Aoku Kiyoku

Natsuki Sugino and Shun Kashiwabara are high school classmates and close friends from different grades. After Shun confesses his feelings to Natsuki, he is unable to return them due to unresolved trauma from childhood sexual abuse by an older man, which also makes it difficult for him to accept relationships with people of the same sex. Natsuki chooses to maintain their friendship as if nothing has changed, while Shun attempts to hide his emotions to preserve their bond. The situation becomes complicated when Tōya, who is presented as Shun’s former boyfriend, reenters their lives and insists on spending time with both of them, causing Natsuki to feel jealousy.