Synopsis
- Kanai Sarasa is a 9-year-old girl. After losing her parents, she is taken in by her aunt, where she is sexually abused by her cousin, leaving her with deep emotional scars.
- One rainy day, she meets 19-year-old college student Fumi Saeki in the park. He asks her if she’d like to come over, and Sarasa accepts.
- To the outside world, it appears to be a “kidnapping case.” However, in reality, Sarasa goes to Fumi’s house herself, and Fumi doesn’t lay a hand on her at all; he simply stays quietly by her side.
- Two months later, the two are discovered, and Fumi is arrested. Sarasa is treated as a “victim,” but to her, life with Fumi is her only source of comfort.
- Time passes, and Sarasa, now an adult, reunites with Fumi by chance, despite struggling in her abusive relationship. They connect again, but societal prejudice and the pressure of goodwill drive them into a corner.
Review
■A Relationship Neither Romantic nor Friendship
Sarasa and Fumi’s relationship is strange.
It’s a relationship between a man and a woman, but it’s not romantic. And it’s not friendship, either. If the relationship were the same sex, it feels like this wouldn’t work.
Not only is it a childhood relationship, but the way it settles into a similar relationship as adults seems unrealistic. Some people may find Sarasa’s feelings toward Fumi particularly difficult to understand.
From Sarasa’s perspective, their meeting was a coincidence, a safe and secure place where she could escape reality.
Fumi’s feelings toward Sarasa are also strange.
Perhaps Fumi needed this innocence to provide comfort in the face of the pain of her significant complexes.
■A Coffee Shop at Night
While it’s unrelated to the main story, I’m intrigued by the coffee shop Fumi owns, which is only open at night.
It’s not a bar that serves alcohol, but its unique business model is appealing.
Although caffeine isn’t good for you at night, I thought it was a nice place to take a break at the end of the day.
