It felt like she'd cried a lifetime's worth of tears. Nora, a librarian who lives a carefree life alone with no male contact, belittles herself and calls herself a "defective woman" due to certain circumstances. Then, her cousin's husband, Keisuke, comes to live with her. Nora's days, which she had been able to live alone, are gradually repainted by Keisuke. The bittersweet love of a lonely woman. In addition to the title story, it also includes "Escape," which depicts a fleeting escape.