The Man I Always Come Home To

At eleven years old, Mio Hayase made two promises.

The first was to escape poverty.

The second was to never let the people she loved worry about her.

She kept both promises.

After graduating from university, Mio lands her dream job at one of Tokyo's top advertising agencies. There, she falls in love with her successful, charming boss-a man who seems capable of giving her the stable future she's always wanted.

Meanwhile, Kaito Shimizu, the orphan who has loved her since childhood, quietly buries his feelings and watches her choose someone else.

Three years later, Mio escapes a relationship that nearly destroys her.

The only phone number she can remember is Kaito's.

As she slowly rebuilds her life, Mio begins to question everything she once believed about love, success, and happiness. But moving forward isn't easy when Kaito has already found someone else... and another man enters her life just as she's learning how to smile again.

Sometimes the safest place isn't where you planned to go.

Sometimes...

Home is the person who never stopped waiting.

A slow-burn childhood friends romance filled with hurt/comfort, healing, emotional growth, second chances, and found family.