Editor's Sidebar: Where we hear directly from VIZ editors about series they're currently working on.

Konatsu Amano is lonely. Her dad just got a job overseas, so she’s had to give up everything she knows in Tokyo to move in with her aunt in a small seaside town. It’s also her first year of high school, and Konatsu is dreading trying to make new friends. She’s shy, and it’s hard for her to open up to new people.

Koyuki Honami is lonely. Everyone at school thinks she’s amazing, but they've put her on such a high pedestal that she doesn’t have any real friends. The Aquarium Club is the only place she feels like herself, but she’s the only member. She’d love to connect with people, but she doesn’t really know how, even though she seems extroverted and sure of herself.

Luckily for both girls, Konatsu swings by the school on the last day of summer during the Aquarium Club’s open house. She’s impressed by the aquarium, but even more impressed by Koyuki. They both feel instantly drawn to each other and make tentative overtures of friendship.

Being with Koyuki makes Konatsu feel brave, and she starts to try out things that used to scare her, like public speaking and presentations. Being with Konatsu makes Koyuki feel like the ice in her heart is melting, like she can truly open up. Soon, a mere glimpse of each other is all it takes to brighten an otherwise dull day.

But loneliness can be a tricky feeling to get rid of, even if you find someone you click with. And the anxieties of being a teenager can make even the easiest relationship difficult. So both Koyuki and Konatsu still find themselves haunted by self-doubt and gloom, even though they aren’t alone anymore.

Things won’t be easy all the time, but Koyuki and Konatsu have a secret weapon. Since the two of them know what loneliness feels like, they aren’t afraid of it. They understand the coldness that can overtake a person, and just maybe they also know the best way to chase it away.

Read a free preview of A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow, Vol. 1 by Makoto Hagino here.