Hanging by a thread

18 year old Naoya Fujimura genius fashion student, cold and unreachable. His talent hides a long, brutal history of mental illness. Behind every perfectly stitched seam is a secret: Naoya has attempted suicide nineteen times. He hides his scars with long sleeves and impeccable posture. Everyone calls him brilliant. No one knows he's counting down.

Itsuki Rindo 18 years old student of [redacted] Academy . Outgoing, charming, and loved by everyone-but he is self-harming beneath the surface. His smile is performative. His interest in Naoya starts as a mystery, maybe even morbid fascination, but quickly becomes something more dangerous: need.

Itsuki transfers to Naoya's academy under the guise of a scholarship student. He's heard the rumors about the "dead-eyed boy who makes gowns that cry." He wants to see it for himself.

What he finds is someone haunting, someone hollow, someone aching. Naoya speaks in flat tones, keeps tally marks inside his sketchbooks, and flinches when touched. Yet he takes Itsuki in. Offers him quiet company. Eventually, trust.

As they spend more time together, the threads of their bond tangle: co-dependence, silent nights, exchanged blades, confessions whispered into the dark. Itsuki stops asking why Naoya is the way he is-and starts needing Naoya just to feel something real.

They begin to self-destruct together, in private. They call it "control," but it's anything but.

Naoya creates a final collection titled Nineteen-nineteen pieces. One for each attempt. One last attempt remains.