I feel like the term high maintenance is now used in some cases to tone down some toxic behavior, as if it was just character trait, like being an extravert for example. Receiving 13 texts in a few minutes, with that kind of questions is not being high maintenance. This is borderline manipulative and shows some serious attachment issues/jealousy from the girlfriend...

I feel like the term high maintenance is now used in some cases to tone down some toxic behavior, as if it was just character trait, like being an extravert for example. Receiving 13 texts in a few minutes, with that kind of questions is not being high maintenance. This is borderline manipulative and shows some serious attachment issues/jealousy from the girlfriend...

High maintenance, attachment issues, and toxicity are all parts of the same spectrum IMO. There is a healthy way to deal with attachment issues (key: consistency), and there are healthy ways to ask for and provide a lot of attention to your partner (key: boundaries). But of course, there are also very unhealthy ways, and where one becomes the other is a very subjective perception.

I feel like the term high maintenance is now used in some cases to tone down some toxic behavior, as if it was just character trait, like being an extravert for example. Receiving 13 texts in a few minutes, with that kind of questions is not being high maintenance. This is borderline manipulative and shows some serious attachment issues/jealousy from the girlfriend...

High maintenance, attachment issues, and toxicity are all parts of the same spectrum IMO. There is a healthy way to deal with attachment issues (key: consistency), and there are healthy ways to ask for and provide a lot of attention to your partner (key: boundaries). But of course, there are also very unhealthy ways, and where one becomes the other is a very subjective perception.

You are not wrong, but I've seen too many people justifying their shitty behavior under the umbrella of high maintenance, as if it was a "neutral" trait of character. To be fair, you can be high maintenance without being toxic or having attachement issues. But in many cases, this is just used to hide toxic behaviors behind a less negatively associated term.

Edit: sorry, I got a bit too worked up, I just don't like this term and how it is used lol

last edited at Aug 10, 2026 9:51AM

I feel like the term high maintenance is now used in some cases to tone down some toxic behavior, as if it was just character trait, like being an extravert for example. Receiving 13 texts in a few minutes, with that kind of questions is not being high maintenance. This is borderline manipulative and shows some serious attachment issues/jealousy from the girlfriend...

High maintenance, attachment issues, and toxicity are all parts of the same spectrum IMO. There is a healthy way to deal with attachment issues (key: consistency), and there are healthy ways to ask for and provide a lot of attention to your partner (key: boundaries). But of course, there are also very unhealthy ways, and where one becomes the other is a very subjective perception.

You are not wrong, but I've seen too many people justifying their shitty behavior under the umbrella of high maintenance, as if it was a "neutral" trait of character. To be fair, you can be high maintenance without being toxic or having attachement issues. But in many cases, this is just used to hide toxic behaviors behind a less negatively associated term.

Edit: sorry, I got a bit too worked up, I just don't like this term and how it is used lol

I think you have a point, but I'd also say the opposite can be true too, where people are very willing to call something toxic when they're really just not compatible.

I think texting that much and expecting answers especially when someone is working is toxic, but some people don't mind. If Mizuki is a university student, since I think we still don't know her age, then she has loads of free time and this might be a normal way she texts with friends. Sometimes it can just be ignorance, in which case high maintenance would work better than toxic. Or rather, I'd prefer to say I know she is high maintenance, she might also be toxic, let's see how the relationship moves forward.

But also I'd say high maintenance isn't usually used as a neutral trait. It's neutral to bad, I've never seen anyone use it as a positive.

The classic formula of
I love her but she loves her , so I'm dating the other girl instead but I don't love her...
V.v

last edited at Aug 11, 2026 9:05PM

"I've never dragged out feelings for an ex before. So I should be able to switch gears smoothly this time too...right?"
Girl, you have no idea how wrong you are...

One of my recent favourites to read, and most of that is thanks to the main character. Ren is introspective, honest, and willing to take a new approach. I mean, the speedrun from Googling “lesbian” to having sex in one day was impressive.

I love the honesty in how Ren reflects on her life before and after meeting Sui-chan. She realises that everyone is a little biased when they're in love. Ren initially feels that her boyfriends were pushing their tastes onto her, but eventually realises that they simply wanted to share the things they liked with her. She only comes to this realisation after Sui does the same thing.

It makes me wonder if Mitsuki is the girl Sui is after. As other users have noticed, Mitsuki's dating profile lists the same interests as Sui—visiting shrines and collecting shrine stamps. It also makes me wonder if Ren's recommendation to her colleague that “it's nicer to be chased after rather than be the one doing the chasing” will come back to bite her. Technically, she gave up chasing Sui and is now in a relationship with a girl who likes her. Or will Ren end up being that “person that I slept with once, took me years to mend my feelings, and that person is now back” with the tongue-pierced girl?

Very well written. If there's any way to support this manga, I'd be happy to.

Pronoun error on page 10 3rd panel I think?

Pronoun error on page 10 3rd panel I think?

Fixed.

I'm not sure who is that person in the last panel? It isn't Sui-chan right? Is it the girl she had sex with before?

Edit: I looked back, I'm 99% sure it is the woman she had sex with in the first chapter

last edited at Sep 3, 2026 6:27PM

Bro her "gf" is annoying as shit my god. She should NOT have shown her where she lives now the second she doesn't answer she's going to be pounding on her door demanding she tell her where she is.

The loop hole of not having to answer while at work... I guess that works when she's being a rental GF and banging randos huh?

Also can't believe she let that chick eat the gift Sui gave her that easily... And she's supposed to be in love with Sui. Could have told annoying gf-chan no she can't have any.

Also legit forgot about this like fourth chick that's also obsessed with Ren gonna bang her next chapter as well?

I'm not sure who is that person in the last panel? It isn't Sui-chan right? Is it the girl she had sex with before?

That was the chick that worked at the store that's also obsessed with Ren she's one of the ones actually on the cover of the manga the one with the tongue ring.

last edited at Sep 3, 2026 6:28PM

This is like the opposite of the culture shock I had when I found out about dating culture

I think it’s a trope for manga characters who address themselves in third-person like Mizuki to be high maintenance and/or childlike. Maybe just my bias.

It's called AGE REGRESSION get it RIGHT

last edited at Sep 3, 2026 6:35PM

That was the chick that worked at the store that's also obsessed with Ren she's one of the ones actually on the cover of the manga the one with the tongue ring.

Yeah, I just passed through the chapters, it was the woman she met first at the bar, had sex and she met Reina and saved her from another woman flirting with her and then asked to date her and then Reina said no

Holy shit
Ren really is surrounded by pain-in-the-ass women LOL

It really is like Taylor Tomlinson (comedian) said: you're either in the "I have a good-personality" group or the "I'm a model" group.

She has a name finally!!!!! Shes the only character in this ove actually felt wasnt super shifty. I hope it stays that way she seems like a sweet character

last edited at Sep 3, 2026 7:11PM

Very well written. If there's any way to support this manga, I'd be happy to.

Volume 1 is out, so you can buy it on amazon or bookwalker, for example

Nice cliffhanger. Also, the "girlfriend" is annoying as fffuuuuuckkkk and Reina doesn't seem to like her either.

Bro her "gf" is annoying as shit my god. She should NOT have shown her where she lives now the second she doesn't answer she's going to be pounding on her door demanding she tell her where she is.

The loop hole of not having to answer while at work... I guess that works when she's being a rental GF and banging randos huh?

I don't think she generally has sex with her clients. Looking back on the things she says she did for Sui that she wouldn't do for anyone else, it seems like she generally keeps her distance. She keeps making a disctintion between people she spends time with for money and people she actually dates and has sex with, so I don't think she's an actual prostitute, just a paid companion.

Holy shit
Ren really is surrounded by pain-in-the-ass women LOL

It really is like Taylor Tomlinson (comedian) said: you're either in the "I have a good-personality" group or the "I'm a model" group.

It can be a sampling effect even if the traits are independent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkson%27s_paradox#Dating_pool_example

Imagine that people are equally likely to "be pretty" or "have a good personality". Imagine you won't date someone who has neither trait, and you barely even consider them. Your dating pool is now 1/3 "pretty but mean", 1/3 "nice but plain", and 1/3 "pretty and nice". 2/3 of them involve a tradeoff.

Wiki has some nice graphs, based on assuming a threshold of (pretty + nice).

Holy shit
Ren really is surrounded by pain-in-the-ass women LOL

It really is like Taylor Tomlinson (comedian) said: you're either in the "I have a good-personality" group or the "I'm a model" group.

more like she surrounds herself with pain-in-the-ass women... keeping Mizuki as a gf, keeping her relationship with Sui... only the recently-named-Chitose can she kind of not be blamed for, since she keeps running into her by chance.

i say this as somebody who's enjoying the drama.

Aw man, Ren regressing into her "girlfriend for rent" persona whenever she's with Mitsuki really hurts. Her job has taught her how to get what she wants by saying the right words. "I don't want you messing around in my kitchen" turns into "I don't want you to get hurt" or "I want to keep an eye on you." I just wish Ren could just relax into herself when she's dating someone.

Both girls are trying in their own way to make this relationship works. Mitsuki is trying to be helpful (albeit coming on a little too strong), while Ren's honesty is receded behind her alter ego. It's just two people figuring out, "What do you even do when you're dating someone?" and how much can you really compromise.

The fact that Ren got carried away eating the macaron while thinkign about Sui-chan's recommendation though...

The storm is brewing with Ren's side job being found out and the tongue-pierced girl making a comeback, huh. Looking foward to the next chapter.

For some reason the progression of this manga reminds me of "how do we relationship"

ngl she might be a pain in the ass but the height gap it’s hot and i like ren being a top

i just noticed… isn’t ren like really tall? or are her love interests just short? lol

Oh boy