From the first time she met the man named Chihaya Tetsuya, Togawa Sakiko's impression of him had always been tinged with an unrealistic, illusory feeling, and an inexplicable sense of contradiction.
For a young girl who had just been forced into society, seeing a boy around her own age dressed in formal wear brought an undeniable sense of kinship, especially when all her other peers were clad in uniforms, singing praises of their youth.
And everything that happened after that was even more like a dream.
Even though she couldn't answer the most basic interview questions, even though she wracked her brains and couldn't think of what value she could possibly have to him, even though she was a weak person who couldn't even pick up a sewing needle that had fallen on the floor, he was still willing to stop in his tracks. On that windless night, devoid of any real warmth, he gave her a salvation warmer than the spring sunrise.
It was a blessing from the heavens, a miracle she had never even dared to fantasize about in her dreams.
Even now, when she recalled the scene from that night, Sakiko still felt that his silhouette, illuminated by a faint orange glow, was the most romantic existence she could ever imagine.
After that, as her understanding of him deepened and their shared experiences grew, an unexplainable contradiction began to form in her heart.
The more worldly a person was, the more they tended to disdain fantasy and hope.
The more a person had tasted pain, the more they tended to give up on futile attempts.
Yet Tetsuya's behavior was completely different from this understanding of hers.
This was a blind man who was always willing to believe in the future and its possibilities, a fool forever walking on the path forward.
Whether it was facing Hoshino Ai, who had gambled her career and even the rest of her life, or facing a prisoner like herself, who was burdened with massive debt and whose life was no longer her own, his attitude remained the same.
"My answer will not change, Minami-san."
Faced with Mori Minami's question, Tetsuya replied.
"As long as I have not stopped breathing, I will absolutely not give up on the possibility of running toward the future with her."
"..."
The words, so heavy and so warm, made Sakiko feel a little dizzy.
In a trance, it was as if she once again saw that mesmerizing shimmer of light shining upon him.
But soon, the condition he mentioned brought her mind back from the brink of being completely lost. In the next second, his perpetually calm expression and his gaze, like that of one facing certain death, combined with his recent conversation with Minami, crashed into her mind like a clap of thunder.
Now, she finally understood the source of the contradiction she had sensed.
"...Chihaya-nii."
"Hm?"
Tetsuya, who had expected Sakiko to answer Minami with him, couldn't help but be taken aback.
"What's wrong, Toga— Sakiko?"
"This is a little sudden, but I want to ask you a question."
"What is it?"
"To you, which is more important... your own life, or my freedom?"
"..." x2.
Hearing this question, the mother and daughter pair of Wakaba Mutsumi couldn't help but show expressions of confusion.
On one side was a precious life, which one only gets once, and on the other was merely an unpredictable future. No matter how one thought about it, there could only be one answer.
And sure enough, upon hearing the question, Tetsuya's answer came without any hesitation.
However, his choice was completely different from what the two had expected—
"Your freedom."
"...I knew it."
"What?!"
Minami's face was filled with utter astonishment, and Mutsumi couldn't help but cover her mouth in shock.
Only Sakiko had a faint, resigned smile on her face.
"I always thought it was strange. Why, after experiencing so many difficulties and challenges, has your will never wavered? Why can you, who are only three years older than me, so easily face a burden equal to the weight of another's entire life... Thanks to the pressure Minami-san put on you today, I finally understand."
In the orphanage, the reason he could endure to the end in that hell full of darkness and despair was because of Hoshino Ai's dependence on him.
After leaving the orphanage, the reason he set foot on the path of a designer was because of Chihaya Anon's encouragement and his gratitude to the Chihaya family.
And now, the reason he had struck out on his own was not to achieve any goal for himself, but so that his clothes could become a source of strength for others.
From beginning to end, none of the decisions this person made were for himself. Even when facing her, with whom he had not yet formed such a deep bond, he was willing to gamble his life without hesitation. And the fundamental reason he was so resolute was... this person had never once valued his own life. Or rather, he had long since entrusted the meaning of his life to others.
Just as Minami had said, the shadows of childhood stay with a person for life. And Tetsuya's disregard for his own life must have stemmed from this.
In that case... I really have to thank Hoshino Ai. If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't have even had the chance to meet him, let alone unravel this series of mysteries.
"It's because of this that what Minami-san said just now didn't affect you in the slightest, right? In fact, after hearing about my situation, you probably started to care about me even more than before."
Sakiko tilted her head with a troubled look.
"After all, this way, all the burdens I carry will also become the meaning of your life."
"Sakiko..."
Tetsuya, who had always been frank, had no intention of denying the truth she had discovered.
"This way of living, where the meaning of your life is based on the dependence of others, should be the complete opposite of you, right?"
"Yes. At the very least, I can't imagine what it feels like to live a life like a moth."
Sakiko said.
"But in that case, it gives me one more reason to continue staying by your side."
"That's right."
Tetsuya nodded.
"Me, who needs to be needed by others, and you, who is constantly striving to maintain your own sense of being. The two of us could be said to be the most perfect partners."
In his eyes, this incredibly stable and complementary relationship of needs was the most solid and powerful symbol of companionship.
At this moment, he couldn't help but marvel once again at the choice he had made that night.
Indeed, Togawa Sakiko was an indispensable and important partner to him—
"That won't do, Chihaya-nii. Although this way of surviving by supporting each other sounds very romantic... it's not the future I desire."
However, contrary to his expectations, not only did Sakiko not accept it, she refused him with firm resolve.
"Everything I carry, whether it's that debt or the conflict with my family, these are my own things. Even to you, whom I admire and long for the most, I will absolutely not hand them over so easily. So, I'm sorry, but your plan has failed."
"But in its place, what I want to give you is something completely different. If Hoshino Ai and Chihaya Anon gave you salvation from the past, then I hope that I can bring you a different future from now on."
"I will deprive you of the right to devalue yourself. I will make the courage you derive from this self-deprecation vanish without a trace. I will make it so you can never again say things like you did today to anyone else. I will make your life belong to you again."
To Tetsuya's astonished and dazed expression, Sakiko finally made the decision that would accompany her for the rest of her life.
"If you truly wish to find the meaning of your life in others, then Chihaya-nii... no, Tetsuya-kun, please entrust your life to me."
Sakiko extended her hand to him.
"—I will absolutely make you find the weight of your own life."