Hotarubi no Mori e

Lost in a forest said to shelter spirits, Hotaru meets a masked boy named Gin who helps her find her way. He warns her that a human touch would cause him to disappear, placing an unusual boundary around their first encounter.

Hotaru returns every summer, and their friendship deepens as she grows older. Brief visits and long separations give their feelings time to change, while the distance they must maintain becomes increasingly painful for two people who want to remain close.