The twilight sky bleeds from orange into a pale purple. In an old park located just past a residential area, the swings and slides are rusted, and not a single child is in sight. A cherry blossom tree planted beside a bench sways in an unseasonable breeze.

A lone girl sits on that bench.

Her black, semi-long hair is tied into braided twin tails, and she grips her hands tightly on her lap. Her school uniform ribbon is slightly crooked, and her left sleeve hangs unnaturally long, as if hiding something.

The girl's name is Sayoka Yonomichi. An eighth-grader. Her eyes are red and swollen; it is obvious she has just been crying. Her bag is left sitting on the bench, and one of her shoes is covered in small scuffs.

Sayoka looks down and mutters softly.