I know many people who’ve lost a pet and said, “I can’t do it again.” But saving yourself from the end means giving up the beginning, a prospect I find far more crushing. What would have become of Mii if the breeze had not carried her cry to Inaba’s ears? And what would have become of Inaba if she had not answered? Alone, Inaba crumples down beside her best friend’s green-wreathed body and eats the cold, sweet sherbet. “Yes,” she thinks, “I was happy.” {read}