Just as I was finally getting used to the days without you. On a summer day so bright it made me want to curse, exactly three years since the day you left. I headed to the cemetery where you sleep. I offered lilies—the ones you said you liked, though I never cared for them much because of the pollen—and gave you a short update on my life. I mean, I remember you at every turn and end up talking to you in my head anyway, so there isn't really anything formal left to say, is there? On the way back. Swaying in the sparsely populated train, I was thinking about maybe making that Salisbury steak you loved for dinner today. Ground meat, onions, then eggs, and the seasonings. I'll need a side dish too. A salad would be good. I think the vegetable crisper is empty, so I'll have to go buy some. I was just spacing out in the quiet carriage, watching the scenery outside the window shift at high speed.

――.

The train shook violently. The first thing I felt was a massive impact. Then, pain. I felt like I hit every part of my body. By the time I finally realized what state I was in, it was already too late. I was pinned under something, and every inch of me hurt beyond belief. The faint smell of smoke. 'Oh, it's burning,' I thought, strangely detached. Gradually, the pain began to fade, and my thoughts turned soft and blurry. I'm forced to realize, whether I want to or not, that this is my end. Even at a time like this. No, because it's a time like this, I think of you. ――This is the story of a happy dream, seen in the brief moments until my life reaches its end.