A Star Brighter Than the Sun

Sae Iwata has never fit the “cute and delicate” mold, and her strength once made it feel natural to look out for her childhood friend—and longtime crush—Kouki Kamishiro. As they grew up, Kouki shot up in height and found new confidence, and the distance between them slowly widened.

Near the end of middle school, Sae crosses paths with Kouki again and is reminded of the gentle boy she used to know. The feelings she thought she’d left behind return, and she tries to keep them in check—only for things to get harder when high school places them in the same class. With her emotions deepening day by day, Sae faces the question of whether she can keep pretending nothing has changed, especially with Kouki’s presence shining ever brighter in her life.