[JapanUrbanLegend] A Game of Memories
Ryota took out the old Game Boy and recalled the memories buried deep in his mind. The game "Saga2" was a special item that reminded him of his childhood, particularly his time in the hospital. However, those memories were always filled with regret and longing.
Since childhood, Ryota had suffered from severe asthma. He was often taken to the hospital, and by the time he was in 5th grade, his condition worsened to the point where he had to go to the hospital every day. Eventually, he was hospitalized for three weeks and had to stay in a four-person ward.
In the hospital room, there were an elderly woman, a middle-aged man, and a girl about his age. Ryota, being shy and introverted, had a hard time socializing with others. He mostly spent his time playing on his Game Boy, which he had brought from home. His favorite game was "Saga2." Even though he had already cleared the game once, he started over because there was nothing else to do.
About a week into his stay, Ryota made eye contact with a girl who had been quietly watching him. Her name was Sayaka. Gathering his courage, Ryota shyly asked, “Would you like to try this if you don’t mind?” She joyfully responded with shining eyes, “Is it okay?” and Ryota handed her the Game Boy.
Sayaka didn’t know how to play the game. Ryota patiently taught her how to control it, and they played together. He named the characters after the people in the hospital room. His character was “Ryota,” Sayaka’s character was “Sayaka,” and the other two characters were named after the elderly woman and the middle-aged man in the room.
As they spent more time together, they grew closer. They not only played the game but also talked about school, family, favorite music, and summer vacation memories. The hospital life became much brighter.
As Ryota’s discharge day approached, the elderly woman and the middle-aged man congratulated him, but Sayaka shed tears. Seeing her cry, Ryota was also on the verge of tears, but he managed to hold back and said,
“Take care of this game until I leave. Contact me later.”
Ryota left the hospital, entrusting the Game Boy and "Saga2" to her.
After his discharge, Ryota tried to visit the hospital several times, but his shyness prevented him from going. As time passed, just before graduating from elementary school, he finally gathered the courage to visit Sayaka at the hospital. However, she was no longer there. Her name wasn’t on the roster either. When he asked a nurse, she simply replied that she had "gone far away."
Ryota instantly understood the meaning of those words. Seeing the nurse’s back as she walked away in tears, he no longer held onto any hope.
As Ryota stood there, dazed, the nurse said, “Sayaka asked me to give this to you if you came,” and handed him a small bundle. It was the Game Boy and "Saga2" that he had lent her.
When Ryota got home, he didn’t even eat dinner and turned on the Game Boy in his room. The familiar opening music played, and the main screen of the game appeared. The first saved data was the one they had worked on together. The progress was not far along. However, beneath it, there was a new saved data.
This data had characters at their low-level, initial state. Out of curiosity, Ryota opened the data and tears suddenly streamed down his face. The names of the four characters were written as follows:
"To Ryota (リョータ)"
"Various (いろいろ)"
"Thank you (ありがと)"
"Goodbye (バイバイ)"
