Zutto kimi ga sukidatta written by Yakou Hana and illustrated by Fuduki Atsuyo

Zutto kimi ga sukidatta (I love you for a long time) by Yakou Hana and illustrated by Fuduki Atsuyo is definitely one of those books that serves as a reminder not to judge books by their covers (or titles, for that matter). I really like this book. Rereading it closely to summarize it made me love it even more.

This is one of those stories about one guy (Yagi) who loves his best friend (Yuuki). The twist with this one is that Yagi had actually fallen in love at first sight with Yuuki and had confessed back in high school. Though Yuuki wasn't interested in dating a guy, he was interested enough in Yagi as a person that he convinces Yagi to become friends with him. Over the years they become very close friends even as Yuuki pursues his dream of becoming an actor, dropping out of college and getting disowned by his parents. Things change when Yagi once again confesses to Yuuki...

Yeah, it sounds kind of lame. But like I said earlier, I love this book so much. The characters are darling. Yagi is such a serious and dedicated guy, but he's definitely not perfect or infallible. Yuuki is for the most part rather indifferent to most things (including other people's feelings), but he is passionate about acting. And, it turns out, Yagi. I liked that the main conflict of the story was a real issue, instead of some lame misunderstanding or bizarre plot-device accident or high tragedy. Er...I think if I keep writing I'll just babble some more. Seriously, I just love this story. The summary doesn't do it justice, especially when it comes to the side characters (who are most excellent). Wish the art was a bit nicer, but I'll settle for not very nice art since the story is so shiny. XD

( the summary )

( the pics )

Nothing like a simple sweet story to lift the spirits. ^^