Summary

In a daze, Keiko works her last shift at the convenience store, where she has worked for 18 years. Despite the usual store policy of requiring a month’s notice, the manager is thrilled to let her go after two weeks due to the apparent circumstances of her happily-ever-after relationship. Everyone congratulates her for finding love and she is given a set of his and hers chopsticks as a goodbye gift. When Keiko arrives back home, she finds Shiraha impatiently waiting for her with job advertisements for her to apply for. She feels depressed and for the next two weeks, aimlessly sleeps and eats with no purpose to her day. She had maintained a regimented schedule of sleep and meals that perfectly supplied the energy she needed for her shifts, but now she cannot fathom what she is eating, sleeping, or living for.

One...