Sleeps In Sunbeams's manga / #business men(19)

Long term feelings are finally given a chance. Very cute

A nice way to pass an afternoon

For one shots these were cute and entertaining. There were some things that needed improving (eg. the reunited lovers after 10 years never really explained why they broke up and stopped communication) and others would have been more enjoyable with an extra chapter or two. Personally, I would like more on the cousins story.

One shots with some traditional tropes but something special in the delivery. I enjoy one shots when you need a quick escape into fantasy without getting bogged down in anything too heavy and these worked for me. 1. The new neighbour is oddly seductive and friendly...and also the boss on a new project. The younger uke in this story gets metaphorical whiplash learning to deal with the coldly professional man vs the warmly fun private man that was his new neighbour. All while finding himself oddly attracted. The seme in this was harder to warm up to because his professional self was really quite cold. But he gave warm praise where it was earned and was happy to help the uke be his best professionally. He wasn’t the sort to like mixing private and work life so the way the uke overcame that was a laugh. 2. Yuuichi nii-chan and Azusa’s story was one I liked more. Friends for years, the older Yuuichi has been waiting for his friend to grow up enough to become his lover as well as his friend. Azusa tends to spark up at his friend these days, annoyed at his constant girlfriends and player lifestyle. But Yuuichi has his sights firmly set on his friend and Azusa starts to realize why he gets so flustered by the guy he has always looked up to. I liked both characters and the wicked look that Yuuichi often had was rather sexy. 3. Ryou-kun is an awkwardly shy guy scouted by makeup artist Marikawa-san as a model. In this fast paced story the self deprecating Ryou-kun wants the beautiful Marikawa-san to like him for who he is, even as he gains confidence under the guidance of the older man. I liked this story for the way Ryou always seemed to gaze longingly at Marikawa and how Marikawa held himself back, but would look at his hand that had cupped the uke’s chin after he left. Subtle things like that really work for me. It made the eventual move by Marikawa to no longer hold back carry an extra spark of intensity that is hard to achieve in a oneshot. 4. Childhood friends Ayase and Suga reunite after 3 years apart and a confession that took the younger Ayase by surprise and left him speechless. A confession after graduation that he never got to respond to because his friend left for Tokyo the next day. Now Suga is back in town and seeking Ayusa. And Ayusa has years of heartache and unvoiced hurt that he wants to say, along with his own feelings of love. But even now, he seems unable to grasp a moments opportunity to have that important discussion with the friend he still loves. This is a story that has so much wasted time and opportunity that it frustrates you to read. But I figure it would have frustrated both boys even more and I liked how it finally turned out. 5. This story had an old trope of amnesia where Fujihara had an accident only to lose memory of everyone but his friend, Kouji. He returns from the dead to kiss the stunned Kouji and lay a relentless pursuit on his friend. There was an odd mix of ruthlessness and vulnerability in Fuji. The uke, Kouji, was strong willed and resistant, but he had obvious moments of softness for his friend as he dealt with his confused feelings. Like the other stories, this was fast paced because it was a oneshot, but I enjoyed their crazy ride to facing the truth and being a couple.

Another great story from this mangaka, this time focusing on two older salarymen. Recently divorced Director Inoue and the ‘raging homo’ and ‘sex addict’ Section Chief Kitahara come together to address the anonymously delivered accusations against Kitahara. In this story, I enjoyed most how Kitahara tended to have the tables turned on him when he tried to manipulate Inoue. I also thought it was sweet, just how long he had yearned for the older man. I was less enthused about the dub con scene at the office with the other guys, but even there Inoue managed to wrest control and deal with the way his hurt partner was lashing out by bringing it back to being about the two of them. As for the scene where Inoue said he would save his lover over his daughter, I wasn’t bothered by that. I saw that as a moment Kitahara needed to believe he mattered and was a priority to the guy he had loved for years. It called for a romantic reassurance not a discussion on why his daughter needed saving first or he would need to think about it. Personally, I thought it was sweet and it managed to discompose Kitahara too, so bonus lol.

A diverse range of stories, especially with a historical type amidst all these modern manga. I loved the first story with the musician and the salaryman. That first sexy glimpse of those abs on outside the office window was a great start to the story, and then add the humour elements to set the scene for a funny and sexy story. The other stories were good too, though most of them finished before the relationship was mutual or with some degree of unfinished business.

A very cute little story with an alpha seme (Akiyama) who breaks the usual moulds on Omegaverse. He shares the downside of heavy expectations that go along with being an alpha and the lack of appreciation for the effort and hard work he put into his work. Then there is the omega Kasahara, who moves through life cheerfully but who is weighed down by the pain his mother feels for him being omega. Both alpha and omega help each other and have a sweet romance.

Trigger Warning: Rape (not done by MC) Young and filling in for a friend at his work, Serizawa recognises an old, familiar face in his new boss, Ikuta. However, the kind, gentle man from before is almost unrecognisable from the serious boss and even more so from the cynical man whore that is Ikuta after hours. So who really is Ikuta? And why does Serizawa suddenly feel protective of the older man?

I seriously disliked the first couple. It made no sense that the seme treated the uke like that. Also made no sense that the uke went back for more. I didn’t feel good connections in these