In the crowded city of Tokyo, where the streets were always alive with people and movement, everyone seemed to be chasing something.
Some had important meetings to attend.
Others were rushing because they were late for work.
And some were still searching for a job just to survive.
Some people were smiling.
Others carried quiet sadness behind tired eyes.
Shino Tasuki was one of those people.
He worked hard, even though he hated his job.
But he knew he couldn't quit.
Without that job… he would become homeless.
Shino had never been a remarkable person.
He had been bullied during school and grew up living most of his life in isolation. The only person who truly cared about him was his mother, who often checked on him and asked how he was doing.
Yet Shino rarely responded.
He never admitted that he was depressed.
Instead, he kept denying it… as if pretending everything was fine would somehow make it true.
Shino sighed heavily as he sat at his office desk.
"Ah… I'm exhausted."
He muttered quietly,
"I wish I were home right now reading manga instead of doing this miserable job."
For a moment, he looked out of the office window.
Strangely, for the first time in a long while… he found the view of the city beautiful.
But suddenly his manager's voice broke his thoughts.
"Hey! Stop daydreaming and get back to work! This isn't a sightseeing trip!"
Shino clenched his teeth and whispered under his breath,
"Tch… what an idiot."
Later that night, after work had finally ended…
Shino walked slowly along the sidewalk, dragging his feet in exhaustion.
He didn't care about his appearance.
His beard was thick and unkempt, and his long hair looked messy and neglected. Some people passing by stared at him as if he were something strange… almost like a monster.
He looked tired.
And deeply unhappy.
As he walked home, his stomach growled with hunger.
So he decided to buy some Ramen to eat for dinner.
But when he reached his apartment building, he noticed someone sitting near the entrance.
An old woman.
Shino's expression immediately changed.
He recognized her.
It was his mother.
Izumi.
She was an elderly and frail woman who lived in a rural village far from Tokyo. Ever since her husband passed away, she had been living there alone.
Even though Shino rarely replied to her messages…
And almost never visited her during holidays…
She still loved him deeply.
In fact, she came all the way to Tokyo just to see him once every month.
Shino took out his apartment key and said awkwardly,
"M-Mom…? Why are you here at this hour? Why didn't you tell me before coming?"
She laughed softly and replied in a tired voice,
"Hehe… Do I need permission to visit my own son?"
Shino opened the door while feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Come in… I bought some ramen for dinner."
His mother chuckled.
"Ramen again? No wonder you're so skinny."
Then she added with a gentle smile,
"I brought you fresh eggs and milk from the countryside. Those will be much healthier than this kind of food."
After spending some time together, his mother stood up.
"Well, I should get going now. I'm meeting an old friend tonight, and I'll stay at her place."
Shino didn't even try to ask her to stay.
Not because he didn't love her…
But because he didn't know how to face her.
Shino was intelligent—perhaps even a genius in some ways.
But despite his intelligence…
He was a failure in life.
Shy.
And weak-willed.
The next morning, Shino left for work as usual.
He boarded the train…
And once again, he saw her.
The girl of his dreams.
Her name was Asani Fushiro.
She worked at the same company as him.
Shino had always wanted to talk to her.
But his shyness had always stopped him.
However, on that particular day…
Something was different.
He decided that after work, he would finally gather the courage to ask her out.
He was unusually excited.
Especially since that day was payday.
He thought to himself,
"Maybe she'll be in a good mood today."
Soon his imagination began to run wild.
Like many men his age, he started imagining what their date might be like… and how it might end.
A crooked smile appeared on his face as his thoughts wandered somewhere inappropriate.
After work ended, Shino hurried toward the company entrance.
He wanted to be the first person she saw when she walked out.
And then…
There she was.
Walking toward him.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
His hands trembled.
"H-Hey… Asani… could you spare a moment?"
She stopped and looked at him.
"Yes?"
Shino swallowed nervously.
"W-Would you like to go out with me… on a date?"
For a moment…
Her beautiful face froze.
Then she stepped forward.
SLAP!
The sound echoed loudly.
She had slapped him.
"Are you serious?!"
"How dare you?!"
"Do you really think someone like you has the right to ask someone like me out?!"
Tears filled her eyes before she ran away.
Her friend, who had overheard everything, glared at Shino and said coldly,
"You idiot."
"You hurt her feelings."
"Don't you know your place? When a disgusting guy like you asks a beautiful girl out, it makes her feel insulted."
"You're pathetic."
Shino couldn't even process what had just happened.
He walked home in silence.
Once inside his dark apartment, he sat alone for hours.
Then he whispered to himself,
"Why… am I even in this world?"
"Why does my life feel so miserable?"
"Am I really human?"
"Does my life even have meaning?"
Suddenly…
He grabbed a rope.
And tied it to the ceiling.
In those final moments, his entire life flashed before his eyes.
The happy moments.
The painful memories.
Then his gaze fell on the table.
The milk and eggs his mother had brought were still there.
Tears streamed down his face.
He wasn't just crying because of his miserable life…
He was crying because he had failed his mother.
With a broken voice, he whispered,
"I'm sorry, Mom…"
"I couldn't even put the milk in the fridge… now it's probably spoiled."
Those were Shino's final words in this world.
Moments later…
He ended his life.