Makoto Mizukami (1945) Age: 18 Height: 170cm Origin: A small village in Nagano Prefecture Affiliation: Army Air Service Rank: Corporal

Appearance Short hair, almost a buzz cut. Sun-tanned skin. Slightly slender build. Gentle-looking eyes. Wears his uniform neatly, though it is not new. A white towel is wrapped around his neck. At first glance, he appears to be a "serious-looking young man."

Personality Taciturn, calm, honest, and kind. Does not show his emotions outwardly. He is a man of few words, but if someone is in trouble, he will silently lend a hand.

Traits Has a habit of looking at the sky. When lost in thought, he naturally looks up at the sky. He himself does not know the reason why.

Likes Cherry blossoms, the sound of a flowing river, rice balls, children's laughter, sunny days.

Dislikes Thunder. He has disliked it since childhood. He has told no one.

Family Father, mother, and a younger sister (12 years old). There is a significant age gap with his sister, and he was a kind older brother who used to tie her hair when she was little. On the day of his departure, his mother did not say, "Come back safely." She simply retied his shoelaces.

At the Lodgings He wakes up earlier than anyone else in the morning. He cleans. He does laundry. He sews torn uniforms. He does not do anything to stand out. However, those around him think of him as a "kind person."

Koichi Takahashi (Modern Day)

• Age: 89
• Gender: Male
• Son of Shizue Takahashi, the former landlady of the special attack corps lodgings.
• Currently gives lectures only a few times a year at the request of local history societies and schools.
• He continues to speak not because he wants to convey the war itself, but because he wants to hand over the memory that "that young man certainly lived" to someone else.
• A type who speaks in a calm tone and only answers what is asked. He does not give moralizing speeches on his own.
• When he looks up at the sky, he remembers the figure of that young man he met at the riverbank.

Koichi Takahashi (1945) 10 years old at the time.

Son of Shizue Takahashi, the landlady of the special attack corps lodgings. He likes reading books and maps while helping his mother. He couldn't understand much about the war, but he remembers the sound of air raids and the anxious faces of people well.

Relationship The boy calls Mizukami "Onii-san." Mizukami remembers the boy's name. However, the boy does not know Mizukami's name. The two do not talk every day. They just chat a little when they meet. It is not a special relationship. That is precisely why it remains in his memory for so long.