muse ✨'s manga / #Junko(8)

An excellent oneshot about two men who reunite at a wedding and agree to start over on their relationship that ended when one went away to college.

On a rainy afternoon, Mio is caught borrowing an umbrella hanging on a doorknob and befriends Yugi, an alluring but standoffish college student that Mio comes to love. But Yugi is hung up on love for his friend Tachibana, who has been his partner for four years, with the understanding that after college, he'll go home to marry his girlfriend. Mio begs for Yugi's attention but is rejected. Four years later, they're reunited through work. Mio wonders if this is his second chance but discovers that Yugi is still being strung along by Tachibana. Junko understands the human heart: how it can continue to love even in the wake of tremendous pain, how it cannot be told who to love - or when to stop.

Suburu frequently engages in casual sex but yearns for a real love connection. His wish comes true when he sees a painting by fellow student Nagayama, a withdrawn member of the art club, and falls instantly in love. Major kudos for honesty and good communication between partners. I thought we were headed to misunderstanding/breakup territory in the later chapters and was delighted to see them support each other and constantly, explicitly reaffirm their affection. Super cute. Will reread.

Endou left middle school when his crush on a classmate made him a target of bullies. A year later, he begins work in his uncle's convenience store, where he meets Kouhei, a fellow 16-year-old who quickly goes from intimidating co-worker to close friend after they rescue a kitten. Rather than risk his only remaining friendship, Endou remains closeted about his past and sexuality, but his newfound stability seems on the verge of collapse when his former schoolmates discover where he works, and Endou comes face to face with the boy he had once loved. This story largely deals with bullying and its long-term emotional fallout; the romance is secondary to Endou's own healing and self acceptance. Above all, it is their friendship and Kouhei's insistence that there's nothing wrong with Endou or his past feelings that are the heart of this story.