Day 26: Help

Sally came back to herself abruptly.

“—Where are we…?” Sally asked, her voice barely steady.

Kam, sitting across from her, let go of the cup she had been holding.

“—In a café,” she replied. “Do you really not remember?”

Sally shook her head slowly.

“—Yesterday I found you wandering aimlessly,” Kam continued. “I took you to my house. You were exhausted… completely on autopilot.”

“—I didn’t think you’d wake up from the coma so quickly.”

Kam pressed her lips together before continuing.

“—I brought you here because I needed to talk to you,” Kam said. “—My mother told me she explained everything to you… and even so, you decided to leave.”
She clenched her hands on her lap.

Her voice trembled.

“—You have no idea how much I looked for you.”

Sally didn’t answer.

“—I know you’re suffering,” Kam added more quietly. “I really do. But don’t try to carry everything on your own.”

Kam placed both hands on the table.

“—We’re doing everything we can so you can have a different life.”

Sally closed her eyes for a moment.

She knew Kam was right.

That was why she didn’t argue.

She only listened.

“—There’s something else,” Kam said after a brief pause. “We found your father… in Nagano.”

Sally tensed.

“—It took my father and me a little while,” Kam continued. “But the resemblance between you was impossible to ignore.”

“—We explained everything to him.”

“—The news hit him hard… but he agreed to come.”

“—My father gave him his number. He called us yesterday. He said he’ll arrive in Kyoto between tomorrow and the day after.”

Silence fell between them.

“—Kam…” Sally finally said. “I’m grateful to you and to your family.”

Her fingers curled softly.

“—I don’t know how to feel. It’s… a mix of emotions. Too many things have happened since the last time I saw you.”

“—But my sacrifice won’t be in vain,” she said. “I won’t let it be only you who sacrifice yourselves for me.”

Sally raised her gaze.

A faint but sincere smile formed on her lips.

It wasn’t joy.

It was accepted resignation, restrained hope…

and a pain she still didn’t know how to make disappear.

Kam watched her in silence.

This isn’t the Sally I knew, she thought.

But she didn’t look away.

Even so…
Even if you’re not the way I remember you, I know it’s you.
Now you show more of your true face. It wasn’t just because of me… or my parents. It was many things.

Kam smiled sadly.

But you’ll always be my best friend.

She extended her hand.

And my sister, Sally.Sally came back to herself abruptly.

“—Where are we…?” Sally asked, her voice barely steady.

Kam, sitting across from her, let go of the cup she had been holding.

“—In a café,” she replied. “Do you really not remember?”

Sally shook her head slowly.

“—Yesterday I found you wandering aimlessly,” Kam continued. “I took you to my house. You were exhausted… completely on autopilot.”

“—I didn’t think you’d wake up from the coma so quickly.”

Kam pressed her lips together before continuing.

“—I brought you here because I needed to talk to you,” Kam said. “—My mother told me she explained everything to you… and even so, you decided to leave.”
She clenched her hands on her lap.

Her voice trembled.

“—You have no idea how much I looked for you.”

Sally didn’t answer.

“—I know you’re suffering,” Kam added more quietly. “I really do. But don’t try to carry everything on your own.”

Kam placed both hands on the table.

“—We’re doing everything we can so you can have a different life.”

Sally closed her eyes for a moment.

She knew Kam was right.

That was why she didn’t argue.

She only listened.

“—There’s something else,” Kam said after a brief pause. “We found your father… in Nagano.”

Sally tensed.

“—It took my father and me a little while,” Kam continued. “But the resemblance between you was impossible to ignore.”

“—We explained everything to him.”

“—The news hit him hard… but he agreed to come.”

“—My father gave him his number. He called us yesterday. He said he’ll arrive in Kyoto between tomorrow and the day after.”

Silence fell between them.

“—Kam…” Sally finally said. “I’m grateful to you and to your family.”

Her fingers curled softly.

“—I don’t know how to feel. It’s… a mix of emotions. Too many things have happened since the last time I saw you.”

“—But my sacrifice won’t be in vain,” she said. “I won’t let it be only you who sacrifice yourselves for me.”

Sally raised her gaze.

A faint but sincere smile formed on her lips.

It wasn’t joy.

It was accepted resignation, restrained hope…

and a pain she still didn’t know how to make disappear.

Kam watched her in silence.

This isn’t the Sally I knew, she thought.

But she didn’t look away.

Even so…
Even if you’re not the way I remember you, I know it’s you.
Now you show more of your true face. It wasn’t just because of me… or my parents. It was many things.

Kam smiled sadly.

But you’ll always be my best friend.

She extended her hand.

And my sister, Sally.