In my opinion:

Written much in the style of the typical fairytale, this story tells the journey of our terminally ill MC through his final days, in companionship with a sprightly, lively friend.

A friend of unearthly origins. Like Aesop’s platitudes, this story attempts to instill the moral of gratitude and happiness despite an inevitable end throughout its tale. One night in the hospital, our MC is visited by a girl. She is a young, rookie star person. Unlike the wise, ever encompassing myths of old, she is instead bright and bouncy,... more>> innocent and rambunctious. But perhaps that is more fitting, is it not? Shining incandescently like the star she claims home.

Aptly enough, then, are their roles reversed. The girl grows more desperate day by day, asking, pleading for a single wish to fulfil. She stays by our MC’s side as his condition worsens, chattering away, mouthing into nothings she isn’t even sure if he hears, or not. She wants a single wish, so, so bad. Just a single wish to alleviate the pain, just a single wish to make his lifespan longer. On the other side, our MC refuses. He is staunch. He wants not and desires not, the perfect victim in suffering yet so denying that which would make him fire again.

Even wondrous magic cannot stop an ending decided by time. In the final scene, the girl, matured now, visits the grave of her dear friend. A white dress and flowers. Her emotions tempered by time, the grief she held worn away by acceptance. A giver of happiness: was it not the girl to her friend in his final days, and was it not the boy to his friend as he wished so then?

Thanks to the author for this short story, and thanks to the translator (s) for your hard work. While there were quite a few grammar hiccups, misplaced vocabulary and odd capitalisation, it was a valiant effort and still readable in the end. Thank you very much for your efforts. Thanks to the author too for writing this.

And thank you to you too for reading this. I hope this has helped you, reader. <<less