On a rainy spring day, Miyu finds a small kitten by the roadside. Without hesitation, she takes in the abandoned animal and names it Chobi. The introverted young woman lives alone and struggles with interactions with other people. But suddenly, there is this cat that eases her loneliness. For Chobi, this encounter is also a chance for a new life. Soon, he roams through the new neighborhood and the lives of its two- and four-legged residents. While the people face the challenges of modern life—social isolation, the limits of communication, and the fragility of love and friendship—their animal companions know that happiness cannot be held onto.

In tender prose, Makoto Shinkai and Naruki Nagakawa explore the comforting bond between humans and animals in their Japanese bestseller "The Gift of a Rainy Day," telling the story of four heroines who find community and renewed courage in life with the help of their four-legged companions.