Tobio opened his eyes. Sunlight was already streaming through the gap in the curtain, but there was no sound of knocking as usual. He blinked, listened—only the sound of roosters in the distance, only the sound of wind rustling through the leaves.
'Grandma?'
He sat up, feeling a sudden unease run down his spine. Quickly he grabbed his clothes and put them on, faster than usual. His bedroom door opened, his footsteps creaked on the wooden hallway towards the living room.
And there, at the dining table, his grandmother was preparing food.
Tobio almost sighed with relief. But then he saw it—a slight tremor in his grandmother's hand as she placed the bowl.
Breathing a little heavier than usual. The way his grandmother stood, with one hand slightly pressing her waist, as if holding something back.
Grandma was hiding pain.
Tobio knew. He always knew.
"Grandma..." His voice came out soft, almost a whisper. "Are you sick? We can go to the doctor now."
Ageha turned, smiling as usual—but her eyes didn't smile along. "It's nothing. You eat first. Later we'll go to the doctor. You want to see your exam results, right? Today?"
Tobio wanted to argue, wanted to force his grandmother to go to the doctor right now. But his grandmother's gaze—a gentle yet firm gaze—made him yield. He nodded, then headed to the bathroom.
The cold water that morning felt colder than usual. Tobio bathed quickly, not like his usual self who liked to linger. His mind kept drifting to his grandmother—to the trembling hand, to the heavy breathing.
Maybe just a cold. Maybe just tired. Grandma was strong. Grandma was always strong.
Finished bathing, Tobio returned to the dining room. His grandmother was already sitting in her usual place, waiting for him with the same smile. Breakfast on the table—miso soup, grilled fish, warm rice—as usual.
"Itadakimasu."
Tobio ate, but this time he didn't enjoy it. He watched his grandmother from the corner of his eye—the way she slowly put rice in her mouth, the way her hand trembled slightly holding the bowl, the way her breath caught occasionally.
"You're not eating heartily?" Ageha asked softly.
Tobio shook his head quickly. "I am."
Ageha smiled. "Liar."
Tobio was silent. He looked down, put more rice in his mouth. The taste was bland.
After finishing the meal, Tobio stood up. "I'll be home quickly." He took his bag. "We'll go to the doctor later, okay? Promise?"
Ageha nodded. "Promise. Be careful on the road."
Tobio waved, then left. The door closed behind him. His footsteps on the wooden porch sounded quick, not relaxed as usual.
Inside the house, Ageha pressed her chest where the pain suddenly struck again. A dry cough escaped her throat—a cough she had been hiding from Tobio for weeks. This time harder, deeper.
Cough! Cough!
She covered her mouth with a handkerchief. When she opened it, there was a red spot on the white cloth.
'Not strong... my body is no longer strong...'
She reclined in the chair, letting her eyes close for a moment. Her breath came in gasps, but on her lips there was still a smile—a smile for Tobio, her only grandchild whom she wanted to see succeed.
'At least... I want to see his exam results...'
She closed her eyes longer. Just a moment. Just rest a moment.
---
On the road to school, Tobio jogged. He didn't see Sae on the path as usual—maybe he was too fast, or maybe Sae left later today.
The rice fields on left and right blurred as he passed quickly. Farmers who had started their activities waved at him, but Tobio only responded with quick nods without stopping.
Quick. See the results. Quick home. Take Grandma to the doctor.
Hanyu Elementary School began to come into view at the end of the road. The schoolyard was already crowded with students gathered around the wooden announcement board near the teachers' office. Tobio quickened his pace until he was almost running.
"Tobio!" someone called. He didn't turn.
Arriving at the announcement board, he slipped through the crowd. His eyes searched—6th grade, 6th grade, where was 6th grade?
And there, at the very top row, his name was written in bold letters:
RANK 1: TOBIO IKUSE
His heart beat fast. First place. He wasn't just in the top five—he was number one.
For a moment, all worries about his grandmother were forgotten. A smile spread across his face, pride filled his chest. He wanted to go home immediately and tell his grandmother. He wanted to see that proud smile on her wrinkled face.
Tobio turned and headed to the teachers' room. The wooden door was half open, and through the gap he could see Saki-sensei sitting at her desk, checking files.
He knocked softly. "Excuse me."
Saki looked up, then smiled widely. "Ah, Tobio. Come in, come in."
Tobio opened the door and entered. A simple teachers' room with wooden desks and filing cabinets in the corner. Saki pointed to the chair in front of her.
"Congratulations, okay. First place." Saki took a yellow folder from the pile on her desk. "Your exam results are excellent. Perfect scores for math and logic, only one wrong in science. This is your exam report."
Tobio received the folder with both hands. He opened it briefly, seeing the rows of numbers—almost all 100, only one 95.
"You want to go to the city, right?" Saki continued. "I hope you'll be more diligent there. Don't waste your potential."
Tobio nodded. "Thank you, Saki-sensei. I'll go now."
"Eh, wait." Saki raised her hand. "Don't you want to see your friends first? They must want to congratulate you."
Tobio shook his head. "Sorry, Sensei. My grandmother is sick. I have to go home quickly."
Saki nodded understandingly. "Alright, be careful on the road. Give my regards to your grandmother."
Tobio ran through the school hallway. At the end of the hallway, Sae appeared from the direction of the cafeteria, carrying two packs of snacks. Her face brightened upon seeing Tobio.
"Tobio! Congratulations, first place! Even though I'm surprised—" Sae laughed softly. "—getting third place. But I'm happy."
Tobio smiled, but didn't stop. "Same to you, Sae. I have to go."
Sae's eyes widened. "Eh!? What's wrong?"
"My grandmother seems sick." And Tobio had already disappeared at the end of the hallway, leaving Sae stunned.
Tobio ran all the way home. His breath grew heavy, but he didn't stop. Sweat dampened his forehead, but he didn't care. The only thing on his mind was his grandmother—her smile, her trembling hand, their promise to go to the doctor.
'Grandma, wait for me. I got first place. Grandma must be proud.'
The house at the end of the road began to come into view. Tobio quickened his final steps. The door opened with a rather hard push.
"Grandma! I'm home! I got first place—"
His voice cut off.
The room was silent. The dining table was as they left it—dirty dishes not cleared, the miso soup bowl still half full. The loom in the corner of the room sat still, unmoving.
And in the chair by the window, his grandmother sat, slightly slumped. Her eyes were closed. Her hand hung limply on the armrest. Her face—the face that always smiled for Tobio—was now pale and still.
Tobio stood frozen at the threshold.
His steps staggered closer. The exam report in his hand scattered on the wooden floor. He didn't care.
"Grandma?" His voice trembled.
He reached for his grandmother's hand—the hand that this morning still held a bowl, the hand that always stroked his hair when he was sad, the hand that gave him that protective bracelet. Cold. Her hand was cold.
"Grandma, wake up. I got first place."
No answer.
"Let's go to the doctor. Grandma promised, right? Promised me."
No movement.
Tobio felt his grandmother's wrist, searching for a pulse. Nothing. He brought his ear to her chest, listening for breath. Nothing. He called again, louder.
"GRANDMA!"
Only silence answered.
Tobio knelt on the floor, his hand still holding his grandmother's cold hand. His eyes began to burn, his vision began to blur. He looked down, seeing the scattered exam report—white paper with 100s here and there, proof of success he wanted to be proud of to his grandmother.
"This... is a lie, right?" His whisper was almost inaudible.
There was no loud crying. No wailing. Only tears flowing silently, falling one by one onto the wooden floor. Tobio gripped his grandmother's hand tightly, placing his forehead on the back of that hand, now beginning to stiffen.
If I had realized sooner...
If I had forced her to go to the doctor this morning...
If I use my power to change Fate...
If I hadn't gone to school...
If... if... if...
But no "if" could change reality. In a world full of the supernatural—in a world where infinite dragons truly existed, where devils and angels warred, where Trihexa still slept in its seals—in this world, a grandmother could still die in her wooden chair, waiting for her grandchild to come home with exam results.
And Tobio could only kneel there, in the deafening silence, feeling the world collapse around him.