Chapter 2-Who is she?
This chapter continues Masato’s emotional journey.
Thank you for reading.
(Chapter 2 )— Who is She
One Month Later,
February, 2026
Morning light slipped quietly through the thin curtains.
Masato Hayakawa stood in front of the mirror, slowly buttoning his school uniform.
His movements were careful—too careful for a seventeen-year-old.
He didn’t look excited.
Not nervous.
Not hopeful.
Just… empty.
His leg still hadn’t fully recovered. Even after a month, a dull pain lingered beneath the bandages. Walking long distances still hurt, so he moved slowly, as if afraid his body might betray him again.
“High school…”
“…It doesn’t feel like a new beginning at all.”
He stepped outside.
The cold air brushed against his face as he began walking toward school.
It had been a full month since he last left the house properly. The city felt unfamiliar—like a place he no longer belonged to.
Masato walked quietly, his eyes drifting from one place to another.
Buildings.
People.
Traffic.
And then—
He stopped.
Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
There was no avoiding it.
To reach his high school, he had to cross this place.
The same place.
Masato stood at the edge of the crossing, the sound of footsteps and signals surrounding him. The crowd moved as usual, lively and unaware.
But Masato didn’t move.
“…This is it.”
His chest tightened.
“This is where my accident happened.”
“Right here… where I met her for the first time.”
The light turned green.
People surged forward.
Masato stepped into the crossing with them, moving slowly, carefully—yet his mind drifted away.
“If I hadn’t looked back…”
“If I hadn’t been distracted…”
His thoughts darkened.
“I probably won’t ever meet her again.”
“I didn’t even ask her name.”
A quiet sadness settled in his eyes.
“…Why am I thinking about her again?”
“She has nothing to do with me.”
And yet—
“It’s been over a month…”
“But I still can’t forget her face.”
“Or her words.”
Her voice echoed faintly in his mind.
“Everything in this world has value.”
Masato clenched his fist slightly.
“…Does that include me?”
The crossing ended.
He kept walking.
Soon, the front gate of his high school came into view.
Students laughed.
Friends talked loudly.
Life moved forward.
Masato stopped just outside the gate.
He didn’t step in.
His face looked tired—older than it should have been.
His eyes carried a quiet heaviness.
“…This is my school.”
“…My place.”
And yet, he felt like a stranger standing at the edge of someone else’s world.
Masato took a slow breath.
Then, with his injured leg aching and his heart still uncertain,
he finally stepped forward—
and entered.
Masato entered the classroom and quietly took his seat.
A few minutes later, the teacher walked in, and the class began.
“Today,” the teacher said while writing on the board,
“we’ll be studying the human mind—how it works, and how emotions and thoughts influence human behavior.”
The lecture continued.
But Masato wasn’t listening.
The teacher’s voice reached his ears, yet it felt distant—like background noise fading in and out.
His mind was somewhere else.
Her face.
The way they met.
Her words.
The way she spoke.
How beautiful she looked.
Every small detail replayed again and again inside his head.
Before he even realized it, the bell rang.
Lunch break.
Students stood up, chatting loudly as they moved around the classroom.
Masato remained seated.
Then—
“Hey, Masato.”
“Hey, Masato.”
Masato tried to ignore the voice, pretending he hadn’t heard it.
Slow footsteps approached.
Kenshin Shirogane stopped beside his desk.
“I’ve been calling you for a while,” Shirogane said calmly.
“Didn’t you hear me? I needed to talk to you about something important.”
Masato slowly looked up.
“…What is it?” he asked quietly.
“What do you want to talk about?”
Shirogane took a short breath.
“Masato… you were absent from school for an entire month.”
“Next month, our school has the inter-school volleyball tournament.”
“We were supposed to start practice, but you didn’t return to school.”
“So… we replaced you with another player.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“Also, your leg is injured.
So I thought it would be better for you to take a break from the club for a while.”
“I’m sorry, Masato. I made this decision without asking you.”
“As the volleyball club leader, I had to do what I thought was best for the team.”
“…Again. I’m sorry.”
After saying that, Shirogane turned around and started walking away.
Masato lowered his gaze.
A quiet sadness spread through his chest.
He’s right, Masato thought.
As the club head, his decision makes complete sense.
Even if I stayed… I’d probably just be useless in the tournament anyway.
And then—
The girl’s voice echoed inside his mind.
There’s nothing in this world that’s unnecessary.
Everything in this world… has value.”
Suddenly, it felt as if something struck him from deep inside.
Before he could stop himself—
“Shirogane!”
Shirogane stopped and turned back.
“…What is it, Masato?”
Masato slowly stood up.
“I want to try.”
Shirogane frowned slightly, confused.
“…Try what?”
“I want to try,” Masato repeated.
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“My injury… it might heal in two weeks.”
“If I get the remaining three weeks, I can practice.”
“I promise I’ll work harder.”
“I won’t disappoint you this time.”
“If you want, you can keep me as an extra player.”
“But please… let me try for at least one match.”
Shirogane stared at him, clearly surprised.
After a few seconds, he finally said,
“…I’ll think about it.”
“I’ll give you my answer tomorrow.”
With that, Shirogane turned and walked away.
But deep inside, he felt strangely happy.
Shirogane’s Inner Thoughts
What happened to Masato today?
The Masato I knew never spoke up.
He was always quiet… always sad… never tried to improve himself.
But today… he’s asking for a chance.
No matter what decision I make, at least one thing is clear—
Masato is finally trying to change himself.
After Shirogane walked away, Masato remained standing in the classroom for a long moment.
The noise of other students slowly returned—voices, footsteps, laughter—but none of it reached him properly.
I said it…
The words he had spoken still echoed in his chest.
I really said it out loud.
His breathing grew slightly uneven.
But now… what am I supposed to do?
I didn’t think this far.
For the first time in his life, he had raised his voice.
For the first time, he had asked for a chance instead of silently accepting rejection.
His fingers trembled faintly.
This is the first time I’ve taken something as a challenge.
The first time I didn’t run away.
And yet—
Why am I doing this?
His thoughts drifted naturally to her.
For someone whose name I don’t even know.
For someone I might never meet again.
He let out a small, shaky breath.
Still…
I want to try. Just once.
Even if the result was failure.
People already see me as a failure.
Even if I fail again, nothing will really change.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
A failure can’t become more of a failure than this.
That Evening, Masato stood alone under the dim streetlights.
The city felt unusually quiet.
“…Alright,” he murmured to himself.
“Let’s focus on fixing my leg first.”
His voice was low, but there was a faint determination buried inside it.
If I want to change anything… I have to start somewhere.
He looked down at his injured leg.
Maybe I should try walking.
Two kilometers… that should be possible, right?
Slowly, he began walking.
At first, everything felt normal.
The rhythm of his footsteps calmed his thoughts.
The cold night air brushed against his skin.
Maybe I can really do this…
But after walking around 1.5 kilometers, a sharp pain suddenly surged through his leg.
“…Ah—!”
Masato stopped in his tracks, his face twisting in pain.
“…It hurts…”
He clenched his teeth and looked around.
“I should rest for a bit.”
Not far away, a small park came into view.
He walked inside and sat down on a bench, breathing heavily.
After a moment, he raised his wrist and checked the time.
“…7:35 p.m.”
“…Already 7:35?”
A quiet frustration welled up inside him.
“I wanted to complete two kilometers…”
“But I guess I can’t.”
He lowered his head, staring at the ground.
“I can’t even walk properly…”
“I can’t even do something this simple.”
His chest tightened.
“That’s why everyone calls me useless.”
Then—
He heard footsteps.
Slow. Soft. Approaching from behind.
Masato’s body stiffened instantly.
Someone…?
The park had been empty just moments ago.
He was sure of it.
The footsteps stopped.
A strange tension filled the air.
Masato slowly turned his head.
A girl had sat down on a bench not too far away.
Because of the darkness, her face was hard to see.
But something about her presence felt… familiar.
Masato narrowed his eyes slightly.
And then—
His breath caught.
“…No way…”
His heart skipped a beat.
That can’t be…
But the more he looked, the more certain he became.
It’s her.
The girl from the hospital.
The one who saved my life.
The same girl I treated so badly.
His chest tightened painfully.
I never even asked her name.
And instead of thanking her… I hurt her.
I really am shameless…
He swallowed hard.
No…
I have to say it properly this time.
The girl opened her water bottle, unaware of Masato’s presence.
She took a few sips, then let out a deep breath, clearly exhausted.
Her shoulders rose and fell as if she had been running.
Masato gathered what little courage he had left.
“…Thank you.”
The girl froze.
She quickly looked up.
“Ah—!”
“You scared me!”
Her eyes widened slightly as they focused on his face.
“…You’re—”
“…You’re Masato, right?”
“The one I took to the hospital.”
“The one I put into the ambulance and admitted.”
She tilted her head slightly, her expression sharpening.
“…And the same person who scolded me after waking up.”
Masato lowered his head deeply, unable to meet her gaze.
“I’m sorry.”
His voice trembled despite his effort to stay calm.
“Please… forgive me for that day.”
“And— thank you.”
“Thank you for saving my life.”
“I really shouldn’t have behaved like that.”
For a moment, the girl said nothing.
Then she waved her hand lightly, as if brushing the matter aside.
“It’s fine. It’s fine.”
“I forgot about it a long time ago.”
She paused.
“…Well— okay. I did feel really bad back then.”
She looked straight at him.
“But think about it yourself.”
“You help a complete stranger.”
“And instead of hearing ‘thank you,’ they get angry at you.”
“How would that make you feel?”
A sharp sting pierced Masato’s chest.
He looked away, unable to answer.
The girl’s tone softened.
“From the things you said that day…”
“It felt like you don’t have a good relationship with your family.”
“Or with anyone close to you.”
She hesitated slightly before continuing.
“You looked like someone who had already given up on life.”
Masato’s fingers curled slowly against the bench.
The girl studied his face carefully.
“To be honest…”
“I even started doubting something.”
Her voice lowered, almost cautious.
“…Was that really just an accident that day?”
“Or were you trying to give up on your life? "
Masato shook his head slightly.
Masato:
“No… it was just an accident. Nothing more than that.”
The girl looked at his bandaged leg.
Girl:
“How is your leg now?”
“And why are you here running at night with an injured leg like that?”
“Shouldn’t you be resting a little more?”
Masato answered calmly.
Masato:
“Yeah… it’s slowly recovering.”
“I came here to make it better through some light exercise.”
“I thought it might help with the healing.”
The girl hesitated for a moment, then spoke carefully.
Girl:
“Look, I know I shouldn’t interfere in someone else’s personal matters.”
“But why do you always look so sad… so hopeless?”
Masato stayed quiet.
Girl:
“Yes, I know everyone has family problems.”
“But worrying about your family all the time…”
“Isn’t that a kind of cruelty to yourself?”
She looked straight at him.
Girl:
“You should give some time to yourself too.”
“To your dreams.”
“To your passion.”
The moment she said that—
Masato felt a sudden shock inside his head.
A sharp pain spread through his mind.
It felt as if a deep, painful memory had been struck open.
Because someone had once said the exact same thing to him.
Masato’s Past Memory
Masato (Age 13):
“Mom… please get better soon.”
“When you do, I’ll show you something.”
“A novel I wrote… all by myself.”
His mother lay on the hospital bed, one hand resting gently on her pregnant stomach.
She smiled warmly despite her weakness.
Masato’s Mother:
“Oh? My son is only thirteen, and he’s already written a novel?”
“I definitely want to read it.”
She chuckled softly.
Masato’s Mother:
“But why only me?”
“Won’t your little brother or sister be with us too?”
Masato looked confused.
Masato (Age 13):
“Mom… what are you saying?”
“She’s going to be too young to read it.”
His mother smiled gently.
Masato’s Mother:
You used (She) “So you’ve already decided it’ll be a sister?”
Then her expression softened.
Masato’s Mother:
“But listen, Masato.”
“Instead of worrying so much about me…”
“You should give time to your dreams.”
“Masato…?”
The girl’s voice pulled him back to the present.
Girl:
“Masato, where did you go just now?”
Masato blinked and looked at her.
Masato:
“No—no, it’s nothing.”
“I was just thinking about something.”
His expression grew slightly sad.
The girl stood up.
Girl:
“Well, I should go now.”
“We’ve talked a lot, and it’s already late.”
“You should head home too.”
She began walking away.
Girl:
“Bye.”
She had only gone a short distance when—
Masato:
“Wait.”
She stopped and turned back.
Girl:
“What happened?”
Masato hesitated, then spoke quietly.
Masato:
“If you don’t mind…”
“Can I know your name?”
The girl smiled faintly.
Girl:
“You already know it, Masato Hayakawa.”You already Know My name.
Before Masato could understand—
Before he could even reply—
She turned around and walked away.
Masato stood there, stunned.
After she disappeared, he muttered to himself.
Masato (Inner Thought):
“What did she mean by that?”
“I already know her name?”
“What kind of joke was that?”
He frowned.
Masato (Inner Thought):
“If she didn’t want to tell me her name, she could’ve just said so.”
“Why say something so strange and leave like that?”
The night grew silent once again.
Masato remained standing alone under the dim streetlights,
his heart restless—
and his curiosity deeper than ever.
Thank you very much for reading.
Chapter 3 will be released next Tuesday.
