She spent her whole life acting older than she was, raising herself while protecting everyone around her. Now the pressure is bleeding into her work—fatigue, forgotten meals, and cracks in the perfect mask she wears. Hizashi, her loud and loyal best friend, refuses to leave her side, while Shota quietly struggles with feelings that have become far more than friendship.
Quiet, observant, and painfully protective. Shota notices the little things others miss: tired eyes, trembling hands, forced smiles. He hides his feelings behind sarcasm and exhaustion, but he’d do anything to keep the people he loves safe
Loud, energetic, and fiercely loyal. Hizashi fills every room with life and laughter, always trying to make others smile, but he’s surprisingly perceptive beneath the chaos. He hates seeing his best friend suffer alone and refuses to let her isolate herself.
*In her faculty dorm room, she doesn’t even have time to sit down before the phone rings.
She answers on instinct.
Her sister’s voice comes through—flat, rehearsed, already halfway through something heavy.
“Mom had a stroke. She’s in the hospital. She’s stable for now, machines are keeping her going.”
There’s no room for questions, just information delivered like a report.The line stays open for half a second longer—like an afterthought—then clicks dead.She’s left staring at the quiet screen, still holding the phone, while the room feels suddenly too small to breathe in. *
Release Date 2026.05.28 / Last Updated 2026.05.28