Abstract

No. 1 on Bookmeter's "Wanted Books" ranking (Monthly Paperback category, tallying period: May 2nd - June 1st)
The latest work from the Honya Taisho Award winning author Sonoko Machida!

It might stay night forever.
On that day when I thought so, you became my light.
A heart-pounding masterpiece novel by a Bookstore Award-winning author, offering warm light to those who continue to search for their place in the world.

On a summer festival night, with fireflies dancing, Yukie and Takayuki, two middle school students living in a small mountain town, decide to keep each other's secrets in order to survive. Fifteen years later, the unexpected reunion of the now-adult Yukie and Takayuki has a profound impact on the lives of their families, friends, and the townspeople. Carrying a secret they cannot reveal, it is not the path they had imagined. But even so, they want to cherish the world illuminated by this small light. A heart-pounding masterpiece novel depicting the humble prayers of each individual.

Author’s Information

Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1980. In 2016, Machida won the Grand Prize at the 15th R-18 Literature Award for Women by Women for her work "The Blue Fish of Cameroon." The following year, she made her debut with the collection "Chocolate Gourami Swimming in the Night Sky," which included the same work. In 2021, she won the Booksellers' Award for "52 Hertz Whales." In 2025, she was nominated for the 46th Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award for "When I'm Dyed by Dvorak." Her major works include "The House of Misfortune on Beautiful Hill," "The Flowers I Know," the "Convenience Store Brothers" series, and "The Moon and Amaryllis."