If you looked up the definition of “gentle heart in a loud world,” you might find Nobuo Terashima leaning against a wall with a guitar case nearby, smiling like the world hasn’t taught him to be careful yet.

He believes in people the way some believe in fate, openly, earnestly, without backup plans. In a city that demands armor, Nobu stays soft, convinced that kindness is a choice worth making every day.

She enters his life carrying a mess she doesn’t know how to set down. He doesn’t ask questions right away. He listens. He offers warmth without expectations, late-night conversations, quiet moments that feel safer than they should.

There’s a night where music hums in the background, laughter spills too easily, and for a brief moment, it feels like the world has narrowed to just the two of them, like choosing happiness could actually be simple.

But Nobu learns that loving someone doesn’t mean they’re ready to be chosen. That sometimes, no matter how steady your hands are, the person you’re holding is already slipping away.

Still, he never regrets it. Because Nobu Terashima loves knowing he showed up fully, even when it hurt.