muse ✨'s manga / #unrequited love(80)

Akio resigns himself to being Ryosuke's closest friend rather than risking their friendship by confessing even though he's been in love with him for twenty years. To make things worse, he blames himself for Ryosuke's fiance leaving him two years earlier. As much as he wants to get over Ryosuke, it's impossible, since Ryousuke assigns himself Akio's caretaker -- something Akio loves and simultaneously resents. The only person he can confide in is a former colleague and mentor, whose meddling might pay off. The one where the MC is a graphic designer and is hired for a book cover.

At 39, Ei is a successful researcher and still being pursued by 32yo Gin, a boy he met when they were 15 and 8. They are occasional sex partners, but Ei, who is terrified that his reputation of being openly gay could harm Gin in any way, refuses to acknowledge Gin as his lover and repeatedly tries to push him out of his life. Ei has horribly internalized self-loathing and hurts Gin thinking he's doing him a favor. He'll frustrate some readers, but I really related to him and understood his decisions. He knew first-hand what could happen to someone once they bear a particular label, and it was his unceasing love for Gin that kept him from being selfish and agreeing to date Gin long ago. I'm sure he thought Gin would eventually tire of it, find a wife, and settle down. Ei hates himself so much that he can't fathom someone actually loving him, despite how many times Gin has repeated it. And to admit he loves Gin in return would be to spoil the one pure thing he has, so he chooses to keep it locked away so that it's never taken from him. Frustrating, yes, but very human.

Gamou had been in love with his best friend for years, but his friend couldn't reciprocate. When the boy he'd loved in high school and been forcibly separated from by their families ten years earlier comes back into his life, things come to a head. [Spoilers ahead] Honestly, I wanted Gamou to get back together with his high school boyfriend, but I liked the way this ended up anyway. I just wish it hadn't taken a third person's feelings for people to come to their senses. The side story between the second prosecutor and the assistant was very welcome. I'd been pulling for them since the start. :-D

OH!!! This didn't go the way I worried it would, and I am so happy. This is a side story to Yukidoke no Koi. Several years after graduation, Oushirou still harbors feelings for his childhood friend Koba, who is moving to Tokyo for work and will live nearby. One afternoon Oushirou drops his wallet. It's picked up by a regular at the bar he frequents. After talking a while, the man - Inamura - offers his contact information and drops the fact that he's gay. He figures out that Oushirou is pining for Koba and offers to be a distraction. I worried this would be a situation where the childhood friend wises up and dates the main character, but it didn't play out that way. Koba and Oushirou remained dear friends, and Oushirou began a relationship with Inamura - moving in with him five years later. Content warning: There is a reference to one-sided love between brothers, but it is only spoken. We see nothing and nothing comes of it. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD! This is the FIRST! manga I've ever read where the characters have a frank, honest discussion about sex before they have sex. And then after sex, evaluate what happened, and one reassures the other that if bottoming isn't his thing, they'll work something out - that sex isn't everything. I've never seen that and it was totally refreshing and wonderful. Thank you to this author.

After giving up on the man he's loved for 15 years, a young man agrees to go out with their mutual friend.

Sister story to "Ookami Papa wa Hitsuji Tsura shite Yatte kuru." A man still getting over the emotional fallout of his last relationship has been single for five years and pining for his best friend. One afternoon, when he's picking up his nephew from daycare, the robotic teacher at his daycare calls him out on his lovesick expression - and then begins to insert himself into his life.

Eight years earlier, Hosho dry-humped his soccer club senpai Saotome in the locker room instead of confessing or just...having a proper conversation with him. Anyway, now they're neighbors and he's still harboring guilt over his actions. Sweet overall.

On their graduation day ten years ago, Takashi confessed to Hayate, a fellow club member, who was kind but firm with his rejection. But when Takashi started to cry, Hayate promised to celebrate his birthday with him every year until Takashi found someone to love. Ten years later and still in love, Takashi lies to Hayate about having a lover in order to end what has become a masochistic ritual, which forces Hayate to make a decision about how he really feels for Takashi. The bulk of this story happens after Hayate decides that, in spite of his preference for women, he loves and wants to be intimate with Takashi. Although other comments mention having an issue with how long this took for Hayate to accept, to the point of it being cruel to Takashi, I found it relatable. Hayate never met with him to be cruel, and I don't think he had any idea he'd caused Takashi to suffer. He was trying to be a supportive friend. After they get together, he is devoted to Takashi and their relationship, and prepared to live it openly. I found this surprisingly happy and sweet. Also: They have REALLY NICE AND SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS FROM HS! <3

Former baseball club teammates are reunited when a kouhai tutors his sempai's younger sister. SuBLime has this and its sequel, so I picked it up even though I only liked the sequel the first time I read this series. I loved this on reread. Maybe I didn’t like something about the scanlation? The official story was beautiful and so I raised this from 3 to 5 stars. I didn't feel much reading this story, although the art style is lovely.