I don't know I had a hard time following the narrative, I guess it will make more sense when all chapters come out, since the latest one doesn't really seem like it's before 'Inviolable Logic'
'Inviolable Logic' is a flashback to just before Nico's graduation. Chronologically it's (probably?) the first chapter in this doujin compilation, but in placement it comes after the other two chapters which have been scanlated so far.
The progression from 'Setting Sun' -> 'Crystal Sugar and Machine Gun' is pretty straightforward, and the connection to the "reservation" Nico made in 'Inviolable Logic' as well. The one aspect I'm still presently unsure about is the "crystal candy" which has been constantly mentioned throughout all the chapters.
(Incidentally, just a tiny bit of trivia about crystal candy which may or may not be common knowledge, but is presented as such in the story: when broken, crystal candies glow in the dark due to an effect called triboluminescence.)
I'm not sure whether it's something from the School Idol game continuity, earlier doujins in this series, or some other source, but the way it's presented in this story, my assumption is that when the three 3rd years in Muse graduated, all of the group members shared out some crystal candy as a memorial present. Because crystal candy doesn't expire, they'd have the opportunity sometime down the road to get together and enjoy the light effects together.
Together with Maki's crystal candy, Nico gave Maki additionally a "reservation" for a key to their future house, claiming she'd come to sweep her off her feet after she became a super idol. And that's basically where the story starts.
I'll admit that the ending to this latest chapter is kinda ambiguous and doesn't seem yet to be necessarily positive. But presumably that's what the final (chronological) chapter is for. Thus far I gotta say I'm enjoying this series really a freakin' lot, and that's because it's actually tackling a scenario of Nico and Maki as adults, out of highschool (with actually realistic familial, social and professional pressures!), and that's not something you can often get with subtext pairings out of anime series.
last edited at Oct 3, 2014 7:23AM