episode 12. Flashback: Back in elementary school, Higurashi was just a normal kid, spending his summer breaks at the pool until the sun went down. But by middle school, his introverted shell hardened, leaving him isolated. He spent high school buried in books and music, never uttering a word. In college, he tried to "fix" himself—study abroad, volunteering, self-help seminars—but nothing clicked. Then he saw Akira and his squad, laughing and living for the moment with zero "vision" or "grand dre