It’s a perfect romantic situation: under the stars, alone together. But instead of a kiss with Riko, Kai gets a kick from Riko.
Ouch.
Yes, Kai’s feelings remain far from being mutual. Riko remains completely clueless that Kai likes her even when she discovers he’s given up his playboy ways. Riko’s opinion of Kai slightly goes up in this volume, but it isn’t like she hated him to begin with. (The love/hate relationship with a classic tsundere character appears to be relegated to a side couple — more on that later.)
Most of Hatsu*Haru volume 2 is dedicated to a group date at the amusement park. Kai’s friends (aka Kai’s Romantic Endeavors Support Group) trick him into coming after the disastrous school outing. Kai is still reluctant to admit he’s struck out with her, but when she reveals she’s going to dismiss his earlier actions as like almost getting bit by a dog, Kai swears he’s going to show her how cool he is.
Unfortunately, nearly fainting at a haunted house was not in his plans. Neither was seeing Suwa with a mysterious woman nor having Riko and Suwa over to his house. Through these interactions, Kai discovers more about why Riko refuses to confess to Suwa. The first volume had Kai drop his playboy ways a little too quickly, but this one does a better job of showing his internal struggle between being an impulsive womanizer and a boy struggling with an unrequited love. We see Kai progress from trying to forcefully override her feelings with a kiss to thinking about what he should do.
The manga balances out Kai’s and Riko’s melancholy with a healthy dose of laughter. Kai’s love life being discussed by the girl he likes and his rival while his friends watch in horror is my favorite scene in the manga so far. The three boys texting about Kai in their secret chat also breaks up the drama without taking up a lot of pagetime.
Speaking of friends, there’s a strong indication that the author is going to not only pair up Kai and Riko but their friends as well. I tend to dislike stories that do this, as it’s usually corny and too idyllic. But I did appreciate how each of the other pairs contrasted with Kai and Riko in some way. For example, Tora remains a playboy, but his comment about never looking at the straitlaced Kagura romantically strikes a nerve that Kai could only wish would bother Riko. Kai is the one actively trying to get into a relationship, but with three other potential couples all at different starting points (indifference, blossoming romance, one-sided hatred), it might be interesting to see who gets together first. That might make the normally annoying perfectly even friend pairs less irritating.
The only other major downside is if you didn’t like the art in the last volume, this volume is not going to change your mind. The characters still have large, often bug-like eyes and hair as big as their heads. I’ve gotten a little more used to Fujisawa’s style, but the characters can look awkward when their eyes shift to the side.
But if you don’t mind the sometimes awkward art and the potential for everyone to be coupling off, Hatsu*Haru is shaping up to be a sweet and fun addition to the romance genre.