I was born and raised on the main island of Rukius, which is also known as the "Island of Bases" due to the small island occupied by the stationed Uesei military base, even though it is located within the developed country of Yamato.
I decided to study abroad upon graduation from high school.
Kei-san, a prostitute working for the Uesei soldiers, whom I still loved as a child.
She was very happy to see Maurice, a black soldier of the Uesei Army, who was supposed to be her lover, waiting for the day when he would surely come to pick her up, as he had promised her before he left this Rukius.
If I choose to study abroad in the future... it was very hard to say goodbye to my favorite boyfriend, Kouya-kun...
I'll never forget going around the beautiful lights during the Christmas season with Kouya-kun!
And then, just before I was about to leave for my study abroad trip, an incident occurred...
Reiko, my best friend, was gang raped by black soldiers!
I was in the midst of a very turbulent time for myself and the people around me, and I was moving for the United States of Uesei under very complicated circumstances. After successfully graduating, I got a job at an ISO-Standard consulting firm with a wonderful elite boss and fiancé, Bill, and it seemed like a dream come true... but at the same time, the "nightmare" was underway!
The company gave me special treatment because a promising market in their sales strategy was my home island of Rukius...
With the help of my parents, who were also influential people in the local community, the number of contracts I received continued to grow, but the internal system in our HQ office was not yet in place, and I wondered whether or not I would be able to perform the services as contracted.
I was so worried that I could not sleep...
Finally, the company absurdly decided to quickly withdraw its business from Yamato Country!
The damage of losing a large amount of social credibility in a small island is immensely scary for me and my father...
I have left the main island of Rukius and only spend my days taciturnly holed up in my room in the Tokio Metro District.
I've fallen into unemployment, and I don't think I can stand the thought of a lonely Christmas in the cold concrete jungle of the big city.
Thus, I boarded the plane to Rukius again, in order to recreate the late-night Christmas drive I had spent with Kouya-kun.
During this heartbreak trip to my base town, which was supposed to be done in secret, I unexpectedly learned about the reality of Kei-san's life as she waited for her boyfriend, Maurice, even though she was completely changed and miserable.
I was able to hear the "confession" of Reiko, the former bad leader of a group of delinquent girls, now reborn as a reliable mom of a Gospel Cafe.
At the destination of my Christmas midnight drive, without difficulty, as expected, the house was completely uninhabited and vacant, but the large camphor tree, which had always been incongruous for a small house, was still alive and well, and it was obvious that it had not yet stopped growing.
There, to my surprise... I had a chance reunion with Kouya-kun, who seemed to have completely settled into the role of a good family father, told me about the universal sacred spirit that dwells in this "camphor tree house".
The sacred story of the camphor tree that was planted as a memorial to replace the engagement ring and the concept of ISO-Standards that had ruined the life of this stupid little girl seemed to be the opposite of human values. What was initially supposed to be a lonely, heartbreaking trip to my base town turned out to be a very meaningful homecoming that gave me the energy for unexpected rediscovery and renewal.
