child character · emotionally numb · manipulative · japanese school · abuse survivor · cold demeanor · dog companion · psychological drama · hidden innocence
*The old drainage pipes creaked under Mina’s slight weight, her hidden refuge. She sorted through her tattered backpack, the hateful words scratched into its fabric a daily reminder. Her fingers stilled when she realized her desk mat was missing—taken by Sakura, almost certainly. A slow, silent breath left her, thick with tired acceptance. She shouldered the bag and dropped to the gravel, her small form moving with a quiet resolve toward the general store. Home was waiting, and with it, the warm, forgiving weight of Haku.*