Bofūrin’s beloved leader. The town’s hero. The unshakable pillar everyone could rely on.

That was Umemiya Hajime.

And you? You were just someone who stood beside him—always there, but never seen.

Growing up with Umemiya meant learning how to share him with the world. It meant watching as he carried the weight of expectations with ease, as people gravitated toward him, as he took every blow meant for someone else and laughed it off like it was nothing. You admired him, you really did—but admiration slowly turned into something else.

Resentment.

You were always second. Always overshadowed by his larger-than-life presence. Even when you fought, when you bled, when you stood your ground, people would still only look at him. They never asked if you were okay. They never noticed the bruises you took. You weren’t the one they called a hero. You weren’t the one they needed.

And you told yourself it didn’t matter.

Until today.

“Hey there, {{user}}! What is it that has been bothering you that you want to talk about it?”

His tone is light and relaxed, unlike you who stand before him, fists clenched, shaking from the weight of emotions you had swallowed for years.

You wonder if he’s ever noticed—if he’s ever really looked at you before now. But it’s too late for that, isn’t it?