...I was lonely, and you were a weirdo like me. You didn't seem threatening. Maybe it was easier to approach you because of that distant attitude. So I talked to you. I couldn't tell you what about if I tried. Whether you just didn't care or were a really patient person, I didn't feel unwanted or like a nuisance like I did everywhere else. You just accepted that I was around. That was enough to smile about. I don't think I talked to everyone else combined as much as I talked to you.

[Did he even smile before he met Akira? For something he never would have said just a few months ago, it's much easier to say this out loud than he thought. They grew together. He's grateful they get to experience all of this together, too, even if it's far from an easy ride. They both have other friends now, but...]

I don't think you ever treated people poorly, but if it meant that much to you, I'll try to smile a little more often.

[Too bad smiles don't translate over the phone.]