Jouga Town

Hiroshi Kuzumi and his wheelchair-bound younger sister Mana Kuzumi arrive in the town of Jōga. As they and their father are moving into their new apartment, Hiroshi meets Isuzu Tsumuhana, a tomboyish girl who lives next door and immediately latches onto him, proclaiming her love. At school, Hiroshi is warmly welcomed by everyone except class president Nemuru Kushinada, who tells him that his very existence is annoying. Later, Hiroshi learns from Isuzu and her friend Kaname that Jōga is known for its hassaku oranges, and that the harvest festival to the wolf god of the town is near. Hiroshi also notices the old district of Jōga, though Isuzu warns him to stay away from it. At night, Ogasawara, one of the people who welcomed Hiroshi, is hunted through the streets by figures in robes and wolf masks and killed by a girl in ceremonial clothes wielding a giant scythe. At school the next day, Ogasawara's desk is gone, and people don't seem to want to talk about it. Nemuru informs Hiroshi that Ogasawara "transferred".