“Toumei na Yoru ni Kakeru Kimi to, Me ni Mienai Koi wo Shita.” is a story based on the work by Shima Nanigashi, depicting the romance between a young man who has become fearful of human relationships and a woman who looks forward in life despite being unable to see. What grabs your heart right from the start of reading this work is that the words “visible” and “invisible” do not simply mean vision alone. There are feelings that go unnoticed even if they are reflected in the eyes, and conversely, there are things that can definitely be felt even if they cannot be captured by sight. Such a theme quietly emerges through a delicate romance that begins during university life.

Sorano Kakeru, who moved to Tokyo from Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, upon entering university, is not good at dealing with people and is not the type to actively try to engage with anyone himself. Invited by Narumi Ushio, his roommate in the student dormitory, he attends a welcome party for new students and meets Fuyutsuki Koharu. Koharu, who laughs often and frankly speaks of her dreams, was a woman completely opposite to Kakeru. He then learns that Koharu has a visual impairment and cannot see. Partly because he was asked by his childhood friend Hayase Yuuko, Kakeru comes to support Koharu during lectures. The day after, after picking up the white cane Koharu dropped following class, the time shared between the two, who previously had little connection, slowly begins to move.

What makes the heroine Fuyutsuki Koharu so memorable is likely because she is not depicted merely as a “person who is supported.” While facing the difficulties that stem from being unable to see, she still does not try to let go of the things she wants to enjoy or the wishes she wants to fulfill. That appearance contrasts with Kakeru, who had closed his heart off due to past experiences of being hurt in relationships with people and had come to give up on various things. That is precisely why the process of the two drawing closer is interesting. At first, it appears that Kakeru is helping Koharu, but the more you read, the more you feel, “Isn't Kakeru actually the one who is being pushed forward?” Koharu's way of living—focusing her awareness not on what cannot be done, but on what can be done and what she wants to do—gradually expands his once-closed world.

One of the phrases that symbolizes the story is Koharu's wish: “I want to set off fireworks.” Why does she, who cannot see fireworks with her eyes, desire fireworks? This wish, which might seem strange at first glance, connects to an important part of the work. Fireworks are not something to be enjoyed by sight alone. The sound rising into the night sky, the vibration echoing through the body, the air surrounding the space, and who is by one's side. Upon learning Koharu's wish, Kakeru sets into motion to make it come true. A young man who once kept his distance from enjoying things begins running on his own for someone else's dream. In this change, there was a warmth that goes beyond simple romance.

When you finish reading this work, the phrase “invisible love” in the title resonates even more deeply. Love itself is not something that can be visually confirmed in the first place. Neither the feeling of affection nor the wish to cherish someone takes a physical form. Even so, people definitively perceive its existence through voices, actions, words, and the time spent together. While handling the subject of visual impairment, it does not confine the story to just that, but expands it to the universal question of “what does it mean to understand someone?”—which I felt is the charm of this work.

Behind the creation of this work is the presence of Michishita Misato, who won a silver medal in the blind marathon at the Rio Paralympics, and it is said that while reading related books, the author poured feelings for people who accept reality and live brightly even after losing their vision into the work. Those emotions directly connect to Koharu's positive characterization. On the other hand, the figure of Kakeru, who changes through meeting her, is also unforgettable. Koharu, who cannot see, and Kakeru, who had closed his heart. The two, who seemed to be away from the light for different reasons, take a new step forward thanks to each other's existence. It is a pure love story that does not end only in bittersweetness, but leaves a gentle lingering feeling that falling in love moves life forward just a little bit.