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薫る花は凛と咲く [Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku] #2

The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 2

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Two rival schools stand next door to each other: one for elite ladies, one for good-for-nothing boys. But one of those boys might just be a naturally chivalrous diamond in the rough, and one of those girls might be a little more open-minded than is proper...

This cute and twisty manga spin on Romeo and Juliet is the latest hit in Japan, coming to print from a successful digital-first release!

Capulet & Montague, Chidori & Kikyo

Chidori High is a boys' school that takes in the dregs of society with the lowest grades. Next door stands Kikyo Girls' High, where the wealthy, high-class families send their precious daughters. Chidori second-year Rintaro, who has a fierce face but a gentle heart, is helping at his family's patisserie when he meets a girl named Kaoruko. The two hit it off right away...but this blissful peace is quickly disturbed when Rintaro discovers that Kaoruko is actually a student at Kikyo. Worse, she doesn't seem to realize what a huge problem this really is! Will these two be able to forge a path for themselves, and sidestep the traps (metaphorical and literal) laid by their classmates?

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2022

133 people are currently reading
441 people want to read

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Saka Mikami

22 books90 followers

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5 stars
1,572 (54%)
4 stars
1,004 (34%)
3 stars
286 (9%)
2 stars
20 (<1%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
Profile Image for vanessa♡.
540 reviews104 followers
December 27, 2022
totally one of the best shoujo i ever read. no stupid miscomunication, no stupid drama. just the characters vibing and have character developments.
Profile Image for Saranya | সারন্যা.
988 reviews221 followers
July 15, 2025
A Whiff of What's to Come
If you thought the first volume was a charming, low-stakes exploration of blossoming feelings, then Volume 2 is like… turning up the thermostat ever so slightly. They are still firmly in the "precious and pure" zone... but the air is getting a little thicker with unspoken confessions and the delightful anxieties of young love. It's less a dramatic thunderstorm and more a gentle summer rain — refreshing, a little unpredictable and leaving everything sparkling.

Kaoru: Still a Walking, Talking Blush
Our dear Kaoru continues to be a masterclass in the art of the involuntary blush. Seriously, if there were a competition for "Most Likely to Turn Into a Ripe Tomato at the Slightest Hint of Affection," he'd win a gold, a silver and a bronze. It's hilarious and it perfectly captures the sweet, almost painfully innocent vibe of this series. You just want to pat his head and tell him everything's going to be okay.

Rin: The Ice Queen Cometh (and Melteth)
Rin remains our seemingly unshakeable heroine. This volume peels back a few more layers of her cool exterior, revealing the surprisingly soft and sometimes flustered girl underneath. Her reactions to Kaoru's… well, Kaoru-ness… are pure gold. It's the delightful contrast between her reserved demeanor and her internal squiggles of emotion that makes her so captivating.

The Stakes Are... Adorably Low
The "tension" is less about impending doom and more about the delightful agony of two sweethearts trying to figure things out.

Art That Blooms
The characters are expressive without being over-the-top and the quiet moments—a shared glance, a hesitant touch, a blushing face—are rendered with tenderness. It's the kind of art that makes you go "aww" multiple times per chapter.

The Verdict: Bring on More Petals!
Be prepared for huge amounts of blushing, adorable awkwardness and the overwhelming desire to cheer these two on. Highly recommend if you're in the mood for a dose of pure, unadulterated sweetness.

❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,949 reviews295 followers
September 1, 2024
Even better than the first time I read it and honestly considered if I should continue the series by buying the physicals!

Glad I gave it another chance (thank you KMANGA!) because while I didn't dislike it the first time, I also didn't get the hype for the series either. Very slice of life but also very touching!
Profile Image for Beatriz Books.
167 reviews5 followers
September 12, 2025
Estos personajes son demasiado adorables!! ✨️💖 Me encanta que son comunicativos y que los conflictos se resuleven sin mayor problema. Definitivamente una historia preciosa.
Profile Image for Hella.
144 reviews
March 8, 2024
طبق روال این چند وقت اخیر این مانگا رو هم ادامه نمیدم متاسفانه داستانش زیادی برای من لطیف و احساسیه و خب من اصلا حوصله اینجور داستانا ندارم.
Profile Image for 灰.
160 reviews22 followers
October 22, 2025
I love it when characters can communicate effectively and get their feelings across. Don’t bother me guys, I’m in my shojo era ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ
Profile Image for Jess | jadecanread.
1,230 reviews188 followers
November 7, 2024
This continues to be quite wholesome and true to the teenage experience. Nothing really stands out to me but I will say the characters are delightful.

Rintaro also has such a nice relationship with his mom! Super sweet.

RECAP: Subaru asks him to stay away, he says no. His friends ask him what's going on and he says he doesn't want to tell them. Doesn't fail his exams. Thanks her. Mom makes dinner for them. The girls have a heart to heart. Ends with him and Subaru friendship development.
Profile Image for rory (jess' version).
549 reviews237 followers
August 2, 2024
this manga brings me so much good vibes ! the two friend groups have such a dynamic relationship it's heartwarming to read how they trust and support each other. kaoruko is a sweetheart who deserves all the best things in the world 🥺
Profile Image for brisingr.
1,063 reviews
September 17, 2024
the friendships in this!!!! so beautifully done!! and so realistic to the all encompassing inner workings of a teenager's world!! my younger self's heart is singing in joy at this manga ;-;
Profile Image for Anna  Quilter.
1,597 reviews48 followers
September 6, 2025
Has to be one of my favorite Manga series currently.
its a very careful subtle story of a boy and girl from 'rival' schools who connect and slowly become ....
most of this volume is actually between Kaoruko's childhood friend Hodgins who voices her displeasure at her friends growing connection to Rintaro.
Profile Image for karol ♡.
82 reviews
June 3, 2024
De vez en cuando, es necesario una historia con dos adolescentes enamorándose. Nada más.

Sencillo, corto, bonito: una caricia al alma.
Profile Image for isaac⁷ .
292 reviews40 followers
October 23, 2025
4.75*

subaru is finally here and the friendships are also developing well. they are all such cuties 🥹

and that scene at the park between kaoruko and subaru is so sapphic and platonic at the same time HELP 😌
Profile Image for iinderiia.
23 reviews2 followers
September 22, 2025
Mucho mejor que el primero.
La verdad, es super recomendable para estudiantes de japonés, siento que me ha ayudado bastante a afianzar vocabulario y expresiones.
Profile Image for Mark.
2,741 reviews263 followers
August 14, 2024
Rintaro gets an ultimatum from Kaoruko’s best friend, Hoshina, that doesn’t sit well with him. But Hoshina might be projecting a lot of things out instead of looking in. Plus, Rintaro and his friends get less friendly, in case he didn’t have enough to worry about.

Boy, this is a great little story. As the characters are developing, I love that Kaoruko is turning out to be more of a tomboy and Rintaro is such a sweetheart. They’re delightfully bashful with one another.

If I had an issue with this volume it would definitely be not enough of our leads being all shy. Whenever they get the slightest whiff of interest from one another it shows in the most adorable expressions.

Instead, much of this is given over to our supporting players and especially Hoshina, who looks distractingly like a version of Shikimori from the latter’s titular manga that hates her own guts.

We quickly see that Hoshina is desperate to protect Kaoruko, but that’s also stemming from a selfish desire to hold on to her friend who might be pulled away by this, gasp, male. There’s a lot of all Hoshina’s things she likes about herself being externalized in Kaoruko and nowhere else.

Despite many entreaties to ‘stay by your side’ sprinkled about, this thankfully turns out to be a friendly sort of love and not a whole yuri side thing. It would feel absolutely out of place here, frankly, and Hoshina has enough issues without struggling with her sexuality.

Hoshina’s internal conflict with self loathing really pits her against herself more than anything or anybody else and she can’t even act out without hating herself for it. There’s a little visual representation of this that I found quite effective too.

Plus, Hoshina exemplifies the sort of shame spiral that this sort of situation can easily lead to. Even when Kaoruko is pointing out how much she appreciates Hoshina’s intentions, the latter instantly twists it into something negative. The realism of that self-loathing, I assure you, very believable.

There’s a lot to like about a story that is this charming but also has depth. It’s also dragging out its conflict from some real interesting spaces - Rintaro ends up at odds with a friend, but not because he’s dared to like a girl from the other school.

No, it’s because she means so much to him and he doesn’t trust them enough to talk about her openly and that stings them hard in the way of all petty arguments between friends that blow up big for no good reason.

It’s not the funniest volume, definitely focusing more on being as cute as can be (also Rintaro’s mom is the best), but I wanted to single out one fantastically meta gag where the boys pass their exams and confetti goes flying. Then the teacher makes them clean it up in the next scene. It’s very silly, but very funny.

There’s precious little to dislike here - I want more of the relationship stuff, but there’s nothing bad replacing it, quite the opposite. This is so enjoyable that seeing it grow out a bit is welcome and it did the smart thing and got the leads established enough to make their absence notable but not a deal-breaker (it is certainly sprinkled throughout).

4 stars - this series started really good, remains really good, and I don’t see that changing. It’s a real treat.
Profile Image for charly.
116 reviews
June 4, 2024
This volume was so full of cute and also angsty moments. From the development of Rintaro and Kaorus relationship to subaru trying to come in between them to Rintaro and his friends getting into a fight. There was so much😭.
I love the pace that Rintaro and Kaorus relationship is going at. They just want to know more about each other and like each other🤭.
I kinda hated subaru at first for coming in between them but now I see she only had good intentions. Also Rintaro refusing to not see Kaoru again….LOVE🤭.
The fight between Rintaro and his friends was so sad, I mean I get he doesn’t trust them because of their hate toward kikyo girls but still. I love how he asked permission though to tell his friends about his relationship with kaoru😭 Cutie
I just love how kind the both of them are. They are maybe too kind sometimes.
There were also so many funny moments in this volume too. Rintaro hiding behind a see through cake display, Rintaro being scared to use Subarus handkerchief, Rintaro and usami barely passing and everyone crying over it and Rintaros mom not believing he passed🤣
That ending has me a bit scared though because who tf is that?
Profile Image for babaybread_I.N.
23 reviews
September 2, 2023
Tbh the storyline is not changing which is kinda boring they keep apologizing for EVERTHING which gives me a headache

But overall really cute story and it’s a 3.5/5
Profile Image for S. Alberto ⁻⁷ (yearning).
374 reviews3 followers
October 13, 2025
“Please Subaru don’t deny your kindness don’t deny the Subaru I love.”

“I want to be able to hold my high my head high… as I walk by your side.”

“What do I do to not make you worry? Because ignoring the people who truly treasure Waguri-san is something I can’t do.”

This second volume continues to build on what I think is shaping up to be a surprisingly wholesome and emotionally intelligent manga series. While some readers seem to dislike Subaru, I find myself feeling quite the opposite. Her sharpness — like the line “all men are the same and horrible” — reads more like a trauma response than a blanket judgment. We know she’s been hurt and excluded before, likely not just by boys but maybe even at home, where love and understanding might’ve been scarce. That kind of background makes it hard for me to condemn her, especially when I can sense that her protective instincts for her friend Waguri are rooted in care, not malice.

One thing I really appreciated in this volume was the emphasis on communication. Subaru clearly wasn’t comfortable around Rintaro at first, but despite her own discomfort, she tried to speak up for Waguri — even if it wasn’t handled perfectly. And what makes the dynamic more satisfying is how both Rintaro and Waguri, separately, encourage her to give him a chance. It’s this small, sincere exchange of perspectives that really stood out to me — the fact that everyone is trying, and no one is villainized for their emotional honesty. These kinds of moments feel rare in school romance manga, where miscommunication is usually the main driver of plot tension.

Also… Rintaro’s mom being proud that he passed his exams??? That hit me right in the chest. He’s trying so hard, not giving up, and still being kind in the process. 😭🫶🏾

Overall, the volume loses one star only because it still feels like it’s early days plot-wise. But the characters are layered, the vibes are cozy, and I’m honestly rooting for all of them. I’m looking forward to seeing how these relationships evolve in the next volumes!
Profile Image for cio.
182 reviews11 followers
August 16, 2025
[4.5] This volume absolutely ate. It gave me all the sweetness I signed up for but also threw in those “oh no they didn’t” moments that had me grinning like an idiot. Rintaro’s friends aaaaaa literal ride-or-dies. They weren’t just hanging out for vibes, they were there for him, no questions asked and I love them for it.

BUT Ayato… oh my god. I knew he was sunshine but I didn’t know he could flip the switch like that. One moment he’s all smiles, the next he’s sending thugs straight to the pavement after finding out they hurt Rintaro. Then he just beams and says, “let’s go home” like he didn’t just commit a one-man beatdown. He might actually be my man now.

I also really love how Subaru didn’t tiptoe, she didn’t play dumb, she straight-up told Kaoruko she confronted Rintaro and even spilled his response.

This volume just hit all the right notes for me loyal friends, surprising character turns and a romance that keeps getting richer.
Profile Image for antito.
137 reviews1 follower
July 23, 2025
“Waguri-san es una buena persona, trabajadora, es fuerte, una chica admirable y aún con todo eso me faltan palabras para poder describirla” AHHHHHH espero que me escuchen gritar porque lo hice mucho, amo cuando son así de verdad.
También fue muy bonito cuando habla de sus amigos, de verdad rintaro que te entiendo y me alegra muchísimo que ya no te rindas y tengas unos buenos amigos “por primera vez siento que tengo un lugar al cual volver” 😭
2. Y POR FAVOR fue muy HOTTTT cuando llegaron los amigos a defender a las chicas y apoyar a rintaro 🔥🙂‍↕️ (apoyo que hayan más peleas, lo siento muy hot) es bonito que aunque hayan tenido prejuicios sobre las escuelas puedan ser amigos ahora.
3. Tremendos outfits y peinados que se tira la waguri
4. “ Antes de dormir… Al despertar, luego de comer… caminar, siempre estoy pensando en ella” ASÍ DE OBSESIONADOS ME GUSTAN A MI
Profile Image for Pernille.
144 reviews
August 20, 2024
this was such a cute volume. the friendships & characters are so incredibly sweet and well written. i like how we see everyone’s struggles and joys, it makes it very real. the relationship progress was very cute, i really like our main pairings chemistry and interactions. also, rintaro’s mom is such a nice character. i loved her talk with him in the last chapter a lot, it was wonderful to see how much she cares so much about him and his happiness. the main focus on subaru and her backstory with kaoruko was also very interesting to read. i never expected that side of her personality, but it really made me happy that she has kaoruko by her side.
Profile Image for Nicholas Dehler.
268 reviews4 followers
May 13, 2025
This is a light read that I really enjoyed- the series does a lot of classic shojo stuff but also cuts out a lot of the elements of the genre that I sometimes find annoying. The art style is elegant and the cast of characters are charming and authentic. There is a good mix of laugh out loud moments and heartwarming moments. This series is growing on me already: I see elements of Fruits Basket and Horimiya (two of my favorites) while the series still maintains its own identity. Looking forward to seeing the series progress and getting to know the characters better💯
Profile Image for Les petits livres.
503 reviews3 followers
April 5, 2025
C'est d'une douceur inégalable, ce manga est magnifique tant au niveau des dessins que de l'histoire qui est d'une tendresse incroyable. J'aime énormément ces personnages qui sont tous tellement attachants et tellement réalistes que je ne peux que m'y identifier !

On se reconnaît dans chacun des personnages à des échelles différentes et de manières variées mais on les aime tous et on s'y retrouve vraiment facilement !

J'ai hâte d'avoir la suite entre mes mains!
Profile Image for Afifahcookie.
332 reviews27 followers
September 21, 2024
Subaru is such a girl's girl. Can't blame her for being so protective of Kaoruko. I also loved how much this chapter focused on Rintaro and his close friends. I felt myself rooting for everyone. We also got several glimpses into Rintaro's relationship with his mother.

Story & Plot: 4 ⭐
Characters: 4⭐
Writing: 5 ⭐
Enjoyability: 4 ⭐
Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews

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