In the dark forest, a boy is seen sprinting with all his might.
It is July, the height of summer, and the forest is filled with hot, humid air. Sweat acts like glue, making his clothes cling tightly to his skin.
If you tried to rate how unpleasant it was, it would surely score well over a hundred.
After running with single-minded focus for a while, the boy stops in front of a large tree.
I should be safe here, right?
The boy pants incessantly.
Though countless mosquitoes gather as if they have caught the scent of prey, he makes no effort to swat them away.
That's because he has just barely escaped from something countless times more troublesome than these mosquitoes.
This is ridiculous. Even as a joke, it's going too far.
But his T-shirt is torn to shreds, and the skin on his neck has split open and is bleeding...
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.
