[Short] Rika's Diary

— short story —

October 1st
I received this diary from Father.
It was a diary as thick as a wine-colored book.
Father told me to write in it properly starting today.

October 2nd
Father invited me for a walk.
While walking together, we enjoyed the flowers and the scenery in the garden.
In the gazebo at the back of the garden,
he had tea and sweets prepared for me.
The maid also always brings me
the things I like.

October 3rd
I am going to the academy starting today.
It is a little heavy, but
I cannot leave behind the diary
that my kind Father gave me.
I put it in my bag,
and go to say goodbye to Father.
Dorm life starts today.

October 4th
The person who became my roommate
is Sakura-san from the same class.
My impression is that she is a kind and gentle girl.
I am glad to be with someone nice.

October 5th
Classes proceeded without any issues.
The studies were difficult, but not impossible to keep up with.
I must review when I get back to my room.
I was thinking that when I stood up from my seat.
A male student spoke to me.
If I recall, he was a boy from the next class.
He invited me to the library,
and we did our homework together.

October 6th
When classes ended,
he came by again today.
That day, too, we did our homework together,
talked about our assignments, and went home.

October 7th
We did our homework together again today.
He seems to be bad at math and science,
so I helped him several times.
In return, he was a good talker,
and I could have listened to him forever.

October 8th

—That day, the accident happened.

Someone bumped into me,
and I tumbled down the stairs—.

There is the sound of a book closing with a thud.

I slowly open my eyes.
What I see hazily is a pure white ceiling.
I try to sit up, but
my body is heavy like lead and will not move.

Even when I try to move my mouth,
it stings and I cannot utter a word.

And then, from somewhere a little far away,

I heard voices arguing loudly.

"Please, just decide what to do about Rika already!"

…Is this my stepmother's voice?

"Rika is alive."

…It is Father.

My heart leaps.

"Do you have any idea how much the hospitalization costs?"
It has already been 5 years!"

…5 years…?

It took time to understand.

My heart sinks.

I blink my eyes and look to the right.

Dazzlingly bright sunlight and the lush green of beautiful trees.

…It is beautiful.

"…Ri…ka?"

I hear a voice.

When I turn my eyes to the left this time,

a man with a nostalgic face had his eyes wide open.

Slowly, from his eyes,

large tears begin to spill out.

…Oh, I started crying.

I want to move, but my body still will not move.

From beyond the door, I could still hear the arguing voices.

As if used to it, he lifted me from the bed,
sat on the sofa by the window,
placed me on his lap, and wrapped me in a blanket.

While gently covering my ears,
"Rika"
he called my name over and over while crying.

Wanting to move my hand that had been limp,
I tried putting all my strength into it.

I was out of breath, but
I slowly grabbed his hand.

"…Rika"

He smiled with tears in his eyes and hugged me tighter than before.

"I'll go call the doctor. Wait for me, just a moment."

After putting me back in bed, he opened the hospital room door,
and it seemed he went to the doctor with my stepmother and Father.

And then,
I suddenly notice that the familiar diary is open where he was sitting.
I am certain that only the first two pages of the diary had been written in.

To see the diary he was looking at,
I move my head to the left to look.

For some reason,
I felt a sense of discomfort
that every page was filled with writing.

And then,

my breath stopped at the content that jumped into my eyes—.

October 9th
Today is Ren and Rika's wedding anniversary.
On that day I got injured, it was Ren who instantly shielded me
and saved me.

I want to be with you forever.

—Is my handwriting usually like this?