TachibanaChiharu's manga / #Yaoi(12)

College student x adult, age gap 15yrs. Mc is working with a group of misfits at his college to create a game to submit to a big company. When the day comes to present, mc gets hit with a windows update and can't present, and so the investors walk out. He hurriedly compiles a paper submission and sneaks it onto the director's desk, and then runs into the director later that night at a bar right after the director's been dumped. Director suggests mc use his body to convince him to look at the paper submission instead of throwing it out, and mc accepts. director is a total asshole to mc, and leaves saying he won't look at it. later director feels guilty and looks, and realizes their submission is awesome. they receive the acceptance the next day after mc thought he blew it completely, and then they have to navigate being in the same building with the director who was a total dick. director seems atypically interested in their group and keeps insinuating himself into their business. This is a fun romance story with great art, lots of variety in character designs, well-drawn smut, and very interesting characters/side characters. the plot is complex, interesting, and woven together really well, although some of the romance b-plot stuff is a little forced or cliche. it has a few flaws, but not enough to ding it a star. the biggest issue is that director kang is a huge asshole to mc and never really has to make up for it. mc continues drooling over him after being horribly mistreated. this feels as though it is forced upon mc in order to have imaginary smut scenes when the characters aren't yet hooked up, but it feels shitty because mc should be pissed at kang, not jerking off over how rough and rude he was. the upside is that director kang recognizes he was an asshole and tries to atone for it, but having mc not realize and/or not care is "problematic". this story really needed a rival to director kang for mc's affections after mc's group moves offices in the new company. kang really needs to work to get mc back after mistreating him so much. secretary cha was so awesome, but her interesting character doesn't really get a story of any kind... it would've been interesting to hook her up with mina. seems like the two would've worked well together. i wanted to see more with the secretary. the america arc feels a little tacked-on at the end, given it's so short, and really needed to be expanded to about 30 ch or dropped entirely (or relegated to side stories). the story in general lacks a little of the usual wrap-up, so it does feel like side stories might be coming -- normally the main couple moves in together, gets rings, introduces each other to their families, or gets married.... something. here kang just quits his job and stays in korea to date mc. feels a little incomplete. i will be shocked if there aren't a few side stories to wrap some of this up. overall this was a fun read that i've been waiting for for ages. you don't often see a mc/uke of this calibur/quality. i will take as much extra as the author is willing to chuck at me. bring on the side stories!

Beta x Omega. A bit sad at times, with a good (if somewhat bittersweet) ending. Worth the read, though.