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The boy I never met: A new adult MM supernatural romance
On the day he graduates high school in March 2002, eighteen-year-old Aki has a vision of someone he loves dying. The image leaves him shaken, but what’s even worse is that he can’t remember who that person is.
He tries to dismiss it as a bad dream. After all, he already has enough problems. His family expects him to follow the career path they've chosen for him, disapproves of his friends in Tokyo's indie music scene, and refuses to accept his sexuality. And if the vision means anything, surely it's about his ex-boyfriend, who left him behind to become a rising pop star.
But when Rei, a mysterious musician from school, tells him the vision may be tied to an ancient legend, all his doubts resurface. Aki and his friends set out to uncover the truth before it's too late, and the more Aki learns about Rei, the more deeply their lives and their hearts intertwine.
When dream and reality collide and forgotten memories come rushing back, Aki will have to question everything he thought he knew about the vision—and about the person he's trying to save.What you'll find
- mm romance
- found family
- 2002 Japan
- mental health rep
- no spice
Content
This story includes mentions of homophobia, self-harm, verbal abuse, suicidal thoughts
He tries to dismiss it as a bad dream. After all, he already has enough problems. His family expects him to follow the career path they've chosen for him, disapproves of his friends in Tokyo's indie music scene, and refuses to accept his sexuality. And if the vision means anything, surely it's about his ex-boyfriend, who left him behind to become a rising pop star.
But when Rei, a mysterious musician from school, tells him the vision may be tied to an ancient legend, all his doubts resurface. Aki and his friends set out to uncover the truth before it's too late, and the more Aki learns about Rei, the more deeply their lives and their hearts intertwine.
When dream and reality collide and forgotten memories come rushing back, Aki will have to question everything he thought he knew about the vision—and about the person he's trying to save.What you'll find
- mm romance
- found family
- 2002 Japan
- mental health rep
- no spice
Content
This story includes mentions of homophobia, self-harm, verbal abuse, suicidal thoughts
ebook
Published August 29, 2026
About the author
Elen Chase
13 books39 followersElen Chase is an Italian author of character-driven LGBTQ+ stories that are emotionally devastating in the best way. Her books make readers cry, but a happy ending is always guaranteed, because the world needs more queer joy.
She lives in Florence, Italy, with her partner and their two cats, but part of her heart will always remain in Japan, where she lived for a short but unforgettable time.
Mental health themes are deeply woven into the plots of all Elen’s books. As someone who experiences anxiety and battles with depression, she believes in showing readers that they are not alone, no matter how hard things get.
You can follow Elen at elenchase.com and on social media:
Instagram: @elenchase
TikTok: @elenchase
You can also support her on Ko-Fi for exclusive content: https://ko-fi.com/elenchase
She lives in Florence, Italy, with her partner and their two cats, but part of her heart will always remain in Japan, where she lived for a short but unforgettable time.
Mental health themes are deeply woven into the plots of all Elen’s books. As someone who experiences anxiety and battles with depression, she believes in showing readers that they are not alone, no matter how hard things get.
You can follow Elen at elenchase.com and on social media:
Instagram: @elenchase
TikTok: @elenchase
You can also support her on Ko-Fi for exclusive content: https://ko-fi.com/elenchase
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 5, 2026
In supernatural romance The boy I never met, I felt Elen Chase returned to roots similar to the vibes I got with her Back in the Rain series, while retaining the cosy hurt/comfort feels familiar to readers of her Italian Romance series. Fans of slice of life/romance/supernatural anime should definitely give this book a try, and I particularly enjoyed the obvious care and love the author demonstrates when writing about various locations in the Tokyo setting. I got the sense of a lot of personal significance from the author while reading and I look forward to enjoying more of Chase's work.
September 6, 2026
Oh how I missed a new Elen Chase novel!!
And oh boy, this one did not fail to hit all the points!
At first, it surprised me for the supernatural element - in a very good way, because I love this kind of stuff, mind! The way it's built into the plot is so well done, i was confused, i was convinced i knew it all, then i was surprised and confused again and... some moments were actually very breathtaking because all i could do was scream in my head 'what on earth is going on here?' whenever i though i had it all figured out but suddenly, a new hint, a seed of foreshadowing had me questioning my prior convictions. There was one thread I did not miss and that I knew from the start what was going on there, but most of what came down to Aki, oh boy, I was lost for so long (which I loved because it made the book so enticing and spellbinding.) I loved this new path for this author, Elen writes the sweetest, most heart warming characters and love stories and finding a supernatural element in the midst of such a story was like the cherry on top of the cake. As usually happens to me in their books, I laughed, I cried, I swooned and my heart beat faster at specific moments. There were parts where it felt like a warm cocoon of soft comfort, and I sighed in utter joy and contentment, which is undoubtedly one of my favourite things about Elen Chase's books - this capacity they have to make me feel comforted and happy and wrapped in a wave of delight. It's a beautiful story, with memorable characters and moments of sheer beauty in their simplicity - despite the supernatural element this is a realistic tale, of two young men falling in love, of resilience, perseverance, survival, persistence and so much love. The characters feel like friends I have, as it always happens with this author, and this is probably one of the reasons their books are my comfort read - they feel real and hopeful and warm and sweet.
One of the best reads of the year, in the romance department. Overall, as well.
And oh boy, this one did not fail to hit all the points!
At first, it surprised me for the supernatural element - in a very good way, because I love this kind of stuff, mind! The way it's built into the plot is so well done, i was confused, i was convinced i knew it all, then i was surprised and confused again and... some moments were actually very breathtaking because all i could do was scream in my head 'what on earth is going on here?' whenever i though i had it all figured out but suddenly, a new hint, a seed of foreshadowing had me questioning my prior convictions. There was one thread I did not miss and that I knew from the start what was going on there, but most of what came down to Aki, oh boy, I was lost for so long (which I loved because it made the book so enticing and spellbinding.) I loved this new path for this author, Elen writes the sweetest, most heart warming characters and love stories and finding a supernatural element in the midst of such a story was like the cherry on top of the cake. As usually happens to me in their books, I laughed, I cried, I swooned and my heart beat faster at specific moments. There were parts where it felt like a warm cocoon of soft comfort, and I sighed in utter joy and contentment, which is undoubtedly one of my favourite things about Elen Chase's books - this capacity they have to make me feel comforted and happy and wrapped in a wave of delight. It's a beautiful story, with memorable characters and moments of sheer beauty in their simplicity - despite the supernatural element this is a realistic tale, of two young men falling in love, of resilience, perseverance, survival, persistence and so much love. The characters feel like friends I have, as it always happens with this author, and this is probably one of the reasons their books are my comfort read - they feel real and hopeful and warm and sweet.
One of the best reads of the year, in the romance department. Overall, as well.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A literary rollercoaster that will leave you with psychological whiplash!
What an incredible story!! I had NO IDEA what I was in for! I thought it was going to be an m/m romance set in Japan, pretty straightforward. But no. I was thrown for a shock in the BEST WAY!
Let me take you on a front row POV of my ride through this psychological and emotional rollercoaster that is Elen Chase's supernatural romance The Boy I Never Met:
1. Aki had a vision of someone he loves dying. Okay, that's a cool premise. I'm in.
2. Aki meets a dreamy, mysterious boy from school named Rei. Nice. They'll probably get together if this is a m/m romance.
3. Aki's family sucks. His friends Tori and Naru are cool. This is going to be a lovely YA book with richly developed side characters and a straightforward romantic plot. (oops, I did not read the supernatural romance description very closely, did I?)
4. Rei takes Aki to a secret compound where I am not going to reveal spoilers but he is told his vision is PART OF AN ANCIENT LEGEND? Okay, I am ALL IN!! Let the games begin!
5. Just when I think this book can't get any more exciting, Chase drops THE BIGGEST BOMB IN LITERARY HISTORY! I am still not recovered from the psychological whiplash that this book gave me!
In summary: Get your hands on this book! It's got heart-wrenching romance, well-developed characters who feel like friends, characters you want to root for and characters you want to see pay, incredibly rich side characters who deserve spin-offs of their own, and more surprises, twists, thrills and barrel rolls than I've encountered at Six Flaggs. In other words, this is classic Elen Chase on steroids.
What an incredible story!! I had NO IDEA what I was in for! I thought it was going to be an m/m romance set in Japan, pretty straightforward. But no. I was thrown for a shock in the BEST WAY!
Let me take you on a front row POV of my ride through this psychological and emotional rollercoaster that is Elen Chase's supernatural romance The Boy I Never Met:
1. Aki had a vision of someone he loves dying. Okay, that's a cool premise. I'm in.
2. Aki meets a dreamy, mysterious boy from school named Rei. Nice. They'll probably get together if this is a m/m romance.
3. Aki's family sucks. His friends Tori and Naru are cool. This is going to be a lovely YA book with richly developed side characters and a straightforward romantic plot. (oops, I did not read the supernatural romance description very closely, did I?)
4. Rei takes Aki to a secret compound where I am not going to reveal spoilers but he is told his vision is PART OF AN ANCIENT LEGEND? Okay, I am ALL IN!! Let the games begin!
5. Just when I think this book can't get any more exciting, Chase drops THE BIGGEST BOMB IN LITERARY HISTORY! I am still not recovered from the psychological whiplash that this book gave me!
In summary: Get your hands on this book! It's got heart-wrenching romance, well-developed characters who feel like friends, characters you want to root for and characters you want to see pay, incredibly rich side characters who deserve spin-offs of their own, and more surprises, twists, thrills and barrel rolls than I've encountered at Six Flaggs. In other words, this is classic Elen Chase on steroids.
August 29, 2026
It's release day!! Last chance to grab the ebook for 0.99 before the price goes up!
October 17, 2026
I love this book!
I didn't expecting the twist.
Wonderfully written.
I didn't expecting the twist.
Wonderfully written.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews