i think that ending the story in any other way would be dishonoring the characters and their development. something about the small interactions, text messages, details and references to popular culture made this world and its characters feel so realistic, and in reality things don’t always turn out the way we want them to.
both xiao and mo are wonderfully flawed characters with burdening pasts, internalized and external expectations and unhealed traumas. distancing themselves from the emotional limbo they were stuck in (mo being unable to let go of xiao or respect his boundaries, and xiao being too afraid to let someone new into his heart yet also (partially) unconsciously leading mo on) was the only way for them to be able to release the tension between them and get a fresh start. the ending clearly hints that they’ll meet again under new circumstances and get to know each other for real; not as superior and subordinate or friends with benefits, but as xiao and mo. two of the seven billion people on earth.
only thing i’m sad about is that we didn’t get to see dingling and duoduo’s clearly blossoming office romance or xiao’s homie getting to find out that his waifu in fact is the worst guy he knows… personal headcanon is that xiao and mo meet again in the restaurant and that xiao goes back to streaming his crappy cooking and collabing w tao (criminally underused character!)
what do you mean No Way?? that’s the legendary Kishibe ”I refuse” Rohan you’re quoting… surface level ball knowledge…
if i still have time and energy after my midterms i’ll pick this up. ceasing translations here is just unacceptable
