(You may skip this chapter. It is simply a reference for the setting and background. Read it now or later, whenever you feel the need.)
This chapter is a worldbuilding guide for readers who want a clearer picture of the stage and characters.It is not necessary for enjoying the story, but it will help you understand the background more deeply.
Monologue
The stage is Sogo City, the northernmost city of J-Country.A land wrapped in snow and sea fog, where not only the cold, but also people's hearts, seem frozen.
Once a prosperous port town, its shadows have long vanished, leaving behind only the elderly, abandoned houses, and silent shopping streets.The youth fled to the cities, and those of us who remain are just… breathing.
And then, in my head, a "Voice" echoed.A voice that no one else can hear.It shows me choices, and points to the future.
—This is the story of a nobody and the "Voice" that will begin a local revival.
Characters
Makoto Kudou (工藤誠)Age 16. A nobody attending a correspondence high school.After a serious illness in his third year of middle school, he lost both his future and his youth.Meeting the "Voice" changes his life forever.
Lilia (the "Voice")A calm, rational presence echoing in Makoto's mind, always providing the optimal answer.Only Makoto can hear it. His one and only partner.
Daia Satou (佐藤大哉)Makoto's classmate. Son of a fisherman. Cheerful and friendly.While struggling with his future, he joins Makoto's study sessions.
"His given name, Daia, comes from 'diamond' — a name too flashy for a fisherman's son."
Koharu Sasaki (佐々木小春)Daughter of an inn in the hot spring town. Quiet and reserved.Struggles with studying, often relies on Makoto.Like him, she feels bound to this fading city.
Maria Toraizuka (十来塚マリア)A physician and Makoto's legal guardian.Calm, responsible, and sharp-minded.She has yet to appear in the story, but will one day play a decisive role in Makoto's fate.
Geography & Setting
J-Country (J国)An island nation in East Asia. Once a great economic power, now struggling with aging and decline.The gap between the capital and rural regions is enormous, and places like the Sogo region are often called "forgotten lands."
Sogo Prefecture (蒼護圏)The northernmost administrative area of J-Country. Surrounded by mountains and sea.Heavy snowfall in winter, short cool summers.Trains run only a few times a day, flights are reduced, and inconvenient access deepens the urban-rural divide.Ancient shrines in the mountains, hot springs in the valleys, and fading port towns along the coast.
Sogo City (蒼護市)The central city of the Sogo region. Once thriving with fishing and shipping, now hollowed out by aging and depopulation.In winter, sea fog blankets the streets, with only scattered streetlights glowing in the snow.Called a "terminal city," it stands as a symbol of J-Country's declining countryside.
Misaka City (三坂市)About an hour by train from Sogo.With its general hospital and shopping centers, it remains relatively lively.But shuttered shops and fading nightlife reveal the cracks of decline.Population loss and aging creep here too.This city also hosts the military base of the United West (UW) — what locals simply call "U-Country."