いとしいこと

Name:  Second Serenade (セカンド・セレナーデ) Author:  Konohara Narise (木原音瀬) Synopsis:   This volume features two interconnected stories about love in its most complicated forms. The first follows a student and his teacher, bound by a secret relationship that quietly pushes against the boundaries of what's allowed, and what's left unsaid. The second centers on Kakegawa, a university student nursing a broken heart, who ends up entangled with an older man whose sharp tongue and difficult nature are as striking as his good looks. What begins as a purely physical arrangement starts to shift into something neither of them anticipated. Both stories capture the awkwardness, tension, and vulnerability that come with falling in love — especially when it’s with someone you probably shouldn’t. Perfect for readers who enjoy younger seme , emotionally messy dynamics, and romances that evolve from distance to unexpected intimacy. Publisher:  Libre Publishing Co., Ltd. (リブレ) Digital Edi...

Previous   TOC Afterword Thank you very much for picking up COLD THE FINAL . This book is a compilation of side stories from the entire COLD series, which includes the earlier trilogy ( COLD SLEEP , COLD LIGHT , COLD FEVER ) and the later duology ( COLD HEART in TOKYO and COLD HEART in NEWYORK ). The focus is the continuation of Akizawa and Kusuda’s relationship from COLD HEART , originally published in doujinshi form. It also includes a short story about the original main couple from the earlier books, Tohru Takahisa and Keishi Fujishima. I gathered everything I could remember—from booklet extras, fair-exclusive mini booklets, and privately distributed flyers—added new material, rewrote portions, and arranged it all in rough chronological order. After Akizawa and Kusuda get back together, the narrative expands to include Tohru and Keishi, weaving the four characters’ stories together. I’ve also included newly written material at the end. Honestly, I just told myself “It’s fictio...

Previous   TOC   Next in CRUX The bus rattled noisily as it rolled along. There were only a handful of passengers on the local route. Sitting side by side in the third-to-last row of two-person seats, Keishi Fujishima dozed quietly next to Tohru. It would take about thirty minutes to get from the inn to the station. His hand was being held tightly by Tohru, taking advantage of the fact that no one could see them. It was the end of February. They had come to Yuzawa for a brief trip timed with Tohru's time off, spending a relaxed few days at a quaint, old-fashioned ryokan. The food had all been delicious, and the hot springs felt amazing. Their room had its own private open-air bath, so they didn’t need to worry about prying eyes. Tohru had become increasingly busy as a photographer, traveling constantly for shoots both within Japan and overseas. Even so, two or three times a year, he made a point to take Keishi on trips like this. It had started with a vacation to New York, whe...

Previous   TOC   Next COLD THE LAST in Hollywood The moment Masahiko Kusuda stepped into the theater, his legs went weak. The space was enormous. Tiered box seats lined the left, right, and rear walls in layers, and the ceiling stretched impossibly high. There were theaters of this scale in Japan as well, but somehow, this one felt even more decorative, more grand. The weight of the atmosphere was in a whole different league. Fifth row from the back, aisle side—he sat down next to Kuma, and stared vacantly at the semicircular stage glittering like it had been dusted with sequins. About fifteen minutes remained before the awards ceremony began. The seats were nearly filled, tuxedos and gowns draped over elegant men and women. Famous movie stars he’d only ever seen on screen were now filing in one after another, seating themselves in the front rows near the stage. It still didn’t feel real, that he was sharing the same space with these stars. He couldn’t relax; it felt like he w...

Previous   TOC   Next in Williamsburg Bridge Once they’d passed through the old warehouse district lined with weathered red bricks, the entrance to the massive bridge came into view after about ten minutes of walking. Tohru Takahisa, who had been walking ahead, stopped in his tracks and turned around. “You really wanna go through with this?” “Ah, yeah…” Keishi Fujishima gave a small nod. “We can still take a cab back, you know.” “I’d like to walk across. Kusuda-kun recommended it too.” He hesitated, though, and added, “But if you don’t want to, we can just take a taxi.” Tohru looked down and muttered, “Doesn’t matter to me,” before turning away and starting off again. Keishi wondered why he always had to be the one walking ahead, but couldn’t find the courage to catch up and walk beside him. He feared it might annoy Tohru. Even after all these years of living together, Keishi still found himself hesitating over trivial things like this. The sun had dipped low in the sky, the e...

Previous   TOC   Next COLD HEART in Brooklyn in GARDEN “Hello.” A voice in Japanese called out from a little ways off. Kaito Akizawa raised his voice, “Hang on a sec,” as he set down the table he’d been carrying in a shady corner of the yard and made his way quickly toward the front door. Though it was already the last week of September, the sun beat down with the intensity of midsummer. On the porch, Tabby’s frantic barking was joined by someone shouting, “What the hell is this thing!?” The little dog stood low to the ground, growling with full-bodied suspicion at the two visitors standing at the entrance. “Tabby, stop!” At the command, Tabby flinched and looked back, then bounded toward Akizawa without giving the guests another glance. He rubbed his nose against Akizawa’s shin, looking up with eyes that clearly said, “Hey, we’ve got shady characters over here.” Akizawa scooped him up, rubbed his head, and the dog finally calmed down. “What an obnoxious little mutt,” said To...