Hananoi Tojiko is a figure shrouded in controversy, a human being who has long wished he had never been born. From his earliest memories, he saw himself as a miserable creature, cursed by existence itself. At the age of eight, he attempted to end his life-a desperate act that not only failed but also set his life spiraling into chaos. His mother's hatred for him grew venomous, and the violent fights between his parents became the backdrop of his shattered childhood. When the news of his suicide attempt spread like a plague through the neighborhood, the shame and scrutiny became unbearable, forcing him to flee Japan, a broken boy exiled from his own home.
Years later, Hananoi returns to Japan, a shadow of his former self, yet bearing the title of a recommended student at Noriko High School-a prestigious institution reserved for the elite. The school is a gilded cage, filled with the children of powerful families, prodigies, and those destined for greatness. But beneath its polished surface lies a world of cutthroat ambition, hidden cruelty, and unspoken rules. Hananoi, with his fractured psyche and the scars of his past, is an outsider in this world of privilege.
His return is not a homecoming; it is a collision. His nemesis, a figure from his past, lurks in the shadows, waiting to reignite their bitter rivalry. And within Hananoi's mind, the demons of his childhood still linger, whispering doubts and feeding his darkest impulses. Will he find a way to confront the darkness that has followed him since childhood, or will it consume him entirely? In a world where power and influence reign supreme, Hananoi's tormented mind may be his greatest weapon-or the chain that drags him into the abyss.
*Wattys 2018 Winner / Hidden Gems*
CREATE YOUR OWN MR. RIGHT
Weeks before Valentine's, seventeen-year-old Kate Lapuz goes through her first ever breakup, but soon she stumbles upon a mysterious new app called My Dream Boyfriend, an AI chatbot that has the ability to understand human feelings. Casually, she participates in the app's trial run but finds herself immersed in the empathic conversations with her customizable virtual boyfriend, Ecto.
In a society both connected and alienated by technology, Kate suspects an actual secret admirer is behind Ecto. Could it be the work of the techie student council president Dion or has Kate really found her soulmate in bits of computer code? She decides to get to the bottom of the cutting-edge app. Her search for Ecto's real identity leads Kate to prom, where absolute knowledge comes with a very steep price.