Chapter 88: 6 years ago, Nagisa

Chapter 88: 6 years ago, Nagisa

For us, it was a routine sight.

"—Nana! I brought lots. Which one do you want?" Afternoon sunlight streamed into the hospital room. The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

The pink-haired girl who'd called me by my nickname dumped an armful of picture books onto my bed, then started lining them up. She was trying to choose one to read aloud.

"Um, Ali? I'm already twelve. You really don't need to read to me..."

I knew she was doing it to be nice, because I was physically weak and couldn't go outside. I appreciated the thought, of course, but...

"This one, then!"

Yeah, she wasn't listening. She never did.

Instead of her usual diary, which she'd been writing in just a minute ago, she opened a picture book and started reading it, enthusiastically and loudly.

She had an energetic, charming voice.

I got the feeling that just listening to her voice might cure me. ...Though being read to was still a bit too childish.

Gazing fondly at Ali, I spoke to the other girl in the room. "What are you reading, Siesta?"

The thought of that prince's devotion, his literal self-sacrifice, gave me an indescribable feeling. My chest grew tight.

"A ruby sword. Sapphire eyes. The gold leaf that covered his body. When the statue of the prince had given all these things away to the townspeople, he looked very shabby. All he had left was his heart, which was made of lead."

As she said that, Siesta gently placed her hand on the left side of her chest. "That poor statue!" Ali cried out. Even if it was just a story, she felt

genuinely sorry for that prince.

Trying to save somebody, even if it meant sacrificing yourself—it was a noble act, but it also seemed terribly sad.

"But that's not where this story ends."

I raised my head, as if Siesta's voice had pulled me out of sleep. "This statue had someone precious who understood him."

""He did?"" Ali and I asked in unison.

"That's why the title of this book is what it is, too."

Then Siesta began to tell us about the lone swallow who remained with the statue.

The tale of a small black bird who stayed by the side of the one he loved to the very end, even though no one could see why.