At long last, a couple is born! Despite the guy’s often haplessness and panic, his feelings have managed to reach the girl he likes, and she feels the same. As the fireworks burst overhead, they lean in for a kiss…
If you are hearing any cans being kicked or a string of cuss words right now, it’s probably from Kai; it’s his friend Miki, the one everyone thought would be single until his 30s, who manages to get a girlfriend, not him.
While Riko has learned that it was Kai who made the apple rabbits when she was sick, she doesn’t know how to tell him thanks after all this time. Kai, meanwhile, doesn’t know why Riko sometimes sulks off, but he knows his lovesickness is getting worse. And it only gets worse when Riko inadvertently drags him from Heaven to Hell by not shaking off his hand during a festival only to later laugh off the idea that he’s interested in her. He sinks even into an even deeper depression when a jealous outburst may have pushed Riko to another guy!
If you’re the type to dislike oblivious love interests, well, even as she starts to get more aware of Kai, Riko still thinks him liking her is ridiculous. But while she has repeatedly stated she has no intention of acting on her feelings, this volume marks her first attempt to truly do something about them — namely, overwrite them. No doubt some readers are going to want to smack her for running to an old classmate instead of Kai, but also has some self-inflicted wounds in his quest for Riko’s heart.
Now, as for the relationship that actually does make progress, I found it rather sweet. A whole chapter is spent on their date at the festival, and it had its own charm. For instance, Miki tries to act manly, and the first person he thinks of to imitate is Riko!
But it’s the guy on the cover who is given some subtle characterization that I loved. Takaya been a mostly hands-off member of Kai’s Romantic Endeavors Support Group, wanting Kai to go at his own pace. But he’s so concerned about his friend that he actually decides to meddle. This shows he’s more concerned about Kai than any monologue or dialogue could. Plus, readers get a strong hint as to what Takaya’s secret is, the mystery Ayumi has been digging for. If the manga is going to pair the two of them up, I do hope we get a more slower romance, one that shows off this quiet dedication hidden behind his stoic mask.
I’m still not sold on the art though. The characters still look awkward when they stare at each other from the side with their big bug eyes. It also doesn’t help that Fujisawa doesn’t have a huge range, especially the manga having four main guys, four girls, and other key characters like Suwa and his girlfriend. The guy Riko starts seeing, for instance, looks like Kai and Taka had a kid.
Still, if you don’t mind Fujisawa’s style, Hatsu*Haru continues to layer on the charm, striking Cupid’s arrow directly at readers’ hearts whenever it seems like the story might drag. Unfortunately for Kai, Cupid hasn’t landed a bullseye on Riko yet, but the volume sets up chances for Cupid to land a few light hits in the meantime.