Our Funny Love Story
About
Normal People meets 10 Things That Never Happened with a literary twist in this Achillean romantic mystery set in Tokyo.
Preorder before March 2 to receive special rewards! For more information, please visit: https://byrdkoto.com/updates/announcement-preorder-campaign-through-march-1-2026-guess-what-i-m.
A comedy of errors, until fate reveals its twisted sense of humor.
Kamada Eizo, a web novelist fresh from college, lands his dream—a flagship fantasy serial with an ambitious publisher. His breezy charm is a front, concealing desperation to claim a life that could be taken from him.
Miyamoto Ran detests liars. Grim and uncompromising, the editor stakes his future on one goal: unearthing the lost work of an author who vanished eight years ago. Securing Eizo’s success is his only path to that prize.
Polar opposites—and fueled by a misdelivered package—they clash at every turn, trading barbed banter and tit-for-tat one-upmanship until a high-stakes deadline forces an uneasy truce. Yet, as they draw closer, Ran begins to see through Eizo’s mask, sensing that the fragile connection they share is built entirely on carefully wrought artifice. But for two men who have had the story of their lives once stolen, how far will one go to win it back, even if it means silencing the other's voice?
OUR FUNNY LOVE STORY is an Achillean literary mystery perfect for fans of ultra slow-burn queer romances with psychological depth, banter that runs hot, and layered storylines promising there is more than meets the eye — and Sally Rooney, Haruki Murakami, and Alexis Hall.
Or tl;dr: sad boy lit with heated banter and a hopeful heart.
Please note this is Book 1 of a duet that ends in a happily-ever-after. Book 1 is also more mystery-driven, while a slow-burning love story flickers in the background.
Note: This novel will be published on March 2, 2026.
Cover art by: xiehuajun
Character art (banner) by: Ferilily87
Praise for this book
"The writing is lucid, and the imagery and semiotics are striking... it's so beautifully layered I want to pore over every detail again!"
"This book definitely reminded me of danmei, and is an incredible debut novel. Ran and Eizo's interactions drew me in and had me both laughing and groaning...Fantastic book. If you enjoy indie novels, danmei, misunderstandings, and enemies to lovers, this book is for you!"
"Eizo and Ran are both incredibly realistic characters. They feel so alive and vibrant...It was mindblowing, really outstanding debut novel."
"As Eizo is a writer and Ran is an editor, there were snippets of the stories Eizo has written, and Ran has edited, interspersed throughout the book, and I was HOOKED on dissecting the hidden meaning behind each snippet."
"Has enemies to lovers written all over this book while the slow-burn romance builds so naturally and hits all these deep notes on identity and loss."