Ruri has a speech disorder. He is not nervous due to social anxiety disorder or even social anxiety, rather, he has low self-confidence due to his speech disorder and inability to speak without stuttering.
It is important to note that social anxiety disorder is from excess and irrational fear of what other people think. In Ruri's case, he had been mocked for stuttering in the past, so it is a rational fear, and therefore he does not have social anxiety disorder.
I wanted to emphasize on the fact that he does not have social anxiety because I think the author wanted to raise awareness for stuttering speech disorder, and most of the commenters appear to assume that Ruri is overly nervous, which is an extremely common misconception people have of stutterers. The author mentions this on chapter 2 page 22. ("It's not like I can't speak because I'm nervous. I'm nervous because I can't speak.")
Regardless, there is no doubt that social anxiety is difficult to deal with as well. Often times, because of high social anxiety or social anxiety disorder, you will miss out on opportunities or miss out on the easier method of doing things. If you believe that you do have excess social anxiety that you notice often interferes with the quality of life, please seek a counseling sessions with a psychologist or a mental health counselor. It will greatly improve your life to get help in understanding the reason behind excess anxiety and attempting to fix the issue. Mental health is very important. The first step is especially difficult for individuals with social anxiety disorder, but if I did it, then you can do it too!
Have you considered selective mutism (SM)? It's not well known but it is linked with anxiety. However it's more specific and more on point than saying that he just has anxiety.
I't s condition where a person can't get themselves to speak. The words just don't come out. Just like the character shown in the show, people with SM don't refuse to speak but simply can't. They can talk to certain people once they get comfortable with them; it becomes a lot easier for them. Selective mutism is more severe for people with speech disorders. We don't know what causes SM.
I had SM and still have it but it's a lot lighter now than compared to few years ago. I find myself being able to relate to this story a lot which makes me wonder if the writer was writing this story and created a character with SM on purpose. It is entirely possible for the author to have created a character with SM without knowing about the illness because next to no one knows about SM. I didn't know that I had it until someone I know online mentioned they had it. They themselves didn't know about it until they had the disorder for a few years.
Thank you for sharing this! I was unaware of selective mutism. What you are describing reminds me of a student in my class who had difficulty speaking during a class activity, and it makes me happy to learn about the disorder related to his behavior. Also, it'd be awesome if you were correct, because then we will be able to see Ruri's speech improve as the relationship between the two characters deepen :D
So I gave this a re-read and the relationship between Cole and Alex is pretty toxic... it feels like the only thing really connecting them is sex and obligation. I don't see any romance.
Cole's lack of self-confidence causes him to threaten others and his own life, and he's stressing Alex out like crazy as a result of it. It honestly reminds me of some toxic relationships I've had in the past.
And I didn't really read much into chapter 2 but it seems like Cole is on track to cheat on Alex...? God, just because Alex is popular doesn't mean he's any less human y'know...
I understand this is fiction, and y'know, that's fine, and if you enjoy it, more power to you! But definitely I'll have to drop this one...
Right?? I’ve read the entire thing and I honestly enjoy it But damn it does lack the romance itself, id enjoy it much more with some lovey dovey scenes (づ ̄ ³ ̄)づ