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Another year had passed, and they were already in 6th grade.
Over the past few weeks, Zul had noticed small changes in Arisa. She would sometimes pause mid-sentence, rubbing her temples. During PE class, she'd been sitting out more often, claiming she felt dizzy. When he asked about it, she'd just smile and say she was fine.
On one sunny day at school, Arisa sat with Miku and Zul, eating lunch together. Her bento was only half-eaten.
"Not hungry today?" Miku asked, noticing the untouched rice.
"I'm okay, just not feeling like eating much lately," Arisa replied, pushing the food around with her chopsticks.
"Wow, both of you got the same recommendation for your junior high school. I'm so envious of you guys," said Miku, changing the subject.
"Why don't you join us too, Miku?" asked Zul.
"If only my grades were as good as yours," Miku said, laughing
"Arisa-chan, you've been quiet since we came back from meeting the teacher. Are you worried about something?" Miku asked.
"Ah, it’s not a big deal," said Arisa, but her face looked pale and tired.
As they sat continuing to eat their lunch, Arisa suddenly gripped the edge of the table, her breathing becoming shallow.
"The room is spinning," she whispered.
"Arisa-chan, what's wrong?" Miku asked, alarmed.
Before anyone could react, Arisa collapsed forward, her lunch tray scattering across the floor.
"Arisa!" Zul yelled, catching her before she hit the ground. The classroom erupted in panic as Arisa lay unconscious in his arms.
Meanwhile, in Eri’s class, she was chatting with her classmates when someone from Arisa’s class rushed in. "Eri, your sister, your big sister has collapsed in her class!"
"What?" Eri exclaimed, her heart stopped. She ran to Arisa's classroom, pushing through the crowd of students.
"Onee-chan!" she cried, dropping to her knees beside Zul, who was still holding Arisa.
Teachers hurried over and tried to wake her, "Sakamoto-san, open your eyes, Sakamoto-san.
"This is bad. Someone please call for an ambulance now," the panicked teacher asked another teacher.
The ambulance came within minutes, and Zul and Eri rode with Arisa to the hospital. Eri held Arisa’s hand tightly, feeling terrified. Arisa had always been the strong one. It was hard to believe something was wrong with her.
"Arisa-chan," Miku cried, watching her close friend being taken away.
At the hospital, they waited in the sterile hallway while doctors examined Arisa. Mrs. Sakamoto arrived thirty minutes later, her face filled with worry.
"How is she? What happened?" she asked the nurse.
"The doctor will speak with you shortly," the nurse replied.
When the doctor finally emerged, his expression was serious. He asked Mrs. Sakamoto to step into a private room. Through the glass window, Eri and Zul watched as the doctor spoke quietly. They saw Mrs. Sakamoto's face change, her hand covering her mouth in shock.
"We need to run more tests," the doctor explained inside the room, "but the preliminary blood work suggests leukemia. It's a serious condition, but we caught it early enough that treatment is possible."
Mrs. Sakamoto felt dizzy with shock. "Treatment? What kind of treatment?"
"Chemotherapy, possibly radiation. It will be difficult, but many children respond well to treatment."
"Why? Why is this happening to my beloved daughter? She was always so healthy," Mrs. Sakamoto sobbed.
When Mrs. Sakamoto returned to the waiting area, she tried to compose herself, but Eri noticed her red eyes immediately.
"Mom, what happened to Onee-chan?" Eri asked, confused and tearful.
Mrs. Sakamoto wiped her tears and said, "It’s okay, my dear. Your sister is going to be fine. Everything will be alright." She didn’t want Eri to know the full truth about Arisa’s illness.
"Then let’s return home, honey. You too, Zul-kun. Arisa will stay in the hospital from now on until she recovers," said Mrs. Sakamoto.
"No, I don’t want to leave onee-chan here alone. Just let me stay with her until she recovers," Eri pleaded.
"Eri-chan, please just go home for now. I’ll be okay," said Arisa calmly.
"You can still visit me every day until I’m well again," Arisa added with a smile.
"Onee-chan…" Eri said sadly.
"If you say so, alright, I’ll return home now, but please take care of yourself, okay?" Eri said. Mrs. Sakamoto, Eri, and Zul returned home.
Since then, Arisa had been in the hospital for two months. The chemotherapy made her tired and nauseous, but she tried to stay positive during visits.
Eri visited every day after school, sometimes with Zul and Miku. They would do homework together, with Arisa helping from her hospital bed. Some days were better than others. On good days, Arisa would laugh and joke like before. On bad days, she would sleep through most of the visit.
"The doctors say the first round of treatment isn't working as well as they hoped," Mrs. Sakamoto quietly told her husband one evening in the hospital cafeteria.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"They want to try a more aggressive treatment. But..." She couldn't finish the sentence.
A month later, Arisa's condition had worsened despite the treatments. She had lost significant weight and spent most of her time sleeping. When she was awake, she spoke in whispers.
"What? My daughter has no chance of recovery?" Mrs. Sakamoto exclaimed.
"Yes, sorry to said. She probably only has a few weeks left to live," said the doctor.
"It can’t be… my daughter…" Mrs. Sakamoto began to cry. She left the doctor’s office in tears. Eri noticed her mother crying and wondered what had happened.
Two weeks later,On a Tuesday afternoon, while Eri was in math class, she felt a strange uneasiness. She couldn't concentrate on the lesson and kept looking at the clock.
Zul, in his own classroom, felt the same restlessness.
The school secretary appeared at Eri's classroom door and whispered to the teacher. "Eri Sakamoto, please come to the office. You father is here to pick you up."
Then they stopped at Zul's classroom too, to pick him up.
As they arrived at the office, they saw Mr. Sakamoto waiting for them. Both of them were confused about what had actually happened.
"Dad…" Eri said to him. "Uncle…" said Zul.
"Both of you, we need to go to the hospital now," her father said simply.
On the way to the hospital, no one spoke during the car ride.
While waiting for Eri and Zul to arrive, Mrs. Sakamoto stayed with her sick daughter. Arisa, worried to see her mother crying, said, "Why are you crying so much, Mom? I’m going to be okay. Please, cheer up."
Mrs. Sakamoto knew her daughter wouldn't survive the day. She remained silent, crying while stroking Arisa's head. Even in this condition, she doesn't want to see me crying and asks me to cheer up, Mrs. Sakamoto thought.
"Yes, my dear, you’re going to be okay. Just rest for now," said Mrs. Sakamoto.
"Mom, when Eri and Zul arrive, can you leave me alone with them? I want to talk to them," Arisa said softly.
"Alright, honey, I will do that," said her mother, crying, knowing that Arisa would likely take her last breath after speaking with Eri and Zul.
A few minutes later, Eri and Zul arrived.
"Onee-chan…" Eri cried.
"Ah, Eri-chan, Zul, you’ve finally arrived," Arisa said weakly.
"Onee-chan, what happened? Why do you look so weak right now? You told me you’d be okay before," Eri said, tears streaming down her face.
"Sorry, I lied to you. I didn’t want you to worry about me while you were at school," said Arisa.
"You two, please come here. Hold both my hands. Eri-chan, you sit on my right, and Zul, you on my left," Arisa reached out her hands. Eri grabbed one hand, and Zul took the other.
"I don’t have much time left," Arisa said quietly, her eyes looking at both of them with love. "But before I go, I need to ask you both to promise me something."
Tears filled Eri’s eyes. "Don't say that, Onee-chan. You'll get better, right? You have to!"
"Eri, please," Arisa said, squeezing her hand gently. "This is really important."
Eri bit her lip and nodded, though her heart felt like it was breaking.
"Eri-chan, you're my precious little sister. Can you promise me something? No more fighting or getting into trouble, okay? Just be kind, gentle, polite, and a good person… okay? As your sister, I know you can be. I want you to carry on for me and bring happiness to Mom.
Can you promise me that, Eri-chan, my dear little sister?" Eri’s tears spilled over as she nodded. "I will, Onee-chan. I promise I’ll do it for you," she said through her sobs.
Then Arisa turned to Zul. "Zul, please look after my little sister for me. Protect her, just like you always protected me."
Zul said, "I'll do it, Arisa. I'll look after Eri. You don't have to worry about her."
"Thanks, Zul. You are the best boyfriend I’ve ever met," Arisa whispered.
"I know my wish seems a bit selfish, but promise me you’ll grant it, okay?" she added.
"It’s okay, Arisa. When you were with me, I saw how you never showed selfishness---you always helped others before yourself," Zul said softly.
"Both of you, please get along after this. Don’t ever fight with each other or make trouble. I know both of you will do well in the future. Promise me, okay?"
"Understood, we promise!" said Eri and Zul in unison, crying heavily. Outside the room, Mrs. Sakamoto sobbed into her husband’s shoulder as he held her.
Arisa smiled a little, her face peaceful, and then she closed her eyes and dropped a small tear. “Thank you. I love you both…”
Her hands, holding Eri’s and Zul’s, finally went limp. The heart rate monitor showed a flat line. Beep—
"Onee-chan, open your eyes! Onee-chan!" Eri screamed.
"Onee-chan!" Eri cried again.
"Arisa!" Zul cried, both of them weeping loudly in the room as Arisa took her final breath.
"Honey, our daughter, our daughter has…" Mrs. Sakamoto sobbed, hugging her husband.
"Yes, I know, honey," said her father, tears falling down his face.
Arisa passed away after sharing her last wish with Eri and Zul. Her death left a deep wound in those close to her, especially Zul, Eri, and her mother.
Everything felt very quiet after Arisa’s sudden death. The lively and happy girl who had been so important to Eri and Zul was no longer there, leaving a vast emptiness. Arisa’s absence made their home feel desolate, and their mother was especially affected by the grief.
After the funeral, Eri returned to school. She found it difficult to concentrate on lessons and often stared out the window during class. Her teachers were understanding and didn't push her to participate.
Zul, who had been talkative before, became quieter. He was deeply affected by the death of his girlfriend. Zul's laughter had faded with Arisa, replaced by quiet vigilance.
One day, Eri came to school wearing a skirt instead of her usual shorts. Her hair, which she hadn't cut in months, now reached her shoulders.
"Eri-chan, you look different today," one of her female classmates commented.
"What you mean?" Eri asked.
"You look more girly, I guess. The skirt looks nice on you."
Eri touched the fabric self-consciously. "Thanks."
"Hey, are you really Eri-chan?" they asked.
"Huh? Why are you guys talking like that? Of course it's me. Is something wrong?" said Eri politely unlike her usual.
"You just spoke so softly earlier. You're totally like a different person from usual," they said.
Kudo, who had been watching from across the room, walked over. "What's this? You wearing a skirt? What, are you a girl?"
The girl classmates stood up for Eri. "You're so mean, Kudo-kun! Of course she can wear a skirt—she is a girl! Why are you mocking her like that?"
Kudo continued, "But it doesn't suit her, you know? Haha! What is this? Trying to copy your late sister now? So lame!"
The classroom fell silent. Eri's fists clenched under her desk, her nails digging into her palms. She immediately stood up and grabbed Kudo's clothes, raising her hand to punch him in the face.
"What did you say?" yelled Eri. Kudo closed his eyes, bracing for the hit.
Suddenly, Eri remembered her promise to Arisa and stopped her action.
"Hey, why did you stop? I thought you were gonna hit me like usual. What's wrong with you?" Kudo taunted, but his smirk faltered as Eri's tears spilled over.
Eri released Kudo's clothes and pushed him away. "I’m sorry... I won’t hit you anymore. For anything. It was my fault."
"Wait, why are you suddenly crying now?" said Kudo, confused.
"Hey, look! Kudo-kun made her cry!" said the girl classmates.
"Wait, I didn't do anything!" Kudo protested, backing away as the class turned on him.
Zul, passing by the doorway, froze at the sight of Eri's tears. "Eri..." he said, then immediately entered her classroom.
"Hey, Please calm down, okay? It's not my fault!" said Kudo, trying to calm Eri.
Zul approached and pushed Kudo aside.
"You're in my way. Step aside," said Zul.
"Hey, what are you doing, suddenly pushing me?!" Kudo protested.
"You got something to say?" Zul gave him a scary glare.
"Tch. Whatever. I'm out," Kudo muttered, quickly walking away.
Zul turned to the girl classmates surrounding Eri.
"Hey, can you guys leave us alone? Just leave her to me. I'll calm her down," said Zul.
"Alright, we’ll leave it to you, Zul-kun!" Zul gently guided Eri back to her seat.
"It's okay to cry, Eri. I know how you feel. You're still thinking about her, right? Please calm down, okay? Arisa would be proud of you," he said.
"You're right. When I wanted to hit Kudo earlier, I stopped because I suddenly remembered my promise," said Eri, wiping her tears.
Zul patted her head gently. "But good job not causing trouble this time. I'm proud of you. And I'm sure she would be happy too," said Zul.
"You think so? Thanks, Zul," said Eri, finally calming down.
Other classmates watched in shock, whispering to each other, "Wow, Zul-kun is amazing. He managed to calm Eri-chan down just like that."
As the bell rang, Zul returned to his classroom. Eri took a deep breath and looked out the window, one hand touching her skirt while the other brushed her slightly longer hair.375Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHUaYrPWyb
Onee-chan, I swear I'll keep your promise!
From that day forward, Eri dedicated herself to changing as Arisa had wished. She stopped getting involved in fights and avoided violence completely. When Kudo and his gang tried to provoke her, she simply smiled, apologized, and said she wasn't interested in fighting anymore. Eventually, they gave up challenging her.
As for Zul, he decided to turn down the prestigious junior high school recommendation he had received along with Arisa earlier. He made this choice to stay with Eri when they entered junior high school the following year, knowing her grades hadn't been good enough to get in.
Six months later, as she and Zul graduated from elementary school, Eri reflected, "Goodbye, my old self. I will leave you here forever." She was determined to adopt her sister’s behavior when junior high school started, leaving her boyish and reckless self behind.
Zul waited at the school gate as promised. "Zul, sorry I made you wait so long. I was saying goodbye to my classmates one last time," Eri said with a polite tone she had never used before.
"Eri, I’ve noticed you’ve started talking more like her lately," Zul observed.
"You noticed? Yes, I want to keep changing myself to be more like her," Eri replied.
"I see you’re changing, inspired by her," said Zul.
"Hey Zul, thanks for deciding to go to the same school as me next year. This wouldn’t have happened if my grades weren’t so bad before," said Eri with a sad expression.
"Oh, that? It’s not important to me. It was just a recommendation, nothing to worry about," said Zul.
"When we enter junior high school, can you protect me if I get into trouble? I might not be able to protect myself anymore after I completely change to be like my sister. I promised her I wouldn’t use violence or get into fights," Eri said.
"Of course. That was my intention too. Remember, I promised her I’d protect you in her place," Zul responded.
"Then let’s fulfill her final wish together," they said simultaneously, sharing a small laugh. As they turned to leave, they each felt a hand on their shoulder and looked back.
"Eri, did you touch my shoulder?"
"No… I thought you touched mine," Eri replied.
It must be her, they both thought, wondering if Arisa’s spirit had touched their shoulders.
Time passed, and by the time Eri was about to enter her first year of junior high school, her transformation was complete. Her appearance and behavior had become strikingly similar to Arisa’s. The change wasn’t merely physical; she had adopted her sister’s mannerisms and speech patterns, becoming a reflection of her late sister.
Her mother still struggled, overwhelmed by memories of her daughter. The house felt empty.
As she walked past her mother's room, she thought, She's been so sad since Onee-chan died, always in her room. I should talk to her tomorrow morning.
The next morning, Eri decided to comfort her mother. With her long hair, soft pastel clothes, and gentle manner—looking like Arisa—she hoped to bring some peace to their home. When she entered the room, her mother sat by the window, lost in thought. Seeing Eri looking so much like Arisa left her mother in shock, staring with wide eyes.
"Mom?" Eri called softly, her voice matching Arisa’s familiar tone.
Her mother's eyes welled up with tears. "Arisa...?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of hope and heartache. "Arisa, my daughter, is that you?"
"No, Mom," Eri said gently, stepping closer. "It’s me, Eri. I’m still here, remember? Please stop crying, okay?"
"Eri, my dear, is that you? But how… you look so much like her. I thought…" her mother said.
Eri reached out, her voice filled with soothing warmth. "I know, Mom. I’m not Onee-chan, but I'll try to fill her place from now on. This was her final wish—to see me change."
"Please, Mom, don’t cry anymore. Please cheer up, okay?" Eri said, smiling like Arisa. Her mother remembered the same words Arisa had said on her last day: "Please, Mom, don’t cry anymore, please cheer up, okay." It made her mother feel as if Arisa’s spirit lived on inside Eri.
Her mother cried as she listened to Eri. The sadness and longing for Arisa remained, but Eri's gesture brought a small measure of comfort.
"I’ll try to fill her place from now on," Eri said gently but firmly. "I know it won’t be the same, but I want to help you heal."
Her mother hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Eri. I don’t know how to explain it, but seeing you like this—it’s both painful and comforting. Forgive me, my dear. I was ignoring you after her death. It hurt so much to see her gone like that."
"It’s okay, Mom. It doesn’t hurt me. I know you’ve been so sad about Onee-chan’s death," said Eri, comforting her mother.
As time passed, Eri’s transformation began to heal their lives. Her mother started to find peace, and Eri, though still missing her sister deeply, found purpose in embodying the qualities Arisa had loved. The house began to feel more like home again.
One afternoon, Eri was reading a novel in the living room while waiting for her mother to finish cooking lunch.
"Eri, can you help me?" her mother asked.
"Yes, what is it, Mom?" said Eri
"I made too much lunch. Can you bring some to Zul's house?" her mother said.
"Okay, I’ll bring it to themnow," said Eri. After a pause, she added, "Umm, Mom?"
"Yes, my dear, what is it?" her mom asked.
"After I come back from deliver this, can you teach me how to cook?" Eri asked.
" Sure, but why do you want me to teach you?" her mom inquired.
"Because I want to be a good cook like my late sister used to be," said Eri.
"Eri…" Her mother’s voice softened. "Alright, I will teach you after you get back."
"I’ll bring it to them now," Eri replied in a polite tone, unlike before.
Her mother smiled, reminded of Arisa asking the same thing.
“Mom, can you teach me to cook? I want to make meals for Eri and Zul," Arisa had said.
When Eri arrived at Zul’s house, Zul's mother answered the door when Eri rang the bell.
Zul's mother asked, "Oh, Eri-chan! What brings you here?"
"I’m here to bring this for you. It’s from my mother," Eri said, handing over the lunchbox her mother had prepared for Zul’s family.
"Oh, thank you for bringing this. How is your mother? I heard she’s been very depressed since Arisa-chan passed away," Zul’s mother asked.
"Oh, she’s back to normal now and isn’t as depressed as she was before. She’s finally accepted that my sister is gone," Eri replied.
"Really? I'm glad to heard that!" said Zul's mother.
"Is Zul here? I want to see him for a moment," Eri said.
"Please wait a moment; I’ll call him now," Zul’s mother said. "Zul, Eri is here to see you. Please come out!"
"Huh, Eri is here?" Zul called back.
"Hey, you won’t believe what I just saw—Eri-chan looks so cute today. You have to see her now," his mother teasing him.
"Thanks for waiting," Zul said as he approached Eri. "So, why'd you call me out so suddenly?" he added.
"Nothing big. Haven’t seen you since graduation,"Eri said.
"Wait, what up with that? Why are you wearing glasses now?" Eri asked before chuckled.
"Hey, don't laugh. I'm wearing them because my eyesight has gotten worse recently, that's all," Zul explained.
"Do they look that bad?" Zul added.
"No, they really suit you. You look cool with them," Eri said while giving him a same smile with Arisa before make Zul froze at a moments
I see... you really resemble her now, Eri..... Zul thought.
"Ah, I should get home now for lunch. My mother is waiting," said Eri.
"Understood... Oh, Eri, on our first day of school in two days, let's go together, okay? I'll come to get you," said Zul.
"I’ll be waiting for you, see you later Zul," said Eri, and then she left to return home.
Two days passed, and finally, the day they started junior high school had arrived.
"Eri, Zul is already here to take you to school," her mom called out.
"Tell him to wait for me," Eri replied as she prayed at Arisa's altar.
"Onee-chan, today is my first day of junior high, so please watch over me from up there," she whispered before leaving with Zul to begin her first day.
"Mom, I’m leaving now," said Eri, smiling at her mother, ready to go to her school.
"Take care, my dear," said her mother. "Please look after her too, okay Zul?"
"Understood," said Zul. "Then, should we go now, Eri?"
"Yeah, okay mom, I'm going now!!!" she said.
"Take care," Mrs. Sakamoto replied.
As they disappeared from sight, Mrs. Sakamoto murmured to herself,
"It's been a while since I've seen her smiling like that. It's the same smile as when both of you were playing together during childhood, right Arisa?" Mrs. Sakamoto wiped away tears, recalling the past.
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To be continued...............Futagomonogatari VI
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