muse ✨'s manga / #sweet(93)

While collecting rock samples in a cave, a scientist discovers a young man, possibly the last of a species, who has survived on minerals, and they become travel partners. But Iris has past trauma that comes to haunt him. Quick worldbuilding but there is plenty here for the story to make sense.

A young man can see the red string of fate on everyone's hands but his own, until the day a transfer student arrives.

A young doctor goes to work in a remote village, where he befriends a cold young man who is so afraid people will leave him, he doesn't let anyone be close to him.

A very sweet, slow burn between a 19yo former AV actor, Ikumi, and the friend of his lover, who took him in temporarily - though, as it turns out, the lover was leaving him. When his former lover dies unexpectedly, Akiba, a 29yo photographer, continues to care for Ikumi and helps expand his world.

A nameless man who disposes of bodies for a living meets a young man at a clean-up site who asks to come home with him. This is gentle and quiet and sweet, and the emotions sneak up on you.

Two boys speak to each other for the first time as they're nearing graduation; one had always been asleep when the other came into the classroom.

Three stories of first love. The photographer's story was the most poignant for me, but all of these were a bit too short for the reader to fall in love alongside them.

A boy who was bullied in grade school returns to the village where he grows up and reconnects with the boy he'd liked, who loves someone else. This was a little confusing at times, but a nice look at how you can feel love for more than one person. It ends well for everyone. Upgraded a star on re-read. Now that I'm more familiar with manga, this didn't confuse me and was very moving.