Before meeting Misato Kuroi, Aikawa Kaze had actually assumed she was dead. After all, in his hazy memories, hadn't Toji Fushiguro casually disposed of her?
But she was, in fact, still alive. She simply kept a very low profile, and Satoru Gojo, feeling guilty for failing to protect Riko, had taken care of the aftermath himself so she wouldn't be held responsible.
"I'm truly... truly grateful to you! I don't know what to say..."
Dressed in a maid uniform, Misato Kuroi bowed a full ninety degrees to Aikawa Kaze, leaving him deeply uncomfortable.
"Sorry, I can't guarantee this will work..."
"But at least there's a chance, isn't there?"
That was already enough for Misato Kuroi.
She was Riko's only family, and Riko had been hers, too. So even if the odds were one in a hundred million, she would do everything she could to try.
"This is the novel I wrote. I don't know whether it'll work, but please take a look!"
"That fast?"
"Actually, ever since that day, I've been afraid that I'd truly forget the past as time went by, so I started writing things down back then... All I've done now is organize and polish it."
Misato Kuroi respectfully presented the novel she had written.
Aikawa Kaze already had a hunch when he accepted it. After leafing through it, he fell into thought.
Misato Kuroi's prose was very simple and direct, recounting her life with Riko from childhood onward. It was warm, cozy, and ordinary, though the latter half did cover extraordinary events and death.
That style might appeal to some readers, but it was ultimately too bland. It was nowhere near enough to build popularity!
How many people these days would patiently read through it little by little, grow attached to the characters, and contribute emotional