Beneath the Still Sky

Book Description In the space between what was and what might be, two broken people discover that emptiness can hold everything. Artist Yuki Tanaka hasn't painted in five years—not since the accident that took her fiancé and left her wondering if beauty could ever be truthful again. Now, with her comeback exhibition just weeks away and a rival gallery threatening to steal her spotlight, she stands before an unfinished canvas that refuses to reveal its secrets. The painting should speak of stillness, of peace. Instead, it whispers of everything she's afraid to feel. Architect Kaito Hayashi has spent eight years in London building monuments to other people's dreams. Prestigious projects. International acclaim. And a hollow ache he can't design away. When he returns to Tokyo and wanders into Yuki's gallery, he sees something in her paintings that stops him cold: a woman who understands that the most important parts of any structure are the spaces you leave empty. Their connection is immediate. Undeniable. Terrifying. As they collaborate on a minimalist tea house in the Japanese countryside—a structure designed to frame silence itself—Kaito and Yuki begin to dismantle the careful walls they've built around their hearts. But when Yuki's ailing mother delivers devastating news, she's forced to confront the question she's been avoiding: Is opening yourself to love worth the certainty of loss? Told with exquisite restraint and profound emotional depth, Beneath the Still Sky explores how we rebuild ourselves after grief shatters us. It's a story about art and architecture, yes—but more deeply, it's about the courage to stay present when staying present is the hardest thing in the world. About finding someone who sees your emptiness not as damage, but as the most honest thing about you. For readers who believe that the quietest love stories can leave the deepest marks. Perfect for fans of Kristen Harmel, Sally Rooney, and anyone who has ever had to choose between protecting their heart and letting it break open one more time.