I slowly opened my eyes. During the first few seconds, I struggled to focus on the environment I was in. I confusedly turned my head from side to side but could only figure out that I was lying on a bed. Not knowing where to look, I started staring at the ceiling of the room; I had a terrible headache. Slowly my vision became clearer, and I, remaining seated, slowly raised my torso. I looked around again, and this time it didn't take long to realize where I was.

The bed placed next to a window, a small television attached to the opposite wall, the bare, colorless walls, and a half-closed door leading to a small bathroom were clear signs that I was in a hospital room.

I noticed the clock on one of the four white walls of the room; it indicated 6:00 PM. My memories were blurry. The only thing I remembered was that I was about to be hit by a car.

I closed my eyes and curled up on the bed, bringing the back of my head to touch my knees.

"No, more than being hit, I wanted to kill myself," I said out loud to myself.

I started trembling. I still couldn't believe what I was about to do, the choice I was about to make.

"B-but... what... was I... thinking?" I said out loud again, sobbing and crying. My personal suffering had taken over; I had seen the car passing at the exact moment I was distracted as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I thought it was a sign. As if someone from above was advising me to "seize" that opportunity so I could no longer be tied to this life. It was a perfect opportunity that would never come again. But at the same time, I was a little relieved. When I was about to do that extreme act, I hadn't thought at all about the consequences. Who knows how my aunt would have felt?

I would have definitely given her worries. She loved me, even though we had no blood ties.

"*Knock* *knock*" Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," I said to let the visitor enter.

"Oh, you're awake. How do you feel?" It was a hospital nurse with a clipboard in her hand, coming to check on my condition.

"Fine, thank you."

"Fortunately, you're not hurt; you just fainted from the shock. If it hadn't been for that boy, I don't dare imagine what could have happened."

Only after the nurse mentioned the boy did he come back to my mind. Until that moment, I hadn't thought about him at all. Now I remembered—someone had saved me! He had wrapped his arms around me and pushed me out of the car's path, saving me. I also remembered that, in that moment of exhaustion, he had spoken to me.

But despite everything, I remembered neither his face nor the sound of his voice.

The only thing I could recall were his big eyes, resembling two black pearls. They reappeared in my mind for a fraction of a second before total darkness returned to my head. They must have been the last thing I saw before losing consciousness.

"I see. And the person driving the car?"

"The hit-and-run driver who was driving the car, he's fine too, but a little while ago he was taken to the station."

In a way, I was glad he was okay. If I had died in that accident, that man would have been in serious trouble too. He would have been charged with vehicular homicide, even if unintentional, and would have had many problems.

"After you fainted, we brought you to the hospital. You didn't suffer any damage thanks to him," the nurse said, checking the papers she had in her hand. It occurred to me to wonder where he was and how he was doing. After risking so much for me, a complete stranger, I would have at least liked to meet him and thank him. Many questions started swirling in my head: was he okay? Would I have the chance to see him again?

Fortunately, the answer wasn't long in coming. As if reading my mind, the nurse continued her speech, saying:

"The boy is fine too." I breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he hadn't had any problems from the accident either. I felt a strange weight on my chest due to my guilt, but when the nurse told me he was fine, it passed and I immediately felt relieved and a little more relaxed.

"Thank goodness. Can you tell me where he is now? I'd like to talk to him."

"He's in the next room. If you want, you can go see him. We've also notified your family about the accident. They said they'll be here shortly."

What luck—that boy was closer than I thought. I thought that after getting out of the accident unscathed, he might have already left or only stayed for a short time, since barely more than an hour had passed since the accident. But he was still here, and I had the chance to talk to him and thank him without any problem.

"Thank you for the information."

"You're welcome. Take care not to overexert yourself," she said as she left the room.