The inciting incident—Haruki finding her "Living with Dying" diary in a hospital waiting room—binds them together. Because he didn't know her before, he becomes the only person she can be her true self with. He doesn't treat her like a fragile patient or a tragedy; he treats her like a normal person. This dynamic drives the narrative, forcing Haruki to confront his isolation as Sakura drags him into the world of the living.