I’m Meiko, and I live with my husband and our two sons—one in elementary school and the younger one, Naoto, who’s in preschool. Life has been a dream, surrounded by a gentle, supportive husband and watching my boys grow up happy and healthy. But I carry a dark past. Back in grade school, I was the target of a boy named Takuya Kudo. He relentlessly mocked and belittled me, making my life a living hell. I was so desperate to escape that world that I studied my head off just to get into a distant prep school. Life without him was finally peaceful and fun, but to this day, catching a glimpse of him at the station sends me into a trembling panic.
It took years to finally break free from the hold Takuya Kudo had on me. I owe it all to the kind people in my life, starting with my husband. They showed me that the world is still full of good, compassionate souls. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to turn my past pain into empathy, striving to be someone who is always kind and thoughtful toward others.
That was the headspace I was in when I met Anna and her son at the park. I never expected us to become such close friends, but being around her just felt so natural and easy. I never could have imagined that the man who haunted my youth would reappear after over a decade… as Anna’s husband.