To the You Who's Changing

(This is the English-translated version of my short novel, "Kawaru Anata-he". The original, Japanese version is written bellow)

Chapter 1  Shifting Memory

I, Kanoshima Miyuka, was confused.
Had my friend Yumiri always been like this?

When we were young, we went to the same kindergarten and elementary school, and the Yumiri of the past was a much shyer and kinder child.
But now that we're in high school, there's no trace of that image left in her.
At least, that's how it seemed to me.

"What? Is something bothering you?"
Yumiri asked, and I stiffened for a moment.

I smiled and said to her,
"No, nothing. Being with you just makes me remember a lot of things."

"Back then..."
Yumiri said, sounding irritated for some reason.
"That's right. I go to a different high school from you, Miyuka, and my uniform isn't a sailor suit like you."

I thought I understood why Yumiri was irritated.
I had thought that once I got through the high school entrance exams, I would finally have a peaceful life. But the reality was harsh.
Everyone is thinking about their future—getting into a good university, finding a good job—and they’re tense every day. I'm the same.

"I wanted to wear that uniform too. But it can't be helped. I'm not smart enough to go to the same school as you, Miyuka. I don't have any friends from middle school. I had to go to a school like this."

There are a few students from my middle school at the high school I attend. But they're in the academic track, not the general track like me.
I explained this to Yumiri before, but she wouldn't listen, saying, "It's the same high school, right?"

"But, Yumiri..."
I opened my mouth to change the subject, my voice weak.

However, Yumiri, still emotional, interrupted me.
"At my high school, I don't have a single friend from middle school. Everyone there only thinks about things like how people look or who they're dating. They’re always picking on others. From the moment we entered, they've unconsciously drawn a line, saying, 'We're different,' and looking down on everyone around them. It's completely different from Miyuka's high school."

I lowered my head at Yumiri's words. The old Yumiri would never have said such things.
She was such a kind-hearted girl. Never be the type to look at people with such a cold gaze.

I used to be able to talk to Yumiri about all sorts of things back then, I thought.
I don't remember exactly what we talked about, but it was things like popular characters and merchandise, school, and friends.
We were much closer than we are now.

—Will I never see that Yumiri again?
I even think that.

Yumiri’s academic and physical complexes seem to have grown significantly stronger. In the past, such things never came out in her words.
But now, it's different.

Yumiri is always comparing herself to others and getting frustrated when things don't go well.
Even I have become a target of her comparisons.

Thinking about how she’s changed from the past, I couldn’t help but sigh.
"When we were kids..."
Yumiri said, as if trying to remember.

I couldn't help but look up.

"When we were kids, you always said, 'We'll always be together.'"
She said it with a slight glare in her eyes. I was taken aback by her sudden change.

"Yumiri..."

"It's okay. Things have changed. That's just how it is."

At that moment, I felt as if Yumiri had said in her heart, "Miyuka is a liar."
Of course, that was just my imagination. In reality, such voice was heard from nowhere.

Still, I could intuitively sense Yumiri's loneliness, and it made me sad.

Yumiri stood up from her chair and grabbed her fast food tray.
"See you, Miyuka."
She said goodbye and walked straight toward the exit of the shop. She didn’t even look back at me.

I clenched my fist, wanting to call out to her. But I couldn’t find the words.

Yumiri had really changed. She was no longer the Yumiri I used to know, but a completely different person.

Sadness blurred my vision. Yumiri was walking away from me.

All I could do was watch her back as she left the store and headed toward the station.

Chapter 2  Exchange Notebook

After parting with Yumiri, I felt a pain in my chest and a deep sadness.
I just couldn’t accept reality.
I should have said, "I haven’t changed since the old days."

On the way to the station, I turned a corner and walked to the 100-yen shop.
Located near a supermarket, the store was bustling with families and people returning from work. It seems to have expanded globally, and many people on video sites highlight its affordability as a major selling point.
Watching those videos, I was often surprised by products not found in Japan or by perspectives from other countries.

I pushed open the door and entered the store.
Items priced at 100 yen were packed tightly onto the shelves.
Since it’s March, I saw many seasonal items related to cherry blossom viewing and hay fever.

I went to the stationery section and headed toward the area where notebooks were displayed.
I still use notebooks for school. I just can’t memorize things without writing them down on paper. Even if I summarize them on a tablet, they don’t stick in my long-term memory.

Plus, I’ve always loved coming to the stationery section since I was a child—
cute stickers, notebooks, ring binders, and colored sticky notes.
These days, they also sell planners, checklists, and information cards that have had a loyal fan base for years.
Highlighter pens are easily available too, and I enjoy drawing lines with them or decorating my planner pages with stickers and detailed notes.
That habit of mine hasn’t changed.

I picked up a study notebook and put it in my basket. Then my eyes fell on a product labeled "exchange notebook."
It was a notebook meant for parents and children to communicate. Parents could write a message, and their children could respond with a word or two—creating a simple two-way conversation.

I picked it up, feeling a little excited. Something like this could make communication between parents and children more lively.

When I was in elementary school, I used to exchange notebooks with Yumiri and my classmates.
We would draw illustrations, write diary entries, and share memories like, "Remember when this happened?" or "Remember when that happened?"
I really think those were good times.
Back then, I was still close with Yuri.
We talked about all sorts of things and laughed together.
It’s completely different now. Our relationship has changed entirely since then.

That exchange notebook somehow ended up in someone’s hands and naturally faded away.
I think one of my classmates must have taken it home to reminisce.
It was such a well-made exchange notebook that even I wanted to read it over and over again.
It was a mysterious notebook that filled my heart with warmth every time I turned the page.

I returned the exchange notebook to the shelf and headed to the register.
These days, exchange diaries are often done through apps, and digital communication has become a normal part of daily life.

Even so, I loved those moments—
the smooth texture of the neutral paper, the thickness of the stickers, the colorful lines drawn with markers, and the checkmarks that showed I had completed something.

It felt like a fulfilling time, as if I had written a book myself.
Before heading to the register, I stopped in front of a certain shelf.
It was a sticker featuring a character I had loved as a child—
a girl who fought evil not alone, but with her friends.

As a child, I admired such a protagonist and often imitated her words and actions.
Even now, as a high school student, my mother sometimes teased me about how I used to be just like that character.

Overcome with nostalgia, I couldn't help but pick up the sticker.
A smile slipped out.
Even at my age, here I was—buying character stickers.

I headed to the register and bought a notebook and the sticker.
I put the items in my school bag and pushed open the store door to go outside.

It was already dark.

Just as I stepped out, someone suddenly bumped into me from the side.

Startled, I turned to look.
Maybe I had crossed paths with a family trying to enter the store.

"Oh, I'm sorry..."
I blurted out and looked up. There stood a man.

He wore a red cap pulled low over his face, an oversized black hoodie, black sweatpants, and gray sneakers.
He looked tired, as if he hadn’t gotten much sleep, and his expression was far from friendly.

He was tall and imposing. I couldn't read his face.

"...No, I'm sorry..."
he said in a soft voice, barely audible, then walked into the store.

I stood there for a moment, a bit stunned, but not wanting to cause a scene, I silently headed toward the station.

I adjusted the school bag slung over my shoulder to make sure it wouldn’t slip.
Trying to calm myself, I focused on getting home.

Chapter 3  Things  that are changing

When I got close to my house, it seemed that my mother, who works full-time, had already returned home.
I could see the lights on at the entrance and inside the house.

"I'm home..."
I opened the front door and took off my shoes.
I hurried into the living room, where my mother was in the middle of making dinner.

"What's for dinner tonight?"
The kitchen is connected to the living room since it's a counter-style kitchen.
Looking at my mother's hands, I could see that tonight’s menu was teriyaki chicken wings on a bed of leafy greens, fried tofu, rice, and miso soup.
Thinking it looked delicious, I quickly said, "I'll go change," before my mother could say anything, and I rushed upstairs to my room.

"Oh, big sister, welcome back..."
In the hallway on the way to the second floor, I passed my younger sister, Emika, who’s in elementary school.
"I’m home," I said to her as I hurried up the stairs.

I changed into a two-piece loungewear set and let my hair down, instead of tying it up with a scrunchie like I usually do.
Then I went back downstairs and walked into the living room.

"Miyuka."
My mother called out to me and came over.
"Did you meet someone today?"
"How did you know?"
I said that, but I immediately realized the reason.
I’d come home a little later than usual, so my mother must have been curious.

"Yumiri and I... we met after school today and talked."
As I said it, the memory of moment then came back, and my mood sank.
It was something I didn’t want to remember for a while.

"Oh, was Yumiri-chan doing well?"
My mother asked, but I couldn’t answer. I reached up and touched the ends of my hair.
I didn’t know how to respond if she asked more. I was hesitant to tell her how Yumiri was really doing.

"Did something happen?"
My mother asked gently, and I nodded.
After a short pause, I said,

"Yumiri seems to have changed since she started high school… She’s not the same Yumiri she used to be. I wonder if I’ll ever see her again."

"I see..."
My mother said solemnly, placing a hand on her cheek.

"Cheer up, Miyuka. Things like that happen when you're in high school."
"Yeah..."
Still touching my hair, I nodded at my mother’s words.

"Ah. But I understand. My mother also graduated from university and stayed single for a long time. She moved to the city for work, and gradually became estranged from the children who stayed in the countryside. Eventually, we lost contact.
We used to stay in touch—sending congratulatory money when someone got married or had a baby. I never thought they’d stop contacting me after they got married. They were busy, and I was hesitant to reach out.
Before I knew it, my friends had changed, and when I went back to my parents’ house, I noticed they were looking down on me.
Once, someone even said, with a hint of sarcasm, that people who live alone and work are ‘unusual.’
Just when I was starting to feel anxious, I met your father and ended up getting married. Then, Miyuka and Emika were born…
But even when I tried to reach out again, they ignored me.
It really hurt. Even though I tried to stay cheerful, sometimes it was taken the wrong way.”

I listened to my mother's words with a fresh perspective. Her family home is quite far from here, but I had never known any of this.

“So, you still don’t see them anymore?”

“No. I haven’t seen those relatives at all since then.
And later, I found out they had been saying awful things behind my back.
Things like, ‘She’s single and just works all the time—she must be crazy.’
So I cut off all contact. I didn’t want to see them anymore.”

My mother sighed deeply.
I nodded again and again.

“Mother, you’re pushing yourself too hard. If you're always that kind to people, you'll just wear yourself out.”

“Well, yes. But as an adult, that kind of consideration matters.
Still, relationships should be based on mutual respect.
If someone forgets everything you’ve done for them and doesn’t return your kindness, then there’s no need to force yourself to keep seeing them.
People change as they grow up.
And Miyuka, you’re also at the age where you need to think carefully about the kind of adult you want to become.
It just happened a little earlier than expected with Yumiri-chan.”

My mother said this gently, guiding me toward the living room.

“Come on, sit down. Eat your hot dinner and get your energy back.”

I let out a soft chuckle at her words and sat down.
My younger sister Emika got up from the sofa in the living room and joined us at the table.

Since my father was coming home late today, the three of us started dinner without him.
The main dish and the side dishes were delicious, and we ate heartily.
My mother’s home-cooked meals are always so full of care that they make my cheeks ache with happiness.

After dinner, I helped with the dishes, then returned to my room.

Chapter 4  The suspicious shadow

I lie on my back on the bed in my room and place the microwavable Eye Mask—warmed to the right temperature in the microwave earlier—on my face.
The gentle warmth spreads through my skin.
I feel like using such items is something only working adults do, and that I'm too young for it. Still, I also wear a pile-lined scarf around my neck and fluffy high socks to keep from getting cold.
Now that the cold has eased, I don't wear them as often, but I still aspire to a more mature fashion sense—not the kind of fashion you wear when going out, but the kind you can indulge in within the confines of your own room.

Since it's fashion no one else sees, I want to be free with it.
That's probably where my aspirations come from.
I must also want to become an adult, to change, even if it's unconscious.

—Yumiri.
My heart ached. I couldn't help it.
If I could meet the young Yumiri, that would be enough for me.
But as my mother said, when you grow up, relationships change. You can't stop that.

My chest hurts—the fact that so many things are changing like this.
So many things...

I sat up and glanced at the window.
When I came home, I had drawn the curtains, but now I saw they weren't properly closed.
I stood up and walked over, grabbing the edge of the curtain.
By chance, I caught a glimpse outside.
I casually looked out—and almost gasped in surprise.

The first floor of the house. The area facing the garden.
There, an old man is standing.
He is wearing worn-out trousers and a wrinkled sweatshirt. He has white hair and a flat face. His features are buried in the wrinkles on his face, making it difficult to distinguish between his eyes and nose.

There are not many houses in the neighborhood, and this place is far from the residential area.
That's why I'm familiar with the faces of the people who live nearby. Still, the face of the old man standing in the garden didn't match anyone I knew.

No way. Where on earth did he come from, and how did he get into my garden?

As I watched the old man, he suddenly turned toward me.
Moreover, he was staring at me with an unsettling expression.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the stranger. It was terrifying.
I gripped the edge of the curtain tightly with my hand.

At that moment, the old man suddenly smiled eerily while still looking at me.

"Nooo!!"
"Sister!?"

I couldn't speak, so I could only point to the garden on the first floor with my finger. I stayed a few steps away from the window.

"Is someone there...?"
My mother said, and I nodded silently.

She rushed to the window and looked down. But after shaking her head from side to side to check the surroundings, she looked back at me.

"Miyuka, there's no one there, is there?"
"No, there can't be..."

I cautiously approached the window from behind my mother.
But my mother was right.
Below the window—in the garden—there was no sign of the old man from earlier.

"Sis, were you sleepwalking?"
My sister said suspiciously. I denied it firmly.

"No. There really was an old man I didn't know there just a moment ago. He seemed to have entered the garden without permission—I really saw him."
"Was there really someone like that, Miyuka?"
My mother said worriedly.

"Yes. Really—"
"Are you okay, Miyuka?"

My father came into the room in a hurry. I hadn't noticed that he had come home after dinner.
"Dad, just now in the garden—"

Ping-pong.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. And it wasn't just once.
Ping-pong. Ping-pong.

I froze in fear, unable to move.
My mother checked that the windows were closed and drew the curtains. She looked at my father.

"Dad, let's go. I'll take my mobile phone with me and press the emergency button if anything happens."

The emergency button on a mobile phone.
Even if the phone is locked, in an emergency, pressing this button will make an emergency call. Depending on the settings, it can also send your location via GPS.

My mother had taught me this beforehand so I wouldn't be confused about how to make an emergency call. I never thought I'd have to use it in a situation like this.

I felt my throat gulp.

"Emika, stay in the room."
My mother said that, then nodded to my father, and they went downstairs.

I hesitated, but followed my parents to the entrance.

Chapter 5  An unfamiliar person

The doorbell rang again.

My heart was pounding like a drum. This was the first time I had ever experienced anything like this.

My parents went to check the front door.
Through the glass, they could see what appeared to be a man, but it was too dark to see clearly.
My father looked at my mother and nodded in confirmation. He was holding a baseball bat he had brought from somewhere.
A moment of anxiety flashed through my mind.
But my father slowly approached the door and opened it with the hand not holding the bat.
He raised the bat, ready to defend us against the intruder.
But when I saw the person standing outside the door, I was speechless.

"Ah..."

I couldn't help but point at the person.
The person did the same. Like me, they had their mouth open wide and were pointing at me.

A red cap. An oversized black hoodie and black sweatpants. Gray sneakers.
It was the man who had bumped into me when I was leaving the store earlier today.
That same person was now standing in front of our door.
I didn’t know what to say and just stood there in shock.

"What's going on? Are you two... acquaintances?"
My father lowered his bat, looking confused. I still couldn’t grasp the situation.

"Well, this afternoon, when I went to buy a notebook..."
As I began to speak, the other person interrupted me.

"No, well... how should I put it? My sister is under your care."

I was so surprised that I stopped mid-sentence.
My father looked at me, then at the man, and asked, "Your sister?"

"Yumiri’s... I’m her brother. I sometimes worry about her and check her social media, and I saw her in a photo..."
He pointed at me, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

Sensing the tension, he hurriedly added,
"I’m Yumiri’s brother, Yumito. I always hear about Yumiri’s friends from her. Lately, she’s been kind of ignoring me, but she was excitedly talking about meeting her childhood friends soon..."

My mother furrowed her brow and glanced at my father. She still held her phone tightly in her hand.

"So... why are you here?"
My mother asked. The man—Yumiri’s older brother—scratched the back of his head with one hand.
Looking closely, I could indeed see a resemblance to Yumiri.

"My grandfather was supposed to have come to this area... Have you seen him? I’ve been chasing after him, but I suddenly lost sight of him."
"Grandpa?"
My father said, looking at me.
"Miyuka, you said you saw Grandpa earlier, right?"
"Uh, yeah..."
I pointed toward the garden and said,
"An old man with a flat face suddenly appeared in the garden. When our eyes met, he smiled at me. Could that old man be..."
"Probably. No—most likely, it's my grandfather. He has dementia and suddenly left home. I'm truly sorry for the trouble."

Yumiri's older brother took off his hat and bowed his head.

Finally, I understood why that old man had been in the garden. He wasn't a ghost. And he wasn't someone only I could see.

"Um... could you tell me exactly where in the garden your grandfather was? He might still be around somewhere."

My parents and I left the house and went into the garden. Yumiri's older brother came with us.

The three of us stood in the garden and told him in detail what we had seen.
Her brother seemed to be a good listener, nodding repeatedly even though I wasn't very articulate.
Perhaps he was very close to his grandfather and often listened to him talk.

After I finished, we searched the entire garden, but there was no sign of the old man.
With a disappointed expression, Yumiri's brother looked at us.

"Thank you so much for telling us about Grandpa—and for helping us look for him. And..."

He looked at me.

"Thank you for meeting my sister. She's really upset because she feels like Grandpa has completely forgotten about her. She's very hurt.
She can't bear to see Grandpa being cared for at home. She's always crying in her room.

It's normal for people to change as they get older, and even though he's senile, Grandpa himself hasn't changed much from before. His way of speaking and his personality are still the same.

Still, he's completely forgotten my sister because of his illness. That seems to be very shocking to her. She just can't accept it.

She says Grandpa has forgotten her—forgotten everything about her.
Lately, she's been getting really hysterical."

Yumiri's brother looked down, looking miserable.
So that’s why Yumiri has changed.
It’s no wonder she can’t keep up with the changes in her beloved grandfather.
Even I can't imagine what I would do if I were in the same situation.

“So please remember Yumiri from time to time. Only her childhood friends can do that.
I don’t know what to do anymore.
My sister is gradually distancing herself from me, and we can’t even talk to each other as siblings anymore.
When she comes home, she immediately retreats to her room.
The only ones who can still reach her are her friends.”

Her brother said this and gave me a faint smile.
I felt as though the fog had lifted, and I finally understood Yumiri—who had felt like a distant presence.

Later, the police contacted her brother’s cell phone to say that their grandfather was at the police station.
Relieved, my parents and I went back inside the house.
Hearing our voices, my younger sister Emika peeked out from the second floor, looking reassured.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” my mother said, concerned for her.
“Are you okay, big sister?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I smiled at my sister and returned to my room.
I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Glancing to the side, I noticed the flake sticker I had bought today lying next to my notebook.
I had left it there when I came home.

I picked up the flake sticker and held it up to the ceiling light.
“We’re always together.”
I remembered—it was a line from a character I had loved as a child.

That character on the flake sticker had said it.
In a scene where, even while injured and in trouble, the character reached out a hand and spoke those words.

I remembered. I had loved that character, and as a child, I often imitated them.
The character said, “We’re always together.”

As a child, I used to say those words to Yumiri.
The two of us were always together, and I believed our friendship would last forever.
Fearlessly.
Boldly, I said that line to Yumiri countless times when we were young.
Over and over again.

I believed the two of us would always stay the same, just like back then.

But it’s different now.
We can’t go back to the way we were.
Still, maybe it’s not too late.
Deep down, I felt a lingering hope.

Yumiri’s words.
Her brother’s words.
The time we spent together.
All the memories.

I can’t forget them.
I can’t forget the past.

My vision blurred.
I gently wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes with the back of my hand.

What should I do now?
What must I do?
Various thoughts crossed my mind.

But what I was thinking was—
Holding up the sticker, I spoke to her in my heart.
I didn’t know how she would respond. But...

—Yumiri.
Do you still remember this character?

End.