(off topic but FWIW, if you look at the etymology of "groom" in that sense (sexual), the earliest documented use is in the 1980s when homophobia was really, really bad. make of that what you will)

other people have mentioned it, but boundaries are interesting. with misa, io wants her to press them, and they have a mutual agreement (based in trust) that she can. also, their relationship has developed a lot up until this point, and io has been obviously into it and seeking misa out every time. which, then take hase completely ignoring all of io's human boundaries. she takes away io's privacy, agency over her life, and now even her body itself. io never got a say in the first place, so it's no wonder she's terrified.

the almost slap was extremely telling too. like, the way her hand trembled because she had to force herself not to hit this girl? and only because it would damage io as property. i'm excited to see when and how she gets what's coming to her, and io frees herself. misa being protective is great, but for io's sake, i hope she's the one who draws the line in the end.

Re:grooming, I think saying that the manager had no impact on Io is going too far in the other direction. Everything in your life has an impact on everything in your life to some extent. It does seem to me like the manager taught Io to have poor boundaries toward her, as Io is uncomfortable but doesn't seem affronted by the manager coming in in the middle of night. It's like, to Io, that's just something that happens sometimes that you have to deal with, the same as getting caught in bad weather.

Someone also pointed out Io blushing when the manager told her what to do. In the latest chapter, to me Io looks unhappy, but still attracted to the manager. We know Io is aware of her attraction to women and tried seeking out women in various contexts. I don't think it would be going too far to say that the manager may be her first crush, with that lasting however many years as an unrealistic but present feeling.

She also likely intuits on some level that she doesn't feel safe with the manager, which is another reason for her to seek someone else despite finding the manager attractive. The first person you have feelings for can impact what type of traits you find attractive. Misa shares some traits with the manager, but is nicer (taking care of Io when she has a problem rather than blaming her), less pushy, and and less invasive. That makes it very logical for Io to fixate on Misa, as a safer person who has the personality traits Io likes.

I think this could be a catalyst for Io to start to consciously process why the manager was a bad experience and Misa wasn't. I could also see Misa, who is afraid of commitment and doesn't want to act possessive of anyone, telling Io to only listen to her in these situations in order to protect Io. That's what Misa wants anyway, but she would normally be reluctant to say it. Misa is not ridiculous enough to ask for exclusivity and not reciprocate it, so that could be the push she needs to pursue a type of relationship she normally avoids.

PS: I am not saying the manager caused Io to be submissive or masochist, but possibly was the first person to trigger those already present inclinations. And all this may be wrong, of course. We are early in the story.

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 9:35AM

Misa having a normal and well-adjusted reaction to sexual assault this chapter...

....yeah, I cannot say I like this development.

....yeah, I cannot say I like this development.

Yeah I checked out around these chapters. Didn't like the direction at all. The event is terrible as it is but the reactions to it (or lack thereof from everyone involved) are especially weird to me. Don't have a lot of confidence in where it goes.

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 4:36PM

This isn't how I wanted (or, weirdly(?) expected) Io being assaulted to be handled by Misa. Being a lesbian in a hostess club, you'd think she might have an experience or two, personal or otherwise, with being forced to do something sexual with someone - especially when she's a mentor (reluctant or no) for the younger girls. Granted a high class hostess bar like the one she works at probably has good security and strict rules, but when alcohol is involved... well, enough on that part, pure speculation.
In short, the mood whiplash was real for me when we went from Io escaping, Misa (again) miraculously coming across her, and... straight (lol) to humiliation play.

We knew this, but people don’t actually want toxic yuri. The minute you start writing BL drama in a manga for lesbians, here comes the Class S rep to tell you about decency. God forbid you’re a dyke and you want your girlfriend to call you a filthy whore

ah yeah the taxi driver sees the passenger blindfolding another every tuesday anyways, nothing weird

Oh Misa, I was expecting better more empathy of you. :-/

We knew this, but people don’t actually want toxic yuri. The minute you start writing BL drama in a manga for lesbians, here comes the Class S rep to tell you about decency. God forbid you’re a dyke and you want your girlfriend to call you a filthy whore

I think people are more concerned with the sexual assault. I don't think there's much issue with the BDSM otherwise. Jumping right to that after your partner was assaulted is the issue. None of the 3 is really treating that event as seriously as you'd expect, plus she's blaming Io for "allowing" the assault. Is it really Class S to have an issue with all that?

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 6:09PM

Well I don't know why I expected Misa to ask if Io was alright instead of straight up victim blaming her for getting assaulted. What a direction this chapter went.

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 6:08PM

...I don't know about you guys, but I think Misa's just resolving the inherent emotional conflict of the situation (both from Io from having been assaulted and from Misa's jealousy) by giving Io an actually good, consentual sexual experience.

Sure, it's messy. Sure, she didn't ask how Io was. But it fits both of these characters perfectly. I know it can hurt if you've been in a similar situation, but the point of fiction like this is to portray a particular fantasy with a particular set of rules/logic and expectations- and in this case, this chapter fits perfectly with the expectations that have been set.

It's toxic yuri after all.

Well I don't know why I expected Misa to ask if Io was alright instead of straight up victim blaming her for getting assaulted. What a direction this chapter went.

^^^this

Wanting your gf to call you a filthy whore is fine.

Calling your gf a filthy whore right after a rape assault, when you don't know if that's what she wants, and when she doesn't have anywhere to go because her rapist is back in her home and her own parents sold her out to the rapist... that is less fine.

...I don't know about you guys, but I think Misa's just resolving the inherent emotional conflict of the situation (both from Io from having been assaulted and from Misa's jealousy) by giving Io an actually good, consentual sexual experience.

Sure, it's messy. Sure, she didn't ask how Io was. But it fits both of these characters perfectly. I know it can hurt if you've been in a similar situation, but the point of fiction like this is to portray a particular fantasy with a particular set of rules/logic and expectations- and in this case, this chapter fits perfectly with the expectations that have been set.

It's toxic yuri after all.

Hey, it is interesting!!! Plus, I don't wanna compare, but this is nothing compared to, what was it called...Sadistic Beauty Side B? the one with the guys...that's an abuse and rape fest, this is...well, toxic yuri indeed.

everyone wants toxic yuri until it's actually toxic (the problem is that people think a toxic relationship is just consenting adults participating in bdsm. i guess)

Idk yall i genuinely do appreciate the copium and the theorizing on how this could go right but this is looking real bad, I think the visual language here is trying to show what Misa is doing is fucked up, this is some pretty inexcusable shit from a dom. Maybe it’ll all work out, idk, but her stepping on io in the street, putting io up in her underwear on the balcony when she’s a celebrity, both seem like some pretty direct boundary crossing to me.

The only remaining confusion I have is the difference between Misa’s attitude after the phone call and in person. But we shall see.

Interested to see where this will go. I don’t see it going back to the comfy and positive vibe where it was in the foreseeable future. The only thing left to do is buckle your seatbelt or step off at the station, I think, bc it’s about to be hella rough.

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 6:52PM

Count me as one not surprised by this development. Though I am surprised that a chapter came out right after I commented and while I was at my religion's equivalent to church. I also am surprised I read this cursed but engaging comic the same day after reading the comments. I'm not sure what that says about my odds in the after life.

The development does make sense to me though. Neither of them have a frame reference for a healthy, long term relationship. Misa prides herself on "pillow talk and aftercare", but that's different than resolving serious conflicts. Io only knows how to express her affection by being obedient. That brings us to the present situation.

I also think it's obvious Misa is pissed, not because she got cheated on (they never had that kind of agreement), but because Io was passive, Io didn't protect herself, and Misa hadn't done anything to prevent it and couldn't help at all in that moment. She is mad at herself for being powerless. This is her way of staking ownership to make it so Io will only listen to her in these situations. That's more immediately likely to work than giving Io a pep talk about how Io needs to stick up for herself, as Misa is going against many years of conditioning.

Of course it bodes bad / interesting developments in their future relationship. In a way they are each other's firsts, so the yuri toxicity must flow.

I feel like the public foot licking with no glasses is going to make Io lose her job or otherwise have financial impacts on Io, which will leave Misa at the head of a power imbalance as Io's remaining support.

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 8:10PM

Yikes what the fuck Misa. I was so happy with how this chapter was going, with Io standing up for herself, biting Hasa, calling Misa for help and fleeing, and then Misa had to do all that out in the street? What the fuck? I could have had a little bit more patience for it if she at least got Io behind closed doors first, Jesus Christ. Hope Io stands up to her too now. Don't necessarily need to end things but she certainly needs to grab some humanity back here, a little scrap of dignity. Maybe Misa will feel guilty once Io tells her about how thoroughly Hasa has access to her life and control over her circumstances, idk.

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 7:34PM

I also think it's obvious Misa is pissed, not because she got cheated on (they never had that kind of agreement), but because Io was passive, Io didn't protect herself, and Misa hadn't done anything to prevent it and couldn't help at all in that moment. She is mad at herself for being powerless. This is her way of staking ownership to make it so Io will only listen to her in these situations. That's more immediately likely to work than giving Io a pep talk about how Io needs to stick up for herself, as Misa is going against many years of conditioning.

Of course it bodes bad / interesting developments in their future relationship. In a way they are each other's firsts, so the yuri toxicity must flow.

I feel like the public foot licking with no glasses is going to make Io lose her job or otherwise have financial impacts on Io, which will leave Misa at the head of a power imbalance as Io's remaining support.

I can understand how Misa is feeling, but I expected her to have greater self control than this I think. She's been fairly calculated and has a lot of experience from her job with keeping a lid on her emotions. I guess nothing to the extreme degree of this situation though, especially since Io is yeah probably the first lover she's been truly emotionally invested in.

Also they were in a dark alley for the foot licking, but Io ran out of her apartment without her wallet or phone and is currently alienated from her job and family for the moment, which is a more pressing immediate concern probably.

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 10:16PM

I don't see why anyone would have been under the impression that this was a well functioning BDSM relationship with proper boundaries lol

oh em gee...

Why does this author only write unlikeable characters that have no redeeming qualities? The issue with doing that is the ending always acts like it's romantic and ok to be this messed up. Sure people can be crazy and toxic in real life but fiction shouldn't glorify it. Imagine someone that was assaulted reads this. Their biggest take away is if you get assaulted and tell your lover they'll just see you as a cheater. This story feels toxic just for the sake of it.

...I don't know about you guys, but I think Misa's just resolving the inherent emotional conflict of the situation (both from Io from having been assaulted and from Misa's jealousy) by giving Io an actually good, consentual sexual experience.

Sure, it's messy. Sure, she didn't ask how Io was. But it fits both of these characters perfectly. I know it can hurt if you've been in a similar situation, but the point of fiction like this is to portray a particular fantasy with a particular set of rules/logic and expectations- and in this case, this chapter fits perfectly with the expectations that have been set.

It's toxic yuri after all.

Yeah, I remember the first time I saw the Raws for this chapter and thinking the image of Io licking Misa's shoe was very hot. Reading the whole chapter now with a full understanding of the dialogue doesn't change that particular impression.

Edit: Also, I find the choice of words for the title of this chapter interesting. in the Spanish translation they used the word "Traitor", whereas here is "Cheater".

last edited at Oct 13, 2024 8:16PM

@Gabinomicon

I can understand how Misa is feeling, but I expected her to have greater self control than this I think. She's been fairly calculated and has a lot of experience from her job with keeping a lid on her emotions. I guess nothing to the extreme degree of this situation though, especially since Misa is yeah probably the first lover she's been truly emotionally invested in.

Also they were in a dark alley for the foot licking, but Io ran out of her apartment without her wallet or phone and is currently alienated from her job and family for the moment, which is a more pressing immediate concern probably.

It could be that Misa liked someone many years ago before becoming her jaded older self, but to me it appears to at least be her first dom/sub relationship. Both of them seem to have zero connection to the BDSM community and are winging it without proper communication, so this is more logical to me than what a lot of commenters were imagining.

I would also say Misa has also never had good self control when it comes to Io. She starts out by dragging a reluctant Io into a hook up bar, mostly ignores Io looking uncomfortable with her sexual advances (other than telling Io she can leave, but Misa never stops and waits for explicit consent to continue), sees it as "her chance" when Io is so drunk she's almost passed out, and then tries to assault Io in her sleep when she thinks Io is actually passed out.

Misa has a good reputation in the pickup bar, so all of this is likely not her modus operandi. She's calculating except when it comes to Io. She she ignores her judgement in other ways with Io. An example is thinking that she should be uncomfortable with being stalked, then not feeling uncomfortable or trying distance herself from Io.

Also though, it seems like her mood massively improved after receiving the dogeza. I think she is craving the power rush due to feeling powerless before. Therefore she may be getting carried away even beyond what she planned. I predict she will feel bad about some of this afterwards, especially if anyone was watching them in the dark alley.

Edit: @lukhas

Edit: Also, I find the choice of words for the title of this chapter interesting. in the Spanish translation they used the word "Traitor", whereas here is "Cheater".

I didn't realize there was a Spanish translation, but I found it on visortmo. I prefer reading in Spanish when possible and see that there is an 11th chapter, so now I'll be zooming ahead, thank you.

Traitor would make more sense to me to describe how Misa was feeling. Misa doesn't seem to be the type that would assume exclusivity without talking about it, even if she is now wishing she had asked for it.

last edited at Oct 14, 2024 8:48AM

Why does this author only write unlikeable characters that have no redeeming qualities? The issue with doing that is the ending always acts like it's romantic and ok to be this messed up. Sure people can be crazy and toxic in real life but fiction shouldn't glorify it. Imagine someone that was assaulted reads this. Their biggest take away is if you get assaulted and tell your lover they'll just see you as a cheater. This story feels toxic just for the sake of it.

LMAO, sorry what? since when do we need your definition of whats allowed in fiction and whats not? fiction is glorifing? bro! it’s fiction for a reason! so stop reading if you do not like what’s depicting before you go accuse the author of glorifing SA lmao, did you NEVER read a story with awful stuff happening ? fist time reading stories with bad stuff happening ? there is no glorifing because it’s fiction not reality so we can explore stuff that apparently makes you upset it even exist lmao