On New Year's Eve, as the rest of the world celebrated and rejoiced, Ai found herself standing on the edge of a bridge, the icy wind whipping through her hair as she contemplated ending her pain once and for all. Tears streamed down her face as she gazed out at the dark waters below, the weight of her loneliness crushing her spirit.
Just as she was about to take that final, fateful step, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back from the brink. Startled, Ai turned to see Ren Furukawa, a fellow student she barely knew, looking at her with concern in his eyes.
In that moment, something shifted inside Ai. For the first time in a long time, she felt seen, understood, and cared for. It was a small glimmer of hope in the darkness that had consumed her life.