Well if that's the case, I am SO not reading Kurou no Hana! I'm pretty possessive of my MC's in love stories like these ( ̄へ ̄)
You know that Kurou no Hana is simply part 2 of Volume II of Viewfinder, right? ;) And it's really a mistake not to read it because it is a vital in understanding all three main characters of the story and their motives for their actions in later parts of the chapters (and yes, next to Akihito and Asami, Fei IS a main character of the story until the end of volume V). It's impossible to properly evaluate volumes III to V without having read what is going on in volume II, since what happened seven years ago put things in motion in those volumes. It's a very beautiful narrative arch.
I thought it was clear in Kurou no Hana that Fei Long fell hard for Asami but that Asami's feelings were more ambiguous. I read somewhere that Yamane-sensei said that Asami was interested in friendship with Fei Long. Of course, Asami's idea of friendship seems to include kissing with tongues and the occasional hand job, but that's Asami for you.
I believe he did it to manipulate feilong's feelings, maybe play with his mind a little so he can get him to accept the offer. I believe that if he really wanted to have feilong - feilong would have already be at his mercy
But that's just the thing. We don't know how this would have developed since that relationship was cut short by the events that took place.
As mentioned by eworth above, according to Yamane-sensei herself Asami was interested in Fei Long's friendship (with benefits, from the looks of it). So it wasn't just a calculated act of manipulation to get something out of it. Whatever Asami's intentions where - friendship or more - whatever feelings did develop on either side (Fei Long as well as Asami), all this was cut short by the events taking place and the wheels of destiny moving the way they did. Who knows how their relationship might have developed without it. They might have become long-term business partners, friends (with or without benefits)... We won't ever know. There's a beauty (and tragedy) in that, because there is a big "what if" hanging over this part of the story that reaches out all the way into the present.
Asami did not have sex with Fei Long even though they crossed paths many times. Asami broke all boundaries right away with Akihito and hasn't stopped. It's clear that Asami feels differently for Akihito than he did for Fei Long.
But again, the "crossing paths many times" took place AFTER the events of seven years ago. Of course nothing was going to happen now, after the events that took place back then. But back then they clearly had an attraction and they had already started to become more intimate (and sorry, but kissing and and a handjob are intimate in my book). We simply won't know how or how far it might have developed had fate (and Fei's a-hole brother) not interfered. That is the beauty of it. But one can't compare Asami's history with Fei to the ongoing story Asami has with Akihito. Those are completely different relationships with different people that developed under completely different parameters. Asami's relationship with Akihito is a "what's going on" and a "what is going to happen next". Asami's relationship with Fei is a "what might have been".
If I not wrong asami give feilong handjob just to distracts him to going after his brother not because attraction.
Of course there was attraction there. And there is absolutely no problem in that. It has nothing to do with what Asami later has with Akihito. It doesn't take anything away from it. Fact is: Unless you're a prostitute (last time I checked, Asami wasn't one! ;)) you don't give blowjobs or handjobs to people you're not attracted or connected to. You also don't kiss people you're not attracted or connected to. And here is another thing: Why wouldn't Asami feel an attraction to Fei Long? Feil Long is a drop-dead gorgeous specimen. Heck, even I want to do him and I'm a woman. ;) The question is rather: Who wouldn't want to sleep with him. Any male with a sexual interest in other men would hunt for Fei Long like a prey in Sherwood Forrest. If the shit hadn't hit the fan the way it did, Asami would have taken Fei to bed eventually, sure as. And that would have worked perfectly with Asami's understanding of "friends with benefits". If you're keeping it professional, you don't step into someone's personal space, stroke his hair, wipe away his tears, kiss him and give him a handjob. You also don't go after him and straight into the lion's den the way Asami did during that fateful night. Asami was interested in Fei on more than one level: Fei emancipating himself and stepping out of the shadow of his family. Asami cultivating a prospective long-term business partner in Fei and thus gaining influence and power in new market sectors. A firm friendship, with very enjoyable, mutual benefits (as stated by sensei). And they would have had that, had not everything become a complete clusterfuck in just one night.
And you know what? If all this had gone according to Asami's plans it still wouldn't have changed one iota what happened seven years later. Asami still would have gotten involved with Akihito, because that is something different entirely. Asami and Fei are cut from the same cloth. But Akihito is the light to Asami's darkness. And that's why Asami was drawn to him like a moth to the flame. It would have happened one way or another and regardless of whether or not Asami's intentions for and with Fei had worked out seven years earlier.
"And you know what? If all this had gone according to Asami's plans it still wouldn't have changed one iota what happened seven years later. Asami still would have gotten involved with Akihito, because that is something different entirely. Asami and Fei are cut from the same cloth. But Akihito is the light to Asami's darkness. And that's why Asami was drawn to him like a moth to the flame. It would have happened one way or another and regardless of whether or not Asami's intentions for and with Fei had worked out seven years earlier. "
Now this is an interesting thought. I don't disagree but it would have been interesting to see it play out. Because I think Fei's feelings were so much stronger than Asami's, I think it would have been difficult for Asami to carry on a casual relationship like that with him without Fei wanting/feeling it was more. Fei was looking to Asami as a daddy figure, someone to love and care for him, not a fuck buddy.
So if your scenario had come to pass, I think Fei would possibly have felt even more betrayed when Asami took up with Akihito, and heaven knows what would have happened to poor Akihito at his hands then. (Fanfiction alert!)
I really do agree with what you said, though in all honesty, we don't know if any relationship between Fei and Asami would even survive (let alone develop into a romance) if all those events didn't take place. And I agree, Asami's relationship with Akihito is not to be compared with Fei Long's; the circumstances of meeting, the general events taking place on either sides, and the social climates are COMPLETELY different. In all honesty, it is better that Fei and Asami didn't get together at all; they're too much alike, their worlds overlap too much, and such a world like theirs develops cynicism, so Asami really did need someone like Akihito. Besides, I ship Fei Long with Yoh :3 (just had to throw that in, I,was feeling a bit too serious, lol)
Here's a little tease for you from Yamane Ayano's "Afterwords" following the story of "Kourou no Hana (Unobtainable)", Finder Vol. 2 (Asami and Fei Long's first meeting):
"Asami and Fei Long never did get to go all the way with each other, but there's no telling what might have happened in a follow-up short story if I hadn't had an Akihito-involved arc of the series already scheduled to work on next..."
(April 2007)
In the French version though, it went along the lines of:
"With that being said, Asami and Feilong never went all the way✧, and I wonder what would've happened with this story if Akihito didn't make an appearance after that."
Anyway, it's just my two cents, but it didn't strike me as if she was talking specifically about a deep romantical relationship, more like the story in general, and then she went on blattering on how it's not always easy to make her characters evolve how she initially wants them to and that they can really surprise her.
I think she was talking about that element of surprise that she can't totally control, that if she made the story go without Akihito her fictional world would've maybe evolved in a different way. You know, she writes, things flow... She was talking about those things on a totally narrative level.
But in the fictional world we have now, Asami would never go with someone from the underworld. That's the Asami we ended up with and was explained to us.
But if there was no Akihito in sight, she wouldn't have given the same psychology to Asami. She would've made the story flow with Feilong, and given her love for smut...
But does all her notes sound so serious in English? And what's with those "..." xD? They're supposed to be quite casual.
I don't think it would've been deep and meaningful either (at least not Asami's part, lol) but I have NO DOUBT Asami and Fei Long would've found their way into bed together had she done a follow-up short story. I'm not a big Fei Long fan, but I would've LOVED to seen that. I think it would've deepened their future conflict even more.
YA's notes in English seem very high-spirited and sound like she'd recently downed A LOT of caffeine.
As for the "...", I dunno. From the way I've seen her use it, it seems to indicate a sudden change in her train of thought.
Oh, and I guess she did say she ended the arc quite brutally, so yeah, probably xD. Though there's the whole deal about Feilong still being able to be on a equal level with him because they never actually slept together... Anyway, would've been interesting, though I wonder if Yana would hesitate to go all the way and just get them to build up some more tension and tease it until the last second. Depends on how strict she was at that time regarding that aha.
If she did make them go all the way though, it would be quite the different story indeed. Would be interesting in its own way :)
Yeah, she's high-spirited aha. I found that it's a common thing with mangakas lol, they just blatter about everything and it's all over the place. It's really cool though. I guess it's to be expected that authors that write fiction with some comedy are an eccentric bunch :P. I swear, One Piece's author (and his readers aha) is the worst as far as randomness is concerned, those Q&A columns :V
That My friend lied to me. Long time a go She said I have to read viewfinder and she gave me Kurou no Hana as she said I have to read it first. I thought Asami will end up with Fei Long....well don't blame me, in Kurou no Hana they seemed to love each other. Who thought he is end up with a cutey instead a beauty? lol