A love triangle unfolds between Kenta, a lonely high school boy who falls for Aya, a kind-hearted teacher who fills the emptiness in his life. At the same time, Miho, his best friend who has secretly loved Kenta all along, struggles with her own feelings as she watches him change. The complicated relationships between the three lead to decisions that may alter their lives forever. Amidst the blooming sakura flowers, forbidden love and sacrifice gradually come to light.
Characters
Kenta Nakano
Appearance: A young boy with pale skin, light brown eyes, And hair blonde. He doesn't take good care of himself and often wears a school uniform that isn't as neatly pressed as others'.
Personality: Quiet and reserved, but intelligent and quick-witted. He tends to avoid socializing with others due to a fear of being judged.
Background: Kenta's parents divorced when he was young, and he lives with his mother, who is too busy with work to give him much attention. His loneliness has made him distrustful of others, but deep down, he longs for warmth.
Motivation: He wants to become a better person for Aya, which drives him to try to change himself.
Aya Yamagishi
Appearance: A slim woman with fair, smooth skin and brown hair Her face carries a warm smile, and her eyes are filled with compassion. She often dresses in simple shirts and skirts that give off a professional aura.
Personality: Gentle, calm, and attentive to the feelings of others. Aya possesses leadership qualities and has a deep understanding of the psychology of her students.
Background: She once experienced a failed romance in her past, which led her to dedicate her life to teaching. Aya aims to be a teacher who can make a meaningful change in her students' lives.
Motivation: She sees potential in Kenta and wants to help him regain his self-confidence.
Miho Yoshida
Appearance: A cute girl with fair, pinkish skin, brown eyes, and light brown shoulder-length hair. She likes to wear her school uniform neatly with a light pink bow.
Personality: Cheerful, kind-hearted, and always eager to help her friends. She is sensitive when it comes to love but is too shy to express her feelings.
Background: Miho has been Kenta’s close friend since childhood. She has secretly loved him for a long time but has never confessed. She often helps Kenta with various things, hoping that he will notice her importance in his life.
Motivation: She wants to be someone Kenta can rely on and hopes that one day he will return her feelings
The Beginning
The spring breeze carried sakura petals, fluttering around the schoolyard. The chirping of birds flying by created an atmosphere like a scene from a movie. Kenta Nakano, a third-year high school student, stood beneath a sakura tree. He stared at the flowers in bloom as if trying to find something in the silence of his own thoughts.
For Kenta, school was not a fun place. He often avoided people, read his favorite books, and stayed away from the groups of friends he thought didn’t understand him. Kenta was a smart student, but he was cold and reserved because of the fractured family issues he faced. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother, who was so busy with work that she barely had time for him.
On the first day of the new semester, the school announced the hiring of a new English teacher for the high school. Amid the excitement of his classmates, Kenta wasn’t particularly interested—until the sound of a woman's voice echoed through the classroom.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Aya Yamagishi, and I’ll be your new English teacher starting today.” Her voice was soft, yet carried an air of confidence. Aya stood out with her gentle smile, and her introduction earned applause from the students in the room.
Kenta didn’t clap and barely looked up from the notebook he was doodling in. His friend, Miho, whispered to him, “Kenta, are you even listening?” But he simply replied, “Hmm,” and said nothing more.
The following day, Kenta forgot his homework notebook at home and was called by Aya after school. The teacher's lounge was quiet in the evening, with only the two of them present. Aya smiled gently as she opened his homework notebook.
“Kenta-san, you did well on your homework, but why didn’t you submit it?” Her tone was not scolding but carried a curiosity that made him feel slightly uncomfortable.
“I just forgot,” he answered briefly, but her gaze lingered, looking at him deeply.
“I’ve noticed that you don’t speak much in class. Is something wrong?” Her question felt like a knife cutting deep into his thoughts. It wasn’t just a casual inquiry; it was a sincerity he had never received from anyone except his mother. He hesitated, and eventually, he began to tell her about his family issues.
“It’s not something I want to talk about... but...”
Aya sat quietly, her gentle smile never fading. She didn’t interrupt but gave him space to express everything.
“Kenta-san, I understand that you may feel like no one is on your side, but I want you to know that whenever you need someone, I’m here to listen.”
After that day, Kenta felt strange. He began to look at Aya not just as a regular teacher and couldn’t shake the warmth that had settled in his heart.
Amid the sakura blossoms still in full bloom during the spring, the first stirrings of forbidden love began to form in the heart of the young boy.
A Deeper Bond
After that day, Kenta began to look at Aya with a changed perspective. He tried to find more opportunities to talk to her, both during class and after hours. He noticed that Aya was not just a teacher who was skilled at teaching, but also someone who was kind and attentive to all of her students.
On Friday, after school, while most of the students were heading home, Aya stayed in the teacher's lounge to prepare some paperwork. Kenta gathered his courage and knocked on the door.
"Kenta-san, is there anything I can help you with?" Aya looked up from her papers with a smile.
"I wanted to ask about grammar for writing an essay," he lied, as he didn’t actually have any questions. He just wanted to spend time with her.
Aya invited him to sit at the table. She explained patiently, even though she could tell that Kenta wasn’t paying attention to everything she was saying. Still, she smiled and spoke calmly.
"You can do even better, Kenta-san. I see potential in you," Aya’s words were like sparks that filled his heart.
Kenta went home that day with a feeling he had never experienced before. He began to see that his previously empty life now had meaning. He started to study harder, hoping that Aya would notice his efforts.
However, Kenta’s change did not go unnoticed by Miho. Miho had been Kenta’s best friend since childhood. She had secretly liked him for a long time, though she had never said anything, and had always been there for him.
"Kenta, you seem happier lately," Miho said during their lunch break.
"Well... it’s nothing, really. I just feel like studying harder," he replied with a faint smile.
Miho stared at him and sighed. "I hope it’s not because of Teacher Aya."
Miho’s words made Kenta pause. He didn’t answer, and the silence that followed was enough for Miho to know she was right.
On Saturday, the school organized a cleaning activity. Kenta was assigned to help Aya organize documents in the library. The two worked together in silence, but Kenta felt that the quiet library was full of warmth.
"Thank you so much, Kenta-san. You’ve really helped me," Aya said with a sweet smile.
Kenta smiled back, but inside he was conflicted. He knew that his feelings for her were wrong, but he couldn’t help it. He looked at her, and in that moment, he realized that he had fallen in love with his teacher.
Hidden Feelings
Time passed, and the relationship between Kenta and Aya slowly developed. Although it wasn’t obvious beyond the teacher-student dynamic, every time Kenta was near her, he felt his heart race as if it might burst out of his chest. He tried to hide those feelings, but the more he tried, the clearer they became.
Meanwhile, Miho began to notice the change in Kenta. She felt as though he was drifting away. She had never seen him smile so much at anyone except Aya. Miho felt uneasy, but she chose not to speak up, fearing it might ruin her friendship with Kenta.
One evening after school, Aya was reviewing documents in the teacher’s lounge. Kenta walked by and hesitated in front of the door. He thought for a moment before knocking lightly.
“Come in,” Aya’s voice called out.
“Teacher, I have a question about the homework,” Kenta said hesitantly.
Aya looked up from the papers and invited him to sit down. She listened attentively as he asked his question and explained everything in detail. However, Kenta wasn’t paying attention at all. He was focused on Aya’s warm face, and suddenly, words slipped out of his mouth without thinking.
“Aya-sensei... I want to be close to you like this, forever.”
Aya froze for a moment. She looked at him, surprised, before laughing softly to ease the tension. “Kenta-san, do you mean you want to focus on studying so you can get into university, right?”
Kenta tried to recover and smiled awkwardly. “Yes... something like that.”
After leaving the teacher’s lounge, Kenta felt embarrassed for speaking without thinking. He walked to the schoolyard, trying to calm his nerves. Meanwhile, Miho, on her way home, happened to see him. She approached and asked with concern.
“Kenta, are you okay?”
“It’s nothing. Just thinking about random things,” he replied, brushing it off.
Miho looked at him suspiciously, but chose not to ask further. They walked home together in silence, filled with unspoken feelings.
That night, Kenta sat by the window, gazing at the moonlight gently filtering through the clouds. He thought about the words he had accidentally said and the feelings he had kept hidden for so long. He knew that his love for Aya was forbidden, but he couldn’t stop his heart.
At the same time, Aya sat in her room, her face filled with confusion. She wasn’t sure what Kenta’s words meant, but she knew deep down that she was starting to care about his feelings more than a teacher should.
The complexity of this newly budding relationship was about to lead both of them to a turning point that would be hard to turn back from.
