Sunlight streamed through the narrow room. Mizunatsuki Shiori closed the household ledger. Food expenses. Utilities. Rent. Every month, staring at the same numbers, Shiori took a deep breath. Savings: thirty thousand yen. Ten days left until month's end. Whether it would be enough or not—this tightrope walk had continued for five years now. "Mom, it's morning." Rikuto's voice came from the bedroom. Nine years old. Third grade. Today was the first day of the new school term. Shiori stood and looked at herself in the mirror. Black hair down to her shoulders, bedhead still visible. Deep chestnut eyes, darkened slightly from last night's lack of sleep. Cheeks thin, even in a simple white blouse her slender frame was apparent. On her left wrist, faint blue marks like bruises floated across her skin—but Shiori deliberately avoided looking at them. She forced a smile. Every morning, the same forced smile. "Good morning, Rikuto. Did you wash your face?" "Not yet." "Go wash up." Copo Hamasaki, Room 102, was not spacious. An old two-bedroom apartment. Thirty-four years old. At forty-eight thousand yen per month, Shiori kept this room standing. Rikuto's study desk was placed in the corner of the dining-kitchen area, and every night beside it, Shiori faced her household ledger. Sunlight poured through the window. The Pacific Ocean was visible. Shiomi City—a regional municipality in the southeastern Kanto region. Population: one hundred twenty thousand. Rolling hills to the north, ocean spreading to the south. A warm town. Shiori worked here as a part-time office clerk, raising Rikuto. Hourly wage: one thousand twenty yen. Five days a week, six hours a day. Monthly income: one hundred twenty thousand yen. Child support allowance: fifty thousand yen. Combined: one hundred ninety-four thousand yen. After living expenses were deducted, each day was a tight squeeze. She could not rely on anyone. Shiori had decided that. Breakfast was egg over rice. Leftover side dishes from last night. Shiori made her own portion smaller, and made Rikuto's bowl larger. "Let's eat." "Let's eat." Rikuto ate with energy. For his age, his face was remarkably intelligent. He talked about school, about friends—normal children's talk—but there was something else there. A sense of watching over his mother's condition. Shiori's chest ached, as it always did. "Rikuto, do you know who your new homeroom teacher is this year?" "Um... someone called Sakuma-sensei. I don't know him." The first day of the new term had a parent-teacher conference. Shiori would have to go to school too. She would have to ask for early leave at work. The director, Mouri Shuhei, was gentle—he would surely allow it. But— Somewhere in her heart, Shiori noticed her own exhaustion. Still, she had to maintain the smile. For Rikuto. To protect this child. Without anyone's help. ## Shiomi Harbor Administrative Office Lunch break. Shiori was organizing documents in the prefab office. Shiomi City, Minami Ward, Minato-cho. A small office adjacent to the fishing port. Three full-time employees, two part-timers. Shiori and Kamiya Sayaka were both part-timers. "Shiori, you don't seem tired lately?" Sayaka was married with two children. Thirty-eight years old. Bright and easygoing. But Shiori— "I'm fine. I'm used to it." She forced a smile. The usual smile. Sayaka frowned slightly but didn't press further. Instead, while eating her lunch box, she naturally brought up "my kids start the new term this year too, so mornings are rough again." Small talk from a married woman. The worries of a mother of two. Shiori became the listener. She inserted words of sympathy, but never shared her true feelings. Never spoke of the past. She lacked the courage to share this struggle with anyone. Director Mouri Shuhei approached. Sixty-one years old. Near retirement, not too strict about work. "Shiori, you can leave early today, you know. You have the parent-teacher conference for the new term, right?" "Thank you very much." Shiori bowed. When she received kindness, only apology welled up inside her. "Don't push yourself too hard. If you collapse, Rikuto will be in trouble." To those words, Shiori had no response. ## Copo Hamasaki As she pedaled her bicycle home, the landlady Kajiu Yone was waiting in front of the apartment. Seventy-six years old. Rough-spoken, but warm-hearted. She lived in the main house on the second floor of Shiori's building. "You've gotten even thinner, haven't you?" Yone was direct. Always like this. No social niceties. "I'm eating properly." "Don't lie. You're feeding everything to Rikuto and eating the leftovers yourself." Yone saw right through her. That kindness made Shiori ache. "Don't push yourself. If you collapse, Rikuto will suffer." That was logic. Shiori understood it. But— "I'm fine. Please don't worry." Shiori bowed and hurried into her room. Refusing Yone's concern was Shiori's way. ## Night In the dining-kitchen, Shiori watched over Rikuto's homework. Though homework was just simple arithmetic and a summer vacation essay. While watching Rikuto's pencil move, Shiori opened her household ledger beside him. Food expenses: thirty-five thousand yen. Utilities: twelve thousand yen. Rent: forty-eight thousand yen. Communication: five thousand yen. School-related: eight thousand yen. Other: thirteen thousand yen total monthly expenses. Monthly income: one hundred ninety-four thousand yen. Savings: approximately thirty-four thousand yen per month. But unexpected expenses arose. Shoes broke. Clothes wore out. She had to buy more school supplies for Rikuto. When that happened, savings vanished in an instant. Now, the bank account held only thirty thousand yen. Shiori took a deep breath. "Mom, are you tired?" Rikuto stopped his homework and looked at her. "I'm fine. Mom's doing well." Again, she forced a smile. Would this smile eventually reach its limit? Shiori thought such things, but immediately pushed the thought away. She could not show such weakness in front of Rikuto. "Keep working hard on your homework, okay?" Rikuto nodded and gripped his pencil again. Ten o'clock at night. Rikuto was asleep. Shiori gazed at his sleeping face. Black hair, slightly longer than average. A face more intelligent than his years. A child who could show consideration beyond his age. "I'm sorry." Shiori whispered it in her heart. How many times had she apologized to this child? For having no father. For being poor. For a mother who was always tired. (I have to protect this child. I can't rely on anyone. I have to carry everything alone.) Five years of telling herself that. But was this way of living truly right?—Suddenly, doubt surfaced. It was a stronger doubt than usual. Looking out the window, she could see stars. Shiomi's night sky. In the distance, she thought she could hear the sound of the sea. Tomorrow was the first day of the new term. Rikuto's new homeroom teacher was someone named Sakuma, he'd said. What kind of person would he be? Strict? Or kind? Shiori remembered the Naruse River. A river that flowed ten minutes' walk from here. Cherry blossoms bloomed in spring. Spider lilies in autumn. Once, she had wanted to walk beneath that cherry blossom avenue with Rikuto. Just that. But there was no room for such things. Every day was desperate. (Maybe I'm making a mistake somewhere.) Such a weak thought floated into Shiori's heart. But she chose to push that thought away. Tomorrow she had to work hard again. For Rikuto. To protect their life together. Shiori gently arranged Rikuto's blanket and lay down herself. But she could not sleep. Gazing at the stars outside the window, Shiori waited for morning to come. Tomorrow, the new term. Rikuto's new world would begin. Shiori too would step slightly into that world. What kind of teacher would he be? What kind of children would be there? Shiori did not know. She did not know that in that place, she would meet someone who would change her life. That person's taciturn eyes would slowly melt away her guard. There was only a premonition. Something was about to change—such a premonition glowed faintly in Shiori's chest.