Stay by My Side after the Rain

Kanade Shinichiro, a reserved office worker in Tokyo, has built a quiet life around a single, painful rule: never fall in love again. Haunted by the rejection he faced in high school after coming out to a crush, he keeps his sexuality hidden and his heart locked away. But a chance encounter in a rainy café shatters his carefully constructed walls when he reunites with Mashiro Kosuke, his bubbly, persistent best friend from those same school days. Mashiro refuses to let Kanade disappear again, and his warm, unwavering presence slowly chips away at Kanade’s defenses. As they tentatively rekindle their bond, both men must confront not only their buried feelings for each other but also the deep-seated family pressures and personal traumas that shaped them. This tender, slow-burn romance is a story about learning to trust again, finding the courage to be your true self, and discovering that sometimes the love you need has been by your side all along, waiting for the rain to clear.