muse ✨'s manga / #Possessive lover(23)

The morning after his high school reunions, Izami wakes up in bed with a former classmate who is now a best-selling novelist.

Nao has a history of men attacking him and is protected by his first-cousin who is also in love with him. This is the second "I'm in love with my cousin" story I've run across today.

Oof. This was interesting and I couldn't stop reading it, but this is NOT a story that's going to improve the day. It wasn't intended to, though. I had no sense that the author believed this is healthy, just interesting, which is fine by me. The plot: Teenaged Naoki becomes obsessed with the doctor who treats his asthma, drugging his alcohol to sleep with him and later chasing him to America when the doctor moves for research. Even though they're together, Naoki doesn't trust the doctor not to leave him. After an afternoon Christmas shopping with a friend's help, the doctor returns home only to be accused of cheating and pretty brutally raped. (He's shown with blood streaming down his thighs.) Even so, he forgives Naoki and stays in the relationship when they move back to Japan, though he distances himself a bit. When Naoki's father demands they break things off, the doctor agrees, which nearly kills both of them. Naoki attempts suicide in the hospital and suffers a severe asthma attack. His father relents, realizing he's made a mistake in separating them, but the damage is done. The doctor moves onto the same floor as Naoki to keep an eye on him, which only fuels Naoki's ire. Things come to a head when Michael, the friend from America, visits and Naoki resumes his accusation that the doctor was once unfaithful to him. Believing things are truly over, the doctor accepts a marriage interview, only to have Naoki show up at the hotel, finally having heard the truth about the doctor from his father. Things end on a happy note, and maybe they'll be better off when Naoki is a little older, but this was pretty much a roadmap of Things Not To Do In A Relationship. The "jazz" theme was used sparingly and maybe made more sense in the original manuscript the mangaka worked from. The concept of dreams vs. reality was used a lot more, and Buddhism played a role in many parts. There was even a nice slam against the homophobia some Christians have that made me cheer a little.

Nanao is rumored to be able to seduce any man on campus with his eyes and draws the attention of Aikawa, who immediately despises him. Or does he? Of course not, this is yaoi. He's repressing. He's a terrifyingly possessive boyfriend, which would be a nightmare in real life but is delicious in fiction.

Nanao and Aikawa continue their passionate love affair with a dose of "I thought I was the only one in love!" and the return of the person who caused Nanao some emotional trauma.