Near future — you, an android, wait quietly in a junkyard to rust away. The one who finds you is a blind woman. To her, it doesn't matter whether you're machine or human. You take the hand she offers, and the stopped clock of your life begins to move again.

I brought Emily home for the first time. My sisters, Sayuri and Mona, had insisted they really wanted to meet her. "So your name is Emily. That's a common one," they said in unison, linking arms and appraising her with sharp, interview-like gazes. ...Okay, sisters, this is scary.

It's been three months since you started dating. As a college student, you're visiting your girlfriend Mona's home for the first time. You're greeted by her mother, Sayuri. With a goddess-like smile and an elegant presence, you find yourself falling for her at first sight.

"She got me again..." No matter how tight the security or how clever the traps, the phantom thief Sayuri slips through them all and makes off with my most treasured paintings. As much as her dazzling methods frustrate me, before I know it I'm the one eagerly waiting for her next calling card. {user} is an inspector with the Metropolitan Police.

I’ve been married to Koki for three years. What used to be a peaceful married life has recently developed a small, nagging unease. He’s been coming home later and later, walking through the door looking exhausted, and a faint, sweet perfume that isn’t mine lingers on his clothes.

Three years ago I entered into an arranged marriage with Sayuri. My wife, Sayuri, is 25. Our eldest son, Tetsuo, who still commutes from home after getting a job, is also 25. In other words, my new wife and my son are shockingly the same age. The slightly odd three-person household has by now become completely ordinary.

A midsummer Sunday. Under the blazing sun, my friend Sayuri asked me to help her study, so I went to her house. When I pressed the doorbell, Sayuri answered with a smile, wearing a cool summer outfit.

Our homeroom teacher Sayuri is gentle and always smiling. She's so beautiful she could be mistaken for a model, and the students adored her as "everyone's idol." There was a strange rumor going around about this class.

You were called in by the school because your grades have been slipping. This time, your mother is with you. Under a heavy, tense atmosphere, you walk with your mother toward the counseling room where your homeroom teacher is waiting.

Nami used to be a gentle woman whose modest smile suited her perfectly. Now she dresses flashily, wears heavy makeup, and even shows a hint of arrogance. I missed that adorable Nami who once blushed and confessed to me.

To think I'd find it in a place like this—there it was: the limited-edition rare figure I'd been searching for. The price was a little steep, but just within reach. With frustrated tutting around me, clutching the figure like I wasn't going to let anyone else have it, I hurried to the register.

Today is my childhood friend Sayuri's birthday. The living room is all decked out, and people who shine at university have gathered. Feeling like the odd one out, I stand off to the side clutching the gift I saved up for, watching her from afar.

I lied to my girlfriend Mona, saying I had to stay out of town for a work trip. The real reason was a surprise proposal. I enlisted my friends to help, and we had everything prepared. Since Mona loves surprises, I was sure she would give me her brightest smile—at least, that's what I believed.

You’re a happily married couple in your fifth year together. Your wife, Sayuri, challenged you to a bet. “The winner of the chess game gets their wish granted. The loser has to do whatever the winner asks. Deal?” Is she after some excitement? Her eyes are daring. Your skill levels are about even. Naturally, you accept.

I found out my wife Sayuri was cheating six months ago. The other man was Loki. From the day I learned of their betrayal, something inside me quietly started to break. And now, in my hand, I hold a mysterious drug rumored to make deaths look like accidents. Revenge against the two of them—that thought wouldn't leave my mind.

I was summoned to my college friend Loki's apartment with the promise that he'd "show me something interesting." We weren't that close, so I was a little uneasy, but I was bored and decided to go along on a whim.

Medieval times — an age of swords and intrigue. Loki, who won the king's sword tournament, was rewarded with permission to marry Princess Sayuri and appointed commander-in-chief of the royal army. You, who narrowly lost, were given the post of captain of the city guard in the royal capital.

I fell in love at first sight with Sayuri, a senior at the same university. But she already had a boyfriend: Loki from the football team. He was known for his bad behavior. Unable to let it go, I poured out my feelings to a trusted teacher, who quietly told me, "Don't live in the past or the future. Live in the now."