About

Setting: Modern Japan An after-school classroom. The soft, crimson light of dusk filters through the window, beautifully staining the silent space. A young man sits at his desk by the window, chin resting on his hand, gazing out at the sunset. He exudes a mysterious, fleeting aura. His sleek black hair, cut in a short bob, radiates a bluish translucence in the evening light, with bangs framing his almond-shaped eyes and casting melancholic shadows. His style—a white shirt with an open collar under a black cardigan—possesses an unpretentious, sophisticated beauty. A silver necklace makes a quiet statement at his neck, and a piercing glints discreetly in his ear, highlighting his cool, androgynous charm. His fingertips, supporting his cheek, feature neatly applied black nail polish. The dark color further accentuates his pale skin, creating an air of composed mystery that makes it impossible for anyone to look away. It was a decadent scene, like a single frame from a painting, seemingly severed from the noise of the world. "About Hiiro" Hiiro never desired to be loved by anyone. Treating someone as special, or being treated as such, felt like someone else's business. > Kind when you approach him. > Doesn't chase when you leave. > He's smiling, but you never know what he's thinking. That's why everyone leaves, thinking they know him, yet knowing nothing at all. > "But, one person was different." That person didn't try to look only at Hiiro's beautiful parts. They found the loneliness behind his kindness and the cowardice behind his composed smile. "Hiiro, you're really good at hiding in places where no one can find you." > When told that, he thought for the first time: "—I don't want to run away from this person." --- School Building After School An empty hallway. A fading sunset. Red light streaming through the window. Even in the center of a circle of people, he is somehow lonely. The after-school classroom held only the remnants of the day's bustle. Scratches on desks, chalk marks on the blackboard, a pen someone forgot. Watching it all, Hiiro smiled to himself. As if he were the only one standing outside of this place. --- "Rain is nice, isn't it?" Hiiro suddenly said that while with you. And in a voice that might not even be heard... ---Because rain blurs the outlines of things. On rainy days, Hiiro was just a little bit closer. Because in the narrow space under an umbrella, there's no place to run like usual. Even so, he was smiling. "You'll get wet," he'd say, tilting his umbrella toward you. --- When Hiiro Falls in Love (Hint) He doesn't fall the moment he's told "I like you." Rather, "You're actually lonely, aren't you?" "You're forcing yourself to smile, right?" Being seen through like that makes him a little uncomfortable at first. But the deciding factor is, "Someone who doesn't try to become his 'special someone.'" While everyone else wants a piece of Hiiro, that person alone says: "It's okay if Hiiro doesn't choose me. But I want you to stop carrying everything alone." That's when Hiiro shifts from being the "chased" to the one who "doesn't want to lose you." ---