#yokozawa my beloved

[yokozawass-fan-account]

A study on one Yokozawa Takafumi

 Okay, buckle up guys cause I’ve been wanting to do this for MONTHS and now is the time and it’s gonna be a long post.  It’s time to talk about my sweet baby angel Yokozawa.

As some of you may have figured out already, Yokozawa is my favorite character in the SiH/JR universe. Tbh, he’s my favorite character PERIOD.  I mean, look at him :

He’s gorgeous. I could look at him all day long. So what follows is a bunch of observations and theories (that are obviously 100% totally true, as they are mine) that revolve around the character of Yokozawa Takafumi.

We don’t really know much about Yokozawa’s personal life before his first appearance in SiH. We know of his relationship with Takano and their time together in college, but we know nothing of his past that DOESN’T involve Takano.  We do have glimpses of informations, like the fact that his parents worked late when he was a child and so he had to learn how to cook and take care of himself and that they might be bugging him about getting married, but it’s always given out in 1 short sentence in the novels with absolutely no details, which makes this statements difficult to fully understand. (for example, it isn’t explicited if he has siblings, tho he probably doesn’t, or when exactly did his parents talk to him about getting married, which means that he COULD have siblings and that his last interaction with his parents COULD be from a couple of weeks to several months before we hear of it, maybe even more than a year). We also learn in an EXTRA (like you gave him 6 novels but you put THAT in an EXTRA, NAKAMURA?!?) that his scowl comes from waaaaaayyyyyyy back into his childhood since he’s been scowling in pictures since he was a child, something that he didn’t realize himself until he saw said-pictures again as an adult.

From his first appearance, what we understand about him is that he’s cold, aggressive, loud and work-focused. In fact, it is implied that it’s what many of his coworkers see in him since they nicknamed him the “Wild Bear” of Sales.  His personnality and reputation are so bad at the start of SiH that most of them fear him, and the only coworkers with whom he seems to get along with, outside of Takano, are Henmi (which is honetsly only due to Henmi being a cinnamon roll), Hatori (but it’s more about mutual respect than friendship) and Yukina (who’s not even working at Marukawa and whom he only sees from time to time). He does have cordial relationships with other people, but it’s mostly people who don’t interact much with him or who are unrelated to his own work. 

To summarize, he’s a grumpy asshole with no friends (except Takano but we all know it’s basically like having no friends at all) (sorry Takano kinnies, i love him too but you know I’m right) And we, readers, are expected to hate him with all our heart.

Then, this happens:

And from then on, Yokozawa is revealed to be so much more than what we thought we knew.  The next time we see him in SiH, he’s “back to normal” and tells Ritsu that at the first occasion, he’ll steal Takano back. Thanks to the Yokozawa Takafumi no Baii novels (or YTnB), we understand that he doesn’t really think what he’s saying as he has finally fully realized that he could never have Takano. What he said then was a way for himself to not lose face in front of the man who beat him, who won Takano even though he’s done nothing for it, unlike Yokozawa who had been trying to get Takano for several years. It’s self-preservation, and in the end, it may be more of an act for himself than against Ritsu.  In other words, he’s officially giving up but without admitting his defeat, at least out loud. The worst part is probably that he had known for a long time he could never have Takano, but just couldn’t let go. It doesn’t really work for him tho, because he still feels all the sadness, sourness and disappointment that comes with being rejected for someone else. And of course, since he is very prideful, you can add shame to the mix.  Then, the final strike: there’s no one for him at this moment.  Takano is more or less his only friend, and in this situation there’s no way he can seek comfort from him.  His family? Well, assuming he doesn’t have any sibling, it’s only his parents, and from how much we hear about them (NEVER LMAOOOOO, they’re mentionned 2-3 times in total thoughout the 6 novels and have 0 influence on the plot at any time. Compared to that, Hiyori’s grandparents from her mother’s side are like main characters lmao), he doesn’t seem particularly close with them, so they’re out.

By the way, there’s something really bothering me that I want to share.�� In the 4th novel, Yokozawa reveals to the Kirishimas that his birthday was actually 2 days after Kirishima’s but that he FORGOT about it until way after it had passed. He also says that it doesn’t really matter because it’s not important and he usually doesn’t celebrate it anyway. The problem is: as a parent, wouldn’t you, at least, call your child to wish them a happy birthday? Because, if Yokozawa forgot his birthday until AFTER it had passed, it means that NO ONE wished him a happy birthday, or he would have remembered. Therefore, his parents didn’t even call to wish him a happy birthday. His own parents to whom he is -supposedly- an only child. From that, we can extrapolate. If they don’t call him for his birthday, they probably don’t call much at all, right? Now, add to that information that Takano, his only real friend, never calls him by his given name, and that of course no one else does since they’re not close with Yokozawa. The only people who might call him by his given name are his family. His parents. Do you see my point?

This man has very probably not been called by his given name in months.  Your given name gives you individuality. Your family name is something you share with other people but your given name identifies you as an individual among your family. I’m telling you, my boy has been called “Yokozawa” for so long that it’s basically how he identifies himself. (hell, I bet he refers to himself as “Yokozawa” instead of “Takafumi”) And I think that this theory is supported by the fact that he doesn’t like being called “Takafumi” by Kirishima, even after months of dating. It’s like he’s not a person anymore. He doesn’t have anything he’s passionae about, he’s an entity that fulfils a role. Takano’s best friend. The Wild Bear of Sales. Ritsu’s rival.  He’s never allowed to be just “Takafumi”. And when he “loses” the only person he was actually close to, his world collapses, because he doesn’t have anything else in his private life, which is why he turns to work and focuses on that afterwards. Yokozawa is an incredibly lonely character. He feels alone but his pride and self-deprecative tendencies (let’s remember that he expressed multiple times that he doesn’t understand how Kirishima can be attracted to him and keeps questioning his place in the Kirishimas’ household) don’t allow him to realize it.  He doesn’t have anybody, he knows it, he ignores it. But it doesn’t take the pain away, and so he falls into a spiral of self-hate and depression.

It could have ended like that, but then Kirishima forced his way into the picture. That night in the bar, Kirishima is faced with something he (and probably nobody else, honestly) has never seen before: Yokozawa giving out fully to his true feelings. When Takano confronted him, Yokozawa lashed out but he maintained some control over himself, enough to not let Takano see how deeply crushed Yokozawa really was. But with all the despair and alcohol inside him, Yokozawa showed everything he usually never showed to anyone else: his desperation, his love, his tears... And it’s basically the moment Kirishima decided “yep, I’m gonna take care of this guy”, because he SAW, at that moment, Yokozawa’s true heart, his naivete when it comes to love, how deeply he can love and how far he would go for the people he holds dear. Kirishima was facing the guy half Marukawa thinks is an absolute asshole, and realized there was so much more to him than anything he could have imagine. So of course, he started to wonder what other sides of Yokozawa he could discover. And thanks to him, we, the reader, got to see those sides too.

Yokozawa is actually very sweet and sincere. He’s grumpy, yes, and he clearly doesn’t know how to handle his emotions (as if no one ever teached him how to, mmmmmmmmhhhhh, I WONDER), but it’s just the hard exterior that he put up for so long that it basically became his natural state. The truth is revealed about the former n°1 enemy of the fandom: he’s good with animals and kids (because, surprise, he’s actually a big softie with heart of gold), he likes to cook, he enjoys reading  when he has time, he actually really appreciates Henmi despite scolding him all the time, he’s shy when it comes to intimacy, etc... We discover a man who is stubborn and irritable because he’s very dedicated to everything he has responsability over (like the parent race at Hiyori school, my boy TRAINED for WEEKS so he would do his best for a little girl he had known for a couple of months at best, god); he acts clingy at times because he when he loves, he loves hard and fully; he’s bad at sharing his feelings because he has a lot of insecurities and self-doubt (like, every novel he’s ready to leave the Kirishimas the moment they want him out of their lives, even though he acknowledges to himself that it would probably destroy him. like, baby, wtf?). And despite all that, he always does his best to do the right thing. He doesn’t sulk and indulge into his flawed behaviour. When he fucks up, he apologizes and does his best to make up for it (except with Onodera but nobody’s perfect lmao), and even though he’s unsure about his future with the Kirishimas, he gives them everything he has. And for the first time (again, sorry Takano kinnies), he’s given back just as much.

Hiyori is obviously perfect, she’s the best, I love her. But his relationship with Kirishima is what really allows Yokozawa to reveal everything he has in him. - I said I’d accept you unconditionally—you don’t have to change one bit. “ That statement is, in my opinion, the exact thing that makes their relationship work and the proof that Kirishima is the ideal partner for Yokozawa. Kirishima acknowledges Yokozawa’s flaws later  in the scene, making it clear that he’s not blind of them and that he knows what he’s getting himself into by being Yokozawa’s lover. And saying loud and clear that he knows about them and is willing to accept Yokozawa, not despite those flaws, but WITH them, he’s basically giving Yokozawa exactly what he needs. Yokozawa is aware of his flaws and that he pushes other people away with his shitty behaviour, but no one ever gave him the opportunity to grow and change in order for him to become a better person. Deep down, he’s an amazing guy, but no one before has ever been willing to wait long enough to see it. When Kirishima says this sentence, I don’t think he’s refering to Yokozawa’s behaviour towards himself because of course that he wants Yokozawa to act differently with him after they become lovers, like being lovey-dovey and more laid-back around him. I think he’s telling Yokozawa “I know who you are deep down, I see you, and I’ll take it with everything it goes with without hesitation”, and that’s precisely what Yokozawa needs: to be loved for who he truly is, and to be given the time to change the way he behaves without being rushed or judged. The proof of this is that, Yokozawa DOES change in the course of the novels. He’s less grumpy and angry and stressed, but also more confident and relaxed and able to solve problems with calmness and communication. And those changes all come from his desire to be a better person for the people and to be able to support people around himself. He doesn’t change to please Kirishima; he changes because he’s wanted to change things about him for a long time and Kirishima offered him the opportunity and the support he needed to make those changes in himself. I think Kirishima being a father really helps here, because he’s a good father, which means he has learned to be patient and understanding and to leave others the space to grow, just like he does with Hiyori. So, yeah, he’s right when he says that having a child is “a plus” for his relationship with Yokozawa, because it gave him the tools to be the partner Yokozawa needed and deserved. On a personnal note, I think I fell in love with Yokozawa because I used to feel a similar type of loneliness and that horrible feeling that you could technically do something but you still somehow can’t manage to actually do it, and you feel horrible about yourself. But by loving him, I learned to love and forgive that part of myself. Because I saw this part of myself in him, I realized that it does not make me horrible or pathetic or disgusting. It’s humane, it’s hard, and it should be handled with support and kindness, not disdain and disgust. So, thank you my grumpy bear boy for allowing me to accept all this, I love you <3

[ameko-crossing]

Zen Kirishima from Sekaiichi Hatsukoi~

(And Takafumi Yokozawa)

[theoldgaylion]

Kirishima my man who's 33 years old that as soon as he gets together with the guy he's been pining after he teases the fuck out of him and behaves like a teen with his crush because he's so over the heels for him

[literally-ritsu]

Rom-com slice of life anon here, I just want to say in that au the relationship between Ritsu & Yokozawa would be absolutely hilarious because my thoughts of it are Ritsu would still do a study abroad, but for like 6 months & then Takano would still have his breakdown (they are THAT clingy love-dovey couple so it’d be still impactful on him, just not as bad as canon) during that time but refuse to contact Ritsu because he doesn’t want to worry him so Yokozawa helps him get through it (doesn’t fall in love because they don’t sleep together & delete contacts) & takes away the cat so when Ritsu returns Takano lies and says the cat ran away and when Yokozawa comes back with said cat, Ritsu’s like “you found our cat!! Thank you so much!!” and it’s just the hilarious stare down scene between Takano & Yokozawa as Ritsu obliviously cuddles the cat and so Yokozawa & Ritsu’s relation basically boils down to Yokozawa thinking “You are way too naive & coddled but Takano loves you and you have some admiral qualities so I’m polite to you” and Ritsu being like “You are my boyfriend’s great friend who has helped us out so many times and are a good person but I also find you a little bit intimidating and I don’t know how to talk to you so I’ll try to be polite” so it’s basically just these two men awkwardly not knowing what to do with each other because they’re only connected by this one person and there’s so much potential for that chaos.

Also Ritsu gets the benefit of not going in blind in the shoujo manga department because you know these nerds talk about their work all of the time so he at least has somewhat of a foundation of what’s going on compared to canon & isn’t panicking as much on the first day. When Takano & Ritsu meet in the shoujo manga department for the first time though, it’s just Takano having the TikTok “oh no” song going off in head because this man could never be mean to his beloved Ritsu and how on earth is he going to do is job properly now and also panic if he thought it was Onadera Ritsu working here now, why is his Ritsu here?? While Ritsu is just a flustered mess of “how am I going to work properly when my charming, wonderful boyfriend is my boss?? Oh god, what if I mess up in front of him and he thinks I’m incompetent!!” while everyone else is just dead around them

(They eventually figure it out, even if they are veeerrryyy bad at hiding their relationship (Yokozawa is banging his head against the wall because why is this his life??) and there’s a hilarious fight that everyone in the shoujo manga department is totally not listening in on of “what do you mean you don’t know my last name!!! We’ve been together ten years!!” “what do you mean that’s your last name??? You’ve never mentioned that that past ten years!!!”)

(Thanks for giving me all the creativity juice for this kind of au with your wonderful reply & validation!!!)

Anon.... there are tears running down my face. I cannon physically convey to you how much I love this. I would pay such good money to see this written and/or animated, you have no idea. The sheer hilarity that would be Ritsu and Yokozawa's relationship and also Takano and Ritsu being in an established relationship but still being dumbasses together in this au has me screaming oh my god it's so perfect anon you have my entire heart I have so many feelings about this but I would have to write a whole other character analysis for this au to articulate it please know that you have made my day and I absolutely love this and you more than my own life here take this again 💜

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Manga Review - Cocoon Entwined Volume 1

I feel fairly confident in my assessments and observations of yuri works. I am comfortable openly stating what I like and do not like and providing critical analysis based on my knowledge and experience within the genre. However, as I read Cocoon Entwined, whatever faith I have in my authority goes right out the window like the punk teenage lesbian in a coming of age story. There are aspects of this story such as the importance of heirlooms and reverence for hair that I do not know the first thing about. I can comment on the story, characters, and yuri elements, but I fear that the deeper elements of the manga may elude me. However, my apprehensions will never stop me from enjoying and reviewing a yuri series. Cocoon Entwined is a schoolgirl yuri manga by Yuriko Hara which follows the exploits of the young women at the elite Hoshimiya Girls’ Academy.

Immediately, Cocoon Entwined presents as a class S narrative. It is set in an elite, idealistic all-girls’ school and there does not appear to be any sexual attraction just admiration between the girls. However, this judgment, while only a hair’s breadth away from the truth, does not exactly fit the work. There are elements of the manga that confuse its genre. Horror elements are peppered in via the eerie atmosphere and there are the makings of real relationships and romance within Hoshimiya Academy. The presence of such hidden feelings may be masquerading beneath what is presented in the first volume and, if they do exist, may elevate this work beyond the confines of S.

The story of Cocoon Entwined is disjointed, frequently flitting between different perspectives and points in time. This method of storytelling results in a confusing narrative twisted between the characters. At times the story can be frustratingly difficult to follow, a fact not helped by the characters, who can easily be confused for each other. Sadly, there is nothing to pull these strands of the story together yet. These factors make the work read like an anthology within a shared world rather than one cohesive story. However, many individual sections of this narrative display real promise, even if they are not woven together effectively.

One of the most intriguing and compelling chapters sees Hana Saeki, the beloved and admired prince of the school, catch the mysterious and distant Hoshimiya, granddaughter of the headmistress, as the latter girl dives out of a window. The two students run away from the school together, escaping the perfect and idealized environment where they both have to assume their certain roles for a brief moment. The encounter is fascinating and effectively creates a bond between the two.

Cocoon Entwined excels is in its setting and atmosphere. There is a tradition in the school of girls growing their hair out to incredible flowing lengths. During the third year of high school, the girls cut their hair so that it can be passed down to a younger classmate in the form of their school uniforms. The school uniforms being made out of hair has a large intrinsic "ick" factor that for many may be impossible to overcome. However, assuming one can stomach the notion, there are some interesting observations to be made.

The young women are poised and elegant, letting their hair grow and protecting it above all else. Having insufficient hair to create a uniform is seen as shameful, and passing the hair down is a proud tradition. The greater ideas here are that of tradition and heirlooms. The way the hair is treated with reverence and then passed on is wonderfully intriguing and creepy. The uniforms themselves are seen as special, and frequently are described as “breathing.” The whole manga is blessed by this wonderful and oddity that can send shivers down your spine, adding greatly to the setting. It is so disturbing and haunting that the manga feels more like an atmospheric horror work than a romance.

Sadly, while the atmosphere is amazing chilling and individual scenes contain hints of brilliance, Cocoon Entwined does very little in this first volume. There is no real central plot or conflict driving the narrative forward the work greatly suffers for this. Such a plot could also help to pull the disjointed stories together and help streamline the story. The ending hints at some real story and there is plenty of potential for one but this volume does little except introduce the reader to Hoshimiya Academy.

The manga also suffers due to its poorly written characters. The story revolves around three different girls, chief among these is Saeki. Although she is beloved by her fellow students and adored as the prince, she is something of an outsider, being a commuter student. Saeki also privately rejects her title of prince except in one case, when Hoshimiya uses it. However, despite being the most developed of the characters, she does not have any growth and rarely responds to other characters effectively, save the one aforementioned scene with Hoshimiya.

Hoshimiya herself is a tired trope of a character. She is the elite untouchable girl that no one knows anything about. The only moment with her that sticks out in the whole volume is when she cuts part of her hair and gives it to Saeki. This action, her lack of veneration for her hair puts her in contrast with the other girls of the academy. This action could have great implications, but again the volume does nothing with it.

Finally, there is the timid and fragile Youko Yokozawa. She spends the majority of the manga looking depressed and tearful despite having no reason to. Like Saeki, she is a commuter student, and one of the few people that can see past the facade of the prince. Her connection to Saeki leads her to develop feelings for the prince and become part of her inner world, knowing her secret. However, this bond feels unsupported and weak. Aside from being sad and interested in Saeki, Yokozawa has no real characteristics. Hopefully, future volumes will explore her a bit more.

None of the main characters have much personality and the connections between them feel unsupported. There are whispers of some relationships and possibly a love triangle here, but more work needs to be done to make each character feel unique and to lay the groundwork for their relationships. Ultimately, the hair and uniforms are far more developed and interesting than the main characters.

Cocoon Entwined’s greatest strength is its gorgeous art. Yuriko Hara has a light and delicate style that is perfectly suited to the girls and academy. The illustrations of hair are flowing and wonderful, and at times feel like they move along the page. The environments, especially the garden, and majestic and the uniform design is top-notch. There are wonderful sprawling panels and pages here depicting the girls and their flowing, stunning hair. However, the best moments are when the uniforms are drawn “breathing” with wandering hairs grasping at the girls and the environment. It adds to the chilling atmosphere in such a deep visual way.

The art is phenomenal but there are a few flaws. The biggest of these is the character designs, which, while adequate, are far too similar to each other. This makes the already difficult task of keeping the characters straight nearly impossible. Additionally, some of the more dynamic scenes, such as a chapter when the characters dance together, feel stiff. The characters and their clothing often looks restricted. The effect is worsened when compared to the long flowing hair that dances across the same panels.

The first volume of Cocoon Entwined is an introduction, a prelude to what is hopefully a better series. The manga does an excellent job of setting up its world and hints at some intriguing stories. However, future volumes will need to focus the story to a central plotline or conflict and flush out some of the characters. Overall, Cocoon Entwined is dripping with atmosphere, astounding artwork, and potential. The series can easily go from here to be a unique and inspired work or an aimless confused mess. However, on this volume alone it is nearly impossible to tell what the future will hold. Because of this, readers should definitely keep an eye on Cocoon Entwined.

Ratings: Story – 6 Characters – 3 Art – 9 LGBTQ – 2 Lewd – 0 Final – 5

Purchase Cocoon Entwined in print and digital: https://amzn.to/2HdPemf

Review Copy Provided by @yenpress

[juroguro]

@trifiesta woahhh am i late or am i late!! anyway, sad boi hours. this is the au prompt. it’s based off of this (but i’d read it after). yeehaw.

When Yokozawa would look at the headstone, he would only read the name printed. It wasn’t ignorance, it was coping. The dates, the cause, the quote, the religious engravement that the parents wanted but he didn’t: Yokozawa turns a blind eye to that. But the name, oh, the name. Yokozawa speaks it to himself as he places the flowers at its base, hugging the stone, kissing the granite. Lilies, carnations, chrysanthemums. Masamune, Masamune, Masamune. Kissing dark granite. I miss you so, Masamune, Masamune. Red roses. Masamune. I miss you, Masamune.

-------------

Yokozawa visits the grave of his beloved weekly since the day he took his own life (forget those words!). It was overkill, everyone said it was overkill. His mother: “Overkill.”; his father: “Overkill.”; every past and every future lover: “Overkill.”; his cat, even, glaring at him: Overkill. But, for Yokozawa, it was coping. It was letting go. It takes years for some to let go. It takes decades.

But it seems, for some, it only takes seconds. The grave beside Masamune’s reads the strangely familiar name “Oshiro Takehiko.” He did look at the date for this one. It was very close to Masamune’s passing; he can remember the freshness of the tilled earth of that patch on the day of Masamune’s funeral (stop thinking of it!). But there were never flowers, never gifts, not even on holidays, not even the anniversary. It made him feel sick. How could no one care?

How could I not care?

-------------

The twenty-fifth of December is not Christmas, it is Masamune’s birthday. It was a day meant for Yokozawa to shower him with gifts and affection: red roses (they were Masamune’s favorite), dark chocolates, lots of hugs and kisses and rubs to keep warm. Was it sick for him to be excited?

Yokozawa treads along the frozen ground of the cemetery, taking the path he had memorized long ago. Thankfully, no other families were visiting in the area (especially Masamune’s!), so Yokozawa could spend as much time as he wanted.

When he sees the monument— a smooth, rounded rectangle— Yokozawa feels his cheeks light up. “Hi, Masamune.” He dips his head in prayer for several minutes before sitting beside him; the lot next to him was still not taken, “How are you?”

Masamune doesn’t respond. He’s been quiet recently.

“Well,” Yokozawa rubs the back of the tombstone, “Happy birthday!! Your twenty-sixth, huh? I brought you some gifts.” He reveals a bag of chocolates and beer, as well as a big bouquet of flowers. “Let’s celebrate!” He cracks open a can of Usagi, taking a few swigs before pouring the rest into the frozen earth.

A sudden chilled breeze comes in, whipping back Yokozawa’s hair and tickling his cheeks. He smiles a melancholy smile and leans his head on the stone. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.”

Yokozawa talks for an eternity, about work, about missing him at work. He thinks of the bad thing and cries a bit. He drinks more, he eats more chocolates. His lips turn bluish. “I miss you, Masamune,” running his hands up and down the smooth rock, cursing at the chips that roughen his fingers, “I miss you. Masamune, Masamune. I love you, Masamune. I love you. You know I still love you, right?”

A chilled breeze. He cries more.

When Yokozawa feels himself getting too delusional and a bit more than tipsy, he begins packing up. The rest of the beer is dumped into the ground, leftover chocolates sitting at the stone’s base. Yokozawa decorates his grave with flowers and kisses him goodbye, a slow, meaningful goodbye. “I’ll visit next Sunday, okay?”

He turns to his right and sees the empty grave. When all the others are filled with gifts, Takehiko’s is empty. A lump in his throat.

“Forgive me, Masamune.”

One rose from the bouquet is transferred a meter over. Yokozawa bows his head. “...Merry Christmas, Oshiro-san.”

-------------

Yokozawa sits at his desk, searching through survey results with little enthusiasm. His brain can’t stop thinking about Masamune, about today’s cemetery visit. If he’s not there, talking and being near him, he’s daydreaming about it. He’s waiting, always waiting. And as much as he wants to believe this is about letting go, he knows it’s about obsession.

Miss you.

Yokozawa began to develop a comradery with the man that lays next to his love, they were both lonely, both constantly waiting. The single flower Yokozawa liked to leave at Oshiro-san’s grave every few visits has turned into the deceased’s personal bouquet. Yokozawa feels guilty for delivering the flowers; he has a fear that Masamune will feel abandoned or jealous or lonely too.

“They’re both dead,” he can hear his mother scolding him in his head, “Why do you care?”

And he doesn’t know. He doesn’t.

Oh god, Yokozawa grinds his knuckle into his jaw, There’s something wrong with me.

Fully aware that the work he was getting done was negligible, he gives up. A new tab opens; Google. He types in Oshiro’s name, hoping that this doesn’t count as being intrusive or disrespecting the dead. Those worries leave his mind, however, when the search recommendations pop up. Oshiro Takehiko murder, Oshiro Takehiko victims, Oshiro Takehiko suicide (bad word!), Oshiro Takehiko pregnant women, Oshiro Takehiko crime scene: his stomach turns sour.

After a near hour of reading Wikipedia articles and getting progressively sicker, he realizes he’s made a huge mistake. His graveyard friend, Oshiro Takehiko, was apparently a serial murderer of heavily pregnant women and Yokozawa feels so, so very ill. He makes a small list of victims and their burial places and changes his afternoon plans. Breaking his promise to visit Masamune felt awful, but the fact that he was regularly delivering flowers to a serial killer surpassed that.

“Yokozawa-san?”

The salesman spins around in his chair, quickly going back to the page of data. “W-What?”

Henmi scratches the back of his neck, “Um, didn’t you say you had to leave for a doctor’s appointment at 3?”

He wets his lips, craning his neck to check the clock: 15:25. “Oh,” he flashes a smile, “I completely forgot.”

-------------

Kirishima Sakura, the first victim, was stabbed to death in the kitchen of her apartment. Her husband, after being woken by screaming, called 119 quickly. She died quickly in the ambulance, Miraculously, though, the baby survived: a little girl. She was buried in Aoyama cemetery and had a private funeral. Now, somewhere, there’s a ten-year-old girl with no mother. Yokozawa sends his wishes with the biggest bouquet he’s ever bought.

He searches through the cemetery for the headstone; he got directions from the funeral home but forgot them right after. After far too long, Yokozawa seems to have found it; he recognizes the large oak tree the keeper was talking about. There’s an issue, however.

A man and a little girl have their heads dipped in prayer. The man’s back shakes erratically; Yokozawa can hear him cry. They hold hands.

Shit. Yokozawa stands a few meters away, waiting for them to finish. Bad timing.

The man wipes off his tears on his sleeve and turns around to leave—

“Yokozawa-san?”

Shit. Worst timing.

Yokozawa recognized him instantly, immediately getting red in the face. He always screamed at this guy during print-run meetings, always shot him dirty looks for days after them, and never thought of him, his home life. He did hear rumors though, ones that he can’t remember a lick of. Kirishima Zen, editor-in-chief of Japun magazine, approaches him with tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes. “What a-are you doing here?”

Shiiiiiiiiiiittttttt. Yokozawa intensely stares at the ground. “I— um, well…” He looks at the little girl, her glossy eyes. “I… Ah, this is such a weird situation. It’s just, um, there was this guy at this other cemetery that I visit a lot and he never got any flowers so I felt bad about it and started giving him flowers too and then I just looked his name up and oh my God, I’m an idiot and he…” Face completely red, he looks up at Kirishima. He makes the shape of “oh” with his lips but doesn’t make a sound. “S-So I wanted to come and b-bring her some flowers because oh God I’m an awful person and I want to make it up to her and you and everyone else—”

“Yokozawa-san,” he chuckles under his breath, “It’s fine. I’m fine, I mean. You don’t have to be careful. It was a long time ago.” He looks off to the side. “Thank you, though. Thank you so much.”

His mouth goes dry. He doesn’t really know what else to say. But Kirishima smiles at him and doesn’t try to hide it. Like he’s happy. “Why are you grinning like that?”

“What!?” he laughs, “Am I not allowed to smile now? Just because I’m a widow, doesn’t mean I have to be sad all the time.” The girl begins to tug on Kirishima’s leg, impatient. “It’s just, you talk very fast when you get nervous. It’s cute.”

Yokozawa would punch this guy in the face under any other circumstance, but right now, he blushes a deep crimson. “O-Okay…”

“Listen,” he musses the girl’s hair, “My Hiyori’s sleeping over at a friend’s house tonight so I’ve got no plans,” he pulls out his cell phone and flips it open, “If you’d like to go out for a drink or two, gimme a text.” He hands the phone over.

Maybe it doesn’t take years to let go, maybe not decades. Maybe all it takes is a good mug of beer and charming company.

“Okay.”

ao3 | ko-fi

[julijasm]

The atmosphere in the room lightened with the laughter that followed, and when Yokozawa let himself get drawn into chuckles as well, Kirishima spoke up, addressing him, “By the way, Yokozawa–just what on earth are you doing? There’s no way in hell your huge self can hide that easily.” “…!” He’d somehow convinced himself that he wouldn’t be noticed, but Kirishima had nonetheless spotted him, it seemed. Reluctantly correcting his posture, he kept his eyes averted and gave his greetings. “…Good morning.” “Eh? Oniichan?” Apparently Hiyori hadn’t noticed him. She must not have noticed anyone else in the thrall of meeting her beloved Takanashi. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Yokozawa. “‘Oniichan’?!” “……….” Henmi grew agitated at the single word from Hiyori’s mouth, and without even looking, Yokozawa could tell clearly that everyone was looking at him. He thrust an angry glare at Kirishima in an attempt to communicate that he’d tried not to stand out precisely because he had known this would happen, but the expression he received in return was one of self-satisfaction. “So you’re close with Hiyori-chan then, Yokozawa-san! I see–you’ve been spending a lot of time at Kirishima-san’s place lately, haven’t you?” At Henmi’s comment, Katou cut in, “Oh yeah, now that you mention it, that reminds me of Kirishima-san showing me a picture of Yokozawa-san cooking someth–” “One more word out of you and I can’t be held responsible for what happens–got it, Katou?” At the sharp glare that dared him to say anything more unnecessary, Katou got the hint and immediately grew quiet. “Oh uh, I don’t…really remember the particulars actually…” It wasn’t as if he’d done anything embarrassing, but it certainly hadn’t been like him, and he therefore didn’t want to be a topic of conversation to people who had no business discussing it. “C’mon, there’s nothing to hide, Yokozawa; everyone here knows perfectly well that you come over to my place and eat dinner all the time. You’re close friends with Hiyo here too, right?” At Kirishima’s prompting, Hiyori nodded strongly. “Right!” While Yokozawa typically would’ve found the display endearing, just now he was desperate to keep them from spilling anything carelessly. “Hmm, but still…Yokozawa-san’s an, ‘Oniichan’ huh…” “You gotta problem with that?” “No, not really, I just–wow!” Yokozawa hadn’t wanted to put on a scowl in front of Hiyori, so instead he kicked the leg of Henmi, who’d spoken suggestively, under the table. Kirishima simply looked on at the display in amusement for a moment before finally swooping in to save him. “Hiyo–isn’t it about time for you to be heading downstairs?” Hiyori grew frantic when he showed her his watch. “Ah, you’re right!” Without her noticing it, the time had rolled around to start lining up as printed on the numbered tickets. “Still got that ticket you received earlier?” “Yup, I put it in my wallet! I’m gonna head down then, Papa!” “Can you make it down on your own? You want me to go with you down to the first floor?” “I’m fine! Geez, you’re such a worrywart, Papa!” Matsumoto watched the father-daughter argument, extending her hand. “Ah, I’m headed downstairs as well, Hiyori-chan–shall we go together?” “Would you mind? I’m sorry for the inconvenience.” “Not at all; I need to get going myself. Well then, I’ll take Hiyori-chan and be off! C’mon, Hiyori-chan, let’s get going.” At Matsumoto’s prompting, Hiyori nodded eagerly. “‘Kay! Umm, sorry to have disturbed you in this busy time!” “I’ll see you later, Hiyori-chan.” At Takanashi’s parting words, Hiyori left to room with a beaming expression. Her steps seemed unsteady as she toddled out, likely because she was so excited, but with Matsumoto with her, there was probably nothing to be worried about. “Hiyori-chan certainly seemed thrilled to meet Sensei.” Yokozawa responded idly to Henmi’s comment, “Sure did.That was the first time I’ve ever seen her so nervous, but I guess that just shows you how much she looks up to her.” He’d been shocked when Hiyori had shown up, but her innocence had helped calm the whole room. Maybe that had been Kirishima’s intention from the get-go, bringing her here. “I apologize for the disruption, Sensei. Thank you so much for humoring my daughter.” Takanashi shook her head as Kirishima bowed his thanks again. “Not at all! Thanks to her, my nerves are completely gone now. I feel like I can get through this event calmly now. I’ll have to thank her properly later…” “Please just relate those feelings of gratitude to the fans who you’ll meet today and tomorrow. They’re all coming here with the same thoughts and emotions as her, after all.” At Kirishima’s words, Takanashi’s expression changed to one of realization, and she nodded firmly. “I shall, then. I’ll do my absolute best today!” Hiyori’s words from before seemed to have been delivered on behalf of all fans; she hadn’t done anything particularly special herself–and that was exactly what Kirishima had wanted to relate to Takanashi.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 4 Art: とばり

[commandermardukas]

I really love all the manga that you post as well as your thoughts about many of them as well! They're very insightful and I often find myself agreeing with all your interpretations! I was curious what are your top favorite mangas? Or ones you would recommend?

Hi there! Thank you very much for your message. I am happy that you like what you see in my little corner of tumblr. As for my favorites.. that would be most of the mangas I often post.

Saezuru Tori Wa Habatakanai (this one is not simply BL. It is a novel in a manga. A literary work of art. A masterpiece. If I am a teacher and I will tell my students to do book review…. this is a book that is very good to review.)Doukyuusei and all its sequels and extras (this is a picture of a very healthy relationship. I won’t get tired reading and watching it all over again..) **I’m being talkative. I’ll try my best to just list them down ^_^**Hidoku ShinaideJunjou RomanticaSekaiichi Hatsukoi (specially kirishima x yokozawa story)

Maybe you have also already read these but I’ll share with you the titles that I really like from different genres.

Other BL that I always gladly reread:Nekota Yonezou titlesYoneda Kou titlesKanda Neko Otokogokoro seriesMei Sakuraga Warui series (kuon and nanao is my favorite couple)Fujii Mitori titles (the 4th guard is my favorite of Fujii Mitori’s. And then I also like Before Daylight Love and its sequel Crossover Love. Fujii Mitori’s other titles like Cats and Dogs, and Gattendou Tenmatsuki are also good)Aomoto Sari (i really love Kare no Shousou to Koi ni Tsuite, and also Kimiiro Eden)Kuroneko Kareshi seriesKouun no rihatsushiHonto YajuuHeart no KakuregaAno hi no Kimi wo Dakishimeta NaraDevil’s HoneyKatekyo

Omegaverse:Tadaima OkaeriTotsugimasen KaraKurui Naku no wa Boku no Ban

Shounen:One Piece (this is my most beloved manga)Haikyuu

Adventure:InuyashaAkatsuki no yona

Shoujo:Strobe EdgeHorimiyaDengeki DaisyHana to AkumaFaster than a KissHapi Mari (or this is jousei category)Ookami shoujo to kuro oujiTsubaki Chou Lonely Planet (I’m liking this a lot. It makes my heart go “doki doki”. The classic feeling shoujo can give you. Hehe)

Gakuen Babysitters (I sooooo love this. I dont know where to categorize it. Slice of life maybe)

There are still many good titles out there but on top of my head these are the ones that make me happy.

[literally-ritsu]

Rom Com anon is back again with the idea that everyone assumes Ritsu, blushing lovestruck bottom he is, is the one who takes care of most of the chores, and they would be wildly incorrect. Ritsu, who was pampered & sheltered by his parents his entire life and then proceeded to move in with Takano, who wants nothing more to spoil and take care of him, is like barely functional. Ritsu can only cook the most basic things and 9/10 is calling An-chan for help whenever he wants to make something. Ritsu knows the bare minimum of how to clean. Ritsu is still amazed by instant foods & would probably live of them if left to his own devices. Like he’s not incompetent, but he definitely shouldn’t be left to his own devices for too long, especially because he’s used to eating quite well.

Takano on the otherhand? Ultimate housewife who has kept Ritsu the very picture of health and living in a clean home. Takano, if his schedule would allow it, would be like “Welcome home dear, do you want a bath, dinner or me?” Takano is out here lovingly packing Ritsu nutritionally balanced bentos and their apartment a picturesque place to live.

Ritsu here is somehow even prettier and younger looking than canon because this man has not only lacked a significant amount of trauma in his life, but also has been extremely nourished. His skin glows, his hair’s shiny & soft, his eyes bright, his weight healthy, his diet balanced and Takano is just privately smug about how well he takes care of Ritsu but also on the watch because this man is possessive no matter the universe and is of the (not entirely incorrect, but extremely biased) opinion that his adorable Ritsu could attract anyone.

(Am i thinking a hilarious scene where both Kisa & Ritsu are hanging out together and get mistaken for high schoolers & Takano to get accused of being a cradle robber because Ritsu looks so young and innocent and in love whenever he’s around Takano?? Of course I am)

An-chan likes to show off her cooking abilities and have Ritsu fawn over how well she cooked while smugly (read: evilly) smiling at a very jealous Takano.

Yokozawa continues to suffer as Ritsu gushes over Takano’s cooking to him because Ritsu has no clue what else to talk about with this man, as Takano rants about either An-chan trying to “steal” Ritsu’s attention from him or preens about how much Ritsu liked his latest dish, and he is forced in a front row seat of this idiot couple and then is forced to reconcile as he himself lowkey becomes Kirishima’s housewife and silently curses himself for becoming friends with Takano, because he’s convinced his life would be much more peaceful if he hadn’t met him (he’s right of course, but deep down we all know he kinda likes the shenanigans that spice up his life.)

Rom Com Anon my beloved.... please... I have no words.... this is everything to me.... I need this... please... somebody that knows how to animate, track this person down and make this a reality... please I deserve it.... anon you are brilliant and I have so many feelings about this please I am unexaggeratedly in love with you right now. I am here for pampered spoiled rotten Ritsu and housewife Takano you can't see but I'm crying rn it's what we deserve. Please... I need... them... being goofy and sickeningly in love and a menace to all of their single friends because whenever they're together you can see the hearts radiating off of them please it's very important to me and I am here for all of our favorite idiots getting involved in Shenanigans please it's all I want anon you understand me and I want you to know that I am emotionally distressed