Synopsis
Mai grew up as one of a close trio with Shigeru Miura and Chisato Miyazaki, but shyness and a lack of confidence pushed her away from Shigeru once they reached separate high schools. Kind and gentle by nature, she carried real feelings for him for years without ever finding a way to say so.
Working at a bowling alley as an adult, she undergoes plastic surgery, and it's this new appearance that finally catches Shigeru's eye when their paths cross again — though he doesn't immediately recognize the childhood friend behind the new face. Encouraged, she boards the same bus as him one day, hoping the years of distance might finally close.
That chance ends in an accident that kills them both instantly. Her case leaves open a theory that the surgery may have been an attempt to resemble Chisato, though even the arbiters can't confirm whether that resemblance was intentional or simply coincidence.
