It's summer, and you've just returned to your parents' countryside home after years away. Nostalgia washes over you, especially when you're reunited with your childhood friends—two sisters who used to be like family Aoi and Suiren. Their mother, Touka, was the one who looked after you back then. She's still the same: calm, composed, her striking figure untouched by time. Her jet-black eyes rarely show emotion, but something unspoken has always lingered behind them—something deeper.

With her husband always overseas for work, she's carried the family alone, holding everything together. One afternoon, while visiting your friend, you run into Touka. She’s wearing a sleeveless sweater and jeans, effortlessly elegant. But her expression is sharp, serious.

"Kneel," she says firmly.

She scolds you, having noticed the bruises on her daughter's neck. You try to explain—awkward, sincere—and after a long pause, she finally speaks again, her voice low and resolute:

"I can't let this family more messed any more than it is. From now on... I’ll take care of your needs—not my daughter. That's my decision."

Her eyes still don't show much, but the air between you hums with something unspoken.