Our Time of Happiness

I have never posted about a manga that hasn't been published in Indonesia, but this time I will make an exception because this is a story that must be shared...


















私たちの幸せな時間
(Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan)
Art: Sahara Mizu • Story: Gong Ji-Young

After failing her third suicide attempt, Juri was asked by her aunt to accompany her to talk to a convict on death row who was known as number 3987. Monica, Juri's aunt, is a chaplain who had tried to write some letters to him but was always pushed away. As Monica was the only person that Juri cared for, she promised to help her, albeit in pessimism because she saw no benefit in talking to a criminal that would die sooner or later.

Prisoner number 3987 is Yuu, a young man who was found guilty of killing an innocent passerby then shoving a mother and her baby onto a railroad to get them crushed by a train.

Like Juri, he had tried to commit suicide several times in jail. He refused to talk to anyone, but later he remembered that his deceased brother loved to listen to Juri's piano playing.

Yes, when she was 16 years old, Juri was a famous piano player that was labeled as gifted. However, before she turned 17, a tragedy ruined her live and made her promise not to touch the piano again.

Juri also harboured a hatred towards her mother, who admitted that she'd rather not give birth to her. Her mother was a pianist, but her hand became limp after she giving birth of Juri. She confessed that Juri was an unwanted child, because she had given birth to a son before and she would never want another child.

Prior to their second meeting, Monica was injured because a relative of Yuu's victim pushed her down when she was trying to ask forgiveness for Yuu's action. Since then, Juri started going to the prison and talking to Yuu in Monica's place.

For one hour each week, they meet during visiting hours every Thursday at 10.00 a.m.

Why didn't Juri play piano anymore?
Yuu asked her, but she didn't give him the answer until one day she returned to the prison worn out and broken down, telling him to listen and to talk to her in return, because she could not trust any other person outside the cell who talked to her with so many lies and false pretenses.

After spending time with Yuu, Juri felt how honest, sincere, and perceptive this man was.

How could such a kind man have committed a horrible thing?
Yuu couldn't answer that. He continued to be burdened with guilt for the rest of his live. His short live, in this case.

Yuu's numbered days remained in full control of the authorities, who seemed to be toying with the lives of the convicts on death row. Their lives were often suspended for an unknown period of time. Some spent a year in prison, some had to wait for decades before they were executed.(*)

The most important question was, could people ever have mercy, for themselves and for others?
To forgive and to go on living, that was what Monica believed in. But not everyone could do that. Is there a need for apology if it can't change a thing?

Only time will answer that. That was their happy time together. Because in the short time that they were together, Yuu and Juri managed to change their perspectives on 'life', and found what LIVING means.

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Note
(*) we have the same system here in Indonesia. I believe there's a woman who had to wait for about 27 years before she was executed.

Thank you berry muach for An-chan who helped me to fix a lot of mistakes in this entry :D