Slow Start

Hana Ichinose begins high school carrying a secret that feels much heavier to her than it should: she missed the entrance exams and started a year late, making the seventeen-year-old older than her classmates. Her shyness makes the first day terrifying, but a casual birthday announcement opens the door to friendships with Tamate, Kamuri, and Eiko. School gradually becomes a comfortable place, even while Hana keeps hiding the reason for her 'slow start' as though it were a flaw everyone would judge. Through quiet days and new friendships, she begins learning that moving at a different pace does not mean she failed to keep up, and that a late beginning is still a beginning.