Yukinari Shimotsuki's Truth

The in-depth backstory for *Wolf Game's* protagonist, Yukinari Shimotsuki. This is the first story in *Wolf Game* to reveal the protagonist's name and face to the player, both of which are concealed throughout the main story.

 The following section contains spoilers about the main game! Proceed with caution.

## Plot

### Chapter 1

The story opens with Yukinari standing in a forest, staring at the flames rising from a burning building. The Wolf Game has ended, and he recalls the kind look on Rintarou's face as he gazed at his older sister, Misaki, and held her lifeless body. He suspects the look on his face was from realizing that the sister he loved so dearly could finally be free. He also surmises that the gentle voice Rintarou used when he told him to leave was a reflection of who Rintarou really was as a person, and if things had gone differently, they might've been friends.

Yukinari leaves the burning building behind, wondering if Rintarou died in the fire and whether or not that choice would be the right one for him. He thinks back on The Wolf Game and how he became the sole survivor of Rintarou and Misaki's revenge plot, how all of the participants ended up dead because they were unable to sacrifice themselves to save someone else, and how he was probably just lucky he made it out. He recalls Rintarou and Misaki telling him that he was able to change, but wonders if that's really true. Would he be able to continue on with his life without running away? Or would he just go back to the way he was before?

He thinks back to the moment from his childhood and the incident on the train, and states that all he's ever done is run away. Ever since the incident in primary school, he hasn't wanted to form deep connections with anyone or have anyone rely on him, so he doesn't have anyone he can call his friend.

> "*Ever since that day in elementary school, that's how I've lived my life. Unable to decide for myself, unable to work up the courage to take action. I'd come to always run away like that. Even so, I was able to make it this far.
>
> No, that's wrong... I've just been averting my eyes...*"
> ― Yukinari Shimotsuki
>
>

There's a flashback to his elementary school days. He explains that he often transferred schools because of his family situation, and at one of the schools he transferred to where he was all alone, a boy spoke to him. That boy's name was Tomoya, and he was the target of bullying at that school. He was the only person to speak to Yukinari, and he suggested that they be friends.

Yukinari describes him as being a very cheerful and kind child, and the two always played together. He couldn't imagine that Tomoya was being bullied. It's revealed that the sole reason for his being bullied was that his family was poor, and his other classmates that weren't bullying him ignored him so as not to get involved. Even so, he went to school every day, and Yukinari thought Tomoya was really strong.

One day, Tomoya suggests that they do a diary exchange. He tells Yukinari that he can write anything in the diary, and to keep the exchange a secret, they'd pass the diary to each other by placing it in an unused shoe locker, which he refers to as their "friend box", for the other to find. Yukinari says the name is weird, but agrees to do the diary exchange.

At home, Yukinari heads to his room and opens up the exchange diary, wondering what he should write in it. He decides to write questions for Tomoya in the book, asking what his favorite food is and what his current most precious thing is. He hides the diary in the shoe locker the next day and they continue on as normal, not mentioning anything about the diary. The day after that, he gathers the diary from the shoe locker and rushes home to read Tomoya's responses.

> "*My favorite food is Japanese omelette rice!
> Right now, the most precious thing to me is my friend. I've never had any friends, so I was lonely. But now, I'm having so much fun! Let's play together from now on too.*"
> ― Tomoya, written in the exchange diary
>
>

> "*I'd constantly transferred schools, so I'd never had anyone I could call a friend like that. Being able to become friends with Tomoya made me so overwhelmingly happy.*"
> ― Yukinari Shimotsuki
>
>

About a month after his transfer, Yukinari sees Tomoya getting roughed up behind the school building. He wants to help him but is too paralyzed with fear and uncertainty to do anything, and eventually the bullies leave. Without calling out to him, Yukinari follows after Tomoya and sees him put the diary in the shoe box and go home. He gathers the diary and heads home himself after, guilty that he couldn't do anything to help.

In the diary, he asks Tomoya if there's anything he can do to help with his bullying situation, not mentioning that he witnessed it happen and couldn't help. Several days later, Tomoya replies, saying that as long as he has friends, he can endure it, and all he asks is that Yukinari always stay his friend. From that day forward, Yukinari is plagued with wanting to help Tomoya, but being unsure if he'd be able to do anything the next time it happens.