The Hatori Community House setting recurs in each chapter of the novel. How does the community center connect the characters one to another, and how does it gradually transform each of them?

Sayuri Komachi gives all five characters a list of book recommendations. How do her book suggestions influence Tomoka Fujiki’s, Ryo Urase’s, Natsumi Sakitani’s, Hiroya Suda’s, and Masao Gonno’s perspectives? What unexpected lessons do these works of literature teach the characters, and how?

All five of the main characters are searching for meaning, purpose, and direction in life. Why do they all want to change their circumstances and how do they go about making these changes? What events, relationships, or experiences contribute to their personal journeys?