For the first time in his life, Kei had broken a bone.
It happened during P.E. class, when he fell hard during a basketball game and fractured his left leg. Diagnosed with a month-long recovery, he now spent his days lying in a hospital bed, resigned to the situation.
“Just my luck…”
The first few days were mind-numbingly boring. Scroll through his phone, nap, eat, repeat. But gradually, he began to notice the people around him.
This was Room 206 — a four-person room.
By the window sat a talkative old lady. She visited the nurse’s station every day for her routine chat. If Kei so much as made eye contact, she would immediately strike up a conversation.
“Young man, what school do you go to? Got a girlfriend?”
Kei would give a wry smile and reply, “No.” To which she’d say, “Kids these days are so shy,” and he’d nod along out of politeness.
Another patient was a silent businessman in a suit. He always sat upright, working on his laptop — not the typical image of a hospital patient. He rarely spoke except for the occasional short phone call and kept to himself.
But the one who intrigued Kei the most was a young girl who visited every day.
She looked to be in second grade, much younger than Kei. A short-haired girl with a red backpack who entered the room every afternoon.
“Hello!”
She’d call out cheerfully and head straight to the businessman’s bed. Without a word from him, she’d pull out a picture book and begin to read.
“Mister, I’ll read for you again today!”
It became a daily routine.
Kei couldn’t help but wonder.
—What’s their relationship?
They didn’t seem like parent and child. Their conversations lacked familiarity. The man never looked particularly happy to see her — just quietly listened as she read.
One day, Kei asked the old lady.
“Hey, that girl… who is she?”
She answered with a smile.
“She’s not his daughter.”
“What?”
“She lives near the hospital. She used to come read to an old man who stayed in that bed before.”
According to the old woman, the girl had grown close to a long-term elderly patient in that very bed. She’d often read books to him. But a few months ago, the old man had passed away.
“Even so, she kept coming back. Now that the businessman is in that bed, she just kept reading — as if nothing changed.”
Whether the girl realized the reader had changed or chose to continue regardless… no one knew.
“But the businessman doesn’t seem to mind, right?”
“Not at all. He’s not good at talking, it seems. Maybe her presence helps him feel a little less alone.”
That might be true.
From the corner of the room, Kei listened to the girl’s quiet voice as she read aloud.
“…The end!”
She closed the book. The businessman gave a subtle nod.
“Thank you.”
Just those two words.
The girl beamed and skipped out of the room with a cheerful, “See you tomorrow!”
Kei glanced over at the businessman’s face.
It looked… just a little softer than usual.
In Room 206, gentle moments flowed with the afternoon light.
