Time to continue my review of my favorite ongoing series.
Chapter 1
We last left our lovebirds amid a makeout session. When Itsuomi-san and Yuki take a break from kissing, Itsuomi-san compares Yuki to an adorable bird. Itsuomi-san means it as a compliment, but Yuki decides to put her foot down. Yuki wants to make sure Itsuomi-san sees her as a girl.
When Itsuomi-san realizes how much the constant comparisons to adorable animals bother Yuki, he reassures her that he sees her as a girl. In a moment of drunken truth, Itsuomi-san tells Yuki he finds everything about her adorable. He makes a somewhat poetic confession, saying that he feels like his world was dark before Yuki, and now morning has finally come.
Yuki can tell that Itsuomi-san is being honest and telling her his earnest feelings. After another intense makeout session, Yuki is suddenly reminded of Oushi-kun’s unexpected hug in the rain, thanks to a dripping faucet.
Yuki asks to talk to Itsuomi-san because her encounter with Oushi-kun has her feeling guilty. (Girl, you did nothing wrong, Oushi-kun’s lack of honesty is his problem.)After a hilarious demonstration of the hug’s intensity, Itsuomi-san and Yuki step outside to talk. (The call Itsuomi-san got from Oushi-kun was to tell Itsuomi-san all about the hug.)
Itsuomi-san, being the straightforward person that he is, asks Yuki if she realizes how Oushi-kun feels about her. Seeing the look on Itsuomi-san’s face, Yuki realizes that she wasn’t wrong in thinking that Oushi-kun has feelings for her. Yuki apologizes for having to talk about Oushi-kun when she and Itsuomi-san were having a very romantic night.
We see a flashback of the phone conversation between Itsuomi-san and Oushi-kun. As usual, Itsuomi-san acts friendly and nonchalant to the point where it gets under Oushi-kun’s skin. First, Itsuomi-san asks why Oushi-kun would call to confess to a hug. When Oushi-kun tries to put Itsuomi-san on the spot and says he saw Itsuomi-san with Emma, Itsuomi-san calmly explains who Emma is. Itsuomi-san even goes so far as to say next time Oushi-kun should just say hi when they see each other.
Just to get on Oushi-kun’s nerves, Itsuomi-san tries to ask what it is that Oushi-kun likes about Yuki. Oushi-kun refuses to answer. Itsuomi-san does make one thing clear, though: Yuki is the cutest when she is with Itsuomi-san. (I think this was Itsuomi’s passive-aggressive way of saying, stay in your lane, or it’s on sight.)
Yuki and Itsuomi-san head back inside after their talk. Itsuomi-san surprises Yuki with a sudden proposal to move in together.
Chapter 2
Itsuomi-ssn realizes how out of the blue his roommate proposal was and tells Yuki she can take her time to think it over. Such an unexpected request leads to a sleepless night on Yuki’s part.
While out and about Yuki and Itsuomi-san run into the group of friends Itsuomi-san hung out with the night before. Unaware of Yuki’s condition, the friends begin having a very animated conversation with Itsuomi-san. Once the group of friends knows of Yuki’s needs, Itsuomi-san interprets while Yuki communicates with everyone.
After the group introduces themselves properly, they fail at their attempt to be nosy. They try asking Yuki what she likes about Itsuomi-san, and when she tries to get over her shyness and tell them, Itsuomi-san stops her. Itsuomi-san says he would rather know her answer in private. The group is bummed.
When he and Yuki are alone again, Itsuomi-san asks to meet Yuki’s parents sometime. (Girl, don’t let him go. He’s made of 100% future husband material.) Itsuomi-san also says he will introduce Yuki to his family. This development is both exciting and nerve-wracking for Yuki.
Yuki is having a heart-pounding morning meanwhile, Oushi-kun is sleeping his troubles away after a night of drinking. The only way his friends/roommates manage to wake him is by mentioning Yuki’s name, which shocks him awake.
When Oushi-kun asks his friends how they know about Yuki, they admit that Oushi-kun told them all about her over drinks in between crying sessions.
Oushi-kun’s friend Motoki says there is a way to steal Yuki away from her prince.
We detour from Oushi-kun’s drunken confessions to find Yuki and Rin-chan catching up on girl talk. Yuki tells Rin-chan that Itsuomi-san has asked her to move in. Rin-chan also has exciting news to share. She and Kyoya-san are dating! Both girls are happy for one another.
Yuki is momentarily pulled away from her bubble of happiness when she drops a pen and doesn’t realize it. Yuki is left thinking about how little things like that are bound to happen. She worries about possibly being a burden to Itsuomi-san if they move in together.
Chapter 3
Itsuomi-san tries calling Oushi-kun and is a bit surprised when he doesn’t answer. Itsuomi-san also has a feeling he is being watched. Yuki’s thoughts have been trending negative ever since the fallen pen incident. She can’t help but think about everything she can’t do and whether or not she would be a burden to Itsuomi-san.
When Yuki’s boss mentions Yuki’s future dream trip with Itsuomi-san, it helps her feel better. Yuki remembers that her happiness is up to her and within her reach.
When leaving work, Yuki runs into Oushi-kun. Oushi-kun tells her a notification alarm is going off and Yuki quickly apologizes. Oushi-kun tells Yuki don’t sweat it, it can happen to anyone. With the way Yuki’s been feeling lately, I feel like someone needed to tell her that. Just to remind Yuki that everyone is human. Oushi-kun even tells her he dropped his phone recently, causing major damage. Yuki feels a bit awkward when she realizes this is the first time she’s seen Oushi-kun since realizing how he feels about her.
Oushi-kun suddenly grabs Yuki without giving her an explanation and hides. Yuki is shocked when it seems like Oushi-kun intends to kiss her, bit stops himself. (Good, because Yuki likely would have slapped him.)
Right when Yuki tells Oushi-kun she doesn’t want to be seen alone with him and give others the wrong idea about them, Oushi-kun’s friends arrive. We learn that Oushi-kun hid with Yuki so suddenly because he saw Itsuomi-san in the distance. Yuki is left wondering when Oushi-kun actually fell in love with her.
Oushi-kun’s friend Motoki, perhaps because of Yuki’s name, compares Oushi-kun’s situation to the story of Snow White. Telling Oushi that Itsuomi-san is currently Yuki’s Prince Charming, but it’s too early for the final battle.
Motoki, the wannabe wise-man says time is on Oushi-kun’s side because it’s rare for couples these days to last 6 months or even a year. (Are you telling me that Itsuomi-san is talking about moving in and meeting parents in less than six months when, in real life, some of us can’t even get a man to text back?)
Presumably, a few days later, we see Itsuomi-san having a nice time with the neighborhood kids while playing soccer before going to meet Yuki.
Chapter 4
The rare Pokémon known as Yuki’s big brother makes an appearance. Big brother gives Yuki some money for deep cleaning his apartment. (Yuki thinks his girlfriend probably moved out because he’s a bit of a slob. LOL) He gifts her a digital camera she sees lying around, and Yuki rushes off to meet Itsuomi-san.
Yuki is a little nervous when she meets Itsuomi-san at his place. She feels like his smile is different, but after a quick kiss, things seem back to normal.
Itsuomi-san reminds Yuki about his dream to teach abroad and how that dream will take him away from Japan for a while when he graduates in a year in a half. Just to torture the reader, we suddenly cut to Shin-chan and Emma. Emma is cutting her hair styled by Shin-chan and trying to act natural, when Shin-chan asks when they will have their first date.
After getting over her initial shock, Emma tells Shin-chan that he can choose where they go. Shin-chan says they should go to a Hot Spring. Emma agrees.
Back in Itsuomi-san’s apartment, Itsuomi-san is relieved that Yuki is not surprised that his dream of teaching will eventually take him away from Japan for a while. It seems that Itsuomi-san was nervous when Yuki first arrived because he feared she would dump him.
Itsuomi-san wants to spend as much time with Yuki as possible before he leaves, which is why he asks for her to move in. Yuki decides to be honest and tell Itsuomi-san what’s been on her mind. She goes into detail about some of the challenges they may face together as a result of her deafness. Yuki worries that Itsuomi-san may come to see her as a burden. I’m proud of Yuki for being brave and telling Itsuomi-san about her worries.
After talking about her anxieties, Yuki begins listing some of her strengths. She has good eyesight, loves cooking and cleaning, and never catches colds, among other things. (Go off, queen. Never let “disability define your capability.)
Yuki wants Itsuomi-san to rely on her, too. Yuki has decided that she would like to try living with Itsuomi-san, and she conveys her decision.
10/10 volume. I am so happy that Yuki is able to make such an important decision for herself and let Itsuomi-san know her feelings. It can be hard to express your doubts to someone you love, but she did it. I’m not a fan of Oushi-kun’s friend Motoki and his little “time is on your side plan.” Oushi-kun had most of his life, to be honest, with Yuki, and he wasn’t. You dropped the ball, my dude; you have to live with that. Itsuomi-san meeting Yuki’s parents is sure to be an event.
