Whispers Beyond the Grave

Meeting With A Stanger

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After Sanemi fell asleep in his mother's arms, she and Genya gently laid him down on his bed. His mother sat beside him, caressing his hair softly, tears still brimming in her eyes.

"I can't believe he said something like that," she whispered, her voice trembling as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Mom... it must be so painful for him," Genya said softly, trying to console her. "He's in stage III now. I think we should give him some space."

They both quietly left the room, leaving Sanemi to rest. Hours later, Sanemi woke up to find the room empty. It was night, and the quiet calm brought him a slight sense of relief after his earlier outburst. He felt lighter after crying, though the heaviness of his situation still lingered. He decided to go for a short walk outside.

Sanemi, though weakened by his illness, could still manage to walk a little, thanks to the treatments. As he made his way down the dimly lit hospital corridor, he suddenly froze.

There, at the end of the hallway, was a boy. His head and neck were covered in blood, his neck was bleeding unnaturally, as if it had been slashed by a knife. Sanemi's breath caught in his throat, fear rippling through him.

The boy turned and walked into a nearby doctor's room, disappearing from sight. Sanemi felt his heart race, a sense of unease gripping him. Shaken, he quickly returned to his room, trying to push the haunting image from his mind.

Lying back on his bed, Sanemi's thoughts drifted to the memories of better days—days filled with love, laughter, and the unwavering support of his family. Despite all the pain and struggles, he cherished those moments deeply. As the night wore on, exhaustion took over, and Sanemi drifted back into sleep.

The next day, Sanemi decided to take a walk in the hospital garden. The fresh air and open space helped him clear his mind. As he wandered, he saw the same boy from the night before—the one who had been injured. Sanemi stared at him, his heart pounding in his chest. The boy's injuries were still visible, but this time, their eyes met.

"Hii," the boy greeted, his voice calm.

Sanemi hesitated before replying, "Hi... how... how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good," the boy replied with a small smile. "What about you?" He paused for a moment before adding, "By the way, I'm Giyu. Giyu Tomioka. Nice to meet you."

"I... I'm Sanemi Shinazugawa," Sanemi answered, still unsure of what to make of Giyu.

"So, you have cancer, huh?" Giyu asked, his gaze steady.

"Yeah... pretty pathetic, right?" Sanemi replied, his voice heavy with sadness.

"Must be painful," Giyu said, his tone soft but understanding. "Come, sit down on this bench with me. You can talk to me if you want."

Sanemi hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to him. "No... I'm fine," he mumbled, unsure of what to say.

After a brief silence, Sanemi's curiosity got the better of him. "So... how did you get hurt? That looks pretty painful too."

Giyu gave an awkward smile, trying to brush it off. "Ah, I got into an accident," he said simply, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

Sanemi hummed in response, unsure of what else to say. They sat in silence for a few moments, the weight of their individual struggles hanging between them.

"Look at the sky," Giyu said, breaking the silence. "It's beautiful tonight, with all those stars shining."

Sanemi looked up, his eyes following Giyu's gaze. "Yeah..." he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Giyu gazed up at the night sky with a warm smile, as if he were part of the stars themselves. In that moment, he looked peaceful, almost ethereal to Sanemi. Despite the bandages wrapped around his head and neck, Giyu didn't seem burdened by his injuries. He wasn't much younger than Sanemi, a teenage boy with striking blue eyes that shimmered like the midnight sky, full of quiet strength.

Sanemi found himself watching Giyu, mesmerized by the calm on his face. "His eyes are so beautiful—like the deep blue sky, and the light in them is like stars... and this idiot is staring at the sky as if he belongs there, Beautiful." Sanemi thought, a rare smile tugging at his lips.

"So, have you taken your medicine?" Giyu asked in a playful, dramatic tone, grinning.

"Yeah, I did," Sanemi replied, mimicking Giyu's exaggerated tone with a small chuckle.

"It must be hard for you to endure the pain," Giyu said more seriously.

"Well, yeah, it is... but you know, watching my family suffer is more painful than anything else," Sanemi admitted, his voice heavy with the weight of his emotions.

"The same goes for your family," Giyu replied softly.

"I hate them," Sanemi said, clutching his head. "I just want to die already. I don't know what they're thinking, wasting all this money on treatments that won't save me. It's like throwing money down the drain."

"Isn't that because they love you?" Giyu asked with a warm smile, his tone gentle and understanding.

"Do you really think this is love?" Sanemi muttered bitterly. "What's the point of it all? I know they know there's no cure for me. And yet, they keep wasting all this money on me like there's hope."

"That's what it means to be a parent," Giyu said softly. "Loving their child... until the very end."

Sanemi sighed deeply. "Until the end," he repeated, his voice barely a whisper.

"Yeah, until the end. They know you don't have much time left, but they're doing everything they can to make sure you feel as good as possible, to make your days easier," Giyu explained, his voice filled with quiet wisdom. "They know you won't live much longer, but they're giving their all to spend as much time with you as they can."

"That time is so costly... it feels like hell," Sanemi said, frustration laced in his words.

Giyu chuckled softly. "And don't you feel even a little good when you see your parents smiling, even for a small reason? Or when your siblings come and tell you stories about their school or their friends? Don't you enjoy those moments?" he asked. "Of course, if you die early, you'll miss all those things—the things you're still able to witness now."

Sanemi looked down, Giyu's words sinking in. He had to admit, there were fleeting moments where he felt warmth from his family's presence—times when his little siblings made him laugh, or when his parents smiled at him, even if it was through their own tears.

"I guess I do..." Sanemi said quietly, his heart aching with the thought. He wanted to push everyone away, to spare them from the pain of watching him fade away. But he also knew, deep down, that he would miss these moments, these last slivers of normalcy in a life that had become so consumed by illness.

Giyu leaned back on the bench, staring up at the stars again. "It's hard, I know. But you're not a burden to them. You're the reason they're still holding on, trying to make the most of the time they have with you. Maybe... just maybe, that's something worth fighting for, even if it's painful."

Sanemi remained silent, the weight of Giyu's words pressing on him. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel completely alone in his suffering. Giyu's presence, his calmness, and his wisdom—despite being a stranger—gave him a sense of comfort that he hadn't felt in years.

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Next Chapter: I'm Fine Mom