[Perry,

Though my previous letter probably hasn’t even arrived, a bad thought crossed my mind, so I’m hastily writing a few words.

Are you in a situation where you need help? If there’s no reply by the first week of March, I’ll take direct measures to confirm your well-being, even if it’s presumptuous.

I apologize in advance for speaking so forcefully.

February 28,

From perhaps your friend, Yuan Bellium.]

[T o Y u a n , 

i t ‘ s o k a y]

[Perry, do you really need help? I analyzed based on encryption systems I’ve learned, but couldn’t read any other meaning.

This won’t do. I’ll visit you soon.

— Yuan.]

[To the worried Yuan

My goodness, Yuan! What were you imagining?

I’m sorry for making you worry, though that wasn’t my intention. I’m not the type of irresponsible person who cuts off contact and severs relationships without warning!

I heard you came to my home. Right when I happened to be out. As the landlord probably explained, I fell right around when your long, long letter arrived. I’m not a child, so it’s embarrassing.

As you know, there was a lot of snow last month. Even with my eyes, I could tell the world was completely white. Beautiful from a distance, but…… this bright snow was the troublemaker.

The snow keeps piling up as soon as it’s cleared, and it doesn’t avoid tactile paving blocks. The yellow blocks aren’t visible, and the cane keeps slipping, so what could I do? Plus, sounds don’t carry well when it’s snowing.

With all these challenges in surveying my surroundings, I ended up sliding spectacularly. Unfortunately, toward the row of parked bicycles.

It’s fine that my only winter coat got damaged, but I feel terrible about missing work for the owner. How could such an accident happen so soon after receiving my first paycheck? But I couldn’t possibly go to work with my left leg and right arm in casts.

The owner thankfully told me to rest well and come back. I thought I’d be fired, but far from it—they said they’d pay my full salary for all the days off. Since the accident happened on my way to work, they said it’s the employer’s responsibility.

By now you’ve probably guessed that I wasn’t in a position to send letters. I barely managed to get to the hospital right in front of me—I couldn’t possibly attempt walking to a mailbox. Moreover, it wasn’t easy to move my fingers.

Since you seemed to have seriously misunderstood something, I wrote a little and asked a neighbor to help…… Was my handwriting that bad?

The point I want to make is—I’m all right now! It will take longer for my leg to recover, but my arm is almost healed. Enough to write such a long letter. I’m naturally sturdy, so my leg will heal quickly too.

So, would you mind taking back the medicine bottles and other things piled at my front door?

When did you prepare all that? It took me quite a while to bring everything inside as I couldn’t just leave it piled in the hallway. Of course, I asked my neighbor for help.

Normally, I would have gone to the post office myself and sent everything back one by one as packages, but that’s difficult for now.

I understand the nutritional supplements for bone healing, but disinfectant, fever reducers, motion sickness medicine, digestive aids, burn ointment, multivitamins and—whew, my hand hurts just listing it all. Anyway, why on earth……? You didn’t buy out the entire nearby pharmacy, did you? It really seemed like that much.

I did have a cold for a few days after rolling in the snow—the landlord probably told you about that too. What kind of magic did you work to make that stubborn person freely tell you about my situation? They even greeted me when I returned, saying “Oh my, you should have come earlier! I felt so sorry for you,” in a friendly manner. Someone who normally only tells me to pay rent on time! —But that cold is long gone.

My throat is in top condition now, good enough to imitate an opera singer.

What about all the tea leaves? It’s a brand I’ve never seen before—is it in Diam’s script? The container’s design alone looks luxurious.

Whatever it is, please take it back soon. I’m really fine, okay?

March 3,

With a bit of regret, Perry.

P.S. I just realized I didn’t answer your previous question. Your letters are perfectly readable! I have a magnifying glass and a low vision magnifier. Your handwriting is distinctive, neat, and bold, so it’s better than reading magazines.

P.P.S. While I appreciate your willingness to learn braille, it’s not necessary. I know it, but don’t use it often. It takes an enormous amount of time to learn, and using it continuously makes my fingertips sore.

P.P.P.S. There’s no way I could hate you. You’re my fan, right? I’m not an actor who hates her fans. You… discovered me on stage. Don’t be too humble. You’re already special to me.

P.P.P.P.S. So, as a friend and a fan. You understand what I mean, right?]

※※※

Tap. The ink mark on the question mark’s dot darkened. Perry dropped her pen just before the spreading ink could seep into the table.

“Should I erase it……”

But she had written too much to erase. She could use another pen to black it out or paste a piece of paper over it, but she didn’t want to. Covering it would look even more suspicious, Perry rationalized as she pushed her low vision magnifier to the edge of the desk.

The carefully written letters looked the same to her n*ked eye. Though knowing her eyes were unreliable in this situation, Perry lifted her lips once and sealed the dried letter in an envelope. A newly purchased airplane-shaped stamp was placed on the top of the cream-colored envelope.

It’s fortunate that I injured my leg more than my arm—a thought that would never have occurred to her a few hours ago flashed through Perry’s mind. She wiggled her almost-recovered fingers and slowly stood up. It would be nice to ask her neighbor again, but she would have to wait until their return from work.

In about three hours, or six hours if they had evening plans. Perry looked at her casted leg once, then at the envelope. If she hurried, she might be able to insert the letter before the mail carrier collected it. Only then would her worried friend finally be at ease.

He could worry about me a little more… but that was too spiteful a thought. She had just gotten carried away by the fuss she hadn’t received for years; how shameless to expect such things from a fan.

The woman, composing herself maturely, grabbed her white cane and headed for the front door. Her steps were slower than before but didn’t stop.

※※※

[To the lying Perry

The sky is clear again today. Is the sky you see also clear? Though Roju and Priton are adjacent cities, it still takes forty minutes by train.

While my imagination has ended as just imagination, a new worry weighs on my heart. You say you’re fine, but that’s quite different from what the elderly person said. After being confined to your home for weeks, how can anyone call this state “fine”?

Please don’t refuse my sincerity anymore. We’re friends, aren’t we? I am both your first fan and your friend.

If I were only a fan, you might decline out of burden, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to turn away a friend’s sincerity like this. For the sake of our continuing friendship.

The tea leaves are, as you guessed, purchased from Diam. A local enthusiastically recommended them, and after tasting, I found them quite good. They’re said to be good for the throat, so as an actress, I believe they’ll help your vocal cords.

The medicines have generous expiration dates, so please use them comfortably in emergencies. Though not getting hurt or sick is best. If something like this happens again, I’m not sure how I’ll endure it.

……Perhaps it’s fortunate I didn’t see you that day. No, it’s definitely fortunate. My appearance was terrible. Would it be easy to understand if I said I looked like a defeated soldier who had stayed up for three nights and run around the entire kingdom? The situation wasn’t much different.

Still, I’ll believe the news that you’re recovering. If I don’t hold onto that thought, I feel like my head will spin. I trust you can imagine how fatal insomnia is for a pilot.

The snow has never been as dreadful as this year. Though pilots are sensitive to weather, I’ve never particularly hated any specific weather. I don’t have any jinxes either.

But now I think I might develop one. Thanks to whom? Oh, it’s certainly not the innocent Perry’s fault.

It’s time for me to leave now. Believing my feelings have been sufficiently conveyed, I’ll end here.

March 7,

From Yuan Bellium, who has barely regained sound sleep.

P.S. I fully understand what you said. I feel the same way.]