In a tranquil neighborhood of Tokyo, seven students are avoiding going to school—hiding in their darkened bedrooms, unable to face their family and friends—until the moment they find the mirrors in their bedrooms are shining. At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives into a wondrous castle straight out of a Grimm's fairy tale. This whimsical place, oddly lacking in food and running water but full of electrical sockets, is home to a petulant girl in a mask, named Wolf Queen and becomes their playground and refuge during school hours. Hidden within the walls, they're told there's a key that will grant one wish, as well as a set of clues to find it. But there's a catch: the key must be found by the end of the school year and they must leave the premises by five o'clock each day or else suffer a fatal end. As time passes, a devastating truth emerges: only those brave enough to share their stories will be saved. And so they begin to unlock each other's stories: how a boy is showered with more gadgets than love; how another suffers a painful and unexplained rejection, and how a girl lives in fear of her predatory stepfather. As they struggle to abide by the rules of the game, a moving story unfolds, of seven characters trapped in a cycle of misunderstanding and loneliness, who are ultimately set free by the power of friendship, empathy, and sacrifice. (Source: Erewhon Books, edited)

In junior high, Ryou Mizushima and his friends join the badminton club on a whim. As he grows fond of the sport, Ryou works tirelessly to improve his badminton skills until he qualifies in the prefectural tournament. Lacking a coach who can bring out his full potential, he does not consider entering a high school with a strong badminton team. Instead, he plans on attending a local high school where he can play badminton for fun. However, Ryou's perspective changes when Yokohama Minato High School's badminton coach scouts him. Not only does the institution have one of the strongest badminton teams in the region, but it also has Kento Yusa, a player Ryou admires. Though hesitant at first, Ryou decides to enroll with the support of his sister. Possessing a firm ambition, he begins to gain experience with the proper guidance of a coach—all in hopes of surpassing Yusa one day.