Synopsis
Hotarubi no Mori e Lost in the forbidden woods near her grandfather's village, curious Hotaru Takegawa meets Gin, a masked boy under a terrible curse: if ever touched by a human, he will cease to exist. Gin offers to guide Hotaru out of the forest and warns her not to return. Nonetheless, Hotaru carelessly disregards his advice and continues to visit Gin every summer, leading to the birth of a genuine friendship. But over the years, the implications of Gin's precarious condition begin to eclipse their happiness. Taion no Kakera Ever since Takeda moved into Yoshio's neighborhood, the two have quickly become inseparable childhood friends. Throughout their spirited days together, Yoshio develops romantic feelings for Takeda and believes they share an unbreakable bond. To her dismay, 11 years later, Takeda candidly announces to her that he has a girlfriend! Unwilling to lose the one person she has cherished all this time, Yoshio makes foolish gestures in an attempt to win Takeda's heart, only to achieve the opposite effect. As she witnesses her own desperation drive Takeda away, will Yoshio find an answer to this painful dilemma? Hoshi mo Mienai Due to his friendly nature, Takeshi Saitani has always been popular with girls. However, when he meets his aloof schoolmate Ishida, Saitani is equally shocked and intrigued after she bluntly fends off all his attempts to approach her. This unexpected encounter leads Saitani into a tireless pursuit to capture her attention. Little does he know that his efforts will not only bring surprising revelations about Ishida, but also welcome a flurry of emotions illuminated by the prospect of change. Hotarubi no Mori e Tokubetsu-hen Watching Gin idle wistfully in Hotaru's absence, his spirit friends become worried and bring him locally grown persimmons, hoping they will cheer him up. The fruit is a delicacy among the forest dwellers and pleasantly surprises Gin, who wishes to preserve one for Hotaru until she returns next summer. Unfortunately, having no clue of how to keep the persimmon fresh prompts him to embark on a painstaking quest to learn the desired information. [Written by MAL Rewrite] Note: Story 1 is included in Hotarubi no Mori e.
