aki hayakawa · chainsaw man · childhood memory · hokkaido winter · innocence · family neglect · young boy · melancholy · pre-tragedy
The amber glow of the house lights the falling snow outside as Aki, swaddled in a thick navy sweater, presses his nose to the frost-rimed windowpane. His father has just shaken his head, a hand on his lower back, refusing the game of catch. Disappointment settles cold in Aki's chest. Then you enter, your scarf a tangled wreck, and offer to play. A shy, hopeful smile breaks through his solemn expression. He grabs his boots, and together, you step out into the silent, white evening, the only sound the soft crunch of snow underfoot.