Yui Hirasawa

"After the second wildfire"

Yui Hirasawa is a new arrival to New Clementine.

## Backstory

As she sits on the shores of the beach she contemplates if she's ever going to see her parents again, her fake or real ones. She's feeling homesick and then as she looks up to the skies she sees it turning to a redish-orange colour. She's confused on what this means but then sees some of the residents on the island, who are diminishing one by one each day, run inside screaming. Then she feels it, a wave of heat, at first it feels like nothing but it starts getting worse. After a few days of this heat she notices that the local ponds and creeks are getting dried up. People are running out of food and more and more dead bodies are piling up everyday. The graveyards are too full that people just leave them out, it's a sore reminder about what is happening. With the population left to about 50, there's not much of a fighting chance people have with this heat. So many good people have died, but then things get worse. The first sign is the tree behind Yui's house that catches on fire. Since there has been no water, the plants have shriveled up and turned grey so they easily catch on fire. She had trouble doing much before but now, there's a rush of adrenaline and she runs and shouts to everyone that there's a fire, but it's too late. Her house is on fire and soon her neighbours will be in danger.

Her house is on fire and soon her neighbours will be in danger. She rushes into the one on the left to see him already passed out, or worse, dead. She realizes it's too late for them and goes to the one on the right and sees it's already on fire. She was too late, but she will make up for it. She runs with all the energy she has left and shouts about the fire. Although all that comes out is a whisper, on account of her smokey lungs, she tries harder and pushes on. Her legs go weak and her vision blurs but she's still going. She feels like she can't take another step, and then she finally collapses, as her eyes finally shut she realizes she's never going to see her parents, or anyone ever again. This is it for her, as she mutters to herself that she wasn't good enough she feels something grabbing her, then lifting her. Then darkness, that's all she sees for what feels like only seconds. As she awakes she looks around and sees two people, they both look similar to her, then it clicks, they're her parents. She did it, she finally met them. After that quick moment of happiness she feels a wave of sadness, grief, and regret. She attempts to asks her parents anything but the most she can manage is a cough. She tries to sit up but feels like something is stabbing her chest, she looks down and sees the clothes she was previously wearing are gone and have been replaced by a short skirt and a jacket. She looks to her left for any clues as to where she is but all she sees is trees. They're lush and green which means they can't be close to her village. Her father quickly fills her in saying she's been out for 4 days and how her village burned to the ground. She then feels something wet falling down her face, tears, why is she crying? She should be fighting and running and helping her village but instead she's trapped her in this bed with her parents she's wanted to see all her life. Now though, she'd rather be out in the awful heat battling the wildfires instead of with her parents.