Tomozou’s eyes grew watery. “To think… someone across the ocean was thinking of our Maruko…”
“Look, Grandpa!” Maruko gasped, pointing at a fan-made webpage from 1995. It was a mess of blinking GIFs of stars and sparkles, with a bright pink background. In the center was a crudely drawn picture of her with her signature red backpack and yellow hat. chibi maruko chan internet archive
The summer sun beat down on the small town of Shimizu, making the cicadas sing their loudest song. Inside the living room of the Sakura household, however, the only sound was the rhythmic click-clack of a mouse and the soft hum of a bulky, beige computer. Tomozou’s eyes grew watery
She decided she would never, ever search for her own name again. Grandpa!” Maruko gasped