I agree. In fact, at first I thought Deguchi was telling him he was screwing around until he confess to him but then I doubted and got confused. I dont know if its for the translation from japanese because in english he is talking in present. So if it is this way I think Onoda has the right to get angry about it.
No, they were not exploring their relationship. What they were actually doing was acting as though the confession hadn't happened. They were still drinking friends and hung out a lot more. Onoda did not give him a reply. And Deguchi was still single. Thus, he was under no obligation or duty of any sorts to remain celibate. Furthermore, that drunken fight was 2 weeks after Deguchi's confession so I'm not entirely sure that he had a lot of sex, if any sex at all. He might have just been implying that he did, he might have tried to and then wasn't able to successfully be with someone else. It was even worse of Onoda to expect Deguchi to have been celibate for the 3 years that they were friends for, before the confession. That was beyond ridiculous. Why does someone have to pine away for an unrequited love and not have sex with anyone ??! Deguchi and Onoda both avoided the subject of the relationship, and Deguchi was just waiting for a rejection for 2 weeks. I 100% believe in body autonomy and I just finished reading this rn so ya imho.
Yeah, Deguchi was the right of having sex in those 3 years, and Onoda admit to himself that and that its irracional but he cant help being jealous and bothered by it. What Im not so sure of it is if that would have happen in that short period of time after Deguchi confess cause Onoda tells him to give him time to consider it, that he finds him cute but he is confused. Deguchi responds him to not dely it too much. So here its true they both still are single but when Onoda ask him to wait is implyed in it a sort of comintment until he gives him a answer or Deguchi get tired of waiting, at least to me. Onoda is saying that there is a possibility to him to like him and he wants to reflect on it. Meanwhile they were seeing each other more often and Onoda was wondering himself if he could be in that kind of relationship as like when he research guy sex. So they didnt talk directly about the subject but that doesnt mean they were acting like nothing have happened. If Deguchi would have had sex in that time it wouldnt count as cheating but I personally I would have bothered by it the same way as if Onoda would have done it too.
His jealousy was understandable. But both of them were avoiding making any concrete decisions. They both let the situation drag on for 2 weeks. Personally I wouldn't have been bothered if he did anything with someone else, because ik where his heart was. But it's not exactly clear whether he did or not so I'm not going to emotionally invest in that point. They just updated their usual routine and let time go by. I'm glad the fight happened because Onoda really needed to know himself for sure how he felt.
Well, I think the one avoiding making decision was Onoda, but its normal he hasnt clear his feelings yet, and it was only two weeks, its not like he was making him wait a lot. Although you are right that Onoda need that fight to wake up and to make a decission. Besides, I regarded the avoiding part on the way japanese people interact with each other, Im not versed in his customs very well, but I think they communicate very indirectlly, I think, so I found that normal. But yeah, its not clear if he sleep with someone else or not in that period, maybe was a bluster so is a little pointless to think about it . The important thing is that its a great manga.
It is a great manga !
See, I got the impression that he hadn't been with anyone after the confession. Whenever Deguchi's sex life had been brought up, I felt like he was talking about the entire time that he'd known Onoda. So yeah, he'd had his one-offs with guys since he'd met Onoda, but not necessarily since the confession. The only one that was specifically referenced was before the confession and his friends at the gay bar had been missing him. I understood it to mean that he was spending practically all of his free time with Onoda.
Honestly, their reactions to this issue were so incredible to me. The first time I read it I was immediately with Onoda. I understood how he could have felt so hurt by this supposed betrayal. But upon further reading and even following Onoda's own process through it, I began to understand that it was a complex issue. They were just friends and who is anyone to judge how someone else carries out their sex life? Rationally, he knew there was nothing wrong with it, but irrationally, Onoda knew he was jealous.
Everything about this story is so subtle and grounded in reality.
See I have no problem with what he chose to do before their discussion. To me what matters is what happens after they agreed that some time was needed to figure things out. From that point forward they began taking the steps to a relationship. Once you have two people acknowledging the possibility of a relationship at that point you don't sleep with other people because your focus should be on building up your bond with the one you want to be with. Them spending more time together was a chance to deepen their relationship without rushing in with physical intimacy or exaggerated emotions. Taking things slowly allows two people in a relationship to make sure they are doing what they really feel and not just allowing hormones to take over. The story to me implied that even after Onoda told him he wanted time to figure it out that Deguchi was still having casual hook ups. His past was never the issue because he's an adult and since he was single it was his right to do as he pleased with his body. It was his present that bothered me.
It is a personal and sensitive topic. But there's no correct way to be in a relationship and every relationship is different. In the context of the manga, his jealousy although understandable was irrational. Deguchi wasn't cheating or being unfaithful. He wasn't in a relationship. Whether it was before the confession or after. He was waiting for an answer. Tbh I don't think he slept with anyone after the confession but within the context of the story he didn't do anything "wrong". whatver rules unwritten or said, he didn't cross. Idk if that makes sense.
I really love this story and I've re-read it a staggering amount of times but there is one thing that always bothers me a lot. Before I could never think how to phrase it but now I think I know how. Whatever Deguchi did before confessing was his right with his body. HOWEVER after he confessed and Onoda told him that he needed time to see if it would work he should have stopped sleeping around. True they are not formally dating but they ARE exploring their relationship. Onoda went in with the mindset of trying to get closer and develop a relationship. Deguchi screwed up because when you are trying to deepen your relationship with someone and become lovers the last thing you should be doing is sleeping with other people. The fact that he went from not having any hope of a relationship to Onoda taking what he says seriously and telling him he wants to see how it develops is huge. Instead of respecting that he's Onoda's first attempt at a real male relationship and that it's all new territory he only thought about his own feelings and needs. If I was getting close with someone and trying to build up to going out with them I would be really hurt and upset if they were sleeping with people while I'm trying to forge a bond with them. It's the one thing about the manga I really find distasteful. I feel like there is a lack of understanding and respect in that regard.