I share the same sentiments with bender.
How and where the fuck did you guys find this

Amazing work though

I think the mom probably returned to remission from her alcohol dependency.

I think so as well. Explains why Mea so desperately jumped at the opportunity to take care of Aise, she needed to fill the void left by her mother no longer needing her care.

Gosh, I never tired of saying this : Don't have children if you're not ready. This was disturbing asf, but it's even more disturbing that kids like these might actually exist.

This is absolutely horrible. Kudos to the author : This one shot will stay with me for a long time.

I haven't felt this deep since reading Happy Sugar Life. Loved this so much.

This would probably hit even harder if it was a little less over the top, but then it'd be less fun and tbh I don't really like to be hit that hard anyway.
Just the right amount of edge for me. Very nice.

I kind of expected a horror fest for the sake of simple shock value after that opening, but it quickly turned out to be a serious and well crafted story and I was pleasantly surprised. I especially liked the realism with which the characters were portrayed, particularly the main girl. An alcoholic single parent who depends upon her daughter for support through the drunkenness and actively rewards said support with expressions of affection and love, creating a positive feedback for the child. No wonder Mea came to regard her mother's alcoholism as a good thing and felt helpless and abandoned once that positive affirmation was taken away from her.

It is not really a common situation, as most alcoholic parents are physically and psychologically abusive towards their children, creating a negative feedback that would hardly have the kids actively wanting their parents to continue being alcoholics (the mother here is psychologically abusive but in a different way). That being said, if the kind of situation depicted here actually developed, I could absolutely see the child taking on these really messed up sets of values.

The mother never tried talking to Mea, explaining the situation before and after getting clean, and lashed out violently when Mea tried getting her back into her addiction (which was absolutely the wrong thing to do, the child was not really aware of what she was doing and the violent outburst just deepened the feeling of rejection on her part, though I do fully understand how and why the mother snapped under such circumstances). All of which just worsened the situation.

Though, to be fair towards the mother, next to nobody in her place would think "my child might actually like me being an alcoholic because I seriously messed up her values system". I doubt that actual therapists would even pick up on this possibility, let alone the alcoholic themselves. As realistically as the mental development Mea went through is depicted, it is a really uncommon set of circumstances, which is an element I greatly enjoyed. Having this unlikely situation (a strangely non-abusive, or as close to that, alcoholic parent who gives the child positive affirmation through said alcoholism) but then developing it in a detailed and realistic fashion.

All of which made it painfully obvious what would happen when Mea was later paired with Aise, a person in dire need of someone to take care of her due to her injuries. Aise herself was also fairly well fleshed out as a character. I especially liked how the story avoided the cliche of having her being a needy person paired with someone in need of a needy person. She is in definite need of help but she also resents and regrets that and feels bad over it, seeing herself as a burden on others.

In a way, as messed up and unhealthy as both of their perspectives are, I think they are actually better off being together than either of them would be on their own. They are a perfect match, Mea gets someone who genuinely needs her support and, more importantly, will always need her, fulfilling the deep-seated urge in Mea to be needed, while Aise gets someone whom she is absolutely certain wants and even enjoys taking care of her, thus relieving her of the feeling of guilt over being a possible burden on someone else.

As a side note, I liked the detail of Mea exhibiting yandere tendencies but also having a functioning moral feeling as well, as although she pushes Aise down the stairs she also immediately regrets it and understands it was wrong of her to do it.

On another side note, I also liked the art style, I think it actually fits nicely into the mood and themes of the story itself.

Mea might want to do it but I'm not sure she actually enjoys it, as shown on the page where she's helping Aise out of the bathtub and Aise sees Mea's tired expression (which she quickly turns into a smile). That was what ultimately prompted Aise to tell Mea to stop caring for her. So yeah, Mea is gonna have a breakdown sooner or later at that rate. Mea just doesn't know any other way to get close to people than to taking care of them.

I need a cup of tea after that. And an edible...

Hey! X-Japan reference! But, thye should have gone with "Sadistic Desire," or "Crucify My Love,"

Mea might want to do it but I'm not sure she actually enjoys it, as shown on the page where she's helping Aise out of the bathtub and Aise sees Mea's tired expression (which she quickly turns into a smile).

That wasn't Mea, that was her mom.

This is such a mess, but at least they are perfect match. Good ending, I guess.

Mea might want to do it but I'm not sure she actually enjoys it, as shown on the page where she's helping Aise out of the bathtub and Aise sees Mea's tired expression (which she quickly turns into a smile). That was what ultimately prompted Aise to tell Mea to stop caring for her. So yeah, Mea is gonna have a breakdown sooner or later at that rate. Mea just doesn't know any other way to get close to people than to taking care of them.

Could be. To me when I read it the first time it looked more like she was simply struggling with physically supporting Aise (in the bathtub scene) and then Aise reading too much into it (because she already expects everyone around her to feel bothered) rather than Mea feeling drained, but your take would also make a lot of sense.

Edit:

That wasn't Mea, that was her mom.

Nicely spotted, I also thought it was Mea. Different hairstyle and the fact Mea would not be taking care of Aise at her home should have been a dead giveaway, but my brain just completely overlooked it. Then yeah, I stand by my original take regarding the dynamic between Mea and Aise.

last edited at Oct 3, 2022 5:21PM

In a way, as messed up and unhealthy as both of their perspectives are, I think they are actually better off being together than either of them would be on their own.

Nah.

They are a perfect match, Mea gets someone who genuinely needs her support and, more importantly, will always need her, fulfilling the deep-seated urge in Mea to be needed, while Aise gets someone whom she is absolutely certain wants and even enjoys taking care of her, thus relieving her of the feeling of guilt over being a possible burden on someone else.

That's all well and good, if you reduce their identity down to exactly one trait. But humans aren't just one trait. If other aspects of their personalities clash, they might break up later. Assuming that Mea doesn't outright kill her when that time comes, they'll still be in an even worse position than they are now, having fully reinforced each other's unhealthy mentality rather than addressing it.

I can't see this as a happy ending at all.

Honestly, I don't really see a future where they break up (unless one or both of them recovers from their issues). They each fulfill the other's most fundamental desire. They're not going to break up because their personalities clash. Aise will probably just go along with whatever Mea wants to do anyway.

I wouldn't exactly call this a happy ending either, but they are both still in therapy, and they're better off together than they were apart. That's a lot more positive than most works in the "fucked-up romance" genre.

Mea might want to do it but I'm not sure she actually enjoys it, as shown on the page where she's helping Aise out of the bathtub and Aise sees Mea's tired expression (which she quickly turns into a smile). That was what ultimately prompted Aise to tell Mea to stop caring for her. So yeah, Mea is gonna have a breakdown sooner or later at that rate. Mea just doesn't know any other way to get close to people than to taking care of them.

Could be. To me when I read it the first time it looked more like she was simply struggling with physically supporting Aise (in the bathtub scene) and then Aise reading too much into it (because she already expects everyone around her to feel bothered) rather than Mea feeling drained, but your take would also make a lot of sense.

Edit:

That wasn't Mea, that was her mom.

Nicely spotted, I also thought it was Mea. Different hairstyle and the fact Mea would not be taking care of Aise at her home should have been a dead giveaway, but my brain just completely overlooked it. Then yeah, I stand by my original take regarding the dynamic between Mea and Aise.

I assumed it's sorta a special facility and they are living there, as seen during lunch time it's only the two of them, it's probably a two people class. So it would make sense for Mea taking over all of Aise's schedule, and the hair lenght fits Mea without her hairclips (since it was near bedtime)

Edit:

But being her mom looks more likely after I reread it, since she's then seeing sleeping on the table so it hints to it being a regular house instead of an room/apartment.

last edited at Oct 3, 2022 5:42PM

they're better off together than they were apart

I believe this isn't true because their relationship is predicated on reinforcing rather than healing their problems. I think it's basically going to nullify the therapy; therapy isn't some magic cure-all for mental health. To begin with, they'd have to want to change, to make effort towards overcoming their problems, and that's not going to be the case while their 'needs' are fulfilled in this manner. Mea especially seems like she's prone to becoming more and more yandere from getting positive reinforcement for helping.

last edited at Oct 3, 2022 5:59PM

That's all well and good, if you reduce their identity down to exactly one trait. But humans aren't just one trait. If other aspects of their personalities clash, they might break up later.

The complementing issues they have are far more than "exactly one trait", so you are actually the one being reductive here.

Assuming that Mea doesn't outright kill her when that time comes, they'll still be in an even worse position than they are now, having fully reinforced each other's unhealthy mentality rather than addressing it.

As someone commented elsewhere, Mea immediately regretting her actions at the end when she pushed Aise down the stairs shows that she is an actual person with issues rather than just a stereotypical manga psychopath. I can not see her killing anyone here.

It is true that they are reinforcing each other's unhealthy mentalities, but I still maintain: they are better off together than they would be on their own. Neither is shown to open up to other people and Aise in particular would have been likely to commit suicide in the near future if not for finding support in Mea.

I can't see this as a happy ending at all.

Never said it was a happy ending.

All's well that ends well eh?
I fucking love this type of manga. Also the art is amazing.

I assumed it's sorta a special facility and they are living there, as seen during lunch time it's only the two of them, it's probably a two people class. So it would make sense for Mea taking over all of Aise's schedule, and the hair lenght fits Mea without her hairclips (since it was near bedtime)

Edit:

But being her mom looks more likely after I reread it, since she's then seeing sleeping on the table so it hints to it being a regular house instead of an room/apartment.

Also keep in mind that the counsellor who assigns Mea to help Aise says that Mea "always arrives at school so early in the morning", which means that even if it is a school for kids with special needs said kids seem to commute there from home. The credit page also has the counsellor's ID card singled out and it seems to say it is a middle school, without any mention of it being a special facility.

Cuter than expected with such concerning tags, but very concerned for these girls.

they're better off together than they were apart

I think this isn't true, because their relationship is predicated on reinforcing rather than healing their problems. I think it's basically going to nullify the therapy; therapy isn't some magic cure-all for mental health. To begin with, they'd have to want to change, to make effort towards overcoming their problems, and that's not going to be the case while their 'needs' are fulfilled in this manner. Mea especially seems like she's prone to becoming more and more yandere from getting positive reinforcement for helping.

On the surface this is true, but at the same time you are putting a lot of stock into said therapy, even though we were not shown that it had any noticeable effect whatsoever. Because you are right, therapy is not a magical cure and sometimes it fails completely despite the best efforts.

This is a fictional story and as such must pick and choose the elements it will display, and it will generally display only those elements which are relevant, especially if it is a short story (as it has far fewer pages to play with and must make good use of each one if the writer is any good, and I think this writer is). If therapy was a viable alternative for these two specific individuals, we would have seen it presented in the story itself.

they're better off together than they were apart

I believe this isn't true because their relationship is predicated on reinforcing rather than healing their problems. I think it's basically going to nullify the therapy; therapy isn't some magic cure-all for mental health. To begin with, they'd have to want to change, to make effort towards overcoming their problems, and that's not going to be the case while their 'needs' are fulfilled in this manner. Mea especially seems like she's prone to becoming more and more yandere from getting positive reinforcement for helping.

Best case scenario is obviously them overcoming their problems, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Before they met each other they were, if anything, spiralling deeper, especially Aise who seems to have been heading straight for suicide before meeting Mea. So I do think they are better off together because, as portrayed in the manga, the alternative is not better mental health, it's having the same self-destructive tendencies while also being alone.

at first I thought that the wheelchair-girl was just in the hospital for a very long time and missed a lot of school (because of the writing and the mistakes), but it could also be that she got brain damage from the accident, or went into a coma and therefore had to relearn everything.
I wonder if the accident was recent or not.
If it was recent, maybe both of them can recover together, because the wheelchair-girl would need less and less help, and the other girl could slowly get used to the situation.
but the whole story could also turn out to be something like "stephen kings misery" where the caregiver sabotages the recovery....

by the way, if you want to help someone in a wheelchair, you should ask first! people tend to help without asking, but many wheelchair users don't like that.

In a way, as messed up and unhealthy as both of their perspectives are, I think they are actually better off being together than either of them would be on their own. They are a perfect match, Mea gets someone who genuinely needs her support and, more importantly, will always need her, fulfilling the deep-seated urge in Mea to be needed, while Aise gets someone whom she is absolutely certain wants and even enjoys taking care of her, thus relieving her of the feeling of guilt over being a possible burden on someone else.

I disagree. They are clearly getting into an abusive relationship, as is demonstrated by Mea throwing Aise down the stairs the moment she feels rejected. Mea regretting it and apologizing is the exact same reaction many abusive people display after being violent towards their partner. It is a mistake to think that this makes them any more of a better partner than if they didn't apologize at all, and it's part of what's keeping many women/people into abusive relationships with the delusion that their partner will do better next time because they love them. Mea is clearly a dangerous person that is in no way fit to take care of anyone, and would undoubtedly stifle any and all autonomous actions Aise might ever want to take (she doesn't even let her eat on her own!). Mea's perception of Aise is extremely distorted. It's like she doesn't even see her as a person, but as some humanoid doll that she needs to take care of.

last edited at Oct 3, 2022 6:22PM

I assumed it's sorta a special facility and they are living there, as seen during lunch time it's only the two of them, it's probably a two people class. So it would make sense for Mea taking over all of Aise's schedule, and the hair lenght fits Mea without her hairclips (since it was near bedtime)

Edit:

But being her mom looks more likely after I reread it, since she's then seeing sleeping on the table so it hints to it being a regular house instead of an room/apartment.

Also keep in mind that the counsellor who assigns Mea to help Aise says that Mea "always arrives at school so early in the morning", which means that even if it is a school for kids with special needs said kids seem to commute there from home. The credit page also has the counsellor's ID card singled out and it seems to say it is a middle school, without any mention of it being a special facility.

Yep, totally overlooked that. Well that's why I like to read the comments so I can see if I missed something. But it'd certainly help if the mangaka decided to draw the mom with more uniques features, but then again that rough artstyle is part of the charm.

On the surface this is true, but at the same time you are putting a lot of stock into said therapy, even though we were not shown that it had any noticeable effect whatsoever. Because you are right, therapy is not a magical cure and sometimes it fails completely despite the best efforts.

Perhaps Mea may or may not be a lost cause (although she could just as well need more time), but Aise just transferred in. From context, I'm inferring this isn't a normal school transfer; the counseling room is an actual full-fledged classroom where they study together, something which isn't the norm (as far as I know). I think it's a little soon to write off therapy for Aise.

Neither is shown to open up to other people and Aise in particular would have been likely to commit suicide in the near future if not for finding support in Mea.

especially Aise who seems to have been heading straight for suicide before meeting Mea.

I can buy that Aise would have attempted suicide, but I doubt she would have been successful. Take it from me, committing suicide is not easy. The fact that she reflexively saved herself on the stairs even while thinking that she should die shows that deep down, she still has the will to live, something which is not conducive to committing suicide successfully.

If we think Aise is prone to suicidal ideation, that's all the more reason for her to try getting real help first before committing to absolute co-dependency with a girl who just shoved her down the stairs. I've been there, done that (sans the stair pushing), and it is not a good idea.

Never said it was a happy ending.

Okay, let me rephrase. I think this is the polar opposite of a happy ending: it's the beginning of a tragedy. A fascinating short story, but my takeaway is definitely not "they're better off together". I'm left hoping that Aise somehow gets the love and support she actually needs in the future and not the kind of 'love' of somebody who is basically fetishising her disability.

last edited at Oct 3, 2022 6:27PM