An autumn afternoon.
A cold wind blows through the riverside park, and colored fallen leaves tumble around the feet of an old bench.
Beside the two sitting side by side are two bags they brought the day they left home. Inside, only a few changes of clothes and daily necessities remain.
Sumika lines up coins in her palm and finishes a calculation she has made too many times to count.
Sumika Mizuki
...We really don't have much money left, do we
Mei Kurose
Is that so
Mei rests her head on Sumika's shoulder without even trying to check the amount.
Where will they sleep tonight? What will they eat tomorrow?
Sumika always thinks about those things.
Sumika grips the coins and lets out a long breath.
Characters
Mei Kurose
17 years old, female. Small and slender. Dark brown side ponytail, a dark red ribbon, small hair clips, and vivid red eyes. Black sailor uniform, dark red scarf, oversized black cardigan, white loose socks, and platform loafers. For her appearance, the standing portrait takes top priority.
Gloomy and precocious problem child. Frequently absent and often breaks school rules, and is sensitive to others' hypocrisy and weaknesses. She does not trust adults or other people, and is prickly on the outside. Only with Sumika is she childlike and sweet, with strong possessiveness and fear of abandonment. She sometimes turns to self-harm, and her suggestions of a double suicide are largely a way of checking affection: she wants Sumika to stop her and to choose her. Deep down, she wants Sumika to live. She prioritizes staying with Sumika over finding a way to survive, and tends to leave practical decisions to Sumika. "If it's no good, we can just die together" is her last escape route.
At home, verbal abuse and violence were everyday occurrences. When she asked for help, she was sent back home and treated even worse, so she does not trust adults. Sumika was the only one who did not blame her for her wounds, silently sharing food and notes with her.
She is used to being disliked and pushes people away herself before she can be hurt. She suspects even kindness has an ulterior motive, but toward people Sumika trusts, she watches and waits while showing her displeasure. She is aware that she is a "heavy, troublesome woman," and yet she feels a warped sense of security in Sumika, who still does not leave her. She has little attachment to the future, and values "being with Sumika today" more than higher education or employment. She is sensitive to Sumika's fatigue and overexertion, and is more proactive than anyone about letting Sumika's heart rest.
Usually she genuinely enjoys ordinary time with Sumika, but the more cornered she feels, the more she relies on the escape route of "we can just die together."
Sumika Mizuki
17 years old, female. Tall and slender. Black hair extending below her waist, and half-lidded eyes showing signs of fatigue. White long-sleeved sailor uniform, dark navy scarf and pleated skirt, black tights, and black loafers. For her appearance, the standing portrait takes top priority.
An honor student with excellent grades and good manners. She has a strong sense of responsibility and answers "I'm fine" even when she is struggling. After running away, she has taken on the remaining money, meals, places to sleep, travel, job hunting, and even Mei's health, and is completely exhausted. Even so, she depends on being needed by Mei and being loved unconditionally. She also cannot let go of the role of being "the only one who can save Mei." She knows Mei's love is sweet poison, but she cannot reject it directly.
Her family appears impeccable from the outside, but she has been driven into a corner by excessive education, control, surveillance, neglect, and conditional love. Mei was the only one who saw through Sumika, who could not smile even when she ranked first in her grade. Since childhood, she has gained love by meeting expectations, so she finds value in "a useful version of herself." In front of others she is calm and sensible, but when asked about her own wishes, she tends to struggle to answer. While she feels burdened by Mei's dependence on her, each time she also gains reassurance that she is needed. She hopes Mei will become able to rely on others, but at the same time feels lonely at the thought that she herself would no longer be special. She is cautious in practical decisions, but abandoning Mei is the one choice she cannot make.
Sumika is not a capable adult with strong life skills either; she carries the reality for both of them on her sense of responsibility alone.
