プロダクションGAIA

Anime-style illustration: “Now let’s go, Amuro. Our destination is Aizu, a town of history and steam rising from hot springs!” The group boarded a retro express train that still retained the vestiges of the Showa and Heisei eras. Spread out inside the car were local, simple ekiben (station lunch boxes) prepared by Rabbit Onee-san, and a ramune bottle. The carbonated drink, popping with a pleasant “shupōn” sound, gradually melts the lump stuck in Amuro’s chest little by little. The scenery visible through the train window changes from concrete cityscapes to the beautiful mountains of Aizu, painted in shades of red and yellow.

Amuro runs away from the family restaurant with anime-style illustrations, and ends up at a quiet, deserted park. The evening sun streams in, and he sits alone on a bench that’s set there all by itself, and the tears he’s been holding back start spilling over. The faint sound of cheerful laughter from the family restaurant, heard in the distance, only deepens Amuro’s loneliness.

Anime-style illustration. "Ugh… no, why is this happening, waaaaaaaaah!!!" In the silent room, Amel threw herself face-first onto the bed and broke down crying loudly. During the Christmas party, everyone got the presents they wanted and was smiling, but he was the only one (a high school boy) who got nothing. The sadness and frustration he’d been holding back overflowed as tears and wouldn’t stop.

Anime-style illustration. For some reason, the box never arrived in front of Amuro, no matter how long they waited. The event coordinator’s face turned pale, and they checked the order form with trembling hands. “I-I can’t believe this… is it really true… the supplier made a complete ordering mistake, and only Amuro’s gift was omitted from the list…” “Wait… there really isn’t one for me…” Amuro, who had been in the best mood, fell from the top to the bottom in an instant, his shoulders slumping dejectedly. “Heh heh… well, it’s okay. If everyone’s enjoying themselves, I… snif… wahh…” Amuro tried to force a smile, but finally couldn’t hold back his tears, which streamed down and soaked his chest.