There is no Elysium in this world. Just ■■■■■, who follows Hien around like a little duckling, hanging off his every word and holds onto his hand more often than not. There is a boy in his class who looks over to him every so often, but ■■■■■ doesn't know him. All ■■■■■ knows is the first and only friend he's made since moving to this city, who has treated him with nothing but kindness and friendship both.

It's a gentle upbringing. Where Hien might've spent nights alone, ■■■■■ tugs him through the doors of his home where whatever they please is under their fingertips.

He learns how to make flower rings and flower crowns and picks up on the recycled bottles on the floor. What a conscientious child, everyone says. But they don't know the truth of it—every bottle is a nickel saved, a nickel towards a very big secret. As this goes on, they grow and grow.

Until one day—

"Happy birthday—!"

Those nickels turn into a seal. A truly big one that just holding it around his arms causes him to go off-kilter just moving around, losing his balance and causing to trip onto Hien.

But—for whatever reason, he doesn't get up. Hien starts to feel something wet on his shoulder.

"I don't want you to hurt anymore. What can I do to make it stop?"

The innocent words of a now five-year-old child.