Three Days of Happiness

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store. It clearly wasn’t the time of day that a kid my age would be
out walking alone, so you asked me. “Don’t you need to go home?”
Having just had a heated argument with a parent, I blubbered
something back. When you heard that, you opened a door behind
the register, led me over, and took out some teas and candies from
inside. A few hours later, a call came from my parents, and when
they asked if I was over there, you replied “He is, but let’s say he
isn’t for another hour” and hung up. ...Maybe it didn’t mean
anything at all to you. But I think thanks to that experience, I can
still put my deepest hopes in someone else - or at least, so I’ve
convinced myself.”
Will you put up with my chatter for a little longer?, I asked.
The old woman closed her eyes, seeming to get increasingly stiff.
“If you’ve forgotten about me, then I’m sure you’ve forgotten about
Himeno too. I always came along to the shop with her. ...Like her
name implies, she was like a princess out of a fairy tale. I don’t
mean any offense, but her unique beauty was something that
seemed entirely unfitting for this town. Both Himeno and I were
black sheep at school. I was probably just hated because I was a
snot-nosed kid. But I think Himeno was hated because she was just
so different. ...I know it’s rude of me, but I can’t help but feel
gratitude for that. Because by being driven away from the group,
Himeno and I ended up together. Just having Himeno by my side, I
could handle all the bullying from everyone else. I could think that,
at any rate, they treated Himeno and I the same way.”
Every time I said “Himeno,” the old woman seemed to show just