"Do you know the story of Hanako-san?" a classmate whispered to Yuko as they passed the third stall in the long, echoing hallway of the school bathroom.Yuko stopped, her curiosity piqued. "The ghost girl?"She asked with a little excitement in her voice.Her friend nodded, her eyes opened wide. "If you knock three times and call her name, she'll appear. But don't dare go in. She'll drag you to the other side!"Yuko rolled her eyes. Urban legends had always been a bit of a yawn for her, but also, they had some kind of strange, mysterious power. "I'm not scared," she said, mostly to convince herself.The bathroom was empty, save for the distant sound of a running faucet. Yuko approached the stall, her heart thumping in her chest. The door was slightly ajar, revealing a slice of shadow within. With a deep breath, she raised her hand and knocked three times, the sound reverberating through the tiles."Hanako-san, Hanako-san, are you there?" she called out, her voice quavering. The silence was thick, and she felt a chill run down her spine.Suddenly, the door creaked open wider, revealing a figure that was definitely not what she had expected. Instead of the girl with bobbed hair and a red skirt, a boy with a shy smile and a tattered school uniform stood before her. He had the same unkempt look as the ghost she'd heard about, but the eyes, those were unmistakably filled with a gentle sadness."H-hello?" she stuttered, taking a step back.The boy looked surprised, then embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm not who you're looking for."Yuko's heart raced as she took in the unexpected sight. The legend was wrong, but she couldn't just leave. She stepped closer, her curiosity overpowering her fear. "Who are you?"He averted his gaze, his cheeks flushing a soft pink. "I'm... I was a student here," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "But now, I'm just stuck here."Yuko frowned, her mind racing. This was definitely not part of the story she'd heard. "Why are you here?" she asked gently.The boy took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping. "It's a long story," he said, his voice filled with a quiet pain. "But I think you might be the first person in a long time to actually listen."Yuko nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "I'm here," she said simply. "I want to know."He looked up at her, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Thank you," he murmured. "My name is Hiroshi....at least...please call me in this name...."Yuko silently nodded, and Hiroshi began to tell his tale, his voice echoing softly in the empty bathroom. He spoke of a time when he had to be a girl named Hanako, yet still happy and carefree as a child, until she turned thirteen, and.....yes, some things happened. He felt trapped in a body that didn't reflect who he truly was. His classmates teased him, calling him "Hanako-san" instead of "Hanako-kun," wich was his old nickname, and he grew more and more miserable as the years went by.The school had been his sanctuary, but it had also become his prison. He'd tried to tell his friends and family, but they didn't understand. They thought he was just going through a phase, that he'd grow out of it. But Hiroshi knew that wasn't true. He was a boy, no matter what anyone said.One fateful day, unable to bear the pain any longer, he'd made a decision. He'd come to this very bathroom, the third stall, and ended his life. His spirit remained, bound to the place where he'd found the strength to finally be himself, even if it was only in death.Yuko listened, her heart aching for the lost soul in front of her. She couldn't imagine the pain he must have felt, the isolation and fear. "Hiroshi," she said when he finished, "I'm sorry for what you went through."He looked at her, surprised. "Why?""Because no one should have to go through that alone," she replied. "And now you don't have to be."A small smile touched his lips, the first genuine one she'd seen since he appeared. "Thank you," he said, his voice filled with a quiet warmth. "Would you... would you be my friend?"Yuko nodded without hesitation. "Of course," she said. "We can talk whenever you want."The bond between them grew stronger as the days passed. Yuko would come to the bathroom during breaks, bringing him snacks and sharing stories from her life. Hiroshi, in turn, would listen and offer what advice he could, his shyness slowly fading away.The other students began to whisper about Yuko's strange habit, but she didn't care. She had a secret friend, one who understood what it was like to feel misunderstood. And in a world that didn't always make sense, that was something she cherished.As the school year went on, Yuko noticed that Hiroshi was changing. He grew more confident, his eyes less haunted. He even started to appear in the mirrors again, something he hadn't been able to do before.One day, as they talked, she asked him about it. "What's happening to you?"He looked at her, his smile brighter than ever. "I think... I think you're helping me move on," he said. "Your kindness, your acceptance... it's giving me the strength to let go of the past."Yuko felt a lump form in her throat. "But I don't want you to go," she whispered.Hiroshi reached out, his hand passing through hers in a ghostly caress. "I know," he said. "But it's time. Thank you for being here for me, Yuko."With those words, he began to fade away, his form becoming more and more transparent. Yuko reached out, trying to hold onto him, but her hand passed through his arm."Goodbye," he murmured, his voice fading into the ether.And just like that, he was gone. But Yuko knew he wasn't really gone. He was free now, free to be who he truly was.The bathroom felt empty without him, but she felt a sense of peace wash over her. She'd made a difference, even if it was just for one lost soul. And she knew that she'd always carry the memory of her friendship with Hanako-kun, the ghost boy who'd taught her the true meaning of acceptance.Word of her encounters spread, and soon other students approached her with their own stories of feeling trapped, of not fitting in. Yuko listened, offering comfort and understanding, and she realized that Hiroshi's legacy was more than just a ghost story. He'd become a symbol of hope for those who felt alone.One evening, as she was leaving school, she heard the distant sound of laughter echoing through the hallways. She knew it wasn't Hiroshi; his was a quieter presence. But as she followed the sound, she found a group of students huddled around the third stall, their faces pale and eyes wide with fear."It's just an old legend," she said, stepping forward. "There's nothing to be afraid of."They looked at her, unconvinced, until she opened the stall door, revealing the empty space within. "See?" she said with a smile. "Just an ordinary bathroom."But as she turned to leave, she heard it again - the faint sound of a flushing toilet. And she knew that somewhere, somehow, Hiroshi was watching over them all, a silent guardian in a place that had once been his prison.Yuko continued her visits to the third stall, not to summon a ghost, but to remember a friend. And every time she went, she'd leave a small offering - a token of her respect and friendship. A piece of candy, a note of encouragement, or just a simple "Thank you."As the months went by, the school began to change. Bullying decreased, and whispers of Hiroshi's story grew into open discussions about identity and acceptance. Teachers started to listen, and slowly, the culture shifted. The bathroom was no longer a place of fear, but a place of reflection.Yuko had unknowingly sparked a revolution of empathy within the school walls, all because she'd been brave enough to knock on a door and listen to a ghost's story. And as she grew older, she carried that lesson with her, never forgetting the importance of reaching out to those who needed it most.