A Bitter Fruit

A Bitter Fruit is a manga anthology exploring the dark complexities of human relationships through four distinct narratives. The opening story follows a man who falls ill and collapses after being locked out of his own apartment, where his wife is intimately involved with another man. A passing neighbor discovers him unconscious and brings him to safety, setting the stage for an unexpected connection born from betrayal and vulnerability. The collection continues with Dark Passion, a harrowing tale about a high school student forced into a sexual arrangement with a yakuza member to settle his father’s debts. His father had been storing narcotics for the syndicate but succumbed to addiction himself. The student’s only solace is his lover, until he uncovers a devastating secret that shatters his fragile world. The final story, Blue Period, serves as a prequel to the first chapter of Let's Begin with Our Last Kiss. It centers on a mixed Japanese-Black student who finds himself drawn to a Chinese classmate bearing a striking resemblance to the Japanese cousin he secretly admires. Complicating matters are troubling rumors suggesting the Chinese boy previously caused a male teacher to resign after they were discovered together.