I really don't think Ayaka won't end up with Hiroko because...it's in the title, but maybe someone will appear and Risa can have another shot at love!

I think the definition of an idiot is Hiroko. They really are an idiot couple.

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU

DENSE MOTHERFUCKER

Trust me, I've been around this block hundreds, maybe thousands of times, in yuri and het, and she has no chance.

There's always that one story that bucks narrative convention. Is this one going to be it ... ?

... no way in hell.

But it could be.

Really not.

But just maybe.

Tbf, after seeing the whole scene with Hiroko at the meeting with the other managers, I can understand why she doesn’t want to be out about this. I mean despite her being the most valuable worker and core of her team, those old dudes were still trying to encourage her to quit, get married, and have kids bc she’s a woman, with like only one of them disagreeing. If they already subconsciously discriminate against her now, it’d probably get worst in the future if they knew she was a Lesbian, the work field is brutal and sometimes it things like that that could be the start for them to actively replace her.

Yeap. Good point. Would likely be a lot worse and she knows it. I'd actually forgotten about that chapter.

last edited at Jun 15, 2023 4:37PM

FLIPS TABLE

Even if this is not the outcome we wished, this rejection was very good, honest and on point, not playing with feelings and stuff. Hiroko needs to work it out with herself, but eventually she will

I felt some intense anger flaring up in me after reading this chapter but then thought about my own journey coming out and how difficult it is to do that day in and day out. I guess she goes for one night stands because that's easier to sweep under the rug - commitment, at least to Hiroko, means you have to be open about the relationship, and she feels she'd be doing Ayaka a disservice...man this is some good yuri

This is exactly what I hoped all this was leading to. It's pretty sad but that's what it is. Hiroko doesn't want to date Ayaka whether she knows she loves her or not.
Of course I don't think in Japan you can be out at a company like that lol so it's a bit self explanatory that they wouldn't be out if they dated so idk it felt a bit like a dumb excuse. The age gap thing with her being her superior on top seems way more of an issue and I'm a bit disappointed she didn't mention it to Ayaka but maybe that would've been a bit too devastating. The rejection was very sound though and realistic. I think that's one of the most realistic stories I've read in this regard, except probably Octave and some other I'm forgetting.
I don't know how Hiroko can plausibly change her mind now though. I mean Hiroko doesn't really like Ayaka, does she? She only finds her hot or cute? At least it seems like it. Maybe she'll magically realize she likes her lol... idk
About Risa, it'd be fine to have her and Ayaka end up together as a twist if she had more "screen time" but as it stands she doesn't have a lot of depth to her imho. Sure, she's great but it's like she barely has any flaws and the only thing we know about her is that she's nice and likes Ayaka. I don't think from a storytelling point of view it would make sense because of the character arcs... unlesssss somehow Hiroko and Ayaka dated and broke up, Ayaka realizing Hiroko isn't the one for her and Hiroko realizing she can be proud of who she loves despite the break up? Is that what you all want? Gosh XD idk, I like Hiroko. She's terrible but I can see the appeal lol. She's emotionally repressed and needs to be taken care of lol. Toxic attraction pattern? Yes. That's the best story lol.

I swear to Yuri Christ I am going to slap this bitch

This is exactly what I hoped all this was leading to. It's pretty sad but that's what it is. Hiroko doesn't want to date Ayaka whether she knows she loves her or not.
Of course I don't think in Japan you can be out at a company like that lol so it's a bit self explanatory that they wouldn't be out if they dated so idk it felt a bit like a dumb excuse. The age gap thing with her being her superior on top seems way more of an issue and I'm a bit disappointed she didn't mention it to Ayaka but maybe that would've been a bit too devastating. The rejection was very sound though and realistic. I think that's one of the most realistic stories I've read in this regard, except probably Octave and some other I'm forgetting.
I don't know how Hiroko can plausibly change her mind now though. I mean Hiroko doesn't really like Ayaka, does she? She only finds her hot or cute? At least it seems like it. Maybe she'll magically realize she likes her lol... idk
About Risa, it'd be fine to have her and Ayaka end up together as a twist if she had more "screen time" but as it stands she doesn't have a lot of depth to her imho. Sure, she's great but it's like she barely has any flaws and the only thing we know about her is that she's nice and likes Ayaka. I don't think from a storytelling point of view it would make sense because of the character arcs... unlesssss somehow Hiroko and Ayaka dated and broke up, Ayaka realizing Hiroko isn't the one for her and Hiroko realizing she can be proud of who she loves despite the break up? Is that what you all want? Gosh XD idk, I like Hiroko. She's terrible but I can see the appeal lol. She's emotionally repressed and needs to be taken care of lol. Toxic attraction pattern? Yes. That's the best story lol.

HEY, I'd love that, they dating, then breaking up, then Hiroko being proud of herself and then Ayaka finding love with a college lady or something, yesssss!! But I doubt it'll happen. I also don't dislike Hiroko, plenty of people can be that way.

STAN

RISA

See, now THAT is the sort of thing I expected in the first place: a bit of honest connection in shared vulnerability! Even if the clear rejection wasn't on my bingo card. And the narration turns out to be critical of the same reflex I was, good.

I fully expect Ayaka will, of course, not accept this and probably drop something about how "but you're not happy!" But Hiroko did something respectable this chapter and I acknowledge that even if I think she's kind of a fool.

Finish misurstanding, now problem someone else

FINALLY HIROKO IS ACTING LIKE AN ADULT!!! As soon as she got put in her place by Risa, she gave Ayaka a straightforward answer that she cannot be with her even if she wanted, and I don't think it's just because of homophobic backlash. I think she's seriously considering the lack of maturity between Ayaka and her, as well as her own immaturity in relationships. Hiroko is such a well-done character, I wanna shake and slap her but this is done so well it has made me a fan of Sal Jiang's work in a way that Black & White didn't.

Love how this manga has gone from a how-far-can-we-push-this-one-joke comic (which I thoroughly enjoyed, btw) to a complex comic with complicated characters dealing with complicated issues. Hope the mangaka can continue keeping the quality high.

And I'm on Team Hiroko now more than ever. I hope she figures out some way to achieve career and personal happiness.

GO RISA GO

This kind of development should have happened 5 chapters ago. It's amazing they thought they could keep that charade going for as long as it did without the readers getting frustrated.

Imagine if Risa wasn't in this manga. Like,, just imagine how long would it have taken to get to this point?

Imagine if Risa wasn't in this manga. Like,, just imagine how long would it have taken to get to this point?

Exactly 45 chapters

I hate that I often root for the childhood friend - it feels like Risa ended up in the Dark Souls version of yuri and the title doesn't help. But I still don't want Hiroko to end up with Ayaka. She did something good for once, but she is her boss, way older, knows nothing about her and can't deal with serious relationships. Ayaka should just meet some new people and maybe consider Risa as a decent choice after she got over her crush. These are well-written characters, so I hope we can avoid this old "buuuut I have to get together with my first love, there is nobody else and I will die as a nun otherwise" yuri (?) / romance trope.

FLIPS TABLE

sets this table up
FLIPS SAME TABLE

last edited at Jun 15, 2023 9:25PM

She sacrificed her own love to punch right through the densest skull since the average male harem main proagonist,and that resulted in the sacrifice not being a sacrifice,and now her threats of not playing nice have a legitimate chance.

Risa deserves to get the gold,but is that how it will turn out?...

Hiroko's hinting at Risa so is Ayaka going to end up with Risa!? Love triangle trope finally subverted?

About Risa, it'd be fine to have her and Ayaka end up together as a twist if she had more "screen time" but as it stands she doesn't have a lot of depth to her imho. Sure, she's great but it's like she barely has any flaws and the only thing we know about her is that she's nice and likes Ayaka. I don't think from a storytelling point of view it would make sense because of the character arcs...

If Ayaka ends up noticing Risa that way, that will be the finale chapter of this story of Ayaka being in love with Hiroko. All Ayaka needs to do at present is to accept the rejection; and move on and have her fall in love when she least expected it.

last edited at Jun 15, 2023 10:26PM

Let me give y'all a simple parallel. This manga is Liberty. Hiroko is Liz. Ayaka is Maki. Who will Maki end up with? Liz. Who will Ayaka end up with? Hiroko. There's no discussing it because this is what we signed up for and the Japanese aren't really into suspense or surprises.

We knew from the start that the main couples are Liz x Maki and Hiroko x Ayaka. No matter what, after a long rocky road full of conflict, angst and misunderstandings, the main couples will achieve lovey dovey bliss and that's that.

A great deal of people will be very angry when this happens because Liz and Hiroko, even tho they're thought-provoking characters, are not popular with the readers. Many will claim that Maki deserves better than Liz and Ayaka deserves better than Hiroko. Well, that might be true, but as Blastaar said, "Deserve's got nothing to do with it." I for one read fiction for the interesting stories rather than for lessons of fictional justice served to the fictionally deserving.

last edited at Jun 21, 2023 3:45PM