Taku listened quietly.
"When I left the hospital, I couldn't go to school right away and I couldn't play with my friends. Every day was boring and irritating and I would sob and ask my parents "Why don't my legs move?"
Mom and dad would hug me tightly while crying. It was the first time for me to see dad crying and to hear my mom's pained voice.
It was the first time for Taku too to see Chii like that.
"After becoming bound to a wheelchair, I have received encouragement and kindness from a lot of people. So, I became ashamed of myself for brooding and blaming my legs...Now, I want to try sports again and I want to repay all the kindness I received through doing voluntary work"
Taku looked up at the blue sky after the rain because his eyes were full of tears.
"Well, everybody is waiting for you at the library"
Taku started pushing the wheelchair strongly.

The present situation of handicapped people

The number of physically handicapped persons in Hokkaido, as of March 1998, is estimated at roughly 251 thousand. 151,000 of them, like Chii, are handicapped in their arms or legs; 22,000 are visually handicapped; 29,000 are hearing impaired, and 47,000 have trouble with their internal organs, such as heart and kidneys.
Also, a great number of persons became handicapped due to accidents and illness.