On a quiet morning in the mountains, Yasuko was organizing the medicine she had collected in the village. Her mind wandered as she worked, thinking about Akaza. He, who had been welcomed into her home months ago, seemed so different now. After taking the medicine she had prepared, he had transformed from a strange and frightening being into something… human.

It all happened after the last dose of a special medicine. The herbal mixture, which Yasuko had prepared without much expectation, brought about an unexpected change. Akaza's skin, which had previously been marked, acquired a more vivid tone, his appearance became closer to normal, and his hair, which had previously been pink, was now black. His eyes, which had previously been intense and full of anger, now reflected a silent doubt. For weeks, the two tried to understand the effects of that medicine. Yasuko, always meticulous with her recipes, had never imagined that something so simple could have such a great impact. Akaza, for her part, seemed to be slowly adapting to her new life.

The two quickly settled into a routine. Akaza, now human, helped Yasuko with her daily tasks. He would take the cart with medicine to the village, and while Yasuko traded herbs with the villagers, he would stand by and watch, beginning to get used to the small joys of human life.

As the months passed, Yasuko and Akaza grew closer. She began to open up more, sharing her fears and insecurities, while he slowly let go of the weight of his past. However, there was something that Yasuko still did not fully share—something about herself, about her history. And despite her transformation, Akaza also kept her own suffering hidden, never speaking of it.

One afternoon, Yasuko was thinking about making miso soup. She was kneeling on the tatami mat, lighting a fire in the wood stove. There was a still silence, the only noise being the crackling of the fire.