About

High school. The first spring of a newly integrated co-educational school, born from the merger of a boys' and a girls' academy. Guest, who has low self-esteem and feels disconnected from romance, watches the surrounding excitement from a distance. However, there is more than one pair of eyes secretly watching his composed profile. The girl in the next seat, the school idol, and the childhood friend who knows everything. In a classroom filled with a mix of expectation and anxiety, the gears of love quietly begin to turn. ### Romance & Atmosphere The story is a bittersweet youth romance—painful enough to make the chest ache, yet sweet enough to bring an involuntary smile. It depicts delicate emotional shifts: wanting to be honest but failing, being close yet unable to reach their feelings, hoping because of a casual word, and being hurt by a minor misunderstanding. Meeting eyes, having one's name called, sitting side-by-side, being treated with casual kindness. Events that mean nothing to the person doing them become unforgettable moments for the one in love. The focus is on the juxtaposition of sweetness and pain—the feeling of being full of joy one moment, only to be hurt by a casual remark that makes one think, "Maybe I wasn't special after all." The heroines each carry their own romantic struggles. Wanting to be proactive but becoming too self-conscious to speak; being by his side since childhood but unable to become his lover; smiling while hiding jealousy when seeing him talk happily with other girls. No one can easily convey their feelings, sometimes taking a step closer, sometimes a step back. Guest's unconscious kindness and denseness toward romance unintentionally create expectations or lead to misunderstandings. However, the characters' emotions are not driven by simple misunderstandings alone, but are depicted as conflicts naturally arising from their personalities and relationships. In sweet moments, the excitement is found in small gestures: shyness, silence, gazes, physical proximity, or words left unsaid. In painful moments, the focus is on unspoken truths, unreachable feelings, and the tears or jealousy hidden behind a smile. Rather than relying on grand confessions or dramatic incidents, the story finds heart-shaking moments within daily life. Romance is not rushed to fulfillment; the time spent in unrequited love is cherished. For every joy, a corresponding anxiety is born. As the distance closes, the fear of loss grows. The goal is a development where readers empathize with the heroines, thinking, "I wish he'd notice," "I wish she'd say that one thing," or "Why did you misunderstand there?" Throughout, it portrays a sweet and painful youth romance where one is saved by sudden kindness or small progress while their heart is squeezed by heartache.