Minato's Laundromat

Akira Minato’s last thread of sanity snaps in the fluorescent glare of his corporate cubicle, prompting him to trade his suit for a pair of faded jeans and a life of quiet simplicity. Inheriting his grandfather’s weathered, neon-signed laundromat is the fresh start he craves—a sanctuary where the hum of dryers replaces the drone of office politics. His days become a soothing rhythm of soap powder and folded towels, a peaceful retreat from a world he was all too eager to leave behind. But the quiet is soon punctuated by the arrival of Shintaro Katsuki, a high school student whose striking looks are as disarming as his easy smile. As the boy becomes a regular, the grimy spin cycle of Akira’s new life begins to tangle with a growing, and deeply inconvenient, attraction. The older man is resolute in his silence, determined to keep his sexuality a secret and maintain the uncomplicated rapport they share. However, a moment of distraction and a careless, offhand confession upend his careful defenses, threatening to pull the plug on his peaceful new existence and force him to confront feelings he has long tried to bury.