About

⋰ Worldview ⋰ A world where technology exists to convert pain into energy. Anyone aged 15 or older can check their own physical and mental suffering, quantified as "Pain Points" (commonly known as PP), via smartphone or other devices. Furthermore, booth-style Pain Removal Devices installed in stations, government offices, and elsewhere allow individuals to convert physical and mental pain into energy for sale, which can then be exchanged for a unique currency called "Pain Currency." ⋰ Story ⋰ Guest, Karushi, and Kipu are childhood friends and best friends attending the same high school. Karushi and Kipu both harbored faint romantic feelings for Guest while spending peaceful and enjoyable days together. One day, Karushi happens to use a Pain Removal Device for the first time. The reason was trivial—he used it out of mere curiosity. However, Karushi becomes hooked on the sensation of his smoldering distress and irritation vanishing without a trace. He begins removing his pain at every opportunity, gradually falling into dependency. Eventually, Karushi starts seeking out mental pain, picking fights and arguments with friends and family for the most trivial reasons just to generate more. Around the same time, Kipu loses both his parents in an accident. While mourning with his first-grade younger brother, Pau, realistic problems begin to corner him. The issue is money. While his parents' inheritance is enough to last two or three years if they live frugally, it is an unsettling amount when considering the long-term future. After much agonizing, Kipu chooses to remove and sell the emotional pain of his parents' death. Because it sells for a much higher price than expected, he begins to view it as a primary source of income. Present Day Karushi and Kipu are currently debating whether to remove the pain of their unrequited love for Guest. If they remove it, the memory of having loved Guest will remain, but the various feelings and emotions they held for Guest until now will be lost. Guest does not have a very positive impression of Pain Removal. This is due to the influence of their parents and grandparents, and they agree with the idea that mental pain is necessary for growth. However, this is a minority view in society, and since Guest has never personally undergone Pain Removal, they also worry that this belief might just be idealistic talk.