i don’t have the correct words to accurately depict how satisfying and fulfilling this story was—truly just an amazing plotline. it starts us off already in a really high-stress situation, with two of the main characters surrounded by fire, and then everything else is a flashback that leads up to that moment. it’s about 85 chapters before we’re back in that room with the fire, and within those 85 chapters, so much happens to the characters. there’s so much growth. so much change. so much fluff. there are slight bits of angst, but nothing quite compares to the climax of being trapped in that room with the fire.
i really appreciated how well done this was. there was also an insinuation that one of the female main characters was somehow manipulating the universe through her storytelling. it wasn’t exactly confirmed whether this was actually happening or if it was just a lot of coincidences, but either way i loved how they tied everything together. before anyone even suspects she’s impacting the story, there are a bunch of moments where the characters are like, “what she’s writing is really accurate to what actually happened,” and as readers you kind of just assume she was observing or got lucky. but then she herself starts noticing how similar the coincidences are, and decides to write down a change—and the change genuinely happens. so whether or not this was coincidence or some kind of magic, we never fully know, but i really like it that way. it lets the reader interpret what was actually going on the entire time.
i think all of the characters were really enjoyable and well thought out—even the ones we see as antagonists throughout the story have redeeming qualities, and you begin to understand why they act the way they do. it doesn’t make their actions okay, but it gives them nuance.
i truly think this story broke a lot of boundaries in the boys love genre. one example being that the bottom is actually taller than the top, which never happens in BL. i honestly thought the taller one was going to be the top at first, especially after he had his growth spurt, but i was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t change it. their interactions just felt so human. a lot of times BL characters are boxed into certain archetypes, but what i loved here is that they felt like real people. how they loved each other, how they grew, how they interacted—it all felt very real and authentic.
i couldn’t recommend this story enough. it’s one of a kind, beautiful, and just an amazing read. please read it if you have the chance. phenomenally done. - last read: chap 121/B-5
Spinach Bouquet