🂠 Prologue: Once upon a time 🂠

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Alice.
Alice knew that she was Alice.
A person who was supposed to have a will, desires, dreams and ambitions of her own.
Yet sometimes Alice did not perceive herself as a real being, but as an empty doll, moved by hands and thoughts that did not belong to her.
But Alice was fine with that.
If the people around her were happy, then she was happy too.

"Very good, Alice! As usual your results in the end-of-term tests are perfect! Just keep it up!"
"Sure, daddy."
"You are a sweetheart. Despite the fact that we just moved here, and despite what happened at home, you didn't let it get you down! That's the way to do it, baby girl!"
"You're right, Dad."
"Then again, there would be no point in blaming yourself, crying over yourself or ruining your life because of what happened to your friend... it's certainly not because of you that she died! Always smile, my love. There is only one life!"
"Yes, Dad."

"Alice, your room is always so clean, and you are so neat. Aki, you should follow her example! You're the big brother here, you should set the example, and instead it's the other way around!"
"Don't say that, Dad. Aki's in middle school, and he has so much to study..."
"Study? Him? Don't make fun of me! He spends his afternoons with those time wasters, he doesn't study, he doesn't play sports. What do you plan to do with your life, boy, huh?"

"On that stage you were the most beautiful dancer of all, Alice. The others looked so shabby in comparison..."
"Thank you, Dad. This last recital was so important to me, because I've been thinking about quitting ballet, starting next year..."
"Oh, and why is that?"
"I wish I had more time to hang out with my friends..."
"Alice, it's okay to want time for yourself, but you know how much your mother wants about you continuing with ballet, too. She had to stop because of that bad fall. She would be heartbroken if you quit. She comes to Japan every summer just to see your recital. You don't want her to stop coming, do you?"
"No..."
"You are a good child, Alice. And good children do what their parents think is best for them."
"... Yes, Daddy. You're right, Daddy."

"Alice, yesterday you went out with that classmate of yours, didn't you?"
"Yes. We went to a debutant's book presentation, and..."
"Yes, interesting. His name is Takeda, isn't it? If I'm not mistaken, he failed the last term exams."
"Only in math, and..."
"I took information, in his family no one has a degree or a qualified job."

"I'm sorry, baby. I know you like him, but at your age you have to be careful who you associate with. You may not understand it now, but I'm doing this for your future. Someday you will thank me for that".
"..."

"Hooray to our new class president! I'm so proud of you!"
"Thank you, Dad! You know, in my senior year I'd like to run for Student Council President. My school is already a pretty welcoming place for students, but I want to make it an even better environment where everyone feels accepted and safe."
"It's good to have big ambitions, Alice. I also understand why you want to make the school a safe place, considering what happened in the past to that friend of yours. Don't think I don't understand that. But once in a while you have to put yourself first, you know?"

"The role as president is likely to take too much of your time away, the exams for university are coming up... isn't it best for you to concentrate on studying?"

"Don't you agree with me?"
"Yes... You're right, Dad."
"Good girl."

"Alice, what is this all about?!"
"What, Dad?"
"Your teacher called me. He said that in the questionnaire you wrote that you would like to study literature! There's a mistake, isn't there? That stupid teacher switched your form with someone else's!"
"No, Dad. There is no mistake... I don't want to be a doctor. I want to... I want to write stories!"
"Are you out of your mind? You were accepted by the best medical university in Tokyo, and now you are coming up with such nonsense?!"
"This is not nonsense! It's my dream! I want to write!"
"I will not listen to one more word about this nonsense! You have always been a model daughter, why do you have to give your parents such worries right now, when you are about to make one of the most important choices of your life?"
"I..."
"Tomorrow you will go to the teacher's lounge and politely ask if you can change your answer. Have I made myself clear, Alice?"
"Yes, Father."

"I'm off, dad. The work shift at the café starts in half an hour, I should be back for dinner."
"Sure, baby girl. Good work. Ah, if only your brother had an ounce of your character and sense of duty..."
"Don't speak ill of Aki, father. Please."
"I don't speak ill of him, I merely state facts. Do you think I don't know that yesterday he was out all night fighting, and that although I locked him out of the house you let him in? Don't take me for a fool, Alice."
"Dad..."
"He's your brother, I understand that you love him. But Aki is not a good person; maybe he is even a criminal. And regardless of that, compared to you..."
"AKI IS NOT ME! STOP COMPARING US! He… he has so many qualities, but you are too dense to notice! It's your fault that Aki has given up on his life! Only yours!"
"Alice, I won't let you talk to me like that... hey, get back here right now! Young lady! Don't slam the door! Alice! ALICE! Ah, I knew it! This is all her wild brother's fault! She's spending too much time with him, and he's corrupting her!"

"Thanks for picking me up, Aki... I don't feel like going home tonight. I'm sorry I got you involved..."
"No problem, Ali. I'm always out at night anyway. It doesn't really matter to me. Besides, I hardly did anything today, unlike you who worked all day. You must be tired."
"It doesn't matter. When I'm with you, I don't care about anything."
"But I do care that you don't faint from hunger and fatigue. You're small, but still too heavy to carry around in my arms."
"Asshole!"
"Come on, Ali, your fists wouldn't even scare a brat. Look, I can hold you down with one arm! You still have to eat, don't you? My suggestion is that we pop over to the kombini around the corner to get some chips and a few beers, and then watch the stars at the park. What do you say? With this brilliant plan of mine, will you stop sulking at me?"
"I'll forgive you just this once, since you said you'd pay for it."
"I really don't recall making such a promise..."
"Memory lapses, huh? Bad sign, Aki. That's how it starts."

"..."

"Hey, Aki. Do you see those strange lights too...? What the...? Are they fireworks by any chance?"
"What? At this hour? How strange..."
"What's going on? They seem to be getting closer and closer…"

Once upon a time there was a girl named Alice.
Alice was happy when the people around her were happy; therefore, for a great part of her short life, she had tried to please others by doing what was expected of her.
She had become a doll, and had danced to the rhythm of the music written for her by others.
But one fine day something inside Alice broke irremediably, and she began to desire to run far away from home.
In order to make that wish come true, the gear in her heart jammed.
Thus it was that Alice got lost in an unknown country.

🂠 ALICE IN BORDERLAND ðŸ‚