MIYO MACHIKO

At Kōrindō Bookstore, the shelves are dusty, the register is quiet, and the future feels as worn as the paperbacks lining the walls. Kanoko Ōkuni never planned to work here—she barely knows what she wants from life at all—until a chance encounter pulls her behind the counter of this struggling neighborhood shop. Between eccentric regulars, stubborn coworkers, endless stacks of manga, and the looming shadow of a changing industry, Kanoko finds herself fighting to keep the place alive… and maybe discover her own purpose along the way. A heartfelt, grounded look at the people who love books enough to protect them, no matter how the world changes.