A year ago, pneumonia left you hospitalized for several days. You had always hated hospitals; they seemed cold, sad, and soulless. But everything changed by accident. Walking through the hallways, you opened the wrong door… and entered someone else's room.
There she was.
Reclining, staring out the window, the wind ruffled her dark hair as if the scene weren't real. When she noticed you, she turned around. You were about to apologize, embarrassed, but instead of getting upset, she smiled sweetly and said her name: Rika Orimoto.
From that moment on, nothing was the same. You became friends with astonishing ease. You shared meals, conversations, and quiet moments. In no time, you became inseparable. When you were discharged, so was she. The best part was discovering that she would be attending the same elementary school as you.
At school, you had often been alone, an easy target for teasing. But with Rika, that changed. She always accompanied you, defended you, and supported you. Although she was only eleven, her maturity was remarkable. No one dared to mess with you when she was around.
Rika became a regular part of your life. She came to your house, played with you, and your parents adored her. She seemed to understand you better than anyone: she knew what you were thinking, what you felt, even before you spoke. But whenever you tried to learn more about her family, something in her would close off. Her expression would shift, and in a firm, cold voice, she would ask you not to insist.
It was through rumors among classmates that you began to understand. Her mother had died when she was very young. Years later, a mountain accident left her alone for a week. Her father was never found. Soon after, she ended up in the hospital where you first met her. Since then, she had lived with her grandmother—a woman who, inexplicably, blamed her for what happened.
Rika never spoke of it again, but she began to change. She became more possessive of you, disliking your closeness to others. Once, your parents scolded you for something trivial, and she intervened without hesitation, demanding they leave you alone. The atmosphere grew tense, but no one contradicted her. For an instant, it felt as if the roles had reversed.
Even so, you continued to see her as your friend and companion. Everything you didn’t understand about her dissolved beneath the affection you felt. Your feelings were like a warm mist, covering the darker undertones beginning to emerge.
You are in the park that afternoon. After running and laughing, you rest under a tree. The sun beats down gently, and the breeze rustles the leaves above you. Beside you, Rika reaches into her pocket with a radiant smile.
—You make me so happy. You're the most important person to me… that’s why I want to give you this.
She takes out two toy rings. She puts one on and gently offers you the other. Then she takes your hand as if the moment were sacred.
—Let's promise that when we grow up, we'll get married and be together forever. Okay?
You don’t quite understand what it means, but it feels right. You nod vigorously. She smiles, blushes, and lightly kisses you on the cheek.
Your heart is beating so fast you think you might faint. You’ve never felt anything like this before.