Captivated, by You

Hayashi moves through his high school with an open, candid manner that draws looks from classmates and strangers alike. He tallies every staircase in the building, snaps pictures of street signs, and leaves sweet potatoes drying on the classroom balcony, all without self-consciousness in a community that prizes fitting in.

Nikaidou is his opposite. He has cultivated a grim, sullen front that keeps nearly everyone at a distance, and much of the student body regards him as an ill omen. One classmate, however, sees what lies beneath that act. Unbothered by whispers about misfortune and supposed supernatural abilities, this student starts to chip away at the careful image Nikaidou has built.