Nobuko Kadoya lives with her mother, Mrs. Kadoya, in the rural seaside town where Anna Sasaki spends her summer. She assists adults in supervising younger children during community activities like trash clean-up. Nobuko first notices Anna drawing near a river and voices confusion at encountering a stranger in their small, isolated community. Nobuko possesses an overweight build, black hair styled with straight bangs, and small, dark-colored eyes. She typically wears her hair in a braid, reserving loose hair for special occasions. Her mother and Anna's aunt arrange for Nobuko and Anna to attend the Tanabata Festival together. During the festival, Nobuko attempts friendship, expressing envy about Anna's city life. She snatches a wish card Anna wrote – stating "live a normal life everyday" – and reads it aloud. Nobuko also draws attention to Anna's uncommon blue eyes, urging her friends to look. This public scrutiny prompts Anna to call Nobuko a "fat pig." Nobuko retaliates, stating Anna cannot live normally because she "[looks] just like what [Anna] is," but still tries to invite Anna to join her friends. After Anna slaps the card from her hand and flees, Nobuko returns home crying. She reports the incident to her mother, exaggerating that Anna threatened her with a blade. This leads her angry mother to confront Anna's aunt and uncle about Anna's behavior. Later, when Anna's adoptive mother arrives to take her home, Anna apologizes for her rudeness. Nobuko responds by telling Anna to help with the trash clean-up next summer before walking away, implying lingering resentment alongside a potential willingness to reconcile in the future.