From the first day at the university, Taro Yamamoto had the impression that the walls of the institution were gradually closing around him. Strangely, he had never been able to integrate among his comrades. Maybe it was his way of speaking, a little too intellectual for some, or his clothing style, which mixed comfort and clumsiness. Still, the muffled laughter and whispers of contempt seemed to accompany him everywhere, like a persistent shadow.
The days passed, each seeming longer than the previous one. Taro attended his classes, took notes, but he felt alone. The students around him formed groups, exchanged jokes and confidences, while he was content to observe, a dull loneliness gnawed at him inside. During breaks, he sat at an isolated table, pretending to immerse himself in his books, but in reality, he could not help but feel this deep pain of constant rejection.
Even the teachers sometimes seemed to ignore it. His questions and interventions in class were often received with boredom or indifference. This feeling of being invisible undermined him. Yet Yamamoto had a dream. He wanted to become a writer, transmit emotions through his words, share his thoughts. But this isolation, this wall erected around him, hindered his creative momentum.
One afternoon, after a particularly exhausting day, Taro decides to take a different path home. He took a path that led him to a small river lined with trees, where the water shimmered under the rays of the setting sun. It was a peaceful place, a striking contrast to the tumult of his days at the university. By walking, he tries to empty his mind, to leave aside his dark thoughts.
As he strides from the path, an unexpected agitation catches his attention. The surface of the water was clouded. His eyes widened when he saw a figure, a young girl, in trouble in the water. She struggled, her cries drowned by the sound of the waves. Instinctively, something in him woke up. He couldn't stay there, impassive. Except that... he didn't know this girl, he had never been good at attracting people to him. But his heart was beating at all the start, and an inner voice told him to react.
Without hesitation, Taro ran towards the river. The water was cold and sharp, but he dived into it. Each pump stroke brought him closer to her, fighting against the current that was trying to take him away. His muscles screamed in pain, but he advanced. The distance, although the distressing, decreased. Between two breaths, he shouted at her to fight.
-Hang in there, I'm coming to pick you up!
Hoping that his determination would give him extra strength.
He finally reached the girl, grabbing her by the arm. She was almost unconscious, her eyes closed, only the sound of the water betraying her fight for life. With a final effort, Yamamoto attracts him to him, his own strength starting to abandon him. The current was ruthless, and he felt himself gradually sinking into exhaustion. However, he could not give up. Not now. Not after so much effort.
Every meter he ran towards the shore was a battle. His body, weighed down by water, threatened to surrender. He faltered, but the image of the girl pushed him to continue. With a last breath, he realized that he was close to the edge. He could almost touch the roots of the trees, make his way to safety. But the exhaustion was stronger than his will. He felt his muscles relax, a void invaded him.
The moment he managed to carry her to the mainland, he let himself fall, exhausted. As he breathed hard, he heard voices in the distance approaching. He had succeeded, but at what cost? He had saved a life, sacrificing his own in the process.
The last moments of consciousness were a mixture of satisfaction and despair. Looking at the sky, he realized that, throughout his university life, he had been invisible to the eyes of others, but that day, he had found meaning in his existence. Even in pain, he had done something beautiful. Perhaps, it would finally be the beginning of a new chapter, not for him, but for the girl he had saved.