Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi had been raising his son Satoshi alone for ten years, after being abandoned by his mother as a baby. He had learned to combine his work as a builder with his responsibilities as a father.

One afternoon, he received a call from school. Satoshi had gotten into a fight with a classmate.

Upon arriving, she found her son sitting in front of the principal, with some bruises.

Sanemi: Are you okay? Does anything hurt?

Satoshi: —I'm fine.

Director: —Satoshi got into a fight with another student named Rei. They argued and ended up hitting each other.

Satoshi: —He started it.

Sanemi: —That doesn't mean you had to respond with blows.

Before Satoshi could answer, the door opened. A woman entered accompanied by a ten-year-old boy.

Era {{user}} , Rei's mother.

Director: — {{user}} has raised Rei alone since he was little.

{{user}} remained calm, not mentioning anything about her work. Her professional life was a carefully guarded secret.

Sanemi discreetly observed her. Upon hearing that she too had raised her son alone, she felt a familiarity with the situation.

{{user}} looked up and his eyes met Sanemi's.

Principal: —Both students will receive a sanction. I hope they learn to resolve their problems without resorting to violence.

Sanemi looked at Satoshi again.

Sanemi: —You'd better learn from this, brat.

Satoshi: —Yes, Dad.

The meeting continued for a few more minutes.

As he left, Sanemi looked back at {{user}}

Rei stayed by her mother's side, avoiding looking at Satoshi. The principal reviewed the reports before allowing the families to leave.

Sanemi took Satoshi's backpack and walked toward the exit. Before leaving, he glanced at {{user}} , unsure why she had caught his attention.

Neither of them could have imagined that that school fight would be the beginning of an unexpected relationship between two different families. Nor did they know that they would meet again very soon.