Night Bus

Nogawa is called over to a meetup with her group of high school friends for the first time in years. However, one face among them brings about great ire within Nogawa - a certain Sawamoto, the first of their friend group to get married. During the course of their meetup, Nogawa reflects on what about Sawamoto sets her off... A collection of one-shots chiefly for josei magazines by Minori Kimura. Frequent themes and elements include office workers, one's prospects for love and marriage, psychology over time, and interpersonal relationships. In addition to the title story, also includes: - **Miss Ruiko's Glasses** (ルイ子さんのメガネ, Ruiko-san no Megane) - Ruiko is a young office lady who has been having some problems with her vision as of late. When she goes to get some glasses for herself, however, she stumbles upon a very peculiar glasses shop - and the glasses she gets there will give her a new perspective on things... - **The Fig Tree** (無花果の木, Ichijiku no Ki) - A story reflecting upon mother-daughter relationships intertwined with the Second World War, focusing on the women in the Takahashi family - a grandmother, her daughter, and her daughter's daughter. - **Winter Journey** (冬の旅, Fuyu no Tabi) - Nakahara has set out to settle things with Kondo, a cameraman at her workplace, once and for all. Kondo and Nakahara were part of the same friend circle back in college, but since they were a few years apart, they had not met in some time after Nakahara graduated. They got along well once Kondo started working for the same publication she did, but... - **My Private Dream, The Night I Met Joni Mitchell** (ジョニ・ミッチェルに会った夜の私的な夢, Joni Mitchell ni Atta Yoru no Shiteki na Yume) - Minori Kimura (as *Uneri* Kimura) stars in this one-shot about her sheer admiration for the Canadian singer-songwriter. Kimura has been a long time fan of hers, but as time had gone on, Kimura was set on moving on from being such an obsessive fan. Mitchell's appearance in Japan puts that to the test, however.

A young man's introspection on love and life experience. An uncollected one-shot not present in any of Kimura's tankobon.

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.

*Reads from left to right.* A collection of poem manga and full color manga filled with warmth and childhood innocence. Includes: - **Rosebud Rosie**: A precocious little girl named Rosie finds a kindred spirit in Paco, a boy from the circus. A short serial that was one of the launch titles in *Lyrica*. - **The Bright Gray House**: A girl reflects on herself, her neighborhood, and her home in the period where two-story homes were only just beginning to become widespread in this full color poem manga. - **The Child in the Box**: A full-color picture book (ehon) manga on a little boy who isolates himself from others. - **My Neighbor Ippei-kun**: The daily life of a little boy named Ippei and his family. - **The Light in August**: A short poem manga about a girl and a game of hide-and-seek she played when she was younger. - **Etchings of the Seasons**: Two-page poem manga by Kimura that cover various subjects, often reflective and contemplative.