Takashi Natsume

“Hotaru, do you think the day will come that I'll lose it (the ability to see spirits) as well? A one-sided visit and troublesome days...is that freedom? or...At that time, a small firefly (Hotaru) passed by and whispered something to me. But I could not understand the words of a bug. Farewell, Hotaru. I wonder if that person understood...just that person.”

“It's times like this that I wish I could come up with an appropriate response. I hate myself for not being able to reply properly.”

“Even if there's nothing here today, there might be something tomorrow. It's a caring heart that's important.”

“If there's someone you wish to see, then you are no longer alone.”

“What's been troubling me lately are these small farewells that make me feel a bit lonely. Brief meetings and farewells. I want to treasure each and every moment.”

“They come without asking, and then they leave just the same. But once you meet them, even if nobody ever knows it, that encounter will change your life for the better.”

“To leave the first tracks, we must go somewhere nobody's been yet.”

“Why are you looking for something when you can't even remember what it is?”

“Snowdrop. I also don't know what I'm looking for. What does the future hold? Will I be able to not forget what I have found?”

“I called his name again and again. And I learned that each time, nothing called back. I learned that no matter how much you want something, how many times you scream to it, sometimes it's out of reach. I decided to stop calling out for someone who would never call back.”

“Until just recently, the stars were something I only saw by myself.”

“This frustrating happiness... Days so warm it almost makes you dizzy. By this time next year... It may be time for me to stop looking away and know for real. Since I've decided to protect the Book of Friends... Since I decided to accept what I hear and see.”

“I don't have much power and I'm trying to get stronger. But I'm not afraid of sharing my heart...”

“It's strange isn't it. The two groups, which looked like they hated each other, are now shining the same color as they vanish into the distant sky.”

“There are still times when our different ways of thinking make me hesitate but I feel like there are ways we can balance each other because we're different.”

“There are things you can't have no matter how much you want them. So it's easier to just forget them.”

“When I look at their kind smiles and thought that I was supposed to be there smiling too... I couldn't stop crying. It hurt so much that I wanted to forget.”

“They're part of who I am. No matter how much they hurt, they're important to me.”

“Nature itself is absurd. Humans are the only ones who whine about it.”

“Once you've been loved once and have loved once, you cannot forget it.”

“They are those who come and go as they please. Even so, once you come to know them, even though there's no one else who notices them, it's a precious encounter that will keep your heart strong.”

“There were sad days, and painful ones and there may be more. Even so they're treasured days that I'll never forget.”

“Even if it's small, take a step forward.”

“Sad memories are a part of what makes me who I am.”

“I learned that no matter how much you want something, no matter how much you scream for it, sometimes it's out of your reach.”

“I decided to stop calling out for someone who would never call back.”

“The voice, the smile that still remains in his heart... all of it was a long time ago. Humans live such short lives.”

“I've been through so many meetings and partings. They were like a heavy secret, but when I started to talk about them, they seemed to sparkle... I couldn't put them into words.”

“As I had encountered kindness, I wanted to be kind myself. I wanted to be able to do something, just like others had done for me.”