I think I would’ve hated this story in my twenties, so maybe it’s my age, but I appreciate its quietness. I was so, so moved by this. Two people who broke up because of a stupid lie come back together gradually seven years later. There’s no groveling or dramatics. After a period of time, they speak once about what happened and choose to move on together. The characters are reflections of their surroundings - Ishizaki the ever-moving ocean, Mishima the lighthouse. They both make a foolish decision that harms the other: Ishizaki with his lie, Mishima when he doesn’t illuminate the lighthouse. And together, they patch up the house they will live in as adults. This really touched my heart.
Seven years ago, as they were leaving high school to begin their futures, Ishizaki - who was going away to Tokyo for school - lied to his boyfriend and said he'd never loved him, hoping it would be what Mishima - the grandson of the island's lighthouse keeper - needed to give up on him. But Ishizaki never forgets him, and when he returns to the island years later because of his father's help, he learns that Mishima has become a shut-in.
Bokura wo Hedateru Ao to Shiro