Oh, what a treat this was to find.
This manga really surprised me a few times with its mood. At first, it gave off really cold vibes, which made me a bit worried that it's how it would be. It especially fit considering how cheerful Matsuri was. Having this really cold bookstore owner and this cheerful high school girl. Now, that's partially what this story is about of course, but I just expected way more extreme... Uh... Coldness from our current miss Sunflower.
Luckily the mood really warmed up after just a few chapters, which I was glad for. Because this really turned out to be a warm read. The second thing that surprised me was how introspective it was... Introspective? I think that's the right word to use here. I expected a bit more of a typical slice-of-life manga, but instead, I got a very deep and emotional look at some of the characters' backstories and personalities. With the constant back and forth jumps between the past and the present, we can see the same characters in a different light and see how they got shaped to be the way they are "in the present". While I know it'll be a weird comparison, this reminded me a bit of "Haru and Midori". Just... Well... Less heavy? If that make sense? Being done with what's translated, I might re-read that one. Might be I remembered it all wrong.
Now, from what I understand the story is at least 3 volumes ahead of what's available here, but I'll still have to ask (and wait for future updates to get my answer) about how will it go for those two. So far the manga dances around the issue of Matsuri having to move on or going to college and all that. While I wouldn't expect a sad ending, for some reason I wouldn't be surprised to receive a bittersweet ending from this story? Oh well, hopefully, there'll be a good end for those two.