Summer has come again. Hisae and her son Kenichi, having just finished moving, are wiping sweat as they sort through their belongings. Memories of last summer and the summer before—sweltering days spent suffering from a broken air conditioner—come flooding back. Kenichi confidently claims, "This house should be fine—the landlord had it serviced," but his words prove hollow as the air conditioner inevitably breaks down once more.