Bad At Names's manga / #Shounen ai(56)

'Salad days' is a Shakespearean term that refers to one's inexperienced/beginner days, (also referred to as green days = greenie/greenhorn). This story follows both leads from childhood amateur hobbyists to professionals in their careers fields. Its endearing to see how their relationship and feelings grow with their talents as they help motivate and inspire one another to pursue their dreams. Story is told through little swans POV, so much more dance oriented than boxing however the story mainly focuses on the relationship between the main leads than their respective sports. Not quite love at first sight but they're definitely more than friends from the beginning. It's super endearing and refreshing honestly to have the relationship develop 'organically' without the typical drama of homophobes/miscommunication/lack of emotional awareness/etc... It never feels forced or rushed, first kiss only happens after confession on chap 85 when they're both 18. Art style is gorgeous and really adds to the gentle nature and vibe of the story. Translation is a bit messy, especially in later chapters around chap 60 (still understandable but some metaphors get muddled). Really cute and 'healing'(similar to Natsume's yuujinchou but not as bittersweet).