I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

One of the two LGBT/MM manga I requested on Netgalley. In the hopes that this would be a wholesome one, and not one of those yaoi you have too much of (aka, rape, no consent, and other shitty stuff). And I can tell you, this one was just pure wholesome and adorable. Just a tad frustrating as it takes the guys long before they confess their feelings.?

In this one we meet Kai and Ren, two boys who have been together since the first year of middle school and up to their second year in high school (yep, that is quite a feat from what I can read in this manga + what I know from other manga/anime). Now this 3rd year however they are in separate classes and we see that it isn’t easy for both of them. Because yes, they are friends, but you can quickly see that they both like the other and don’t know how to handle that/how to say anything. I guess, it also didn’t help that they have some kind of BL play thing going on as a joke, what I mean with that, well you know those classic romance stuff that happens to people in romance/shoujo, they are really good at re-enacting those to the hilarity of their group of friends. But what if you have those feelings? That BL play comes a bit too close home and I was just laughing how both of them were so natural at it yet also so awkward.

I really loved both Ren and Kai and seeing how they manoeuvre through their feelings + the fact they got separated this year. At times it got a bit annoying as I was just like, KISS already or AT LEAST CONFESS. Well, as you read in the blurb Kai accidentally confesses when he thinks that his best friend is asleep (and we manga readers/anime watchers know that sleeping people are rarely really asleep). That causes a lot of awkwardness and even more distance. And there are a few moments that had me wanting to just lock these two up in a classroom to finally talk about their feelings instead of just tiptoeing around it and, in one case, even try dating a girl to see if it would just get the feels away (hint, it never does).

Most of the volume is from the POV of Kai with some glimpses of Ren’s feels as well. And then in Chapter 4 and 5 it is time to further the story through Kai’s eyes. Which I just absolutely adored.

Oh, and I love that throughout the manga we get some backflashes to earlier times of these two. Seeing them go to the same school. See them have summer together. Read about Shogi. It was a really nice addition because now you really see how deep the bond and connection is between them.

I loved the last part of the manga and I was just throwing around virtual confetti in happiness. WHOO!

Plus, I always love it when we get a bonus chapter to end a volume. With some extras to show how the characters are faring now.

OH, and I cannot forget Ren/Kai’s friends. Kanamecchi was just my favourite, I love that type of character (who looks cute but knows everything and is quite sly at times). But I also like Ando/Andy, though he really is thick at times, haha.

All in all, I would recommend this manga to all, it was a fun, sweet, adorable, yes sometimes frustrating romance story featuring two guys who have been together for a long time. And I just adore it when the title comes back in the story as well. The art is pretty (just look at that cover).