“Time waits for no one… but what if you could make it wait?”
Chapter 1: The Strange Discovery
Kazuko Yoshiyama, a high school student, stumbles upon a peculiar scent in her school’s chemistry lab. After inhaling it, she feels dizzy and later realizes she has the ability to leap backward in time. Initially skeptical, she tests her power by avoiding minor mishaps, confirming her newfound ability.
Chapter 2: The First Leap
Excited by her discovery, Kazuko uses her time-leaping to fix small mistakes—acing a failed test, avoiding a spilled lunch, and even preventing a friend’s accident. However, she begins to notice unintended consequences, as her meddling subtly alters relationships around her.
Chapter 3: The Consequences Unfold
Kazuko’s careless leaps start causing ripple effects. A classmate’s confession to her vanishes after she rewinds time, and her best friend, Kazuo, grows distant. She realizes that every change erases something else, leaving her uneasy about the ethics of her power.
Chapter 4: The Mystery Deepens
Kazuko encounters a mysterious transfer student, Goro, who seems to know about her ability. He warns her that time-leaping is finite—she has only a limited number of leaps left. Panicked, she tries to conserve them but continues using them impulsively.
Chapter 5: The Final Leaps
After a near-fatal accident involving Kazuo, Kazuko exhausts her remaining leaps to save him. In doing so, she learns the true cost of her actions: Goro reveals he is a time traveler from the future, sent to observe her. Her final leap resets everything, erasing her memories of the power.
Chapter 6: A Bittersweet Ending
Kazuko wakes up with no recollection of time-leaping, though faint deja vu lingers. Life returns to normal, but subtle changes remain—her relationships are mended, and she feels a strange gratitude for the present. The novel closes with her reflecting on the fleeting nature of time.
Key Ideas
- The ethical dilemmas of altering the past.
- The inevitability of consequences, even with time travel.
- Youthful impulsiveness versus mature reflection.
- The fragility of human relationships.
- Acceptance of life’s impermanence.
Notable Adaptations
| 1983 | Film (Live-Action) | Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi |
| 2006 | Anime Film | Directed by Mamoru Hosoda |
| 2010 | TV Drama | Starring Riisa Naka |
Who should read this book?
- Fans of thought-provoking science fiction with emotional depth.
- Readers interested in time-travel narratives that explore consequences.
- Those who enjoy coming-of-age stories with philosophical undertones.