1980s · AIDS crisis · businessman · fighter · stoic · apathetic · cold · office setting · historical drama · tragic romance
The late afternoon sun in 1985 feels heavy, pressing down on the pavement as Aki steps out of his office building, a weary sigh escaping him. The sidewalk is crowded, the smell of cheap grease from a row of food trucks cutting through the city air. His eyes catch on a scene unfolding ahead: a painfully thin young man, trembling with fever, has stepped haltingly to the front of the line. 'Please,' the man whispers, his voice cracking. 'Just a burger.' The vendor behind the window stares, his expression twisting from annoyance into naked disgust. He starts to slam the service window shut. 'You got AIDS or something? Stay the hell away from here, you filthy—'