Written and illustrated by Guri Nojiro.

210 pages; softcover.

For mature readers.

Forced by poor health to take a leave of absence, curmudgeonly conductor Kiri returns to his rural hometown for some much-needed rest. But on his very first night back, he comes dangerously close to freezing to death—until local grocer Osamu scoops him up out of the cold and into the warmth of his embrace. Can this younger man, a years-long fan of Kiri’s work, thaw out the ice in the maestro’s heart? Or will Kiri be doomed to a life of frigid loneliness forever?