Sofie’s Reviews > The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, Vol. 4 > Status Update

okay. subaru has continued to get better and better and i really think she's my favorite character, which is saying a lot considering i adore absolutely everyone in this. she and saku are top tier, and i am so excited to see her open up even more with everyone and slowly begin to accept their friendship cause ITS WHAT SHE DESERVES!!! also if she and saku really do become the b-couple i will lose my shit

KAORUKO IS KICKING HER FEET AND SO AM I
subaru is such an icon i love how good of a friend she is, and i cannot WAIT to see how the birthday goes

every time i think this can't get any sweeter, i get punched in the gut with the cutest shit i've ever seen. he's making her a cake????? and his dad dropped everything to teach him how even though he's EXHAUSTED??????? and his mom is happy to see them bonding and reminiscing about the early days of her relationship with her husband??????????? kill me actually

that dm from subaru genuinely got me cheering like my team won the super bowl
also that whole chapter had me tearing up again, it's just so SWEET but somehow not in the classic shojo way. it really does read more like a shonen (cause it is i know i know) which gives it such a different feeling that i wasn't expecting. the focus on friendship alongside the romance is really beautiful and heartwarming

secret competitive gremlin yorita i love you so
his convo with rintaro was so fucking sweet too, i love that each of the boys get their moment to shine when it makes the most sense for them individually. it doesn't feel like they're taking turns to be in the spotlight, it all feels so organic and natural

oh WOAH how cool to have unnamed side characters from both kikyo and chidori have moments where they express admiration for the other!! the seeds for connection and understanding are there, they just need to be nurtured

oh my god the day and night difference between the kikyo teacher's speech and the chidori teacher's speech????? i LOVED hearing tsukada tell the boys that although they're a bit wild, he trusts that they're good kids and that they should spend the summer making cherished memories, but then the immediate guilt trip and shaming from the kikyo teacher in comparison????? let these girls LIVE for fuck's sake oh my god

i too would be sulking if i had been tutoring my friends for a year and a half and they just NEVER mentioned the fact that i suck at explaining things. i wonder if there's more to saku's sulking, like him being disappointed in himself for not being able to help his friends after all, or if it's just a silly gag

okay cool already tearing up!!! that panel of rintaro smiling as he sobs cause he's just totally given up is CHILLING. i love him so much, and kyoko is an amazing mother for supporting him and changing up her look first to make him more comfortable. i'm also interested to learn more about sotaro!! what did they mean by saying that he needs more attention and care than rintaro? was he also a sad kid? how is he now?