Underneath The Bandages, You Are Prettier Than Anyone

 cool.”

“I-I see.
I’m kind of embarrassed when you praise me like that, Yuki…” I looked away involuntarily.

After that, we walk out of the apartment, both embarrassed by the praise.

The weather forecast was right yesterday.
It was a sunny day, unsullied by any clouds.
Yuki and I walk side by side under the sun’s spring warmth, finally reaching the bus stop and sitting on its bench.

While waiting for the bus to arrive, we both talked a lot about what happened at school, the funny videos we looked at together yesterday, and many other things.
She listens to what I have to say with a bright smile while looking into my eyes.
Being paid attention to makes me unquestionably happy.

It was just like back then.
We chatted joyfully while waiting for the bus to come, her sitting next to me as I spoke, my mom laughing at the things I had to say.
It was all so blissful.

“Talking like this reminds me of elementary school…”

“Same happened when we ate those play-candies yesterday, though talking like this reminded me of all the fun we had back then, Haru-kun.”

“We had such fun then, huh…”

Right after we met, Yuki was always gloomy under all her bandages.
Whenever she was at school, she’d always lay on her face, and she never wanted to go there.
She didn’t have any friends and was bullied by the kids around her… It was surely so hard and sad.

However, being with me changed Yuki: she started smiling—That same Yuki told me she remembers “all the fun we had back then”.
I felt so undeniably proud to know she managed to overwrite all the pain with happy memories together with me.

“Hey, Yuki.
We went to a lot of other places when we were in elementary, right?”

“We did, didn’t we? We barbecued at a campsite, went to a school festival together… I miss it all so much.”

“Let’s go together again; go out to various places just like we’ve done, and make new memories during these three years we have in high school.
Not only that, but let’s also go to places we couldn’t go back then.
I mean, we can go anywhere now.”

“That’s right! I want to make many new happy memories with you, Haru-kun.
Let’s have lots of fun together!” She replies with a glittery grin.

… I want to keep seeing this smile.
I want to continuously make her happy and make up for the three years we’ve been apart.
I vowed that to myself as I watched her beaming joy.

“Haru-kun, look! The bus is here, and it’s the one we need to take.
Let’s get on.”

“Yeah.” The bus stopped in front of us.

We get in, and we sat together at the back where there weren’t many people.
The vehicle moved as the scenery flowed outside of the window.
Ever since I was a kid, I loved looking out the window at the landscape with a twinkle in my eye.

As I did that, Yuki gently gazed at me.