GenderSwitchs Vol. 5 (English)

Interlude 4

Immersed in the world of dreams, I noticed that I was surrounded by what seemed to be clouds, or fog. It was a beige colored place, almost the color of sand. Looking around, I wondered where I was supposed to be, until I heard a voice calling me.

"Gin."

It was what the voice said.

At that moment, I was completely petrified, as I didn't know how to react, because that voice was one I knew very well. So well that, even now, it still echoes in my mind. When I turned around, there she was. A girl of about 14 years old, of a similar height to me, with short light purple hair, and wearing her middle school uniform.

There was that girl I had known for so long, but who left me when I least noticed. Her name was... Yes. Her name was Ikeda Kasumi.

"Kasumin..." I said as I used the old nickname by which I called her. She also did the same, as she used to call me "Gin".

"H-How...?"

I started walking towards her as my legs trembled in the thick fog.

"That's not important now. Come on, sit down." She said, and two school desks appeared in front of us out of nowhere. I proceeded to sit at the one to Kasumin's right, which was attached next to hers.

As we sat there, we looked at the bright horizon that was visible in front of us. There was a silence that seemed to go on forever, until she spoke first.

"Uhm... I really don't know what I should say." She said as she laughed awkwardly. I just looked at her wistfully, as I knew deep in my heart, I missed her a lot.

"Before you say anything..." She turned to look at me, and bowed. "I'm really sorry."

"Huh?" I looked at her, incredulous.

"What happened that day... No, everything bad I did to you. I'm really sorry."

Why was she apologizing for that now? I didn't understand that, especially since at this point it wasn't something that affected me that much anymore.

"Gin, I'm really sorry."

She kept saying as she started to shake, probably because she was about to cry. Looking at her with melancholy, I smiled slightly, and stroked her head, which I thought I couldn't touch.

"Y-You don't have to apologize, really. That's in the past now." I told her in a gentle tone, as small tears began to peek out of my eye sockets.

"But because of me... You suffered a lot."

"That... It's true, but at the same time it made me stronger."

"Stronger, you say..."

"Right now, I think that if it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have found something I like to do, and something that gave me back the motivation to go back to school. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't be who I am now. That's why..." I said, and touched her face as I noticed she had tears running down her flushed cheeks. "More than suffering, I think it was a gift to the future."

"... So... you don't hate me?"

"More than hating you, I'm grateful to you. I'm really grateful for everything that has happened."

"... And yet I died in such a stupid way..."

"..."

She said as she smiled wistfully, and looked down, and as with both hands she took mine. Her hands were cold. It was clear why.