Seeing Blue

Ruriko Aoyama is a second-year high school student who has carried a prominent blue birthmark across her face since birth. Throughout her life, she has strived to downplay the mark, carefully navigating social situations to avoid drawing unwanted attention or receiving excessive sympathy from those around her. Her quiet determination to live normally defines her daily existence, shaping how she interacts with her peers and approaches her school life. Everything shifts when Ruriko accidentally comes into possession of a notebook belonging to Kanda, her newly assigned homeroom teacher. As she looks through its pages, she discovers that he has meticulously recorded the names of every student in her class alongside detailed notes about their distinguishing physical features. Yet, to her surprise, the space next to her own name remains entirely blank. Confused by the omission, she decides to confront him directly about it. During their conversation, Ruriko uncovers an unexpected truth: Kanda lives with prosopagnosia, a neurological condition that prevents him from recognizing or distinguishing human faces. This revelation introduces a profound dynamic between them, as she encounters someone who perceives her without ever seeing the feature she has spent years trying to hide.