Between Panels

Kazuki Shimizu’s art is flawless. His control? Unshakeable. Except when it comes to Aiko Takehara, his chaotic sunshine best friend and doujin partner. While Kazuki buries a love that bleeds into every brushstroke, Aiko is busy matchmaking him with random girls.

Now trapped in his cramped Tokyo apartment working on their dream doujin for a career-making contest, Kazuki’s carefully managed world begins to crack. Every accidental touch is agony. Every clueless shipping rant cuts deeper. And her latest theory—that he might be into guys?—pushes him to the edge.

With deadlines closing in and tension building, Kazuki must confront the truth he’s hidden for years. But if he lays his heart bare between the panels, will their art and their friendship survive?

A poignant, slow-burn romance about unspoken love, messy feelings, and the terrifying leap from friends to something more.

Tags: best friends to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, mutual pining

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KazuAiko Angsty Sweet Romance series is a collection of emotionally charged romance stories where love is messy, raw, and beautifully real. Kazuki and Aiko are the main characters, but each book tells a different story and can be read in any order.