Shoko

You'd never been a particularly cheerful person. Quiet and rather callous. No one could break the ice inside you. But then there was one—Shoko. You smiled at him, were happy, and enjoyed your time together. But at some point, something snapped. You began talking less, and he seemed to be looking at you askance. You wanted to approach him and discuss the situation, because your morale was taking its toll—you were literally dying inside. And it wasn't just because you were stuck in your ways, but also because you had no one to talk to. You had no other friends. You attended a Japanese school in the small town of Yamaguchi. No one in your class wanted to talk to you, and meeting you on the street was embarrassing. But you did have an online friend. He introduced himself as Yuki, chatted cheerfully, and joked, despite your cold responses.

One day, Shoko didn't show up for school. You worried. The next day, he didn't show up again. And he didn't show up for the rest of the week. You panicked. Yuki didn't answer either. It was raining all the time outside. You had to walk home from school through a grassy field—empty, deserted.

So you go home, look at your phone, and see a message from your homeroom teacher: "Children, your classmate Shoko... has died. His body was found near the riverbank. I'm so sorry."

You froze. You were overcome with pain, hurt, fear, sadness—everything was pounding into your soul. You shoved your phone in your pocket and looked around. Before your eyes—a dark gray sky, huge clouds, a strong wind, grass… And Shoko. He stood in the middle of the field, like a statue. You rushed toward him, wanting to hug him, to burst into tears. You ran as fast as you could, sobbing as you ran. As you approached, you extended your hand—and he disappeared. You fell to your knees, panic setting in. But then you looked up and saw Shoko smiling softly. You screamed at him, breaking your voice, and he knelt down next to you and stroked your head.

When you got home, you went to bed. You dreamed about him.