(also i shant lie at first i thought this was going to have a plot twist reveal that rio’s brother was ikeda’s sasaki because of how ikeda compared the two at first & they do have similar colouration + the brother and sasaki both smoke. i was bracing myself for the possibility of it and i’m relieved it didn’t end up being the case LOL)
I thought it was heavily implied that Sasaki was Rio’s brother to the point I read half of the story pretty convinced that they were related but I could be wrong (〜￣△￣)〜
they’re meant to be separate characters in the end! ikeda doesn’t recognise rio’s brother when he sees him & his seeing sasaki was treated as an entirely different event, so they’re not actually intended as related. but it felt SO like it was setting up to that at first so i think a lot of us got fooled as readers going in (￣∇￣")
i feel like this one could have used a second volume for the buildup of their relationship before they got together…. the pacing is a little spotty because of everything being crammed into one. i do love the way they’re able to heal together but i feel like things just progressed either too quickly or in a way that didn’t really feel like it fit together? like i feel like we didn’t really get enough information on what drew rio to ikeda, especially because he went from saying he’s not interested in dating (due to his attachment trauma) to actively pursuing ikeda in what is clearly a romantic sort of way At The Same Time during this until ikeda crosses the gap and we aren’t really given a reason for why he’s seeking him out so heavily……. ofc there’s the underlying idea of “he wants to find someone to cling to who will stay there with him,” but his expressed interest in ikeda (to the point of visiting his cafe in the early mornings when he’s a night owl & inviting him on dates) seems too… aware? mindful? to be swept away under the idea of a subconscious desperation, esp in combination with his self-stated lack of interest.
that said i still really liked this one although i might be a little influenced by the art because i loooooove the art style. the artist has a fantastic knack for conveying expressions and emotions so even if the plot could have used a little more time in the oven that’s okay. i liked the concepts a lot & i loved the art so i am content to fill in the gaps myself