When the Museum Is Closed

An underemployed university graduate lands a strange museum gig in this surreal exploration of loneliness and human connection from Yagi (Diary of a Void). Ever since she was a child, Rika Horauchi has believed she’s wearing an invisible yellow raincoat. Not only does it cause her to remain withdrawn from others, it’s also sweltering, so Rika spends her days working in a frozen food warehouse and her nights watching livestream videos. She also has a talent for Latin, which she’s pleased to put to use in her new job, which involves conversing with an ancient Roman statue of Venus. Initially, Rika feels mismatched with the “breathtaking and much too exposed” goddess, sweating under “too many layers” in her raincoat. Soon, though, she bonds with Venus and finds herself opening up to a potential romance. Rika’s first-person narration is both observant and thoughtful, and Venus charms with her frank dialogue: “Try being ogled all day long. You start to feel empty inside. Like there’s not an original thought in your head.” This whimsical story is a winner. (Jan.)