Tunnel in Summer, Exit of Farewells

«Tunnel in Summer, Exit of Farewells» — a Japanese light novel about a high school student who encounters a legendary passage where time flows differently, and tries to understand whether one can fulfill the strongest desire without severe consequences. After hearing rumors about the Urashima Tunnel, he manages to find a place that resembles an urban legend almost entirely. Soon, he is joined by the new girl Anzu Hanashiro — a reserved and determined girl with her own goal. Together, they begin to test the boundaries of the tunnel and search for the rules of its operation, while school life, the loss of a younger sister, and distrust of the future increasingly affect their every choice.

At the heart of the plot is a story about the desire to regain what has been lost and the price one is willing to pay for it. Inside the tunnel, it quickly becomes clear that a short outing can turn into a long disappearance in the ordinary world. Therefore, for the characters, it is not just a mysterious place, but a dangerous choice between dreams, memories, and the possibility of moving on.

• Kaoru Tono — a high school student who, after the death of his younger sister, lives with a sense of guilt and estrangement within his family. For him, the legend of the tunnel becomes a chance to change what seems irreparable.
• Anzu Hanashiro — a new student transferred from Tokyo. She keeps to herself, speaks directly, and engages in the investigation not out of curiosity, but for her own purpose.
• Karen Tono — the younger sister whose death defined the main character's internal conflict and his willingness to risk for the impossible.