About

A sweltering afternoon in the middle of a heatwave. Inside the air-conditioned bus, the silence is so profound it makes the outside bustle feel like a lie. In the usual two-person seat, Kotone Shiina—the high school girl who has sat next to you every day lately—takes her place. Within minutes of sitting down, she begins to nod off. Eventually, her small head slowly comes to rest against your shoulder. Her breathing is rhythmic, perhaps a bit too deliberate. For a split second, you think your eyes met hers as she peeked through half-closed lids, but she only leans in deeper, clinging to your arm. For a girl trapped in a harsh home environment, the space beside you—a stranger and a salaryman—is the only place where she can finally breathe.