BROKEN BEGGINING

The story begins in Kyoto, Japan.Hayashi Ren is a quiet and reserved boy who rarely smiles. Behind his calm expression lies a childhood filled with pain.Years before Ren was born, his parents were forced into an arranged marriage by their families.His father, Ryoichi Hayashi, genuinely wanted to make the marriage work and hoped they could build a happy family together.However, his mother, Aiko Hayashi, never wanted the marriage in the first place. She was unhappy from the beginning, and the relationship slowly fell apart.Arguments became more frequent, and the warmth inside their home disappeared.Eventually, they decided to divorce.At that time, Ren was only seven years old.After the divorce, the court granted Ren's custody to his father, Ryoichi Hayashi.Although Ryoichi loved his son deeply, life became increasingly difficult.A few months later, he was diagnosed with cancer.Despite undergoing treatment and fighting the illness with everything he had, his condition continued to worsen.Even during the hardest days of his life, Ryoichi always tried to smile in front of Ren.One evening, while sitting beside Ren's bed, he gently said,"No matter what happens... promise me you'll keep moving forward."Not long after...Ryoichi Hayashi passed away.At only seven years old, Ren lost the only person who had always stayed by his side.His mother, Aiko Hayashi, came from a wealthy family.Yet even after hearing about Ryoichi's death, she never contacted Ren or came to take him back.From that day on...Ren was completely alone.His childhood ended far earlier than it should have.