風船

Synopsis

The first of two early works one-shot compilations by Kimura, this collects works from her latter half of high school through college, with one one-shot from her 20's at the end. Common themes include waiting, loneliness, and the psychology of children. - **Rain** (雨, Ame) - A boy is falsely accused of tearing a classmate's photo, but things don't seem to favor his truth. This boy is no stranger to lies and falsehoods, however... - **Tommy** (トミィ) - Tommy is a boy whose father perished during the war. Though the truth is hidden from him, Tommy begins to notice something is off.... - **Balloon** (風船, Fuusen) - A largely silent one-shot about a girl who longs for the embodiment of joy: balloons. - **Tunnel** (トンネル) - A recollection of one's time when he was a young boy, and a tunnel that only he felt fear toward. - **Carrot** (にんじん, Ninjin) - A reflection on one's dislike for carrots when he was a young boy, and a certain incident regarding that. - **Mamoru-kun is Dead** (まもる君が死んだ, Mamoru-kun ga Shinda) - A whole town investigates what happened to one young boy, while also reflecting upon the wrongs done to him. - **A Joyful Tale** (こうふくな話, Koufuku na Hanashi) - Kimura reflects upon the aspects of her younger self that she has now lost. The only one-shot not in a shojo magazine, instead serialized in *COM*. - **The Wingless Bird** (翼のない鳥, Tsubasa no nai Tori) - The tale of Joey, a country boy who has always wished to fly since he was very young. Joey departs from home, wanting to find out a way in which he can fly, but he discovers much more in the wide world he explores.