Nozomi and Tsuyoshi haven’t talked to each other in years, not really, and Rumi, their teenage daughter, can no longer bear the emotional chill that circulates through their lives. Late one September night, she slips out of the house and begins to walk aimlessly, believing the universe is determined to destroy her–and not really caring if it does. At the edge of a stream, she shines her flashlight into a clump of spider lilies. They seem to be sentinels. She sits. Soon she’ll realize that she’s not the only one out in the night.

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“Then I hear footsteps. A person walking. My street is going to run into his–or hers. Finally, I let Guru’s flashlight swing that way.”

“I feel as if I’m living the fade out of a song–the last seconds, that short interval when you’re not sure if there’s still something to be heard.”

“Right then, more than anything in the world, I wanted to make a baby. I wanted to be a father. . . . But not like this.”

“Can I speak frankly with you, my dear? May I? Yes? If Denjiro understands you correctly, you’re all upset because you’re not sure how to fit into a world that you greatly dislike and lack respect for. And that’s a bit silly, isn’t it?”