Oh, this is fun! Thanks for the translator's note on "babe", that really is a dilemma...

I thought that was cute! I'll always understand best friends afraid of admitting romantic feelings and changing everything, even if it went perfectly and there was no homophobia and feelings were returned. It's not each individual author's fault it's so universal and a million other people have done it before.

I'd love a really good Aerith X Tifa manga or fic but this wasn't it, for me.
Didn't like the plot, the characterisations were totally unlike them, and I didnt even like the art much sigh.

There was an amazing big fan fic that paired them up but ive not seen it for like 20yr and no idea what it was called.
It started after ff7 and told in some flash backs how they fell in love during the game, and then in present day how Tifa brings her back out of the lifestream. It was the only really great fic of them - wish I still had it.

It wasn't https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3038434/1/Love-Not-Often ?

Awww, an anthology?? That was such a good start that could have gone so many places.

It was beautiful, I thought it was going to be dense and abstruse at first, but it fleshed out its world and characters so well. The humor, the feelings, the ending.

Wow, the art's utterly gorgeous. Thanks for the chapter, the text looked so pretty too!

Ah, that made me genuinely cry. Really liked the use of "grace" for Iris in the translation at the end.

The maids were funny and won me over at the start.

Kinda ship the mom and her assistant or the tutor or whatever she is.

Thanks for the scanlation!

Enjoyed these a lot! Thank you!

Just want to say I love the older version's design for Micchu

I liked this a lot! Lengthy, great art and action, and an intriguing little mystery. I suppose in that amount of time, it couldn't have been anyone else.

Also, lol, I'd love for this Reimu to fall for Yukari, the most yokai of yokai.

I had such a huge grin reading this

Mio and Shizuka chapters feel like their own genre at this point. So much admiration for the author's ability to skip between various moods and tones.

Aww, I really liked this. At first I was a little wary of this half French fairy girl who was obviously going to be the exception and catch MC's interest but I thought it'd happen by her being just that different and special in a very shallow way, not being kind of a brat with no filter. And even better, she's liked the MC the whole time, from before the prince transformation.

And for real, so gross of that senpai who was just playing with the MC at the start.

Aw, I didn't realize till now it was on hiatus. Obviously a bit sad for us but at the same, if that's how the author felt, much better to put it on a pause then force it.

Only speculating, I know very little about the behind the scenes, but I wonder if it's a combination of what various people commented on above, about the pacing, about how it actually seemed like progress was finally being made, and I wonder if the pressure of landing what has actually become a very well-done slow burn was getting to the author. You only get that chance once, maybe it just was tough getting it just right.

check out the artist on twitter and pixiv~! they post so much good art especially yukarei

Oh, good call, there's some gorgeous art here.

Oh, I thought it'd be straightforward nun romance, then I thought the nun was gonna betray her, so for surprising me twice and actually seeding the twist about the sword being fake earlier, this has my interest.

That's not how I interpret it. Kei-chan liked her back, but left to Tokyo for college. Then they reunite years later.

I agree with you, because later on they didn't only kiss again once but twice again. That felt like the love was conveyed. And then yeah, off to go do adulting. I'm confident that they'll get back together, although poor girl at the festival with Nao. She genuinely looked happy to be there with Nao.

Yeah she was saying ‘dont launch any’ or something about the fireworks but looks like they did anyway so seems like she’s jumpin back on that ship. Poor girl

I thought she said that she sees the fireworks anyway so it's not clear if they launched or that was just her vision of Kei.

I feel like that's her going to herself "please don't feel the same feelings as before" but, she did.

I typed up the prologue narration, additional comments are my interpretation, and it gives a pretty clean throughline:

My first love was like fireworks. sees Kei-chan backlit by fireworks
I remember fireworks going off in the opposite direction of where I had fallen in love.
That night, Kei-chan was pissed [because of the boy who was teasing me].
For me, it felt like that geta, lost in the woods back there, had already filled its purpose [of getting Kei-chan's protective attention and revealing my feelings to me].
It was only the fractured rhythm of the fireworks, and the sound of frogs in the rice fields, plus the sound of my heart's yearning, that I was listening to [and not fireworks?]
~ jump to the train station where they're playing the game
It was the final winter of high school when I stole her first kiss.
The lights of a passing train reflected in her eyes made me remember those flickering fireworks.
From the beginning, till the end [I see fireworks with her].
~ Kei-chan leaving for university
Since then, I haven't gone to see the fireworks.
But this year, I thought "What the heck".
As long as I can hold this girl's hand...
Or so I thought.
sees Kei-chan
It's so strange. It's not like I hear fireworks...
But whenever I look at her... sees fireworks behind older super hot Kei-chan
"I'm begging you..." (Kobayashi dialogue)
Don't launch any.

The only thing left up in the air is what Kei-chan feels in the present, but it's not a straight rejection and even rather optimistic, if we take that page 24 extra to mean that at some point they WERE a thing. Kei will beat up boys for Kobayashi and can't resist her when it comes to doing what she wants. I mean, she left for university but came back...

last edited at Sep 26, 2022 9:02PM

Anyone got a good theory on why she suddenly retreated after retrieving the cake? Basically, what is the "what a shame" x 3 about?

I think she experienced a little gay panic there. She didn’t feel a certain way when she brushed the dark haired girl’s (can’t remember her name right now) back but her mood shifted when it was done to her. You can tell in her eyes during those 3 panels. I think she actually felt a little nervous which would be atypical from her usual gregarious nature that’s been shown. She definitely has a crush since she said she already missed her after leaving the girl even though she didn’t know her.

I think the “what a shame” part represented how she wants to get to know the dark haired girl but she’s leaving in 2 months. There’s not enough time so it’s “a shame”. That’s my interpretation at least.

I'd agree with her retreating because she experienced something real and unexpected and realizing the barista'd be gone soon. The "What a shame" is mimicking the owner when he was also sad that someone so talented would be leaving in a bit: https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/lass_ch03#4

This writer's so good with the humor and dialogue but also the silent panels that just speak for themselves.

Gorgeous art aside, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, dreamy manic pixie girls who're weird for the sake of it kind of annoy me, but the humor and personality in the meeting with the two boys and the Awakening in the second chapter has me hooked. And that really is a beautiful scene above.

wow didnt expect that ending because some of Sal Jiang's work is absolutely brutal.

Yeah, I was definitely afraid we'd get a "Oh, wow, I'm so happy I got to see you again, Kaori! Anyway, meet my girlfriend..."

OMG same. So glad I was wrong.

Also same lol. Up until that hug and declaration of (persisting) love I could not relax

Lol, same, I thought she was going to be like, meet my wife and daughter, having FULLY moved on with no way back and Kaori'd just have to swallow her feelings. FULLY and happy it ended this way, my shoulders were starting to hunch from the tension as it was winding down, lol.

Loving the art, the setup, the drama, and adults? Immediately very interested.

That's so romantic and dreamy

Always appreciate these but I like the hot sexy overwhelming one this time is a bit less overwhelming

Gosh, loved that! Two interesting and vivid girls each seeing the one thing they held precious in the other immediately AND an epilogue to cap off the mild angst? Lovely.

Thanks for the upload! It was a beautiful work in every way.