Kumiko Yamamura, called Josee, is a paraplegic woman who has used a wheelchair since birth. Her fair skin, light-brown wavy hair with blunt bangs, and pink-purple eyes framed by thick lashes give her an ethereal quality. She favors flowing dresses, notably a teal skirt evoking the mermaid’s tail from her dreams. The name "Kumiko" blends the Japanese characters for "long time," "beautiful," and "child," reflecting her enduring grace, while "Yamamura" (mountain village) hints at her sheltered origins. Raised in isolation by an overprotective grandmother, Josee cultivates a prickly exterior to shield her insecurities and fear of judgment. She perceives strangers as "tigers," metaphors for societal threats, and adopts her alias from a rebellious French literary figure in François Sagan’s *Those Without Shadows*, embodying her yearning for autonomy. Her confined upbringing stunts emotional maturity until meeting Tsuneo Suzukawa, a university student who challenges her seclusion. Though initially hostile, she tentatively ventures into the world with his help, navigating libraries, aquariums, and beaches. These outings expose systemic obstacles—inaccessible transit, public stigma—and kindle her resolve to forge independence. After her grandmother’s death, financial strain forces her to consider abandoning art for stable office work, amplifying self-doubt. A crisis emerges when Tsuneo injures his leg, temporarily losing mobility. Their roles reverse as she aids his recovery, deepening their bond through mutual reliance. Inspired by their journey, she writes *The Mermaid and the Radiant Wings*, an allegorical picture book shared at a library event, cementing her dedication to art and communal connection. Her relationship with Tsuneo evolves from caregiver dependency to balanced partnership, with unspoken romance secondary to shared resilience. The original story reveals a past marked by parental abandonment and her grandmother’s shame-driven secrecy, which led Josee to construct idealized fantasies. A later arc portrays her marrying Tsuneo and visiting a tiger exhibit, symbolizing their united defiance of adversity. Art becomes her conduit for liberation: paintings brim with ocean themes mirroring her thirst for freedom, while tigers embody life’s trials. Recurring mermaid dreams echo her wish to transcend physical confines, paralleling her acceptance of vulnerability and pursuit of agency. Choosing illustration as a career marks her final step from reclusion to self-authored purpose. Adaptations chronicle her resilience without reducing disability to inspiration. Early versions lean on romantic arcs, but later narratives prioritize artistic ambition and community influence, framing her as a complex individual grappling with systemic hurdles and inner evolution.