Maybe Kaburagi was simply in a one-sided love with his friend and that is why he didn't want to meet again and didn't want Onoe to know? he said Onoe was an exception, but that doesn't mean he's the only person he loved ╮(￣▽￣)╭
That is another intriguing possibility. An old crush that has been long out-grown. There was a line.. "He looks like a candidate.", that had me wondering. There was no indication of the speaker. So, it could have been Motoharu or his old friend speaking because it occurred during the flashback. The question is: Who is a candidate for what? Candidate for dating? Candidate/target for bullying? Candidate for...
This was a good cliff-hanger. There is the right amount of drama, tension, ambiguity, questions and possibilities to guarantee that the reader will keep thinking about what will happen next until the next installment comes out. Which, of course, also guarantees that the reader will be waiting in line to buy the next issue. It is truly excellent storytelling. Often, authors will leave the audience hanging in fear. "Will they break up?" "Will the character die?" That kind of cliffhanger can also be good, but the answers are either yes or no. It creates limited debate. I prefer cliffhangers with many possible outcomes. Like this one. Yes or no, do or die cliffhangers are much easier to write than the "What is really going on?" cliffhanger. And this author is definitely talented with writing the latter type.
Yeah I agree with you, me too love this tipe of stories, and the cliffenger doesn't mean that have to be a drastic one, but one that leave you thinking "in what way they'll overcome this critical moment?" Certainly they will never break up and if they do it, will only be for a short time, but it's interesting to see how their love and relationship can be consolidated after a crisis. I remember at the start of the story that Kaburagi did say that he wasn't a good person and that Onoe changed him, so maybe this friend rappresente the dark past of Kaburagi, and about the candidate I think it was Kaburagi that was thinking, because throughout the chapter he said he did not want
To remember the past. Well will see what happens in the next chapter
You're right, he has said that he wasn't a good person. At the beginning of the story, the reader might assume that he is referring to having a gruff personality or that he has done shady things as a reporter. But this may be when we find out exactly what he meant by "not a good person". Since what makes a "good person" is pretty subjective, I'm really curious to see he did in the past that makes him think of himself as "not good". I have done things in my past that I regret or that I'm not proud of, but I wouldn't say I am not a good person. So, he either harbors a lot of guilt and shame over something minor or he has really done something terrible. Ooh, just thought of another possibility. Maybe he worked on a school or college newspaper and wrote a story that hurt someone's reputation or got them fired. If the person then committed suicide or lost their family because of the story, that might make Motoharu think he wasn't a good person. And it fits the candidate line. As in, this person is a good candidate for a juicy story. Hmmmm.
Yeah it's a possibility but I don't think the reason is a tragic one, because the sister didn't seem to be worried as Kaburagi about the friend, maybe because the friend knows that Kaburagi is a liar, maybe he knows that Kaburagi is a spoiled rich guy. What make me think of the possibility that there was a special bond between them is the statement that the friend made before going to speak with Onoe, about them to be invincible together , and because he said "no longer the same person, so your content with the present? There's no way it's true..." I think when Kaburagi said to not be a good person was because he was ambitious and he used every means to reach his goal, till he met Onoe who changed him for the better. So maybe the candidate fact was about Kaburagi who meant to use the friend for his purpose, than when no longer wanted to continue left his hometown.
Like someone did some shady, underhanded shit when he was younger and doesn't want his lover to know just what a bastard he used to be. I don't get the "former lover vibe" from the new addition at all. The fact that Motoharu calls his lover the "only exception" leads me to believe he has never had a homosexual relationship before this one. Instead, it feels like the new guy wants his old hell raising partner back. Maybe they boosted cars, beat up homeless men or burgled homes in high school. All of which anyone who is trying to live an upstanding life would want to forget and keep those whom they love from finding out about it. Though, the implications that he was a rich young master could indicate that it is something way more innocent but equally embarrassing. Like, being a snob or a homophobe. Maybe he was just your average high school bully and picked on guys like his current lover. Hell, maybe he was a man-whore. That would give his lover pause in a homosexual relationship. Maybe Motoharu was engaged to the new guy's sister and left his family because he didn't want to marry. He could also be hiding that his family USED to be rich and they lost everything. People keep lots and lots of secrets and they vary from bed wetting to rape and murder. Even in yaoi you can't assume everyone is a former or potential love interest. That's not the only kind of thing people keep secret. For that matter, maybe Motoharu doesn't want his lover to find out he had an ugly hairstyle in high school!!