d'AWWW (long review incoming,,, treating this manga like a literary work LOL)

theres something so relatable and realistic about what they're feeling, kei especially... like i totally get being so scared of showing the other person your bad sides and thinking you're not deserving of being loved and being in a relationship because of trauma, so glad to see him braving the first step to expressing himself though :""))

also i just really, REALLY love how the author handles their internal thoughts and feelings like the writing is really superb, i really feel like i understand where these characters are coming from, what shapes their motivations and desires, their struggles... tbh all basic creative writing foundations but it's extremely rare to see these elements not only present but executed well in a BL LOL

i really love the approach the author is taking in developing their relationship - this is, imo, the stand out point of this manga. from starting out physically to them both realizing their feelings for each other, then them trying to vocalize that and what they want from and with each other while awkwardly trying to navigate getting into a relationship together... all the stages of the process felt so natural and endearing like the author really captured the essence of what the romance between these two eccentric high school boys is like :") seeing how they communicated in the most recent chapter and just how natural their dialogue was was also really nice; it's actually really really neat that it's not really an insta-get together type of thing - kei has some things he needs to work on, and he vocalizes why he thinks he would let masafumi down and wouldn't fit him. i LOVE that they ended up talking it out and agreeing to start off as friends, like it's such a realistic approach and the intimacy and fondness with which the both of them expresses for each other is so natural and realistic too.

i especially like seeing how masafumi and kei contrast with each other. it's amazing how the author nails kei's character really well for the readers considering that we've only been shown really small glimpses of kei's past. reading the most recent chapter in kei's pov was a really effective way of demonstrating the key elements of his character, and how he differs from masafumi - seeing how bright, cheerful, and outright blinding masafumi is in kei's eyes, both in terms of his personality and his passion for painting, then seeing how kei struggles to express himself the way masafumi does and what he actually thinks about himself really endeared me to him. it helps that his feelings about self-worth and his fears were really relatable too; it's a far-cry from masafumi's eccentricities and his feverish passion for art and this contrast really just complements their dynamic well. the character writing for both is just really well done, i'm excited to get to know more of kei as a character since the author has already effectively cemented masafumi's character for the past few chapters - i loved getting to know him, learning of his eccentricites, seeing how his passion for art came to be and how the author took us through his creative process and his thoughts on painting; can't wait to see the same for kei!

finally, i wanted to say that the author really just captured the awkward and endearing quality of their romance extremely well - even though the premise and origin of their relationship was pretty out there, the progression in their relationship and feelings was realistic and natural, and most of all, it's very boyish! to reiterate, the author expertly captured the romance between these two high school boys, awkward stumbling blocks and self-worth issues and all. it all feels very youthful and sentimental (barf im only in my early twenties why do i feel so old writing this LMFAO) and the author is just an expert at writing that atmosphere.

anw if u read till the end of this review..... damn congrats i cant believe u put urself thru my nonsensical ramblings jejdjejks