complications from her heart condition."
The words echoed in the quiet hospital lobby.
Two months ago.
Two months.
That meant…
She had already been gone.
Even before he found the first letter.
Even before he knew the truth.
Kaito felt his legs weaken slightly.
He slowly stepped back.
The letters in his pocket suddenly felt heavier than ever.
All this time…
He had believed there was still a chance.
That he could still see her.
Still tell her.
Still hear her laugh again.
But that chance had already disappeared.
Without him even knowing.
Kaito walked out of the hospital slowly.
The sky outside was beginning to turn orange as the sun started setting.
People passed by him on the street.
Cars moved along the road.
Life continued normally.
But for Kaito…
Everything felt empty.
He stopped walking.
Then he pulled out Hikari's letters.
His hands trembled as he looked at them.
The girl who wrote these words…
Was already gone.
And the feelings he wanted to tell her…
Would never reach her.
Kaito looked up at the evening sky.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"…I'm sorry, Hikari."
The wind blew softly around him.
But the person he wanted to hear those words…
Was no longer in this world.