Sora After 10 Years

Light footsteps echoed through the long white hallway. Having become a doctor, Sora walked toward her next consultation, wearing a white coat. Her black twin tails stood out elegantly against the white coat, making patients and staff smile unconsciously. Her innocent smile hadn't changed a bit over the past decade.

"Good morning, Doctor!" When the nurses called out to her, Sora responded with her usual smile. "Good morning! Let's do our best today♪" Sora's voice had the power to brighten up everyone around her simply by being heard. Everyone present felt a sense of peace, as Sora's kindness naturally radiated through.

Entering the examination room, she could see a long line stretching from the waiting room. Sora's reputation was well-known throughout the hospital. There was no end to the patients who wished to be seen by her. This wasn't just because of her excellent medical skills, but because her approach of caring for patients' hearts had earned many people's trust.

"Next patient, please." A young girl with a fever entered the examination room with her worried-looking mother. Sora smiled gently at the girl and softly placed her hand on her forehead. "It's alright. You'll feel better soon." The girl's face softened slightly at Sora's gentle voice. After writing the prescription, Sora continued explaining to the mother in a kind tone. "With medicine and proper rest, she'll get better. If anything concerns you, please come back right away." As the mother and daughter left after the examination, the mother thanked Sora with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much." Sora responded to those words with a bright smile. "Take care!"

---

During lunch break, Sora headed to the roof. The blue sky stretched out above, with the city visible in the distance. In her hand was an envelope—an invitation to a class reunion. "Ten years... time flies." Memories of high school days flashed through Sora's mind. It had already been a year since Ume and Ren's wedding, and Takashi had found success with a game modeled after Sora. The members of the "Guard Squad" were all walking their own paths in life.

Still holding the envelope, Sora pulled a photograph from her pocket. It was a group photo from high school. There was Sora among her laughing friends. Her smile remained unchanged, while her friends somehow looked more mature.

"Doctor, you always look so young." Turning at the voice behind her, she found a colleague standing there. "Thank you." Sora smiled somewhat shyly. The colleague continued. "The rest of us are showing our fatigue, but you haven't changed at all since your student days. How do you maintain such youthfulness?" "Well, I wonder why?" Though Sora answered jokingly, behind that smile lay complex emotions that couldn't be put into words.

---

In the evening, Sora was alone in the examination room, gazing into a mirror. Her reflection hadn't changed at all from 10 years ago. She looked exactly the same as she did back in her high school days, laughing with her close friends.

"I haven't changed... have I?" Her whispered words echoed quietly in the examination room. While everyone around her aged and changed, she alone seemed to remain the same. Rather than loneliness, it felt like a distant sensation.

By the window sat Ten, the gray kitten, as always. Ten, too, was a being that showed no signs of time's passage. That small body seemed to harbor something special.

"Hey, Ten. Are we really that strange?" When Sora asked, Ten quietly tilted his head. The gesture made Sora smile slightly. "I see. You don't know either, huh?"

The evening sun shone through the window, bathing the examination room in amber light. Sora's eyes, bathed in that light, gazed somewhere far away.

---

"Doctor! Emergency patient!" At the nurse's call, Sora immediately snapped back to reality. She rushed to the emergency room, her white coat fluttering. Always calm and giving her all to save patients—that was who Sora was.

After finishing her examinations, Sora finally left the hospital. Outside, twilight had fallen, painting the entire city in amber hues. Walking her usual route home, she looked up at the sky.

"I wonder how everyone's doing now." The class reunion invitation in her pocket felt a little heavy. Still, Sora continued forward with light steps. "I'll... be okay too, right?" Those quietly muttered words reached no one. Yet, that voice carried both clear determination and a gentle light.