Mifumi works in the HR department of a city credit union—a job she landed thanks to her father’s connections. Her life is stable, comfortable. She gets along well with her female senior colleagues, her relationship with her boyfriend is going smoothly, and everything seems just fine. She thought this pleasant, well-balanced life would last forever.
But then, a new female employee joins the company. Slowly, imperceptibly at first, Mifumi’s world begins to shift. A seemingly small incident triggers a complete collapse of the careful balance she once relied on.
When it feels like everything is falling apart, sometimes all you can do is imagine dropping everything and flying off to a southern island to work in a pineapple factory. A fantasy that will never come true—and one you never actually intend to realize—can still be the thing that saves you.
Addictive and deeply relatable, this is a brilliant portrait of everyday life, rendered with the sharp, empathetic prose of Fumio Yamamoto.