Volume 3 opens with some sweet and surprisingly meaningful moments between Keisuke Ueno (Yousuke’s younger brother) and Tabata. I actually enjoyed getting a bit of his background and seeing how his personality contrasts with Yousuke’s. There’s something kind of charming about watching both brothers approach their crushes in their own sincere, awkward ways. Yousuke clearly likes Tabata, though I wouldn’t call it a full-blown “Love Love” just yet—more like “Like Love,” if that makes sense.
Meanwhile… I’m still just coping whenever Sumire and Shinbashi are on the page. Sumire continues to be grating, and I’ve officially accepted that she's just not a good person right now. Shinbashi, on the other hand, feels like a broken record—only now someone’s turned the volume up. This volume seems to be his time to shine (unfortunately), and while I get that he’s meant to stir things up, his presence feels more like a plot tool than genuine character growth. His purpose was clearly to spark some jealousy in Yousuke and get him to question Tabata’s closeness to other guys, but the whole setup felt a bit too forced for me.
Also, I’ll never fully get the teenage desperation to date just for the sake of having a boyfriend or girlfriend. That kind of drama always feels a little hollow to me, even if it’s common in these kinds of stories. I'm okay for the most part since FL/ML aren't the ones in desperation for a relationship... the others, though, are just too loud.
Still, I’m hanging in there. The subtle emotional developments between the leads keep me turning the page—I’m just hoping for a little more real movement soon.