Bound to falling in love~!

What I love most about this manga is that the characters are genuinely flawed in a human way.

Futaba is a sincere, self-aware, caring, and honest character who embraces her imperfections, strives for personal growth, and remains true to herself.

Kou, on the other hand, was a bit of a red flag early on. When they reconnect in high school, he constantly belittles and bullies her. The joke made me so uncomfortable and I think it was 100% avoidable.

I dislike how the fandom tends to blame Kou’s decisions solely on Narumi. He was so consumed by his own pain that he became obsessed with a twisted sense of responsibility. He felt guilty for having a family and friends who cared for him when Narumi had none, so he thought he had to be her support. Yet, he never truly had romantic feelings for her. He felt compelled to reject Futaba, but regretted it almost immediately. In fact, right after turning her down, when Narumi called, he was so frustrated that he threw and broke his phone.

Narumi, unable to move on, projected her unresolved feelings onto Kou, manipulating and guilt-tripping him into staying by her side. That kind of relationship was doomed to fail because it was built on pity and obligation, not genuine affection. In trying so desperately to keep him close, she only pushed him further away. At the same time, Narumi became an anchor for Kou, but in the worst possible way. She allowed him to remain stuck in his pain, giving him an excuse to avoid moving on.

It was inevitable that Kou would eventually realize he needed to break free and look toward a brighter future. As Futaba pointed out, Narumi was “stopping time for him”, she was holding him back, trapping him in the darkness of his past for her own selfish reasons. Seeing Futaba move on with someone else gave him the push he needed to become the person she deserved — but, more importantly, the person he needed to become for himself. Cutting ties with Narumi was painful but essential for that change.

Futaba wanted to witness Kou’s transformation, and once he did, she could no longer deny her feelings for him. This led her to end things with Touma, even though he was exactly what she needed at that time, offering her the unconditional kindness and stability Kou couldn’t.

I also think the panel where Kou hugs Narumi while Futaba watches is a brilliant metaphor. Kou was chasing after Narumi, Futaba was chasing after Kou, and Kikuchi was chasing after Futaba. This chase perfectly summarises the dynamics between the characters at that point. Futaba was about to recklessly cross the street at a red light, symbolizing her impulsive, passionate love — the very kind of love Kou was running away from as he reached out for his comfort zone: his shared pain with Narumi. Meanwhile, Kikuchi was there to protect Futaba, stopping her from rushing into danger, but in doing so, he also held her back from Kou.

In the end, Kou cutting ties with Narumi not only made him realize how his poor choices had hurt both girls, but also helped Narumi understand that she needed to move on too. They shared the same pain and understood each other, but they couldn't grow together. They needed to walk different paths for their own good. Just as Futaba and Kou had to be separated multiple times before finally coming together. "That’s how it is with us," he said at first, acknowledging the timing wasn’t right. But later, he said, "We can start something now. Choose me," when the time was finally right.

Kou had to fight to regain her trust because, no matter what, his path always led back to her — she was the only one he could truly love. Personally, I loved how Kou changed over time and became a better version of himself. His growth was impressive, and his smile became so warm… it was moving, really.

Oh, and the side couples? Absolute perfection! Yuuri and Uchimiya are the cutest, and Kominato is the ultimate green flag!