The Summer With You

With high school behind them, Chiharu returns to Tokyo to begin his university life and, more importantly, to share another sweltering summer with Wataru—now officially his boyfriend. Though their days are quickly filled with the steady rhythm of part-time shifts and demanding coursework, the simple joy of existing in the same city again reignites their connection in unexpected ways. Their usual weekend rituals, like cozy movie marathons, begin to feel too small for the depth of their rekindled feelings, so they venture out into the balmy nights, trading the glow of a television screen for the brilliant bursts of a fireworks festival. As the season deepens, the couple revives their tradition of summer pilgrimage, setting off for a quiet, deserted island where the world falls away and only the two of them remain. But when an evening of adventure stretches too long and Wataru realizes he has missed the last train home, he finds himself accepting Chiharu's invitation to stay the night. What begins as a practical solution quickly turns intimate within the close walls of Chiharu's room. As the stillness of the early morning settles around them, Chiharu looks at Wataru and makes a quiet request—just one thing, spoken with a vulnerability that hints at everything he has been too afraid to ask for until now.