Mira felt the cold metal press against her chest. Even without the equipment, she could hear her heart thumping.
She was required to get an examination every month. Even if she's been at the hospital for god knows how many times now…it never got easier.
The doctor sighed softly as he took the stethoscope out of his ears, turning to clack away at his keyboard.
After a moment, he turned around to face Mira with a frown, a face that conveyed disappointment.
"Mira, you haven't been taking the pills, have you?"
"I know they're all just vitamins anyway," she shot back. "What kind of pill would even cure a condition like mine?"
The doctor looked away, expression turning from disappointment to guilt. He coughed, the kind that was used to change the topic before he opened his mouth again.
"Look, even if we don't have a way to treat it directly," he said, choosing his words carefully, "it's still important to manage what we can."
"Just…make sure you follow the plan. And remember, try to stay inside during the weekends, that's when it usually happens."
Mira didn't really know what to say, other than just an—
"Alright."
***
Mira stepped forward just as the train doors opened. This part of the town was rarely crowded, mostly because it was one of the last stops.
She found a seat by the window before resting her head on the glass and watching the city drift by in a blur. There really wasn't much to see in the small town of Shirohama, where it snows constantly, even in the spring.
It was always the same route, the same time…the same people, even.
Or, at least it felt that way.
A faint buzz from the phone in her hand made her flinch but also sobered her up at the same time. Mira blinked, looking down at the screen.
[Yuna: hey, are you free today?]
A small smile tugged at her lips, a playful itch welled up inside that Mira decided she needed to scratch.
[Mira: yeah, but I thought you were busy studying? can you make time for little ol' me?]
[Yuna: you're so annoying! a new restaurant opened up on the other side of town, are you coming or not!]
Mira laughed at the text. Yuna was clearly worked up, a sign that her acting was a success.
[Mira: if you're paying kkk. but seriously, do you have time? i saw on your socials that you just got that new job. what was it again?]
[Yuna: i'll tell you more about it when we meet up. and can't i see a friend after it's been a while!]
Mira's fingers paused above the screen.
A while? Has it really been that long?
[Mira: i was just joking! alright, time and meetup place?]
[Yuna: i'll come pick you up at your house! maybe around 6?]
[Mira: gotcha, see you soon!]
[Yuna: same!]
***
Her house was only a five-minute walk from the station—close enough to feel like a luxury, especially with how expensive rent had gotten in Shirohama.
Mira tapped on the navigation app and started following its instructions.
For some reason, it'd always been this way. It's not like her house was that far, but something about following a routine put her mind at ease.
Mira slowed near the edge of the path. The directions urged her to turn, but her attention was captivated by something else.
A small patch of flowers, tucked between the pavement and a low metal fence. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed them.
But the color caught her eye. A soft and vivid blue, almost too delicate against the lingering white of the snow.
She took a step closer.
The petals were small and clustered tightly together, each one no bigger than her fingertip. A thin layer of frost clung to them, but that just served to accentuate its calming beauty even more.
"…Pretty."
The word slipped out before she could think about it.
Her hand moved on its own. She raised her phone, adjusting the angle just a little, letting the background behind blur before—
click!
Mira stared at the screen for a moment.
The image looked…nice. She commended herself.
Maybe the professional's realm was not out of my grasp just yet!
Mira snorted softly to herself before she swiped upward, ready to take another picture—
But instead, the gallery opened. Mira blinked, her eyes locked on the photo she just took, and the one directly on her left.
The exact same blue flower.
Her breath caught slightly as she tapped on the picture.
[Photo taken: September 14th]
"…Huh." she stared at it for a second longer than she meant to.
"Guess I must've liked it back then, too."
By the time she reached her street, the sun was already starting to go down. Snow lined the edges of the road in uneven piles, probably the neighbor's handiwork.
Her house came into view not long after. The lights were off.
Mira paused at the gate for a second, already knowing.
"…They're out again."
Not surprising. She reached into her pocket, pulling out her keys before stepping inside.
The house had always felt a little too large when no one was home. Mira slipped off her shoes and stepped inside, shrugging off her coat as she walked past the entryway mirror.
She stopped. Not because she meant to. But because her reflection caught her attention.
Light hair fell just past her shoulders, somewhere between a beige and a blonde. It contrasted gently against her features, subtle and composed, even if Mira herself wasn't.
For a moment, she simply looked at herself. As if checking for something before moving on.
The door to her room creaked softly as it opened. And as Mira entered the room, she was completely surrounded by herself.
Polaroids lined the walls above her bed, strung across thin wires and clipped in place, overlapping wherever there wasn't enough room. Some were tilted, others layered on top of one another, as if they'd been added without much thought.
Random places she'd love to visit. People she might get along with.
Her gaze drifted across the wall again, moving past the scattered faces and places, before stopping at a small polaroid tucked slightly lower than the others.
Her fingers lifted without hesitation, slipping it free from the clip. The image was a little faded, the colors softer with age but still clear.
Two girls stood side by side, their legs tied together with a strip of cloth, both leaning forward mid-step. One of them, Yuna, was laughing so hard her eyes were shut.
The other—
Mira let out a quiet breath.
"…We won that."
She could almost feel it again. The uneven rhythm in her steps, the way Yuna kept pulling too fast, and the crowd cheering somewhere in the background.
Mira's grip on the photo tightened slightly. "...You almost made us fall at the end."
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"I should shower before she gets here—"
But right as the words left her mouth, the sound of an engine pulled up just outside.
"…Already?"
She stepped toward the window, pulling the curtain aside just enough to peek out.
A red car waited for her just beyond the gate. Yuna always used to say that red was her favorite color.
"So she really did go and buy a red car…"
Mira let the curtain fall back into place before walking back toward her bed. Her hand reached for the light cardigan draped over the edge, slipping it on without much thought.
Wouldn't want her to keep waiting.
Mira reached for the handle, pulling the door open just enough to step through…
Then stopped as her eyes drifted over to one of the polaroids. It swayed slightly from the movement of the door, just enough for her to recognize that—
It was completely washed out, the surface such a dull black that it looked like whatever had once been there had been erased.
Weird…probably nothing.
Hanging out with Yuna was more important.