In the quiet rural village of Harukawa, where rice fields stretch endlessly beneath misty hills and life still follows the rhythm of seasons rather than clocks, a new school year begins like every other. Children rush along narrow paths, biking and running together toward the old wooden school at the edge of the cedar forest, their voices filling the morning air with familiar energy. For Aiko, returning after time away, everything feels unchanged—yet strangely distant, as if the village is gently holding onto moments that have already passed. As she settles back into school life, she begins to notice small details that feel out of place within the comfort of routine: forgotten names, familiar faces that seem slightly different, and a growing sense that summer never truly ends in Harukawa—it only lingers, waiting for something to be remembered.