muse ✨'s manga / #salary men(3)

For a decade, Rikuro has harbored feelings for Yasutaka, but has given up on the possibility of a relationship - that is until Yasutaka admits he slept with a male coworker, which makes Rikuro both hopeful and angry. Unlike Kou's "Soredemo" (which you should read if you have not; it's my favorite!) where Onoda seriously considers a relationship out of respect for Deguchi's feelings, this is frustrating since Yasutaka is indecisive. An ultimately happy ending, but it will not be everyone's cup of tea.

This might be the most realistic story I've read, which means it's far from being the happiest even though it ends on a happy note. Prepare for your heart to be beaten over and over as you go through this. It's a story about how people hurt each other. Although they're in a relationship, when Kyou meets a young woman at work, he once again questions his decision to be with Imagase. The thing is, they're NOT bad for each other. They're a good fit. They live together easily. They're sexually compatible. The problem is that Kyou can't accept he's fallen in love with a man. He won't acknowledge his love at ALL, even though he's miserable for months after they break up a second time. Part of the issue is that Kyou has zero confidence and is a pushover - that's established in the prequel - so when Imagase would lament that they weren't good for each other, Kyou listened. When Imagase said he was just "playing" lovers, Kyou listened. Can they last? Yes, but they both have some maturing to do. This needs a sequel where we check in with them in a year or two. The real sign that Kyou has honestly embraced Imagase as his partner for life will be if they meet each other's families, since that was brought up several times. I loved this, but it was incredibly upsetting and I cried a lot, especially when Imagase was in the bed Kyou shared with his girlfriend and said, "You were mine. You were mine."

Multiple stories, including one about a boy who had been in love with his best friend so did what he could to keep girls away from him in high school, and asks for one night together for memories.