A Promise Between Us

Kitsuko Riku is a second-year high school student whose life begins to quietly fall apart when his mother is suddenly hospitalized with a life-threatening illness. With no father to rely on, he is forced to live with his alcoholic aunt, enduring neglect and abuse while struggling to survive school and daily life on his own. At school, Kitsuko keeps his head down, believing that kindness only comes with conditions. That belief begins to crack when Fujiwara Sakura, a girl from his class, reaches out to him without asking for anything in return. Despite his cold attitude and deep mistrust of others, Sakura continues to treat him with genuine warmth. As the two slowly grow closer, Kitsuko’s past experiences and fear of being used cause him to push her away, hurting the one person who truly wanted to stand by him. At the same time, his mother’s condition worsens and the cost of her treatment continues to rise, forcing Kitsuko to face responsibilities far beyond his age. Caught between survival, guilt, and feelings he doesn’t fully understand, Kitsuko must learn what it truly means to trust someone — and whether he deserves kindness without a price. This is a quiet, emotional story about pain, healing, and two lonely people finding comfort in each other.