Sedonia Guillone
Ai Press
Reviewed by Nancy
5 out of 5 stars
Summary
Sometimes the best kept secret is the one you keep from yourself…
“I’m an ordinary man with an ordinary life in every way. Except for Jun. That’s what I think to myself every night when I watch Jun getting ready for his work as a bar host in Kabukicho. He’s everything I’m not. He’s the beautiful, graceful, sociable and ambitious counterpart to me—a hulking, reclusive, completely unambitious guy who’d rather fix car and motorcycle engines all day than interact with people… I’d be happy if Jun just stayed here with me the rest of our lives, in this little apartment we’d once shared with Dad. But Jun has other plans.”
Or so Jun thinks. One night he gets ready and goes to work. But a tragic occurrence derails his career and all his plans for the future.
Through the eyes of his best friend, Tomo, the man who loves him above all others, Jun will be forced to confront himself, his deepest fears, hates, desires. And his deepest love.
My Review
This is a lovely story about Tomo and Jun, two Japanese men who have been close friends since childhood. Abandoned by his mother at a very young age, Jun is raised by Tomo’s father and the boys lived together as brothers.
Jun is now 27, working late hours as a bar host while Tomo has a secure job as a mechanic. The two remain very close, but their different schedules prevent them from spending a lot of time together.
A brutal assault in a dark alley leaves Jun hospitalized and worried about his future.
Told from Tomo’s point of view, we get glimpses of his strength, vulnerability, and insecurity. Though his body is muscular and calloused from physical labor, he is a gentle soul who is deeply in love with and protective of Jun.
Jun is Tomo’s physical opposite, and the more sociable one of the two. His unresolved abandonment issues, however, keep his pain and feelings for Tomo from surfacing. Eventually, the friendship, love and trust they have for each other enables them to heal their emotional wounds and expose their hearts.
I really enjoyed this beautiful and moving story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thoughtful and touching romance.
Have some tissues handy.