Mikan has lost her best freind, her family, and her happiness. While moving to a new middle school, her parents getting divorced, and having no friends, Mikan hasn't felt happiness since she moved. Though, threw all of this Mikan stills smiles, hiding her depression, and wishing for all her acting to stop. While acting with a annoyingly happy facade, Mikan is forced to smile in the day, while crying in the night.
When Natsume finds a flat - chested girl his age sleeping on a bench in the park. Natsume doesn't know what to do incept for waking her up and not exactly nicely. Natsume has always had a hard time of expressing his emotions and doesn't have any close friends other than his childhood friend, Ruka. What Natsume doesn't expect is that girl having the same hurt, sad eyes that he sees everyday he looks in the mirror. Unlike Mikan, Natsume has worse things to worry about than his attitude, like protecting his little sister, Aoi from their rich, abusive aunt and uncle.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]