Usui Shio's become one of my favorite authors, whenever they pop up on my feed is a good time. Hope they don't burn themselves out, though. And this is going to be really interesting. Usui's works have always been really unique in their presentation/take on their subject matter, it was romance up until now, but this will most probably be a lot more sexual in nature, and even this is so incredibly unique and interesting. I feel that the dynamic between the two is going to be incredibly unique as well, I mean, that they start getting closer by discovering each other's deeply-rooted-in-trauma-but-also-sincere fetish is one hell of a thing.
A few other thoughts:
Just on a general level, fucking oof for Komugi there. Like, we do not know the reasons or the person yet, but either case there's absolutely no wonder why she's so deeply traumatized.
I really like how reading Yakou's reaction after the revelation paints her in a completely different light. At first, I really deemed her disgusted and disturbed, but after I feel that she was projecting and almost immediately turned on. Not sure what to think of her just yet, but what she describes feels like some tough shit as well. Infinitely amused by the fact that her decision after everything was to ask for a custom made lewd figurine.
I don't know if that is intentional either from the translators or in the original text, but the fact that Komugi says "I'm heading off" to a choir of headless figurines is fucking comedy gold.
I'll just come out and say it, I really hope the two bang by the end and that it serves as a cathartic second chance for Komugi and the result of an introspective journey for Yakou.
Azuki's first sexual experience that wasbranded "disgusting", and evidently traumatized her. Yakou doesn't look at her or other girls that way. That's pretty ace if you ask me.
I don't know, it definitely seems like she has a sexual urge, with how she got off almost to completion with that figuring. Judging by that and her reaction after, I feel like her case is one of a deeply repressed sexuality that is most definitely caused by some intense trauma. Feels to me like there's gonna be a lot of self-discovery on sexuality from her end in this story. Rereading this sentence made me think that this isn't unlike Komugi herself, so there's gonna be some interesting stuff to come.
(Also: eww, unhygienic. Don't slobber up the Lost+Found unwashed, girl.)
Not gonna lie that page made me both laugh out loud but also "eww" out loud. But also... considering we know where the figurine came from, I don't think it's in particularly poor hygenic conditions. Even as a joke, writing this sentence made me feel unwell lol.
In any case, a really interesting start from an author whose works I very much like in large part because of how unique and interesting they are and I'm looking foward to seeing how things develop. Also hoping they go all the way.