In the Same Scenery

After months, the day of Uguisu-san's graduation came so quickly that it felt like the blink of an eye.

She also told me the truth about her condition, which I had already known for a long time due to my knowledge from my real-life world.

Uguisu-san had received permission to go out for one day again, and she was able to participate in the graduation ceremony.

At Uguisu-san's request, the two of us decided to walk to school together slowly for the last time.

"I've always longed for a time like this," she said with a fresh face as we walked side by side.

"Do you mean like this, walking to school side by side?" I asked, a little unsure.

"Yeah. Because every normal thing was special to me. I wanted to do the same things, the same way everyone else did—that's all I wanted," she said, gazing up at the sky. "And it came true, little by little."

Uguisu's confession naturally brought a smile to my face.

"Was I of any use to you, Uguisu-san?" I asked, slightly nervous but eager to know her thoughts.

"I can't imagine the scenery without you," she said, her voice sincere and warm.

Uguisu-san said things that would make anyone blush with embarrassment, but she said them with a dashing smile. And she looked absolutely stunning in that moment.

Now we were looking at the same scenery, walking side by side, in sync with each other's pace. 

In the same scenery, at the same speed of two people, heading toward the last school day.

...

The graduation ceremony began.

"Kagemisa Ryouko."

"Yes!" The first graduate was called to the stage, and the ceremony proceeded smoothly as each graduate was called one by one to receive their graduation certificates.

And then...

"Kanemoto Uguisu."

"Yes." 

My eyes welled up at the sight of her safely receiving her graduation certificate.

"Huh? Himeya, are you crying?" Touka asked, noticing the tears.

"Shuddup'," I muttered, wiping my eyes quickly.

The ceremony continued without a hitch...

"Farewell speeches, from the current students." 

A message from a current student to the alumni—it's a common part of graduation ceremonies, expected and conventional.

And then...

"The Graduates' Speech."

A word from the graduates to the current students.

...

"Yes."

What?

Standing on the stage was Uguisu-san.

"You didn't know, Himeya?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"N-no..." I stammered, completely surprised.

On the stage, I made eye contact with Uguisu-san. She smiled softly, a look only I would understand. She had kept this secret to surprise me, and I was taken aback at the last minute.

"On this fine spring day, which is getting warmer day by day, all of us third-year students were able to celebrate our graduation ceremony without a hitch," Uguisu-san began her speech. The entire auditorium fell silent, listening attentively to her dignified voice.

"Like the waxing and waning of the moon, we have spent precious days here at the school," she continued. "I feel like those three years were spent striving to somehow grow my insignificant self, continuously working hard to become someone."

She paused for a moment, looking out at the audience before continuing, "However, the people I met here taught me that we were already someone, that we were never merely insignificant beings."

"And at the same time, I learned that the ordinary days I once thought were mundane are actually precious and irreplaceable—that every moment was radiant and shining with brilliance."

"I realize now that the ideal self I had always longed for, the special days I had been seeking, had always been right beside us all along."

"The moon in the night sky surely does not think of itself as beautiful."

"I believe that the feeling of the moon being beautiful and special does not reside within the moon itself, but rather within each of our hearts."

"Looking back now, I realize that every moment of these three years at this academy was a radiant, beautiful, and special time."

"It's not that there were no difficult times, and yet, everything still feels special."

"Perhaps that is proof of just how much we were able to grow during our time at this academy."

"To all the current students, you don't need to strive to become someone special or to do something extraordinary."

"Take a look around you. Those people will surely make every moment, even the ones that seem ordinary or make you want to throw them away as boring, into something special."

"With the friends who are right there with you, immerse yourselves in everything—whether it's silly, boring, or just the usual, ordinary things—just try it all with passion."

"Just by doing that, when you look back, you will find that all those moments will have been special."

"The time of student life is like magic."

"The people you meet there are all invaluable and precious beings."

"They will surely make you, and the time spent here, into something sparkling and precious, like a treasure."

"As we... no, as I experienced during the three years I spent here."

When Uguisu-san finished her speech, a loud round of applause erupted.

Without showing any signs of embarrassment, Uguisu-san stood tall on the stage, gracefully accepting the grand applause.

That dignified figure seemed to shine divinely in my eyes. The person I fell in love with is truly the most amazing and coolest person.

No matter how far apart we are, there's no way I could ever forget that person.

The graduation ceremony ended, and shortly after, Uguisu-san departed for overseas. She went to Germany, far away, for treatment and clinical trials of new medicine. Then spring came, and I became a third-year student...

I'm spending the last year of my school life at the academy, now without Uguisu-san. The library, which used to feel so alive with her presence, now feel quieter. But I hold onto the memories of those precious moments, cherishing the time we had together. Life goes on, but a part of me will always carry her with me.