He never believed in second chances. She never thought she'd get a first.

Sota is a nineteen-year-old college dropout weighed down by trauma, isolation, and the gnawing shame of a body and mind that never seemed to fit. His world is small — a spiral of empty routines and broken expectations — until a sixteen-year-old girl named Ren walks into his martial arts class… and takes a punch to the face with a smile.

Assigned to mentor her as part of the school’s teaching program, Sota begins to unravel a truth he didn’t expect: Ren isn’t just cheerful — she’s resilient, hiding her own bruises behind bright eyes and relentless optimism. As training sessions turn to fleeting conversations, and tournaments give way to quiet understanding, the two forge a connection that might become something more — if they can both survive the weight of their pasts.

This is a story about age, shame, trauma, healing… and love that shows up where you’re not looking for it.