Inu to Uguisu

"Even if it is a love destined to remain unrequited." Touma Inukai works at a bar called Hatsu Uguisu, where he quietly harbors deep feelings for his older colleague, the cook Yukiharu Yanagi. Despite their close working relationship, Inukai carries the painful knowledge that Yanagi’s heart has always belonged to someone else. This lingering devotion to an unseen figure forms an invisible barrier between them, leaving Inukai trapped in a cycle of longing and resignation as he watches the man he loves from afar. Driven by a desperate desire to finally be noticed, Inukai makes a bold move when Yanagi becomes intoxicated one evening. He seizes the vulnerable moment to bridge the distance between them, acting on emotions he can no longer contain. Yet, even as he crosses that line, Inukai remains haunted by a quiet, devastating truth: no matter what happens between them in the fleeting hours of the night, he can never truly replace the person who already holds Yanagi’s heart. It is a bittersweet tale of yearning, where every stolen touch is shadowed by the certainty of an impossible love.