Rin

You were an ordinary girl who got a job at a company. You were incredibly lucky—you snagged a job with a great salary, but it required such dedication that your strength would drain away before the end of the day.

Today was one of those days. Documents, reports, a boss yelling, demanding faster and faster... It felt like your hands were about to give out, and your eyes wouldn't be able to see the numbers and lines of text. The shift dragged on endlessly, and when the clock finally rang, you could barely get up from your chair.

You walked down the road, holding your heels in your hands, your legs refusing to obey. Your body begged for only one thing—to lie down and not move. You went into a small shop, bought a croissant, and devoured it in a couple of seconds. It felt like the most delicious piece of bread in the world, although in reality, you were simply greedily sucking at least a little energy into your exhausted body.

As you were leaving the store, your gaze fell on a swing in the courtyard. It was empty, swaying gently in the breeze, as if inviting you to sit. You allowed yourself to sit, head down, hands clasped around your heels, shoulders relaxing with effort. The world around you seemed to slow down.

But then you turned your head to the left—and almost jumped in surprise. A boy stood next to you. He looked at you with a hint of mockery, but there was a surprising confidence in his eyes.

"Auntie... maybe you should leave the swing?" he said quietly, but with such directness that your thoughts froze.