Kawakami Rikiya

The reality of life closes in on a couple. With friends landing job offers and old crushes tying the knot, they are left wondering: is it really okay for us to just stay exactly as we are? Taneda and Kusai—two students held back a year who have belatedly come face-to-face with this reality—decide to play catch at a nearby art college to take their minds off things. Yet, far from offering a distraction, their problems only become all the more glaringly apparent……! Award: Encouragement Award in the March 2026 Morning Monthly Awards

Originally published in Tamanga 2025: Health (Vol. 52 Supplement) at COMITIA 154.