Chapter 1

The first time I met her was when I tried to kill myself.

Knowing that I went to the hospital to get my broken leg fixed up, I really had no reason to continue living.

Miku-senpai had just dumped me. Soon after I got beat up by her new boyfriend, Kaito-senpai.

I know losing a girlfriend isn't any big reason to lose the meaning of life. But the fact is… I never really had a life to begin with.

I've been living these long sixteen years just so I could actually find something worth living for.

Up until now, I still can't find any meaning to life.

That night after my surgery, I was lying on my designated bed in the hospital, waiting for the pain in my leg to dissolve me.

It was then I heard her tender voice.

"Are you okay? You look painful." Her blue eyes shimmered like the sea under the moonlight, though, slightly pale.

Her sudden appearance made me flinch, giving me a scare that almost completely took over my pain.

She was standing in front of my bed. I could've sworn there were no signs of her appearing in front of me. No footsteps, no creeks, nothing at all.

She tilted her head to one side, letting her short, blond hair fall gracefully to the other side of her head.

"Oh—" I realized she was waiting for an answer. "I, uh… I'm alright, I guess."

"Do you know why you are here?" The way she questioned me seemed like she was about to lecture me about something, but I suspect it was just my thinking too much – because she showed a beautiful smile on her face.

"I was, uh… speeding." Her smile almost made me speechless. With the moonlight that shone over her, she looked prettier than that night when I embraced Miku-senpai.

"What's your name?"

I blinked out of my memories of Miku-senpai, then said, "Just call me Len."

"Len…" Her smile faded away.

"And yours?" The atmosphere became awkward after her facial expression faded.

She hesitated. "Rin."

"Ah…" I forced a smile on my face, for the pain on my leg emanated throughout my body again. "I guess I'll be Len-senpai for you, huh, Rin-chan?" I could tell she was from our school because of her uniform.

Rin made a weak giggle, but kept her mouth closed.

"I am older than you, am I not, Rin-chan?" I tried keeping the conversation alive.

"Yes, Len-senpai." This time her grin was full of emptiness, though, I still blushed a little to the way she called my name.

There's definitely something off about this girl. She was pretty, but not exactly – with her smiles that look half forced, there must be a reason why she's so unhappy.

"Len-senpai," Rin interrupted, "I'll be back tomorrow night. Good night." She turned around and left without making any noise.

I spent three weeks of my life in the hospital.

Rin would continuously come visit me at dark nights – like the first time we met.

Finally, it was the day for me to leave.

"I'll see you at school" was the last thing I had said to Rin on the night before I left.

Rin only nodded and flashed her lonely smile at me.

Sometimes when Rin came over to chat with me, I'd be ridiculously nervous and my heart would feel as if someone was poking it nonstop.

It felt somewhat like back then when Miku-senpai had confessed to me…

"I'm looking for Rin-chan." A few days after I started going to school again, I was eager to look for that mysterious girl.

The freshman I asked looked at me with a weird expression. "Uh… you should go ask Gumi, her best friend, she'd know most…" His tone was rather depressing.

So I went around looking for this "best friend".

Later when I found her, she was sitting alone near the window, staring at the cloudless sky.

"Uhm, Gumi-san?" I sauntered towards her.

Startled, she turned around to look at the person who called for her. "Sorry! I was gazing off… again." There was an odd and rather lonely aura coming from her.

"So I heard you're Rin-chan's best friend?" I took a seat in front of her.

She shrugged. "Used to…"

"What happened?" I looked around, hoping to find that blond beauty. "Do you know where she is?"

"Dead." The way Gumi looked at me felt like a stab that penetrated my almost-recovered leg.

"W-Wha—"

"Some crazy bastard on a red motorcycle crashed into their car, I heard."

My leg started aching.

"W-When did she, uh… die?" I was astonished and still could not believe what I've heard.

"I don't know…" She thought for a while. "About a month ago?"

By now my wound was burning. I felt as if something was ripping apart my bare calf – the one that was squeezed under the silver car I last saw before I blacked out. The car looked heavily damaged – its glasses shattered, its silver paint stripping down the mold of the car. Blood flashed before my eyes as my eyelids forcefully yanked on an invisible rope, nearing my waterline.

"Are you alright?" A voice suddenly broke my painful flashback.

I looked up and realized I as pulled back into the present, where Gumi was eying me with a worried expression.

I didn't respond to her – I couldn't.

Everything fit so well.

That motorcycle was mine…

My accident happened a month ago… and,

Rin had no legs…

To be continued…