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Another year had passed, and they were already in 6th grade. On one sunny day at school, Arisa was sitting with Miku and Zul, eating lunch together. "Wow, both of you got the same recommendation for your middle school. I'm so envious of you guys," said Miku.
Both Arisa and Zul had been called by their teacher earlier to discuss the good recommendations they received for the middle school they would be applying to next year. "Why don't you join us at this school too, Miku?" said Zul. "I'm sorry, I can't join you guys. My grades aren't as good as yours, haha," Miku chuckled.
"Arisa-chan, you've looked pale since earlier. What's wrong?" Miku added. "Yes, you've been quiet since we came back from meeting the teacher earlier," said Zul, confused.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just not feeling well today. Don't worry about it," said Arisa with a pale face.
As they sat, continuing to eat their lunch, Arisa suddenly held her chest, appearing to be in pain.
"Argh, what is this? Why do I feel this pain suddenly?" said Arisa.
"Arisa-chan, are you okay?" Miku asked, her voice full of worry.
Arisa tried to say something, but before she could, she collapsed on the ground.
"Arisa!" Zul yelled, rushing to her side. Miku's heart pounded as she shook Arisa, trying to wake her up. The classroom turned to panic as Arisa suddenly collapse.
Meanwhile, in Elly’s class, she was chatting with her classmates when someone from Arisa’s class rushed in, saying, “Elly, your sister, your big sister has collapsed in her class!!”
“What!?” Elly exclaimed, rushing to Arisa and Zul’s classroom.
"Onee-chan, wake up, please wake up!" she cried upon seeing her older twin sister collapsed while Zul and Miku try to wake up her. “Elly….” Said Zul looking at Elly crying so much.
Teachers hurried over and called for an ambulance. Zul and Elly assisted Arisa into the ambulance. Elly held Arisa’s hand tightly, feeling very scared. Arisa was always the strong one. It was hard to believe something was wrong with her.
"Arisa-chan," Miku cried, seeing her close friend suddenly collapse like that.
At the hospital, Elly and Zul waited with Elly’s mom, who had arrived at the school when she heard the news. The doctor spoke to Mrs. Sakamoto in a quiet room. Elly and Zul couldn’t hear what was being said, but they could see that Elly’s mom turned very pale.
The doctor’s face was serious as he explained, "Arisa has leukemia, which is a type of cancer that affects her blood. It’s very serious and needs special treatment."
Elly’s mom’s face turned pale, and tears welled up in her eyes. She nodded, though she looked completely overwhelmed. The doctor continued, "We need to be honest with her family, but right now, the priority is to focus on getting her the best care possible."
Elly and Zul watched from a distance, not fully understanding what was happening. They could see that the adults were very upset, but they didn’t know why.
“Why? Why is this happening to my beloved daughter? All this time, she was always in good health without any disease,” said her mother, crying.
“Mom, what happened to Onee-chan?” Elly asked, confused and tearful.
Mrs. Sakamoto wiped her tears and said to Elly, “Okay, my dear, your sister is going to be okay. Don’t worry.” She didn’t want Elly 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, okay?" said Mrs. Sakamoto. "No, I don't want to leave onee-chan here alone. Just let me stay with her here until she recovers," said Elly, who did not want to return home yet. "Elly-chan, please just go home for now. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay," said Arisa calmly.
"Don't worry, you can still visit me every day until I'm doing well," Arisa added. "Onee-chan..." said Elly, feeling sad about leaving her sister. "If you say so, alright, I'll return home now, but please take care of yourself, okay?" said Elly again. After that, Mrs. Sakamoto, along with Elly and Zul, returned to their house.
Arisa had to stay in the hospital. She underwent many treatments but didn’t get better. Elly visited her every day, holding her hand and talking to her. Zul also came to visit, sometimes with Miku, who brought flowers and things to make Arisa smile. Miku even said that she and all the classmates missed Arisa so much at school.
But day by day, Arisa’s smiles started to fade as she grew weaker. Even though she was sick, she managed to force herself to smile because she didn’t want to see everyone around her feel bad and sad. Weeks went by, and Arisa’s health didn’t improve.
"What? My daughter has no chance of recovery!?" said Mrs. Sakamoto, shocked to hear that from the doctor who had been taking care of Arisa all this time.
"Yes, I'm sorry I have to say that. She probably only has a few weeks left to live," said the doctor.
"It can't be... my daughter..." said Mrs. Sakamoto, starting to cry. Mrs. Sakamoto left the doctor's office while crying. Elly noticed her mother crying and wondered, "Mom is crying again here. What just happened?"
Summer arrived, and one day, during class, Elly lost focus, thinking about her sister's terminal condition. “Why I feel so uncomfortable now” said Zul was in the same situation.
Suddenly, Elly received a call from her mother through the school phone, asking her to come to the hospital as quickly as possible along with Zul.
While waiting for Elly 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 that her daughter wouldn’t last much longer that day. She remained silent, crying while petting Arisa’s head. “Even in this condition, she doesn’t want to see me crying and asks me to cheer up,” Mrs. Sakamoto wondered.
“Yes, honey, you’re going to be okay. Just rest for now,” said Mrs. Sakamoto.
“Mom, when Elly 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, feeling that Arisa would give up her last breath after speaking with Elly and Zul.
A few minutes later, Elly and Zul arrived.
“Onee-chan…” Elly cried. “Huh, Elly-chan, Zul, you’ve finally arrived.”
“Onee-chan, what happened? Why do you look so weak right now? You told me you’d be okay before,” Elly 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. Elly-chan, you sit on my right, and Zul, you on my left,” Arisa requested in a very soft voice as she reached out her hands. Elly 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 Elly’s eyes. "Don’t talk like that, Onee-chan. You’re going to get better, right—"
"Elly, please," Arisa said, squeezing her hand gently. "This is really important."
Elly bit her lip and nodded, though her heart felt like it was breaking.
"Elly-chan, my beloved young twin sister," Arisa continued, looking at her twin sister, "I want you to promise me that you’ll change. I want you to stop being so rough and tough. Please become a proper lady—kind, polite, and gentle. No more fighting or getting into trouble. I want you to take my place. Also, please take care of Mom and make her happy and cheerful always. Can you promise me that, Elly-chan, my cute little sister?"
Elly’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’s voice cracked as he said, "I promise, Arisa. I’ll keep her safe as you wish."
“Thanks, Zul. You are the best boyfriend I’ve ever met.
"I know my wish seems a bit selfish, but promise me you'll grant it, okay?" said Arisa.
"It's okay, Arisa, you can be selfish today. When you were with me, I saw how you never showed selfishness—you always helped others before yourself."
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 Elly and Zul in unison, crying heavily. Mrs. Sakamoto, hearing them from outside the room, cried so much on her husband’s shoulder, hugged by him.
Arisa smiled a little, her face peaceful, and then she closed her eyes. "Thank you. I love you both..."
Her hands, holding Elly’s and Zul’s, finally went limp, releasing their grips. Her heart rate became a static line on the monitor. Beep…!!!
“Onee-chan, open your eyes! Onee-chan…...!!”
“Onee-chan……!!!!” cried Elly.
Arisaaa!!!.... Zul cried, both of them crying loudly in the room as Arisa exhaled her final breath.
“Honey, our daughter, our daughter has ……!!!” said her mother also crying.
“Yes, I know, honey,” said her father, also shedding tears.
Arisa finally passed away after talking to Elly and Zul about her last wish. Her death left a deep wound in those close to her, especially Zul, Elly, and her mother.
Everything felt very quiet after Arisa’s sudden death from her illness. The lively and happy girl who had always been so important to Elly and Zul was no longer there, and it felt like a big empty space. Arisa’s absence made their home feel very sad, and their mother was especially affected by the grief.
Her classroom grew quiet when news of her death spread, especially for Miku, who cried every day after seeing her best friend pass away.
The genius and smart student in class, Sakamoto Arisa, who had once been with them, was no longer there, even though only six months remained before they would graduate from elementary school. Arisa had gone ahead left them first.
Elly and Zul return to school few days later after they done everything with Arisa funeral. Zul, who had been talkative before, became a quiet, reserved person, deeply affected by the death of his girlfriend, Arisa.
In another class, Elly was spacing out while looking outside, remembering her older sister's last words asking her to change.
“Elly-chan, are you okay? We sympathize with you after what happened to your twin sister earlier,” said some of her classmates who approached her.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine now, even though my feelings are still sad about her death,” said Elly.
Suddenly, the boy who always argues and gets punched by Elly, Kudo, came to her. “I’m glad you’re back already. Are you ready to fight with us again after this?” he said, coming to challenge her with his friends.
“Hey, Elly-chan is still sad about her sister’s death. Can you show a bit of respect and sympathy?” said another classmate who approached her before them.
“Shut up, that's not your problem. It’s our problem with her,” said Kudo.
Elly suddenly stood up and said, “Kudo-kun, I'm sorry for what I did to you guys before. I always punched and hurt you guys. I regret what I did, so please forgive me,” Elly apologized to him and his friends suddenly.
“Huh!? Why are you apologized? Why aren't you attacking us like usual?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!!!” said Elly, suddenly crying. “I won’t do it again from now on,” Elly continued.
Kudo and his gang were shocked that the boyish girl who always fought with them could cry so much like this.
“Ah, you made her cry, Kudo-kun, you’re terrible,” said the classmate.
Zul coincidentally bypassed in front of Elly's class, shocked to see Elly crying and rushing into her classroom. With a bit of anger, Zul suddenly grabbed Kudo's clothes by the chest, “You bastard, are you the one who made her cry?” said Zul.
“Eh, I didn’t do anything to her. She suddenly cried,” said Kudo. “Yes, Zul-kun, we did not do anything to her,” said Kudo's friends to support him.
“I see, sorry…I misunderstood the situation,” said Zul, releasing Kudo's clothes. “You guys, can you leave us for now? I will calm her down,” said Zul to the others that surrounded the area.
“Enough, Elly, I know you're very sad right now, but please stop crying, okay?” said Zul, petting her head. “You did a great job; you didn’t get involved in a fight today,” Zul complimented Elly.
Elly went back to her seat and wiped her tears, “Zul, thank you for that. I suddenly cried because I remembered her last words and my promise to not do that. I'm not sure I can fulfill the promise I made to her before,” said Elly.
“Ah, she’s remembering Arisa's last words to her,” Zul thought. “Don’t worry, I know you can fulfill it,” Zul said. “I will return to my class now. If something happens, please call me,” Zul added. “Understood, thanks, Zul,” said Elly.
“I understand, Onee-chan. From today, I will start changing myself as you wished.”
From that day, Elly motivated herself to change as Arisa wished. Elly stopped getting involved in fights and didn’t use any violence anymore. She didn’t punch or hurt Kudo and his gang anymore. When they made trouble and wanted to challenge Elly to a fight, Elly just smiled, apologized, and said she wasn’t interested in fighting or using violence anymore until he gave up and stopped challenging Elly.
Elly also started changing her appearance slowly. She switched from wearing shorts to wearing skirts. She also kept her hair long as a tribute to her sister, a symbol of the bond they once shared. Gradually, Elly’s once combative nature began to soften.
As for Zul, he decided to turn down the good middle school recommendation that he had received along with Arisa earlier. He did this because he wanted to stay with Elly when they entered middle school the following year. Previously, Elly had also tried applying to that school, but her grades weren't good enough. This led Zul to turn down his own middle school recommendation that he had received earlier.
After six months passed and she and Zul finally graduated from elementary school, Elly reflected, “Goodbye, my old self. I will leave you here forever,” as she motivated herself to adopt her sister’s behavior when middle school started, leaving her boyish and reckless self behind.
Zul was waiting for Elly at the school gate, as they had promised to go home together. “Zul, sorry I made you wait so long. I was saying goodbye to my classmate for the last time,” Elly said with a polite and feminine tone for the first time today. “Elly, I’ve noticed you’ve started talking like her lately,” Zul said. “You noticed? Yes, I want to change myself to be more like her,” Elly replied. “I see, you want to change inspired by her,” said Zul.
"Hey Zul, thanks for deciding to go to the same school as me next year. Sorry about that; it's because my grades weren't good enough before," said Elly with a sad expression after Zul's decision to stay with her in middle school next year. "Oh, that? It's not important to me after all. It was just a recommendation, nothing to worry about," said Zul.
“When we enter middle school later, 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 anymore,” Elly said.
“Understood. By the way, that was my intention too. You remember, I promised her I’d protect you in her place,” Zul responded. “Then let’s fulfill her final wish together,” they said simultaneously, chuckling in sync. As they started to move back home, they suddenly felt a hand on each of their shoulders and turned to look back.
“Elly, did you touch my shoulder?” “No… I thought you touched mine,” Elly replied. “It must be her,” they both wondered, considering that it might have been the late Arisa who touched their shoulders earlier.
Time passed, and about the time Elly was about to enter her first year of middle school, a few days before school started, her transformation was complete. Her appearance and behavior were now strikingly similar to Arisa’s. The change wasn’t merely physical; Elly adopted Arisa’s mannerisms and speech, becoming a reflection of her late sister.
Elly’s mother, Mrs. Sakamoto, struggling with the loss, fell into deep sadness. She was overwhelmed by the constant reminder of her daughter’s absence. The house felt empty and sad, filled with memories and the pain of what might have been.
“It’s been a long time since I talked to Mom since Onee-chan passed away. She was really sad about my sister’s death and keep isolating herself in her room since then. Better I try to talk with her tomorrow morning."
The next morning, Elly decided to comfort her mother. She that already turned her appearance like Arisa, with long hair, soft pastel clothes, and a gentle manner, hoping to bring some peace to their sad home. When she walked into the room, her mother was sitting by the window, lost in thought. Seeing Elly looking so much like Arisa left her mother in shock, staring with wide eyes.
"Mom?" Elly called softly, her voice adopting the familiar tone she had heard from Arisa.
Her mother's eyes welled up with tears as she looked up. "Arisa…?" she whispered, "Arisa, my daughter, is that you?" her voice trembling with a mix of hope and heartache.
"No, Mom," Elly said gently, stepping closer. "It's me, Elly. I'm still here remember? Please don't cry anymore."
Her mother's face was a portrait of shock and confusion. "Elly, is that you? But how… you look so much like her. I thought…"
Elly reached out; her voice filled with soothing warmth. "I know, Mom. I'm not Onee-chan, but I'm here now. I know I'm not perfect like her, but I promised her I would try to be like her, to bring some comfort in her place, as this was her final wish to see me change."
"Please, Mom, don't cry anymore, please cheer, okay?" Elly said, smiling like Arisa. Her mom then remembered the same words that Arisa said to her on the last day before she passed away, "Please, Mom, don't cry anymore, please cheer, okay," which made her mother feel as if Arisa's will was living inside Elly's body.
Her mother cried as she listened to Elly. The sadness and longing for Arisa had always been there, but Elly’s gesture brought a small sense of comfort.
"I'll try to fill her place from now on," Elly said gently but firmly. "I know it won’t be the same, but I want to help you heal."
Elly's mother ran to her, took her hand, and hugged Elly tightly. "Thank you, Elly. I don't know how to explain it, but seeing you like this—it's both painful and comforting. I'm sorry, Elly. 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 after all. I know you're too sad about Onee-chan's death," said Elly to comfort her mother.
As time went on, Elly’s change began to repair their lives. Her mother started to find some peace, and Elly, even though she still missed her sister, found a purpose in acting like the qualities Arisa had loved. The house, still touched by sadness, began to feel a bit more like home.
One afternoon, Elly was reading a novel in the living room while waiting for her mother to cook lunch. “Arisa… I mean, Elly…,” her mother said, still not used to seeing Elly looking like Arisa, accidentally calling her by her sister’s name.
“Yes, what is it, Mom?” Elly replied.
“I made too much lunch. Can you bring some to Zul’s house? I want to share it with them too,” her mother said.
“Okay, I will deliver it right now,” said Elly. “Umm, Mom…,” said Elly.
“Yes, my dear, what is it?” said her mom. “After I come back from Zul’s house, can you teach me how to cook?” said Elly.
“I don't have a problem with it, but why do you want me to teach you?” said her mom.
“Because I want to be a good cook like my late sister used to be,” said Elly.
“Elly… Alright, I will teach you after you get back,” said her mother. “I’ll bring it to them now,” Elly replied in a polite tone, unlike before.
“Please be careful, my dear. I don’t want to lose you too,” her mother said. “Alright, I’ll be careful,” Elly assured her.
Her mother smiling suddenly remembered how late Arisa asked the same thing to Elly earlier. “Mom, can you teach me cooking, because I want to cook food for Elly and Zul,” said late Arisa.
When Elly arrived at Zul’s house, Zul’s mother opened the door as Elly pressed the bell. “Oh, Elly-chan, good afternoon. Wow, you’ve changed so much—you look cuter than before, and you look so much like Arisa-chan now,” Zul’s mother said. “What brings you here?” she added.
“I’m here to bring this for you. It’s from my mother,” Elly 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 no longer with us,” Elly replied.
“Is Zul here? I want to see him for a moment,” Elly said. “Please wait a moment; I’ll call him now. Zul, Elly is here to see you. Please come out,” Zul’s mother called into the living room. “Huh, Elly is here?” Zul replied. “Hey, you won’t believe what I just saw—Elly-chan looks so cute today. You have to see her now,” his mother said.
“Thanks for waiting… Huh!? Arisa?” Zul said in shock when he saw Elly. “No, Zul, it’s me, Elly. Do I look similar to Onee-chan now?” Elly asked. “Yeah, you really do. With that hair and the way, you talk, I was shocked—I thought you were Arisa earlier,” Zul replied.
“Wait, Zul, are you wearing glasses now?” Elly asked. “Yes, my eyesight has gotten worse recently, so I’ll start wearing them from now on,” Zul explained. “How do they look? Do they suit me?” Zul asked.
“Yes, they really suit you. You look cool with them,” Elly said with a smile similar to the one Arisa had before. “Elly has really changed to be like you, Arisa. If she were still her old self, she would be laughing at me right now for wearing these glasses,” Zul thought to himself.
“She’s really serious about fulfilling your wish, Arisa,” Zul wondered.
“Okay, Zul, I want to get home now for lunch. My mother is waiting,” said Elly.
“Understood…. Oh, Elly, on our first day of middle school in two days, let’s go to the school together. I’ll come to get you at your house,” said Zul.
“Understood, I’ll be waiting for you,” said Elly, and then she left Zul's house to return home.
Two days passed, and finally, the day they started middle school had arrived.
“Elly, Zul is already here to take you to school,” her mom called out.
“Tell him to wait for me,” Elly replied as she prayed at Arisa’s altar in their house. “Onee-chan, today is my first day of middle school, 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 Elly, smiling at her mother, ready to go to her middle school. “Take care of yourself, my dear,” said her mother. “Please take care of her too, okay Zul?” said Mrs. Sakamoto.
“Just leave her to me, Mrs. Sakamoto,” said Zul.
As both of them disappeared from her sight, Mrs. Sakamoto suddenly spoke to herself, “You see that, Arisa, your little sister has changed to be like you were before. Also, I really love to see her smiling like that. It’s the same smile as when both of you were playing together during childhood,” said Mrs. Sakamoto dropping small tears, feeling happy with Elly’s change.
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