“I like your solitude,” said Hisa Sokabe when she asked me to be her friend.

But why? I was the complete opposite of Hisa – the school’s queen in terms of social ranking.

I may not have been friendless, but neither was I friendly. I could acquaint myself with my classmates, but it never went beyond that. I liked my personal space too much, so sharing it with someone never occurred to me.

That was until she began inviting me to hang out.

We usually met on Sunday mornings, as she had meet-ups with other friends later in the afternoon.

I never minded this.

Because spending time with her was fun. Hisa knew how to make an adventure out of window shopping. She also knew a lot of good cafés. Eating food that tasted better than my cooking was a good change. “Still, why?” I asked her. “You said you like that I appreciate solitude, yet you’re spending time with me.”

“Old habit,” she said. “I always do things with someone, so even when being alone, I need help.”

“With what?”

“I like my friends,” Hisa continued. “I am thankful that they always put up with me. Though, often enough, it feels like I have relied on them way more than they could everrely on me. That’s why I want to explore this alternative—”

“So that’s where I come in?” I asked. “To show you my way of life?”

“The way you live without depending on anybody,” she said with a smile. “I want to be able to do it more. So if people have enough of me one day, I might be able to hold myself somehow and say with confidence that I would be fine on my own.”