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Fated NOT to Meet, Volume 2
Izumi, the sales ace with excellent grades, good looks and great communication skills, has someone he absolutely cannot lose to.
His name is Sendo, the most unlikable man who took the top spot from Izumi.
After a fateful app encounter, Izumi and Sendo fell hard for each other—now they’re next-door neighbors, savoring the honeymoon phase from opposite sides of a shared wall!
But when Izumi is tasked with mentoring an ambitious new hire, the newcomer’s rapid rise triggers his competitive streak—and his anxiety. As Izumi pushes himself harder and harder to reclaim the #1 spot, he starts to buckle under the pressure… just as his enigmatic older brother, Hayato, unexpectedly returns to Japan.
So why isn’t Izumi happy to see him? And how did he wind up working himself to the point of collapse? Determined to help, Sendo seeks out Hayato in hopes of understanding the "baggage" Izumi has been carrying. Whatever the weight of his burden, Izumi doesn’t have to bear it alone—if he’ll let Sendo in.
This book contains mature content and is intended for readers 18 years of age and over.
His name is Sendo, the most unlikable man who took the top spot from Izumi.
After a fateful app encounter, Izumi and Sendo fell hard for each other—now they’re next-door neighbors, savoring the honeymoon phase from opposite sides of a shared wall!
But when Izumi is tasked with mentoring an ambitious new hire, the newcomer’s rapid rise triggers his competitive streak—and his anxiety. As Izumi pushes himself harder and harder to reclaim the #1 spot, he starts to buckle under the pressure… just as his enigmatic older brother, Hayato, unexpectedly returns to Japan.
So why isn’t Izumi happy to see him? And how did he wind up working himself to the point of collapse? Determined to help, Sendo seeks out Hayato in hopes of understanding the "baggage" Izumi has been carrying. Whatever the weight of his burden, Izumi doesn’t have to bear it alone—if he’ll let Sendo in.
This book contains mature content and is intended for readers 18 years of age and over.
Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 6, 2026
What's funny is that when I read the first volume, I liked this story more than the kind of similar
Fake Fact Lips
. I think that's still true...the first volume of
Fated NOT to Meet
was good, and I enjoyed its setup. But it's kind of flipped after the second volumes.
I loved the Fake Fact Lips Break sequel, whereas this was...a little bit boring?
I reread the first volume before diving into this one, since it'd been a while. My expectation was that there would be more of a focus on relationship growth, since they'd confessed their feelings but were both new to the whole dating thing - Izumi to being with a guy, and Sendo to any committed romantic relationship at all. But they kind of...don't. It's a work-focused story with sex on the side.
One thing that I find kind of disappointing is how their whole friendship bond stopped once they started sleeping together. Or at least, we stopped actually seeing them connecting over movies and food preferences and conversations about cars and all those little things that made them like each other in the first place...plus some serious discussions about relationship issues that made Sendo think of his dating app friend as someone he wanted to break all his usual patterns for.
What's missing now is the two of them being there for each other emotionally. Which is a little weird to say, since Izumi's childhood trauma is the main storyline in this volume...but somehow it didn't connect for me. That's mainly because the big discussions get filtered through a third party.
Sendo is an absolutely ideal boyfriend now, and that starts to get a little dull because he's too perfect. And because it seems kind of one-sided. He's able to beat Izumi's sales while also watching over Izumi's health - both physical and mental. When Izumi asks how he managed that - he's driving himself into the ground with overtime and still falling short of the nepo rookie's sales numbers - Sendo blushes a little and says well, he's been working really hard because he wants to be Izumi's only rival.
That was cute but didn't get explored at all. We don't ever see Sendo actually struggling, or pounding the pavement, or working late. We don't see Izumi supporting him through his difficulties. He...kind of doesn't seem to have any?
Maybe Sendo's version of hard work is like Izumi's genius older brother, who told Izumi when they were kids that it wasn't that difficult to get top scores in everything as long as you paid attention to the materials...
...which, honestly, I kind of relate to. I've never really learned how to study because I never had to spend hours intensely reviewing things. As long as I listened in class, read the textbook, and did the homework, I'd do fine on tests. While Hayato offers his help when he sees his brother struggling, Izumi recognizes that he can't really do anything for him...you can't teach someone how to naturally be good at academics. So he has to figure it out for himself, and he does really, really well at identifying academic patterns and giving teachers and contest judges what they expect.
That leads very naturally into his current role as a salesman. His coworkers refer to him as more of a host, which Sendo (in volume 1) objects to, but is honestly kind of true. Izumi approaches everything from a charismatic "I'll give you what you want" perspective. He compliments clothing, he learns and exploits family connections (like an exec's devotion to his daughter), and basically charms his way into people's pockets.
We don't get to see a lot of how Sendo handles sales, but he seems to be very straightforward and honest, which would appeal to a different type of audience: those who feel that he's being genuine and addressing all their concerns. Then there's the rookie, who's as honest as Sendo, but in a more obvious, blunt way that has its own sort of appeal. (Especially when you factor in his family and all his connections, whom he admits himself are paving the way for his first month of incredible sales.)
Between the two of them, Izumi is struggling a lot. Second place is bad enough - and he and Sendo swap positions enough for it to remain a fun competition where it feels like a pretty even playing field. Third place is unacceptable and makes Izumi feel absolutely worthless.
He does tell Sendo he's feeling that way, and Sendo...........goes and has a whole chapter-long conversation with Izumi's older brother to ask him about his childhood and why Izumi is like this.
It's not that I minded that. I liked Hayato; he's a genuinely good guy who really loves his younger brother and wishes they could still be friends like they were when they were little, before Izumi shut himself off after their parents' favoritism became too obvious and too painful. And it was funny and sweet that he instantly clocked the relationship between Izumi and Sendo and gently hinted to both of them that he knew but would wait for them to talk about it when (or if) they wanted.
But while it was really funny to see Izumi hiding around the corner, watching his brother and boyfriend having a long, serious conversation, a lot of this is just stuff Sendo should've asked him directly.
I guess he figured Izumi might not be able to be honest about his own feelings - because one of the things I'd liked in the first volume got retconned in this one. It turns out that Izumi's cheerful "I'm not traumatized at all by my childhood or my parents, though! It just drives me to work really hard and do my best" is all a big front for some pretty intense self-worth issues.
Hayato had seen the shift from Izumi's playful competitiveness - "you beat me but I'll do better next time, watch and see!" - to an empty-eyed "good job, big brother, you deserve it" once he realized that he could never, ever be as good as Hayato. Not objectively, and not in his parents' eyes.
Still, Izumi never gave up, and he's recovered a lot of that "childish" competitiveness with Sendo. In general, he's doing pretty well now. But as Hayato warns Sendo, he'll still run into breaking points now and then, like with this rookie who seems to have a "natural" gift for something Izumi has poured so much hard work into for years. That's a childhood trigger and leaves Izumi feeling like he'll never be the best at anything, no matter how hard he tries...and his sense of worth is tied to being #1.
I liked the moment where he finally broke down and cried about it during his vacation trip with Sendo - when Sendo said the words he'd been wanting to hear all this time, from the people who were supposed to love him. It doesn't matter where he ranks in comparison to other people - what matters is how hard he works and how amazing he is as a person. It's a simple idea that he hasn't been able to believe in for himself because he never got that assurance from others.
But that was a brief couple of panels, and that moment is the one that should've been a big focus, instead of Hayato and Sendo standing out in the cold and talking about Izumi's feelings for so long.
There are certainly good elements to the storytelling here, but I just didn't connect with it as much as I wanted. Maybe on future rereads it'll be a bit better.
I loved the Fake Fact Lips Break sequel, whereas this was...a little bit boring?
I reread the first volume before diving into this one, since it'd been a while. My expectation was that there would be more of a focus on relationship growth, since they'd confessed their feelings but were both new to the whole dating thing - Izumi to being with a guy, and Sendo to any committed romantic relationship at all. But they kind of...don't. It's a work-focused story with sex on the side.
One thing that I find kind of disappointing is how their whole friendship bond stopped once they started sleeping together. Or at least, we stopped actually seeing them connecting over movies and food preferences and conversations about cars and all those little things that made them like each other in the first place...plus some serious discussions about relationship issues that made Sendo think of his dating app friend as someone he wanted to break all his usual patterns for.
What's missing now is the two of them being there for each other emotionally. Which is a little weird to say, since Izumi's childhood trauma is the main storyline in this volume...but somehow it didn't connect for me. That's mainly because the big discussions get filtered through a third party.
Sendo is an absolutely ideal boyfriend now, and that starts to get a little dull because he's too perfect. And because it seems kind of one-sided. He's able to beat Izumi's sales while also watching over Izumi's health - both physical and mental. When Izumi asks how he managed that - he's driving himself into the ground with overtime and still falling short of the nepo rookie's sales numbers - Sendo blushes a little and says well, he's been working really hard because he wants to be Izumi's only rival.
That was cute but didn't get explored at all. We don't ever see Sendo actually struggling, or pounding the pavement, or working late. We don't see Izumi supporting him through his difficulties. He...kind of doesn't seem to have any?
Maybe Sendo's version of hard work is like Izumi's genius older brother, who told Izumi when they were kids that it wasn't that difficult to get top scores in everything as long as you paid attention to the materials...
...which, honestly, I kind of relate to. I've never really learned how to study because I never had to spend hours intensely reviewing things. As long as I listened in class, read the textbook, and did the homework, I'd do fine on tests. While Hayato offers his help when he sees his brother struggling, Izumi recognizes that he can't really do anything for him...you can't teach someone how to naturally be good at academics. So he has to figure it out for himself, and he does really, really well at identifying academic patterns and giving teachers and contest judges what they expect.
That leads very naturally into his current role as a salesman. His coworkers refer to him as more of a host, which Sendo (in volume 1) objects to, but is honestly kind of true. Izumi approaches everything from a charismatic "I'll give you what you want" perspective. He compliments clothing, he learns and exploits family connections (like an exec's devotion to his daughter), and basically charms his way into people's pockets.
We don't get to see a lot of how Sendo handles sales, but he seems to be very straightforward and honest, which would appeal to a different type of audience: those who feel that he's being genuine and addressing all their concerns. Then there's the rookie, who's as honest as Sendo, but in a more obvious, blunt way that has its own sort of appeal. (Especially when you factor in his family and all his connections, whom he admits himself are paving the way for his first month of incredible sales.)
Between the two of them, Izumi is struggling a lot. Second place is bad enough - and he and Sendo swap positions enough for it to remain a fun competition where it feels like a pretty even playing field. Third place is unacceptable and makes Izumi feel absolutely worthless.
He does tell Sendo he's feeling that way, and Sendo...........goes and has a whole chapter-long conversation with Izumi's older brother to ask him about his childhood and why Izumi is like this.
It's not that I minded that. I liked Hayato; he's a genuinely good guy who really loves his younger brother and wishes they could still be friends like they were when they were little, before Izumi shut himself off after their parents' favoritism became too obvious and too painful. And it was funny and sweet that he instantly clocked the relationship between Izumi and Sendo and gently hinted to both of them that he knew but would wait for them to talk about it when (or if) they wanted.
But while it was really funny to see Izumi hiding around the corner, watching his brother and boyfriend having a long, serious conversation, a lot of this is just stuff Sendo should've asked him directly.
I guess he figured Izumi might not be able to be honest about his own feelings - because one of the things I'd liked in the first volume got retconned in this one. It turns out that Izumi's cheerful "I'm not traumatized at all by my childhood or my parents, though! It just drives me to work really hard and do my best" is all a big front for some pretty intense self-worth issues.
Hayato had seen the shift from Izumi's playful competitiveness - "you beat me but I'll do better next time, watch and see!" - to an empty-eyed "good job, big brother, you deserve it" once he realized that he could never, ever be as good as Hayato. Not objectively, and not in his parents' eyes.
Still, Izumi never gave up, and he's recovered a lot of that "childish" competitiveness with Sendo. In general, he's doing pretty well now. But as Hayato warns Sendo, he'll still run into breaking points now and then, like with this rookie who seems to have a "natural" gift for something Izumi has poured so much hard work into for years. That's a childhood trigger and leaves Izumi feeling like he'll never be the best at anything, no matter how hard he tries...and his sense of worth is tied to being #1.
I liked the moment where he finally broke down and cried about it during his vacation trip with Sendo - when Sendo said the words he'd been wanting to hear all this time, from the people who were supposed to love him. It doesn't matter where he ranks in comparison to other people - what matters is how hard he works and how amazing he is as a person. It's a simple idea that he hasn't been able to believe in for himself because he never got that assurance from others.
But that was a brief couple of panels, and that moment is the one that should've been a big focus, instead of Hayato and Sendo standing out in the cold and talking about Izumi's feelings for so long.
There are certainly good elements to the storytelling here, but I just didn't connect with it as much as I wanted. Maybe on future rereads it'll be a bit better.
June 8, 2026
The art is wonderful. This felt less about their relationship and more about the trauma of Izumi. It was fine just not what I was expecting. It didn't feel as complete as I would have liked dealing even with that. He never speaks to his brother or his partner to work through his issues. I was really hoping that he could reconnect with his brother in a deeper way but it feels stagnant. Actually, I would say I don't think anything really changed from the beginning to the end of this story. Sendo was very sweet to him but I don't know that Izumi grew.
4/6 stars cause I loved the first volume so much but if this was the only volume, I don't think I would read more by this author.
4/6 stars cause I loved the first volume so much but if this was the only volume, I don't think I would read more by this author.
May 11, 2026
3,5/5 ⭐
May 18, 2026
4.5
so cute and sweet!
so cute and sweet!
June 20, 2026
The manga starts with Izumi once again being competitive with Sendo–over a conversation with their boss–and Izumi confesses to the reader that he and Sendo are no longer enemies to lovers, but enemies AND lovers. The chemistry between the two are at an all-time high and they can’t even keep their hands off each other at work, even though they are keeping their romance a secret.
As an added bonus, the apartment next to Izumi’s was vacant and Sendo moved into it, since they couldn’t move in together. It’s a perfect situation for the two, where they can see each other all the time, and have copious amounts of sex (there are a lot of steamy uncensored scenes in this manga).
One day things change when a new employee, Sahara, is introduced to the office and Izumi is tasked to training him. Izumi doesn’t want to at first and judges Sahara to be a nepo baby, but he proves to be quite capable. So capable, in fact, that his sales numbers quickly surpass Izumi’s, which brings about a horrible competitive streak.
Izumi starts to overwork himself to the point of sickness–staying overtime, coming in early, working during every waking hour–and Sendo is highly concerned for Izumi. To add to the drama of all that, Hayato, Izumi’s brother, makes a surprise appearance.
Izumi’s relationship with his brother is polite but a little bit on the cold side. There’s no open malice towards each other, but there’s no true warmth there, either. This is because Hayato in a way is the source for Izumi’s competitive drive. Izumi describes his brother as a “genius,” always getting first place (even in the nation), winning at sports, getting the best grades, etc. I would, however, argue that Izumi’s parents are the real problem, as they are genuinely a pair of assholes who clearly favored Hayato and punished Izumi with open disappointment and open comparison (as you will find in the flashback scenes). What terrible people! However, the trauma that Izumi feels is more towards his brother and less towards his parents, and their relationship is strained.
Hayato wants their relationship to be good. He singles out Sendo for a dinner, (he picks up on the fact that Sendo is “close” to Izumi) and he opens up to Sendo about Izumi’s past and trauma, and how competition seemed to destroy their relationship.
Hayato asks Sendo, “Every time Yuto [Izumi] finds himself backed into that same corner, over and over again? Will you be there to support him when the time comes? I think that alone will make things far easier for him.” Hayato recognizes that Sendo and Izumi are together, but won’t say anything outright. He trusts Sendo to take care of Izumi and decides to worry about his brother less.
The manga ends with a romantic trip to the north where there’s beautiful snow and a mountain ryokan and restaurant, and Sendo and Izumi take a much-needed brief vacation together. The two make love and then there’s an important scene in the baths where Sendo says the exact thing that Izumi has been needing to hear all this time, and it brings him to tears. Suffice it to say this was an emotionally fulfilling scene.
Of volumes 1 and 2, I think volume 2 is the best and truly elevated the storyline. I remarked how in volume 1 I was uncomfortable with relationships based on misunderstandings, but now this relationship has grown into something great, with two rivals, who, when it gets down to it, love and support each other unconditionally. Because of volume 2, I have decided to add the Fated NOT to Meet series to my permanent collection at home.
I have done some (brief) investigating and found on Amazon Japan (search 運命だけどあいいれない) that there is a volume 3, which means we just have to wait for its English release to come stateside. I’m looking forward to continuing the story!
As an added bonus, the apartment next to Izumi’s was vacant and Sendo moved into it, since they couldn’t move in together. It’s a perfect situation for the two, where they can see each other all the time, and have copious amounts of sex (there are a lot of steamy uncensored scenes in this manga).
One day things change when a new employee, Sahara, is introduced to the office and Izumi is tasked to training him. Izumi doesn’t want to at first and judges Sahara to be a nepo baby, but he proves to be quite capable. So capable, in fact, that his sales numbers quickly surpass Izumi’s, which brings about a horrible competitive streak.
Izumi starts to overwork himself to the point of sickness–staying overtime, coming in early, working during every waking hour–and Sendo is highly concerned for Izumi. To add to the drama of all that, Hayato, Izumi’s brother, makes a surprise appearance.
Izumi’s relationship with his brother is polite but a little bit on the cold side. There’s no open malice towards each other, but there’s no true warmth there, either. This is because Hayato in a way is the source for Izumi’s competitive drive. Izumi describes his brother as a “genius,” always getting first place (even in the nation), winning at sports, getting the best grades, etc. I would, however, argue that Izumi’s parents are the real problem, as they are genuinely a pair of assholes who clearly favored Hayato and punished Izumi with open disappointment and open comparison (as you will find in the flashback scenes). What terrible people! However, the trauma that Izumi feels is more towards his brother and less towards his parents, and their relationship is strained.
Hayato wants their relationship to be good. He singles out Sendo for a dinner, (he picks up on the fact that Sendo is “close” to Izumi) and he opens up to Sendo about Izumi’s past and trauma, and how competition seemed to destroy their relationship.
Hayato asks Sendo, “Every time Yuto [Izumi] finds himself backed into that same corner, over and over again? Will you be there to support him when the time comes? I think that alone will make things far easier for him.” Hayato recognizes that Sendo and Izumi are together, but won’t say anything outright. He trusts Sendo to take care of Izumi and decides to worry about his brother less.
The manga ends with a romantic trip to the north where there’s beautiful snow and a mountain ryokan and restaurant, and Sendo and Izumi take a much-needed brief vacation together. The two make love and then there’s an important scene in the baths where Sendo says the exact thing that Izumi has been needing to hear all this time, and it brings him to tears. Suffice it to say this was an emotionally fulfilling scene.
Of volumes 1 and 2, I think volume 2 is the best and truly elevated the storyline. I remarked how in volume 1 I was uncomfortable with relationships based on misunderstandings, but now this relationship has grown into something great, with two rivals, who, when it gets down to it, love and support each other unconditionally. Because of volume 2, I have decided to add the Fated NOT to Meet series to my permanent collection at home.
I have done some (brief) investigating and found on Amazon Japan (search 運命だけどあいいれない) that there is a volume 3, which means we just have to wait for its English release to come stateside. I’m looking forward to continuing the story!
June 14, 2026
Shit, after reading the first volume, I asked myself: do we really need a second volume when everything was good?
Now I'm asking myself: where's the third volume?
This volume was heavy and left me wanting more closure on Izumi's trauma. Because, boy, he had a deep trauma since he was a child. And the thing is, he was fighting against himself. His brother never saw him as a rival, never called him names, or made him feel bad about it. Instead, his brother would celebrate Izumi's wins and reassure him that it was enough.
It was all about the fucking parents who don't deserve to have such wonderful children. The trauma was so severe that it affected their brotherly bonds. Something as huge as calling his brother "aniki" instead of any other name was rooted in the callous apathy his parents felt about him. And I say huge because it was at that moment that Izumi stopped seeing his brother as a true sibling, but instead as someone too high up to reach. Izumi was good, with good grades and good at sports, but because his brother was better, his parents didn't think about him as anything but a child living with them. At that house, being number one was the only achievement.
I hate his parents. But I also wished Izumi had been more sincere with his brother. They deserve a long talk, reconciliation, and to act as brothers rather than distant siblings.
Sendo was a gem; he was so good at taking care of Izumi and trying to understand the trauma without pushing. He was supporting and would center Izumi when he got too caught up in his head.
I wish we could eventually get either a small story about Izumi with his brother or something about them both facing their parents and calling their BS.
Izumi needs therapy tho. The trauma is still there and is heavy. And he needs to be truthful with his feelings towards his brother.
Now I'm asking myself: where's the third volume?
This volume was heavy and left me wanting more closure on Izumi's trauma. Because, boy, he had a deep trauma since he was a child. And the thing is, he was fighting against himself. His brother never saw him as a rival, never called him names, or made him feel bad about it. Instead, his brother would celebrate Izumi's wins and reassure him that it was enough.
It was all about the fucking parents who don't deserve to have such wonderful children. The trauma was so severe that it affected their brotherly bonds. Something as huge as calling his brother "aniki" instead of any other name was rooted in the callous apathy his parents felt about him. And I say huge because it was at that moment that Izumi stopped seeing his brother as a true sibling, but instead as someone too high up to reach. Izumi was good, with good grades and good at sports, but because his brother was better, his parents didn't think about him as anything but a child living with them. At that house, being number one was the only achievement.
I hate his parents. But I also wished Izumi had been more sincere with his brother. They deserve a long talk, reconciliation, and to act as brothers rather than distant siblings.
Sendo was a gem; he was so good at taking care of Izumi and trying to understand the trauma without pushing. He was supporting and would center Izumi when he got too caught up in his head.
I wish we could eventually get either a small story about Izumi with his brother or something about them both facing their parents and calling their BS.
Izumi needs therapy tho. The trauma is still there and is heavy. And he needs to be truthful with his feelings towards his brother.
April 6, 2026
Reading this thru hoopla app. Finally able to read volume 2 I been wait for since couple month since I read volume 1.
I love Izumi and Sendo. Love that it workplace romance - Izumi and Sendo work in the office and they both compete each other. But in volume 2 - when Sahara new staff came in and he the son of director, Izumi get frustrated and work harder to get the high rank he wants because Sahara beat him. So Sendo was able to met Izumi’s bug brother and from there he find a little history of Izumi when he was a chick and compete with the brother and family proud of rank whoever win that cause him sad or heartbreak. Anyway Sendo find a way to have Izumi be happy and less obsessed of working hard. Their scene s** omg 😱 HOT 🥵 spicy 🌶️
I rate this a 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and for the spicy is 4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I love Izumi and Sendo. Love that it workplace romance - Izumi and Sendo work in the office and they both compete each other. But in volume 2 - when Sahara new staff came in and he the son of director, Izumi get frustrated and work harder to get the high rank he wants because Sahara beat him. So Sendo was able to met Izumi’s bug brother and from there he find a little history of Izumi when he was a chick and compete with the brother and family proud of rank whoever win that cause him sad or heartbreak. Anyway Sendo find a way to have Izumi be happy and less obsessed of working hard. Their scene s** omg 😱 HOT 🥵 spicy 🌶️
I rate this a 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and for the spicy is 4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
June 7, 2026
this was mainly focused on izumi’s past/upbringing which explains his competitiveness & how he determines his self worth based on his job. sendo learns this from his brother who visits & goes out of his way to try to understand izumi more by learning how he became the way he is. sendo reassures him at the end in a subtle way that just being him is enough 💕
it was, to me, a little dragged out 🥺 just like vol 1, the spicy scenes/dialogue are 😚👌🏻 i wish this story had more interesting plot & more romance/relationship focus. i would have liked to see more regarding sendo’s jealousy as it was short lived. level headed kinggg!!! he is literally the opposite of toxic. all 3 stars go to him 🖤✨ he’s definitely in my top fav boyfriends so far
it was, to me, a little dragged out 🥺 just like vol 1, the spicy scenes/dialogue are 😚👌🏻 i wish this story had more interesting plot & more romance/relationship focus. i would have liked to see more regarding sendo’s jealousy as it was short lived. level headed kinggg!!! he is literally the opposite of toxic. all 3 stars go to him 🖤✨ he’s definitely in my top fav boyfriends so far
April 22, 2026
Rating: 3.25*
Wasn't as into this one as I was the first one. It honestly bored me a little bit. Don't get me wrong I loved that it focused on Izumi and his competitiveness and how that basically stemmed from trauma with his parents. I just felt like it almost focused too much on it to the point it felt like it was dragging. Overall this wasn't a bad volume at all and maybe it's my own fault because I kept picking it up and putting it down, but I did have trouble staying interested throughout the whole thing. I did still like the relationship and I think it did a lot of good things, but it just didn't quite hit that well for me.
Wasn't as into this one as I was the first one. It honestly bored me a little bit. Don't get me wrong I loved that it focused on Izumi and his competitiveness and how that basically stemmed from trauma with his parents. I just felt like it almost focused too much on it to the point it felt like it was dragging. Overall this wasn't a bad volume at all and maybe it's my own fault because I kept picking it up and putting it down, but I did have trouble staying interested throughout the whole thing. I did still like the relationship and I think it did a lot of good things, but it just didn't quite hit that well for me.
June 25, 2026
Volume 2 really hits different when you've grown up knowing full well that you're not your parents favorite child.
I can really empathize with Izumi. His complex has been rooted deep within and is now a huge part of his character. His trauma is extremely realistic and is something that will never go away.
Speaking from experience, Izumi probably gets childish with Sendo because Sendo provides a safe space for him to feel loved and accepted unconditionally.
I really love this couple. I'd love to read more about them. Sendo is such a green flag. If Izumi doesn't marry him, I will. Definite re-read!
I can really empathize with Izumi. His complex has been rooted deep within and is now a huge part of his character. His trauma is extremely realistic and is something that will never go away.
Speaking from experience, Izumi probably gets childish with Sendo because Sendo provides a safe space for him to feel loved and accepted unconditionally.
I really love this couple. I'd love to read more about them. Sendo is such a green flag. If Izumi doesn't marry him, I will. Definite re-read!
April 4, 2026
Heartbreaking but Extremely Moving
This was so good. I could read about them forever. Izumi's backstory hurt a lot. It is very relatable even if you haven't directly experienced it before. The embarrassment, shame, pride, resentment, and indifference was palpable. I am glad the author didn't rush this part. Also glad it is not solved either which is really realistic. This one was better than first. 5/5
This was so good. I could read about them forever. Izumi's backstory hurt a lot. It is very relatable even if you haven't directly experienced it before. The embarrassment, shame, pride, resentment, and indifference was palpable. I am glad the author didn't rush this part. Also glad it is not solved either which is really realistic. This one was better than first. 5/5
April 14, 2026
I liked the direction this went in. I've read a few second volumes recently where I felt the author didn't put effort into the story, just coasted. But I did like that they leaned into Izumi's trauma and explored that. I appreciate some introspective work, especially within a relationship dynamic.
This currently has 3 volumes and is ongoing in Japan. So I am.looking forward to reading more.
Cw childhood neglect/emotional abuse
This currently has 3 volumes and is ongoing in Japan. So I am.looking forward to reading more.
Cw childhood neglect/emotional abuse
April 4, 2026
So this isn't a bad series, it just doesn't stand out for me. They are a lot of office work storied (No Love Zone and Ask and you will receive for example) This one does stand out in the field. I like the two characters and the smut is very good but I don't think this is one in going to look to reread anytime soon.
June 10, 2026
3.5 stars. Lots of background on the blonde guy, inclusing flashbacks and exposition. It felt like whiplash with the spice for me, and I found myself bored with much the spice because of it. There are still good elements, but it didn't feel cohesive to me. Nothing terrible, but just not 4 stars.
June 25, 2026
this story itself is alright but the art pisses me off so bad bcs why do they not have ANY expressions 😭 artist please give them more expressive eyes or SUMTN at least bro 😭 i loved izumi's arc w his brother but pls get that man professional therapy @ some point in the future.
April 1, 2026
I finished it too fast. It’s so good! I love Izumi and Sendo! I hope there’s more manga in the future too!! I can’t get enough of these two! 💜
April 1, 2026
3.5*
I don't feel like a sequel was really necessary, but the added backstory was nice. It was, however, very dragged on. The spice, as in vol 1, was giving.
I don't feel like a sequel was really necessary, but the added backstory was nice. It was, however, very dragged on. The spice, as in vol 1, was giving.
April 18, 2026
This was surprisingly wholesome with spice mixed in.
I really enjoy Sendo taking his time to help and learn about Izumi. They're relationship is so sweet
I really enjoy Sendo taking his time to help and learn about Izumi. They're relationship is so sweet
Read
May 10, 2026we delve in more in the complex izumi has and sendo stays supportive through out it. their relationship is super cute. there were no conflicts between them. over all a solid cute smutty sequel.
May 14, 2026
Ehhhhh
June 9, 2026
4.5 🌟
Great follow-up with more character growth.
Great follow-up with more character growth.
June 24, 2026
* 4,25
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