Only the Stars Know

by Nagisa Furuya

Sora hasn't been having a great weekend. Not only did he lose his job, but now his girlfriend's left him as well. Weighed down by misery and disappointment, he stumbles upon a stranger in the park. With a stunning meteor shower above and a friendly ear to his side, the young college student is offered a brief respite from his problems. But when the stranger leans in for a kiss, Sora is left dumbstruck. Was this chance encounter just a new problem to add to the list or have the stars finally aligned in his favor?

Genres: Manga, Romance, LGBT, Boys Love, Queer, Contemporary, Comics

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 24, 2017

About the author

Nagisa FURUYA (古矢渚, Furuya Nagisa) is a Japanese mangaka.

See 渚 for her doujinshi works under circle PLUG.

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, nice and sweet, but nothing to write home about at the same time?
I wouldn’t run out to be reading this again or recommending, but it was still quite lovely hehe
Cafe owner and a student, look at some stars, kiss, gets gay confusion, they kiss, the end.
💖

[aria ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I'll keep walking while looking up at the stars.

Their works are always so soft, sweet and adorable. And this was no exception. I wish Yuuki Sora and Touno Kengo a wonderful life full of happiness.

[MaDoReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un BL light muy bonito con la temática de la astronomía (muy fan) de fondo.
Altamente recomendable, ojalá la mangaka llegue pronto a nuestro país.

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, hey, hey!!!! I love this so much!!! I'm really weak for colorblind characters. Man, I was crying so hard when I saw the look on Sora's face as he was capturing the sky. I knew that look. I wept for Kengo, although I already have a hunch when Sora spoke with Shiori, but I couldn't scratch it very well. I really love this two so so so so so much.

And from the start, I was like: you go, boy! Push that weird stranger who suddenly kissed you! Go, run, run! And I like Sora's defense reaction to everything that Kengo does! You don't often see that in bl. Like, there's always gotta be this character who is weak for someone's kisses or something. I just love that Sora distances himself to reflect, and is aware that maybe he is just being manipulated if anything. It must be the age gap. But I also love that Kengo knows when to draw the line, and is guilty too for being hasty. Oi, that kiss at the end: "Because young Kengo-san is crying." Swoon worthy! My nose is bleeding!

[Brigi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nagisa Furuya's stories are always soft and cute. I think this one also had a lot of potential to be 5 stars, but the romance felt pretty one-sided. The whole astronomy theme was so underdeveloped too, it could have been really cool, especially with Kengo's childhood dream.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sweet and slow paced story about a university student and the owner of a cafe. It's not particularly exciting or dramatic, but I actually love that kind of story the best.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as her other work - the relationship wasn't well developed. But still warm and lovely, which is what I want from her books.

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is the type of stories I really love. Maybe it's something to do with age, even though I like a good fluffy cutesy high school story when it's well written, stories like this, with adults and real life situations really makes me choke up. There is something about a 27-year old finding love at the most unexpected places (Nope, nothing to do with the fact that I am 27 years old myself. Nope, nope. WHO AM I KIDDING?)

There was a certain dash of reality in the story that really stood out. The way the characters revolved around each other and even their smallest actions were sublime yet completely possible in real life. For me this is what I truly look for when I come looking for new Nagisa Furuya stories, or stories that I've missed of hers. There was something truly wholesome that filled up my heart after reading. I really wish we had more and more than anything, a part of me wanted to part of their world.

Recently I read how we should, as people look for the smallest second of happiness and for me reading this manga was that minutes of happiness for today. I would recommend this to anyone who's looking for a short but realistic slice of life.

[☽｡⋆ Naidah ₊˚ෆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

This was so sweet and pure. The world must look so different for people with colour blindness. That line in the manga was beautiful. What does the world look like through the eyes of others?

Anyways, nice story, had a touch of sadness, but very wholesome.

[LibrusLex (Alayna) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, to było naprawdę coś.
Rozumiecie ten moment w którym kończycie czytać i macie pustkę w głowie, targają wami emocję, a po chwili rozumiesz, że ta książka była znakomita w każdym calu.
To było niespodziewanie niesamowite.
Manga jest lekka, historia wciągająca, a kreska jest po prostu cudowna, nie mówiąc już o prostych i zrozumiałych dialogach, które były przepełnione emocjami. Czytając ją rozumiesz bohaterów, przeżywasz razem z nimi. Ich decyzje powodują zarazem uśmiechy na twarzy jak i desperacje. Mając też drugie dno, głębsze i kosmiczne. Po którym zauważasz coś; co zawsze tam było, a jednak nie mogłeś dostrzec.
Nie chcę pisać dużo, bo szczerze wydaje mi się, iż trzeba sam przeżyć tę przygodę.
5/5 gwiazdek bez wahania, im bardziej to przemyślam tym bardziej jestem pewna.

[Magda Doniec · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute cute cute

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and soft. 3.5⭐️

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 stars

This was a sweet, if underwhelming, story. It was pretty quiet throughout, and perhaps a little too subtle for my current mood. It didn't go quite where I had hoped, but I still enjoyed it, particularly towards the end during a slightly emotional scene involving Kengo's childhood dreams. It served as a nice way to bring the story full circle.

[Just a tiny mochiiiii · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in love !!! With both the author and her books. Her books are so wholesome. OH MY GOD~ I wUbBbb this book so much🌟🌟🌟
I can't say much but do I really need to say?
❤❤❤

[somnus 🪴 · Rating 3 out of 5]

was excited to read a new release from my favourite mangaka, as always the art and story telling is very nice. this time i didn’t really feel a connection to the characters as previous times- and the romance seemed pretty one sided. still a cute read but imho not the quality of her other manga :)

[L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY. I MEAN IT FOR REAL THIS TIME. THIS IS MY FAVORITE NAGISA FURUYA MANGA (I'm sorry Number Call and The Two Lions I love you both dearly, but this one was made for me ;-;) (Tho I'm starting to think all Nagisa Furuya manga are made for me; she has her fingers on the pulse of what I love in stories and characters I swear to god...) (seriously?? space and an age gap and linked names and cafes and food AND COLOR BLINDNESS????? I am at a lack of words, how does she keep nailing my preferences like this;;;;;)

Okay, okay. I'm better now.

I really loved this. I'm usually in the reviews for Nagisa Furuya manga singing her praises for how she writes high school, first love, summer-vibe romances, but this time, I am singing her praises for writing a completely different kind of romance -- a romance that is slower, a bit more mature, like a spark of warmth in winter. I love how Sora really slowly came around to his feelings and how there was a solid foundation to their relationship before the idea of romance hit for him. And I love, love, love how Kengo, in Sora's words, "always leaves [him] a way out." Like?? Sora asked Kengo to not be pushy, and he really took that to heart and never asks or tells him to do anything; instead he simply opens the door for Sora and lets him choose to walk through if he wants. And I just,,,,, really adore that. Like, so, so much.

Also? The SevenSeas edition of this manga is beautiful. The cover design is gorgeous and contrast between the matte background and the glossy art and text is so stunning.

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

After three compelling works by Furuya, Only the Stars Know fell a little short. Part of the reason why is there not being dual POV. I wasn't really attached to Kengo as a character because of this. He felt dry despite what we come to discover about his past and the age gap between him and Sora (which I have mixed feelings about because we don't get a discussion on boundaries). The misunderstanding here also felt off despite being resolved quickly. That said, Furuya still has a knack for crafting soft romances that are more character driven. In particular, I thought the use of literal and physical space worked well.

[Andria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute, almost bittersweet story. The love isn't what you expected, at least, not in the sense you'd think when picking up a BL manga.

The story of how dreaming about something you truly yearn for, and then losing it due to nothing in your control... it's just so relatable. Honestly, I found this refreshing. Such a real world problem not alot of people think about.

How you see the world, isn't how someone else sees it. Everyone sees the world differently. And that's okay.

[.•°•MonaLisa•°•. · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆ 100 stars ☆

Just love stories like this that spend more time on developing the characters than on adding drama. I love and adore Nagisa Furuya's work. This is too goddamn cute. I'm not sure why the rating isn't higher. My only complaint is that we don't get to see more of them actually being in a relationship. I'd love a short sequel, even a one-shot.🙏🥺✨️

[reese ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far my most favorite Nagisa Furuya read.

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story! Very heartfelt. I also love the pansexual representation! Always great to see and it was explained very well and simply in story which is amazing. Loved it!

[Lily]

kind of a snoozer. i liked the two lions by this author much more.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

I guess I ended up enjoying this story more than I thought I would. It's a relatively simple plot, about a student and a cafe owner who meet under the shooting star. There are definitely some scenes that hit me hard, and I think those are the parts that I enjoy the most.

[Phantomº · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars ~ Colours ~ Coffee ☕✨

A heartwarming story that could be longer but still very much enjoyable with amiable characters and charming art.

[Sharlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more.

[Helén · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine but the story was very basic and not really unique or interesting. It was a sweet read but in a year I probably won't remember a thing.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some cute moments and gorgeous art. But, it reads like the first in a series. It leaves me wanting so much more.

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I never notice since I was always looking down, but there are so many stars out." (p.18) This book is about a guy how had a bad day at work, gets lost in thought and accidentally comes across a guy stargazing. They sit there in the perfect spot and just talk. It's theme is about just talking a moment sometimes to just relax. I would really recommend this book because it's cute and a nice short read.

[Iria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Precioso como You Are in the Blue Summer y aun por encima hablan de astronomía.
Nunca me había sentido tan identificada con un personaje hasta ahora con Kengo hablando sobre el universo y los agujeros negros.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't help this warm fuzzy feeling inside I get while reading this author's mangas. They're just these simple cute stories about unexpected romances, that just works perfectly. I am not a big romance reader, but here...I just melt!
And I'm off to read another story!