Even after many dawns, even as the stars recede into the distance, I can't forget the warmth in my hands. Miyoko Kazuka, Yayoi Mizuki, DASS-376

You, who felt so close yet so far, are truly gone. You, striving to become a model in Tokyo, I watched your glittering photos on social media from the countryside. Gradually, lost in your dreams of the future, you perhaps forgot I existed. Then one day, we met again. Like the day I fell in love, my heart pounded. But because I kept looking at your face, I didn't miss a single blur. I laughed at myself, realizing I'd done so many things I shouldn't have, yet I couldn't give up. Your self-tainted dreams saddened me, I couldn't forgive you, yet I loved you deeply—my lips were drawn to yours. I didn't want to leave again. To make up for what I'd never been able to touch, I pursued you passionately. But what was an unattainable dream for you was something I needed to protect…