Balloon

The first of two early works one-shot compilations by Minori Kimura, this collects works from her latter half of high school through college, with one one-shot from her 20's at the end. Common themes include waiting, loneliness, and the psychology of children.

1. Rain (雨, Ame) - A boy is falsely accused of tearing a classmate's photo, but things don't seem to favor his truth. This boy is no stranger to lies and falsehoods, however...
2. Tommy (トミィ) - Tommy is a boy whose father perished during the war. Though the truth is hidden from him, Tommy begins to notice something is off....
3. Balloon (風船, Fuusen) - A largely silent one-shot about a girl who longs for the embodiment of joy: balloons.
4. Tunnel (トンネル) - A recollection of one's time when he was a young boy, and a tunnel that only he felt fear toward.
5. Carrot (にんじん, Ninjin) - A reflection on one's dislike for carrots when he was a young boy, and a certain incident regarding that.
6. Mamoru-kun is Dead (まもる君が死んだ, Mamoru-kun ga Shinda) - A whole town investigates what happened to one young boy, while also reflecting upon the wrongs done to him.
7. A Joyful Tale (こうふくな話, Koufuku na Hanashi) - Kimura reflects upon the aspects of her younger self that she has now lost. The only one-shot not in a shojo magazine, instead published in COM.
8. The Wingless Bird (翼のない鳥, Tsubasa no nai Tori) - The tale of Joey, a country boy who has always wished to fly since he was very young. Joey departs from home, wanting to find out a way in which he can fly, but he discovers much more in the wide world he explores.