Again, something that I typically don't like: another character coming in for a significant amount of page time, including substantial one-on-one bonding with one of the mains from the first volume. But in this case, it improves the second volume a lot for me, because I really like Takeo.
I think it's Shingo I'm just not that attached to. Takeo's muppet line made me laugh a lot; I can't take the guy too seriously, I guess? I like friendly, enthusiastic, welcoming characters, but I need them to show a bit more depth. Shingo's trying - I like that he's giving Ao space initially, doing his best to respect Ao's attempts to do things on his own, and then stepping in to help him through his trauma recovery in a way that will combine support with progress on getting past his fears. Although...we don't actually see any of that. All the chapters after the misunderstanding gets sorted are kinda them going back to the horny dating stage, which tends to bore me if there's no character development included.
They are a bit better in this volume, with some better communication, although I still don't like how much Ao is struggling to actually share his feelings with Shingo. Shingo didn't expressly tell Ao to cut off his other relationships, and I don't think he really would've asked for or expected that even in the height of his insecurity, but it's a bad sign that Ao felt like he couldn't have other friends if he wanted to keep Shingo in his life. He was actually having fun with Takeo, and it's not right for Shingo to get that petty and jealous about it.
Another issue: Shingo's inability to come up with any concrete reasons for why he likes Ao. That scene's meant to be funny, but it's exactly what I'm struggling with while reading, because I can't identify those parts either.
Why did Shingo fall in love with Ao so fast, and confess to him so abruptly? He has all that insecurity about someone else having met Ao first, learning his secret, and getting him to rely on them, and Ao falling for and dating them...but isn't it kind of the other way around? What if Shingo had met someone else who was super attractive and clung to him out of fear and needed his protection? What if that cute girl at the end of the volume had been interested in him, and he hadn't talked to Ao?
When Shingo does come up with a list later on, he still doesn't say a whole lot, or at least not much of substance. It's mostly focused around Ao's looks, which Ao even points out. (And all he ever wants to do when they hang out is physical stuff.) Meanwhile, Ao's list is actually very pinpointed to Shingo's personality. It makes their relationship seem on the underdeveloped, less mature side.
I've also realized that - in volume 1 especially - Shingo reminds me a lot of Aoki from My Love Mix-Up, but a less well-rounded version. (Maybe because Aoki has so many volumes to grow.) So he's really where I'm stalling out on the like-not-love with this particular series.
Suzumaru is great at one-shots, but this is one where it didn't totally work and needed more space to slowly progress into a full relationship. Shingo kinda needed to grow up more. It's a sweet first romance, but I'm not entirely convinced it has staying power.
Takeo, though, I do love. He's loud and bull-headed but actually very thoughtful and kind. He pays attention to people; he picked up the lightning thing right away, and put the pieces together about Ao and Shingo with so little information to go on. He's smart and funny and I'm really glad he got a spinoff of his own. He reminds me a bit of the similarly loud-but-kind guy from Twilight Out Of Focus's second couple, which I loved, so it's pretty easy to start narrowing down my types. For me, he and the random couple from Volume 1 are really the selling points of this particular series.