Part 1

I swung my feet absentmindedly.

…No, that was a lie.

It was getting a bit chilly. The wind—there it was again, always ruining my moment. But even so, it was worth it.

After all, the view from here was unbeatable.

Right atop the park, on a hill surprisingly tall for being in the middle of town. It could probably compete with most office buildings. Down below, people walked their pets near the main fountain—flat ground, plenty of space for them to play. But for me?

This was the best spot.

If you kept going up, you'd run into overgrown bushes. Past that, though, was a hidden clearing, almost like a secret viewpoint. A worn-out wooden fence surrounded it. No path led here. Maybe some lazy city planner from long ago just forgot about it.

But that just made it all the better for me.

Up here, I had the whole world to myself.

The park lights never fully turned off, only dimming slightly—a stark contrast to the blinding main streets. But on nights like this, its beauty truly stood out.

My eighth night in a row coming here.

But tonight was special.

A massive full moon hung above me, its silvery glow blanketing the dimly lit park below. The way the soft light and shadow danced across the scenery—it almost felt… magical.

For a moment, everything else faded away.

And honestly…

That’s something I could really use right now.

It wasn’t like I was sad about living alone in a city I barely knew. It had already been two years since my father died, so that wasn’t it. And my mother? She left five years ago. Honestly, I barely even remember her, so that didn’t bother me either.

No. What was really weighing on me—

—I was broke.

A few days ago, I finally used up the last of my savings.

I’d already tried looking for a job, but no one wanted to hire a 17-year-old. Too young to fend for myself. Too old to be looked after.

And I didn’t know how to do anything.

So, yeah. I didn’t blame them. I wouldn’t hire me either.

Couldn’t afford school anymore, so they kicked me out. Not that I liked it or anything, but at least the student dorms gave me a place to stay.

Now? No bed. No money.

…And I think I’m starting to smell. That’s disgusting.

Normally, I'd just think my way out of situations like this. But this time…

Damn.

I’m really not in a good place.

I started coming to this park a few months after I ended up alone.

I don’t know why I was drawn to it. Maybe it was the height. The view.

…Or the fall.

It really was a magical place. But the fence I sat on stood right at the edge of one of the cliffs. Fifteen meters or so—not a huge drop, but high enough.

High enough to do serious damage.

A normal person would back away. Or, at the very least, not sit so casually at the edge like I was.

But to me, it just felt… right.

I still don’t know why.

Maybe I was waiting for the fence to give in one day—to free me from this.

Maybe I was waiting for the wind to finally push me over.

Behind me, the bushes rustled. Probably some rabbit wondering what the hell I was doing here. Or maybe it was laughing at me, at how pathetic I must have looked—

—now that I was standing up.

A breeze picked up.

…Funnily enough, it was coming from behind me.

Almost like it was… telling me to do it.

A divine sign?

Maybe it’s trying to tell me I’ve gone on long enough.

Maybe there’s no point in continuing.

Well… who was I to go against the will of the heavens?

I don’t know what kind of expression I was making.

A mix of happiness and resentment, probably.

Not at the world.

At myself.

For finally having the courage to act—yet not the wits to save myself.

My mind went blank.

I thought people were supposed to see their life flash before their eyes in their final moments.

But all I saw was white.

Like a perfectly still, undisturbed lake.

…Strange.

Wasn’t this taking too long?

I opened my eyes.

The fall was still beneath me.

I was still leaning forward.

…But something was different.

A pair of arms were wrapped around my waist.