Hope there is more, this chapter is deep and feels like the story is not over yet. I love ...

Where did you get that the uncle was just a neighbor? He’s Sakura/Haru’s dad’s younger brother and seemed to also be pretty close to Haru’s mom (that scene at the very beginning of chapter six is definitely one of the uncles memories bc it cuts to him right after)

I agree. I think when the mother says "Youko"...that's the uncle's female name.

Anyone is free to call the in-laws brother or sister but looking at how close he is to the mom that he even felt the same protectiveness, I'm assuming that he and the mom were siblings if they were on the level of calling each other pet names or their childhood names.

Oh, good point. I made the assumption he was the criminal pig's brother, especially since he was buried with the mom (I doubt the mom's brother would pay for that). At this point, I dunno. But I'd rather go with the brother-of-mother so he isn't related to that monster.

That it seemed he look like he lived next door when the flashbacks. When he walks over to find sakura stabbed/slashed by his own father. I figured if he lived with them he would have realized that sakura was getting abused. And the part where it seemed they had their own place after sakura got better.

he was there because the trash called dad borrowed money from him so he visited to get it and was greeted by the scene. he did not just walk at the door conveniently. if they were just neighbors, there's no way he'd open the door familiarly.

Question is, though who paid for it then? Is it paid for in Japan as long as you have no surviving relatives and are buried beside your spouse?

And calling someone who is JUST your neighbor or tenant brother means you would have to be really close, but that would raise the question about why didn't he know the kid was being abused? And if he did, that would make him scum. Even if he was just RELATED to the dad, I think he must have had some indication of what he was like, too, and especially so if they were neighbors on top of that. Which would also make him scum. So I agree that he must be the brother of the mom.

Also, who called the uncle You-chan at the end? Was it Otohime-san?

I was wondering the same thing, unless the abuse happened within a shortish space of time and the uncle might have known the father was a drunkard, but not that our baby was being beaten up and sold to a perv. I had typed out a response about if Uncle You knew he was scum, but I keep thinking he must not have known the selling/abuse, and just that he had a drunk dad.

Because You does seem to care, so I have to think he was working, not visiting THAT often, and if it were a month, maybe all that with Sensei happened in a matter of weeks or a month or so?? (I didn't go back to check).

It's a mystery. Unless it was a prepaid husband/wife plot, I can't imagine Uncle You or Haru would want the bastard buried with the sister/mother. Prepaid, though, that could answer it. You can have a bought burial spot for a long time (ie, since the mom died).

It says "Haru" at the top of the phone.

Didn't he call his uncle Kaname, before?

Yeah, that last is why I think he must be the brother of his mom. Because he DOES seem to care. :)

I love talking to you manganiME. When I talk to you (we have discussed other subjects and series before, I should tell you) we nearly always discuss subjects that pertain to the story not the so called flaws of a character's development. I like that.

Hm. Don't remember. Page?

I like discussing both story and character. And sometimes, stories aren't clear, so discussing what may actually be going on is fun too. I also like dissing stories that are totally illogical and characters who are utterly useless. :D

Chapter 3, page 32, third panel, third bubble.

yeah.i agree to all your points both on neighbors or brothers. i mentioned this at my previous reply that believe that he is the mom's brother because of the air of closeness around them. also if trash and you-san were brothers, he should have known or at least had a clue that his brother is a scum of the earth. the dad is he's probably just visiting his nephew and thank god for appearing at the right time.

:D I love that our biggest issue is how are they related. I am also so happy that we can discuss our point of views reasonably. I may be right, you may be right, or something else. I love how we admit it is a bit murky to figure out, but at the same time the characters we love. I am enjoying this conversation so much. Thank you all.

As for the neighbor/brother who may be haru or Kaname. I remember him referred to as both I figured one could be a first or last name, or even a nickname. And I still think he's a neighbor, but got the photos since they use to be sakura's or rather his family and when papa was gone sakura got to take those. So his guardian now keeps them and enjoys the fact he raised such a cute kid. I don't put too much weight in someone being called brother or uncle in manga since they use that term a lot with other people who are not family. Hell as far as I understand the language Old woman doesn't exist in japanese language it's either grandma or hag. (never heard the term for hag yet)

I went back to reread a bit and now I've changed my mind yet again. ahahah. I've decided he was probably the mother's best friend (back in the "girl" days). That would explain being called Youko-chan (instead of ane or ne-chan or something). It would explain why having the album with baby pictures. Maybe Youko/You was actually even in love with Haru's mom, and being inwardly male, could have seen it as Haru could have been "their" kid.

Since Haru calls him Kaname-san and later You-chan (and if he were the blood uncle, might be calling him ji-san but not You-chan). Or maybe he uses Kaname (last name) when it's the boss and You-chan when asking about more personal stuff?

Confusing, I know.

So, I"m going with mom's bestie, for now, so maybe that's why he had no right to try to take Haru prior to the dad doing something heinous. Even if the dad was a worthless, debt-riddled drunk piece of crap. That would explain less regular visits than maybe a blood uncle would.

And the point that "uncle" and "brother" can be used for non-blood-related males is good to remember about mangas, yeah.