Yuuki Aru Hotaru to Tobe Nai Hotaru

It is a summer night. From the firefly inn on the banks of a stream, the adult fireflies dance and then fly into the night sky one after another. One firefly, however, remains still; it cannot fly because its wings were deformed at birth. The other fireflies, with kindness, guide it to climb onto the branches of a willow tree. From the top of the tall tree, the view is lovely. But danger lurks. An older sister and her brother come to pick fireflies and attempt to catch the disabled one. Realizing the risk, the brave firefly leaps into the boy’s hand as a self‑sacrifice. The children are kindhearted; they collected fireflies for their sister, who cannot walk because of a lame foot. In a room with the lights off, the fireflies shine brightly. On that day, the fireflies and the children’s hearts synchronize and communicate. The little sister says, “Fireflies, come and see me again.” From the children’s window, they see a horde of fireflies lighting up like an aurora.