He continued visiting Keiji every day from then on, even when he had to go back to school eventually. His condition improved a bit over the time, but there were also days when the dark haired boy wasn't able to eat or barely talk at all. Since the other boy wasn't able to leave his bed anymore, Koutarou spent the most time at the chair next to Keiji's bed, trying his best to brighten his mood and make his days better.

They read books together, mostly Koutarou reading out loud and Keiji listening. On better days, when Keiji was able to sit up in bed, they played board games together or watched some TV. It wasn't the most exciting pastime, but Koutarou enjoyed every single moment they spent together.

One day, he brought watercolors to the hospital and spent the whole noon painting a sky on the wall while the other one was asleep. He got into a lot of trouble because of it, but it was worth the small smile on Keiji's features, when he woke up and saw the big rainbow now decorating his room.