Chapter 7: CH 7

Chapter 7: Hiroto Yoshizumi and Haruka Aizawa

I turned around when I heard a small voice behind me saying, “Huh…?”

“Um… uh… excuse me…”

The girl who called out to me looked about the same age as me.

I felt… embarrassed that she had seen me cry but that feeling quickly disappeared.

She had a confused look on her face, but standing in front of me was a girl so beautiful that I wondered if she had come out of the TV.

Her long, shiny black hair bathed in the setting sun.

Her skin was white, her eyes were big and clear, she wasn’t tall but had a good figure, and she looked great in her light blue dress.

“Um… are you okay?”

“…” (Hiroto)

“Um… uh… are you okay?”

“Oh…um…”

She appeared out of nowhere and I forgot how to speak as I gazed at her.

She looked at me with a puzzled expression, not moving from her spot.

I realized that she was talking to me and regained my composure.

“Oh sorry… I’m okay.”

“Are you sure? You look like you’re in a lot of pain… if it hurts, I’ll go get a doctor, okay?”

“My leg? Well, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt, but it’s enough to get me to the roof, so I’m fine. Anyways… you’ve seen me in an embarrassing state huh.”

“Sorry! I’m sorry that I saw it by accident…”

After that, in order to get rid of the embarrassment of being seen crying, we talked about random subjects such as “how my summer vacation is over because of hospitalization” or “my grandmother is in the hospital” and before I knew it, a substantial amount of time had passed.

“By the way, I’m sorry for troubling you at this hour. I’d better get back to my room.”

“No, it’s fine! I’m sorry as well…”

I took my crutches and was about to stand up when…

“Whoa!”

I tried to stand up and fell.

“Ah…”

Immediately, her hand reached out to me.

“If you’re having trouble, I can walk you to your room.”

She came up next to me to lend me her shoulder.

Huh? What? Why?

Surprised and embarrassed, I tried to refuse, but she wasn’t convinced. I desperately tried to persuade her and got her to compromise on the condition that I would be accompanied to the hospital room.

I was… surprised, but more than that, I’m glad I was able to convince her… I’m too embarrassed to have a cute girl lend me her shoulder…

I was still a little confused…

“Oh! My room is here. Thank you for escorting me.”

“I see you have a private room. Please take good care of yourself.”

We exchanged goodbyes and I was just about to enter the room when-

“Hiroto Yoshizumi…?”

I heard her call my name.

Huh? How do you know my name? I don’t remember telling her.

Puzzled, I replied, “Yes, what is it?” and turned around.

Maybe… there was a nameplate on the door?

My suspicions were proven when I saw her looking at the plaque next to the room that said “Hiroto Yoshizumi”.

“I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Hiroto Yoshizumi.”

“I haven’t told you my name either. My name is Haruka Aizawa.”

“…”

“…”

They both smiled shyly as they realized that they had just introduced themselves to each other.

“Well, Aizawa-san, I’m going back to the hospital room, so I’ll be going now.”

“Please take care of yourself, Yoshizumi-san.”

Once again, I went to my own hospital room and she went to her grandmother’s room.

On the bed, I remembered today’s embarrassing incident, the dream I had the other day and the girl I had known as a child.

“Haruka Aizawa or…”

I suddenly smiled as I mentioned the name of the girl that I had just met.

That reminds me of her because they have the same first name… ‘Haruka-chan’ and ‘Haruka Sato’…

I laid down on my bed and reminisced about the days I spent with Haruka-chan.

I miss Haruka-chan…

I wonder how she’s doing now.

I still want to see her.

It brought back memories of the childhood friend I loved so much when I was little.

“Hiroto” and “Haruka” who loved each other when they were children.

And “Hiroto” and “Haruka” who met again today.

The two childhood friends who were reunited without realizing it, the hands of their stopped clocks start to turn once more…