On the streets of Kyoto at night, the street lamps and the cold moonlight cast shallow shadows on the roads.

As the crowd thinned out and the temperature became colder, the shops on the street closed their doors and the lights became even dimer.

Reya Hazuki stepped on the shadow step by step, walking mindlessly, not knowing where to go.

"Step-step-" The slow footsteps rang in my ears along with the sound of the wind.

Even if it is runaway, where can I go now?

With her face lowered, she stared at the shadow, and in a trance, the shadow changed into her mother's gloomy face, her mouth open and closed, and she spat out a dry voice.

"Your father, I have a friend."

"Help us, introduced."

「…… Very satisfied, so."

"Tonight passes."

「……」

The shattered words, like pieces of rusty iron that had been broken, burst out of her mother's mouth, passing through her body, heart and lungs.

At that time, walking in the dim corridor, walking down, his arms were tightly clenched, and this was the feeling that Hazuki Reya experienced.

Her heart seemed to stop beating, the flow of blood clotted, she opened her mouth, and her lungs were blocked by cold air.

The body was stiff and unshaped, and it was pulled sluggishly.

No matter what, I couldn't imagine that this kind of thing would happen, I couldn't figure it out, I couldn't figure it out, it was her mother who said this.

It wasn't until I walked downstairs and walked out of the outdoors that the cold wind blew the sweat droplets on my face and the water vapor on my body that I had just finished bathing.

She realized what would happen to her if she went on like this.

Absolutely not, absolutely never.

With all her might, she broke free of her mother's arm and ran.

Her mother tried to hold her, but she didn't.

As he ran, the wind in his ears became louder, and his face stiffened.

At that time, her mother's dry, high-pitched, hysterical voice cut through the night and chased the wind to catch up: "Come back! Don't go!"

"Catch her, catch her, you!" This sentence was shouted to the driver who got out of the car.

"The boss said earlier, to volunteer—is this?"

"She's willing, catch her!"

「……」

The distance was pulled away, and the voice of the driver who followed was no longer audible, but her mother's shrill voice was still chasing her.

"Hurry up! Go!"

「……」

"Why don't you go!? Why!?"

「……」

"Run, run!"

「……」

"Crazy? You're crazy!"

「……」

"Reya Hazuki - come back!"

「……」

She lowered her head, her steps became faster and faster, and the sound of the wind filled her ears, and she finally escaped from the pursuit of her mother's voice.

But...... Can you do that now?

Ye Yueli was at a loss.

In Kyoto in December, a little sweat that had just appeared was quickly dried and covered with cold on my cheeks.

Deep down, however, coolness is even better.

The betrayal from his mother, such a completely unimaginable thing, actually happened.

It's a frightening nightmare, and it's even more terrifying that it's not a dream.

It was as if he was drowning in the water and was dying, but his clapping hands could only keep hitting useless waves - it was useless to accept it if he was unwilling to accept it, everything that had just happened was the truth.

Abrupt and unprepared.

The accident happened probably so suddenly that it was overwhelming.

In the silent streets of the night, Ye Yueli walked mindlessly, like a walking corpse.

And then, suddenly—

"Hum!"

It makes people's hearts beat

The sound of the vibration about to stop rang out from the pockets of the school uniforms.

"Buzz!"

Continue to vibrate and turn into a ringtone.

「……」

Reya Hazuki stopped.

In the reverberating ringtones, her cold hand reached into her pocket, and she took out her phone.

On the cracked screen, it reads: "Mother".

「……」

Standing silently staring at the screen of his phone, the shrill ringing of bells in the silent streets rang one after another, beating his heart.

Ye Yue Limi bit her lip, and her somewhat detached hand trembled and lifted the phone.

She answered it and put it to her ear.

A low shout rang out, "Come back."

「……」

"Now."

「……」

Because her silence quickly lost patience, the deep voice sharpened again, piercing the earpiece into her ear to puncture her eardrum:

"Reya Hazuki - do you know what happened to your father! Did You Know? He's going to die, he's going to die! Do you know?! What can I do! Part-time job, where do you have enough money! He needs money, needs, does he know? Without this money, he would die!"

"It's dead!!"

The shrill voice changed its tone and sank, like a man-eating demon, roaring dryly.

"You—now—immediately—"

"Toot, toot, toot......"

「……」

The phone hung up and fell to the ground.

Reya Hazuki lost all her strength and squatted on the ground.

She drowned in the deep sea, the painful suffocation, the intense squeezing sensation in all directions, the whirring wind, turned into a dizzying roar...... Tinnitus.

She opened her mouth and poured in a large gulp of cold air, her lungs, stomach, and internal organs twitching.

"He's going to die!"

A sharp voice pierced his ears into his head, lingering in the chaotic brain.

She buried her face in her knees.

……

My feet were numb from squatting, and tears dried in the wind, imprinting on my face, leaving a burning sensation like pins and needles.

The vision was blurred, and he staggered as he walked.

Reya Hazuki grabbed the neckline with one hand and the wrist with the other, walking.

After a few steps, she stopped again and looked back.

The position where she had squatted before, on the ground, her phone was lying there with the screen on.

The bright light is evident in the night.

Reya Hazuki walked over and lowered her head to look at the screen.

On the screen, dozens of missed calls are displayed, as well as text messages.

Naturally, these messages came from her mother.

Reya Hazuki was silent and bent down to pick up her phone.

As she picked it up, she glanced at the contents of the last message displayed on the screen:

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

「……」

Reya Hazuki pressed off the screen of her phone and stood still.

After a long time, she covered her mouth and retched uncontrollably.

……

"The head of the Muroi family is a very good person, and the price is very high."

"Provided that it's voluntary."

"I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble."

"Your father is lying in a hospital bed...... You volunteered, right?"

"Reya."

「……」

"Remi?"

……

Reya Hazuki was awakened.

She stared blankly at the clearing, her mind ...... This was a conversation her mother had with her when she had just gone downstairs.

The head of the Muroi family, in his sixties.

……

She couldn't help but retch, throat again, because constantly

The ground squirmed, and the irritation of the cold wind, dry, swollen.

She stood there again for a long time, and then, unbeknownst to her, her heavy feet rose up, not knowing where to go.

……

She stopped in front of the light.

Bright lights, reassuring lights, she looked up and saw a convenience store in front of her.

The convenience store where she works.

Unconscious footsteps brought her here.

"Hazuki, why are you here?"

In the convenience store, there is a girl, she is on duty at night, and the two often see each other when they change shifts, and her surname is Konno.

Konno, who was standing behind the cash register, poked his head out and looked in her direction.

Then, after a few seconds, it seemed that something was wrong.

"Eh——?

She shouted in surprise, and quickly walked out from behind the cash register, out of the convenience store, and came to her.

Konno looked at her.

"Hazuki...... You, what's wrong?" Asked cautiously.

Ye Yueremi opened her mouth, but her dry, red and swollen throat didn't make any sound.

However, the tear-stained face and the embarrassed look seem to be able to explain something.

Konno grabbed her wrist.

"I don't know what's wrong, but let's go in first, it's so cold outside, why are your clothes so thin...... You've got ice in your hands."

「……」

Reya Hazuki was led in, came to the chair in the cash register, and sat down.

"Okay, it's a little warmer in here...... Are you alright?"

"By the way, my clothes are in there, you wait."

Hurried footsteps, and then hurried again. Konno walked out with a coat in his hand.

"Oh, put it on...... I'll come."

Seeing that Reya Hazuki was not in the right state, Konno, who originally planned to let her wear it herself, moved her hands, as if taking care of a child who couldn't take care of herself, and helped her put on her coat.

「…… Thank you." Reya Hazuki spat out a sentence dryly.

"It's okay." Konno waved his hand, "Speaking of which, what the hell is going on?"

After a silent silence, Konno asked tentatively, "Did you quarrel with your parents?" So you can't go home?"

"Well...... I used to do this when I was in high school, running out at night......

"Oh, I'm ...... Okay, I'll stop talking."

Seeing that Reya Hazuki seemed to be retching uncomfortably, Konno quickly stopped the topic.

"By the way, have you had dinner?"

"When this happens, I often don't eat dinner and I'm hungry...... I have experience."

"Sure enough, right?"

"Do you want something to eat?" Take it casually and remember the head of the store manager...... Hey, hey."

「…… Guests are coming—welcome."

……

Late-night convenience stores, with occasional customers, are mostly quiet.

Konno stood behind the cash register.

Reya Hazuki, who drank a little water and took a bite of bread, sat on a chair with her back against the wall, not knowing when she fell asleep.

「……」

Konno went to the changing room, took a staff uniform, and carefully draped it on Reya Hazuki.

When she put on her clothes, the girl's face showed an extremely painful expression.

……

When Reya Hazuki woke up, the sky was slightly bright. He was sore and wearing a staff uniform.

She rubbed her swollen, sour eyes in a fog and sat up slightly straight.

"Wake up?" Next to him, Konno, who was playing with his mobile phone, heard the movement and put down his mobile phone and turned around.

「……」

Ye Yueli was stunned for a while, as if she was thinking about something, but she couldn't hear it.

"How's it going?" Konno walked in

took a step and bent down.

Hazuki Reya raised her gaze at this time, glanced at Konno, and then slowly shook her head.

"Are you alright?"

「……」

"You should be hungry, right? You didn't eat much last night."

「…… Thank you." Reya Hazuki took the milk and bread that Konno handed her, and there was a small bite of the bread in the bag that she had eaten before.

"It's okay."

It was quiet again.

Reya Hazuki took small bites, and Konno yawned and returned to the back of the cash register.

As dawn approached, another guest arrived.

"Welcome."

……

After eating, Hazuki Reya sat in a daze on the chair again, I don't know how long, after a guest walked out of the store.

"Hazuki." Imano is here again.

Reya Hazuki raised her head, and a smile appeared on Konno's face, "How is it now? Are you alright?"

「……」

"Do you have any thoughts of going back?"

「……」

"Well...... It's okay if you don't want to go back, I used to be like that. But it's almost morning, and I'm going to have a shift change...... I'm tired, I'm going back to sleep."

"What about you? Do you want to stay here, or do you want to go out for a walk? Or go to a friend's house and get some rest."

……

When Konno changed shifts, after changing clothes, Reya Hazuki walked out of the convenience store with her.

It was a gloomy morning, the weather was not very good, the sun was obscured by clouds, and the edges of the thick clouds were escaping yellow light.

The two walked together, and Reya Hazuki didn't know where to go, but followed her without any ideas.

Along the way, Konno is telling the glorious story of her running away from home in high school a total of thirteen times.

"That's always the way it was when you're young...... I can't help it—okay, I'm going to go here."

Before the crossroads, Konno said goodbye with a smile.

"Goodbye."

「…… Goodbye."

"Well, adjust your mood, quarrels are inevitable, bye." Konno waved his hand, yawned again, and left.

Reya Hazuki stood where she was, watching her back walk away.

「……」

……

The driving of the vehicle, the conversation on the road...... The time was delayed, the early morning light broke through the clouds, and the streets were filled with the smell of people.

Reya Hazuki, who stood in a daze for an unknown amount of time, came back to his senses in the sound that gradually became noisy in his ears.

She glanced up at the sky.

The sky brightened, and the swollen and sour eyes were sour.

She lowered her head again.

Now, where should she go?

Turning around blankly, his gaze swept over the familiar streetscape.

The streets of Kyoto are full of beauty in the morning light.

……

I don't know where to go, but when I came back to my senses and didn't know what time it was, Reya Hazuki stood in an extremely strange place.

This is the roof of a high-rise building.

Reya Hazuki's head poked out and glanced down.

Street view of Kyoto, a few tiny pedestrians. Dazzling height.

In her heart, it seems that a different impulse was born, a kind of ...... The urge to jump off.

「……」

She withdrew her gaze.

He stood there for a long time, and the light of the sun tilted at an angle.

Suddenly remembering something, after hesitating, Ye Yue Reya's hand reached into the pocket of his shirt uniform.

There was a chill at the touch of his fingers.

Reya Hazuki took out her phone.

Staring at the black screen of the mobile phone, and staring at it for a long time, Ye Yue Limi stretched out her hand and lit up the screen.

The glare of the screen, and she stared at the dozens of missed calls and dozens of messages that appeared on the screen during the mute period...... It's all from my mother.

「……」

After hesitating for a long time, Ye Yue Limi took a deep breath, unlocked the screen with her still trembling hand, and clicked on the text message interface, a message from her mother.

Densely packed all are:

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

……

My heart twitched, I felt a sharp pain, and I subconsciously threw my phone away and threw it out.

"Smack."

The phone dropped on the ground and was still on.

Reya Hazuki closed her eyes, one hand tightly clenched the collar of her uniform, and her body trembled.

The mouth was open and he gasped for air.

Her hands and feet were cold, her legs were weak, and she barely held on to the fence of the roof with her other hand.

Lightheaded.

After a long time, Hazuki Reya relented, she opened her eyes, and the hand that pinched the neckline so that her knuckles turned white was released, and the hand holding the fence was also released.

She stared at the black-out screen on the ground not far in front of her, and after a few moments, she walked over and bent down to pick it up.

There are several more cracks on the phone, but they can still be bright.

She endured the discomfort and, finally, lit up the screen.

Her mother's message jumped out again.

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

……

She slid up, dozens.

[Come back soon!] Right now! 】

[Keisuke needs this money]

[He's your father, are you going to watch him die like this?] 】

[Don't you see what he becomes every day in the hospital bed? 】

[With this money, he will be fine, and with this money, he will be fine!] 】

【Come back!】 】

……

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

[If Keisuke dies, you'll be the victim!! 】

Reya Hazuki pressed the phone screen.

She put away her phone and staggered to the edge of the rooftop.

She looked down over the fence, and the sky was spinning.