shu1031

Haruto Kirigami is a brilliant and handsome high school student who keeps his looks and real self behind unkempt hair, glasses, and an icy attitude. Haunted by a painful past, he has issues with trust and likes to be alone, keeping everyone at arm's length.

Nasaki Kitta, a lovely and smart girl, has secret feelings for Haruto but keeps them hidden behind a genial and calm surface. Even though she has such feelings, it is hard for her to approach him because he is antisocial.

With small, silent moments—such as brief conversations in the library, shared glimpses in the hallway, and small gestures of kindness—their bond slowly begins to develop. As Haruto's walls begin to break down, Nasaki becomes a beacon of warmth and compassion in his otherwise icy existence.

The narrative weaves through key high school moments: a school festival where Haruto comes out of his shell, a home visit that introduces Nasaki to his secret world, and a touching graduation where Haruto finally accepts the future with renewed hope.

Curtains of the heart

The next day, Haruto and Nasaki sat in the classroom, side by side, as they put the finishing touches on their project. The classroom was quiet, with only a few students still lingering after school.

Haruto glanced at Nasaki, who was scribbling something in her notebook. She had been unusually focused today, barely looking at him.

"You're taking this pretty seriously," he commented.

Nasaki didn't look up. "Clearly. I don't want to fail due to you."

It took another fifteen minutes, and they both leaned back in their chairs, their task completed at last.

Nasaki sighed with satisfaction. "Okay. That's it."

Haruto flexed his arms. "At last."

They collected their papers and headed towards the teacher's office to hand in the project. The instant they submitted it, Nasaki spun around towards him with a smug look.

"There. Now we don't have to see each other after school anymore," she teased.

Haruto cocked an eyebrow. "You make it sound like a bad thing."

Nasaki blinked, slightly annoyed. "W-Well, I just mean… never mind!"

Haruto laughed as they exited the office together.

With the project finished, things slowly went back to normal.

Haruto and Nasaki still spoke, but it was more relaxed—less strained than before. It was as if they had never been awkward around each other in the first place.

That day, they actually had lunch together again, just like before.

Nasaki dug into her meal and looked over at Haruto. "You know, I thought you were going to make my life harder, but you weren't as bad."

Haruto's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow. That was almost like a compliment."

Nasaki's eyes rolled hard. "Don't test your luck."

Together, they went home from school again, like it was perfectly normal.

The streets were familiar, the chat light and casual.

Haruto didn't pay much mind—to it, that is—until one of his classmates walked by and suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, you two have become super close, huh?"

Haruto hardly flinched. He just nodded half-heartedly, too engrossed in whatever Nasaki was talking about at the time.

Meanwhile, Nasaki, who was walking beside him, had turned bright red.

And in the same manner, everything remained normal.

Chapter 21: "Back to Normal"