Don't like the straight guy

It is evident that this story emphasizes the risk a gay person takes in falling in love with a hetero person. However, the other thing the story did for me was to point out that the attraction they felt for each other was from day one. The key thing here was that it happened on its own. Basically, they felt a connection/attraction and could not get rid of it. In a sense, they were meant to be. With all the divorces that exist today who is to say a hetero marriage is better? The point here for me was that not many find that person that makes them feel comfortable, they desire and hold dear. In the end, nothing is guaranteed but it's best to go with what feels right. The soul mate will be what it is. Will you refuse it because of what conventional thinking dictates or go with what feels right for you? He may not have said I love you but he defended his decision because he felt that was the right decision whether or not he was just going with the flow. Sorry for writing so much to share what I understood.

I meant to vote thumbs up to your comment. I can't find a way to change it. Thumbs up because I see your point of view and it made me think about what I thought.

I think your comment is spot on and it really highlights why I think the "hetero turns gay" trope is so ridiculous. No one turns gay. Your sexuality is not a light switch. It's a part of you that you were born with. The "turning point" happens when you recognize or become aware of it. It was always there, you just didn't realize it. So, the idea that Okoda is hetero is a false assumption. He is bisexual at most or a closeted homosexual at least. It took meeting Sakaki to make him aware of this. There will always be heteros who just want to take homosexuality for a spin and the closeted homosexual who would rather live by "fitting in", but if a person feels any sexual attraction for the same sex, they really can't claim to be hetero. This manga, and most if we're being honest, simply assume that if a person has dated the opposite sex, boom, they are hetero. This is SO not true! Most gay men and lesbian women, particularly in youth or before they are aware of their sexuality, date and/or even have sex with the opposite sex. This is especially the case in conservative countries like Japan. Sadly, Japan has a very narrow and antiquated view of homosexuality. They still see it as a choice that can be changed, like choosing the color of socks you wear. And "choosing" this path can be a social death sentence. Yet, amazingly, so many still can't help but "choose" it. I guess it just hasn't clicked for the conservative majority of Japan. So, we yaoi readers are stuck with the ridiculous "turning gay" trope.

With your discussion, I remember someone I knew who is gay, I meant really gay, talking in high pitch voice and wearing short shorts and everything, then he met this girl, after half a year the girl got pregnant. He remained a gay but with a wife. Everyone asked him "but aren't you gay?" ╮(￣▽￣)╭

I was raised by my brother, who is gay, and his many friends and lovers. I grew up around nothing but gay men, and a few lesbian women. They are all still very close members of my family and I have a HUGE family. LOL A handful of my close friends are married to women even though they are gay. One married a lesbian friend so they didn't have to come out to their extremely conservative parents, another married a close friend to help her gain custody of her daughter after a divorce. Whether for necessity or convenience, they all have their reasons. There is also the possibility that your gay friend was simply effeminate and had no sexual attraction to men. An effeminate nature is not always and indicator of homosexuality. Many of my gay friends don't have an effeminate bone in their body and I also know many effeminate men who are completely hetero and find other men repulsive. Human personalities and sexualities are never so black and white. The same can be said for the reasons people marry.

Actually I asked him about that, he told me "didn't you see how I'm lusting for that man with white sando?" He told me that he was "gay as fuck" (that is his exact term) it's just that his wife is different. Sooo.. yeah love moves in mysterious ways I guess?oh and one more thing, they're really happy. He always do her makeup during events, they're constantly going on a vacation, having sweet pictures taken and stuff.

That is why I always believe who are we to judge, they're probably happier than me. ╮(￣▽￣)╭

Well said! As humans, we have too many individual characteristics, quirks and experiences to lump any of us together under the labels of "right or wrong". If they are happy and blessed, that is all that matters and I, for one, have no right to make judgements.

Amen to that. And don't forget the as long as they're not hurting anybody, let them do whatever they want.

The story made clear that the "hetero" goes along with whatever he feels like. He felt like being with the gay mc. He enjoyed living with him. He ends up thinking in his own way of how they can be together. It's clear he loves him and never wants to break up, but he goes with what he goes. That's how he is. He points out the gay mc's own issues with boundaries, just as he's a person who doesn't overthink. This is how they are, and people shouldn't have to change their whole personality to suit others. But by the end, he has changed some....from the influence of being finally in love.

Maybe it resonates differently with me because I'm not straight (I'm bi). What I got from this lovely, realistic story was that both Sakaki and Okada were drawn to each other from the first moment they met. If they had both been straight, of course it probably would have been no more than a potential friendship. But because there was the possibility of romance/sex from one side (Sakaki), it edged the whole relationship into that territory. That's how it happens sometimes. Luckily, Okada was open to that, and ended up deciding or realising that he did feel that kind of attraction for Sakaki. And in the end they were BOTH happy taking it to a romantic/sexual level. To me, that's a really happy outcome! I love them together.

Me, too. I like them as a couple, and it was obvious from the beginning that they clicked.

This whole discussion was fun to read. I have a straight friend who dated a guy on honestly what I call a whim. It was clear from the beginning that he was totally serious about it while she actually wasn't, so it more or less constantly looked like leading on someone's "first love". I couldn't stay quiet sp I was mostly the one to bring her to reality about it every so often. They went out for about 3 yrs in high school. It was so obvious how there was a weight lifted off her shoulders after they finally broke up that it was ridiculous to me bc she's not focused on defining her feelings so she herself couldn't tell what she felt at all, which was the main reason it took so long to end it. I don't know if she has common sense regarding relationships since her view is similar to the uke from this manga, but at least this uke understands his emotions and has common sense for relationships so he's much more reliable in that sense. Yh something like someone who just goes out with someone bc why not can really exist but it isn't limited to sexuality. This story was a lot more easy going in the sense that bc the seme was already aware of that kind of situation transpiring due to his sexuality, that boundary was crossed in a safer way and the uke understood that even if it was risky for the seme, he himself still wanted to give it a try and felt it was right to move in that direction. The uke could've been "hetero flexible" or whatever they call it when someone can like someone of another gender than usual, but doesn't happen often enough to feel right with "bi". This is also what the effeminate "gay" guy marrying a girl thing reminds me of. I mean it's really up to him and as long as he feels he's with the right person, he will work for the relationship which is great. In this case, he had clearly taken notice of the seme before anything happened and kept wanting to be around him so there was a positive chance that it was part attraction.