wtf?? since when chaptwr 8.5 is an clear and on the face that Zhang is DEFENTLY GAY! stop projecting because ther was no one drop of clear indication she is gay or anything, it’s like beting the supposed straight character to be secretly in the closet were that trope has been doen to death in the yuri gener,

but the chapter itself has you so delusionade that you for sure 100% know she is gay??? what?

First, I didn't say "definitely gay" or "100% gay," I said "increasingly interested." That isn't even subtext, that's just there.

Chapter 8.5 starts with Zhang blushing and freaking out because Dai is looking for her, visibly excited. She then has a serious mood crash when she realizes she said something that might have made Dai feel bad. Then the last little bit makes it clear that Zhang helped with the students specifically to help out Dai. (The last line on that first page also makes it clear that she did so for personal reasons.)

When you put this in the context of the original scenes, those scenes often left things ambiguous as to whether Zhang was conscious of Dai and her feelings, or if she was oblivious. 8.5 shows her perspective in those moments and shows that not only was she not oblivious, she was in full gay panic mode.

This context, paired with the fact that she keeps acting to help out Zhang (with the billboard, with the prinicpal, with the students, etc) shows a clear signs of a crush. The larger context of the series (and, y'know, the title is clearly painting Zhang as somebody who is in a loveless engagement. Her awareness of and interest in Dai is not well hidden from the reader. It's all over the place. She wants to sit with her, she wants her to come looking for her, she keeps finding ways to help her out, she wants to get invited to the hot springs with her....The writing is on the wall. Your inability to read it is your problem.

Edit: Oh, but I will make a bold, crazy prediction now: Zhang is definitely, 100% gay. She is into Dai Yi, she is in a betrothal with her gay male friend because they want to put up a front for their families because Chinese culture is unforgiving on this topic. There are lots of clear indications of this, and have been for awhile, but it's going to get significantly more obvious in the next couple of chapters.

last edited at Jun 25, 2022 8:47PM

Is anyone really reading this and not expecting Zhang to be gay/bi? It's a yuri romcom; it's the whole point. It's like popping in Jurassic Park and wondering why all these big lizards keep showing up.

EDIT: And for what it's worth, I agree with the analysis that Zhang is nursing a crush on Dai Yi. Whether she realizes it or not, she's clearly preoccupied with her in a way that goes beyond just senior-junior dynamics.

last edited at Jun 26, 2022 7:41PM

Her awareness of and interest in Dai is not well hidden from the reader. It's all over the place. She wants to sit with her, she wants her to come looking for her, she keeps finding ways to help her out, she wants to get invited to the hot springs with her....The writing is on the wall. Your inability to read it is your problem.

Edit: Oh, but I will make a bold, crazy prediction now: Zhang is definitely, 100% gay. She is into Dai Yi.

In my case, I have no questions about whether Zhang Guo is gay (since it never crossed my mind to doubt Dai Yi's gaydar) but I do wonder when and why did she start crushing on Dai Yi.

I remember that at first she didn't seem to be into Dai Yi at all, but then she suddenly started acting like she's romantically interested in her and I can't recall how the transition worked at all.

Maybe I should reread from the beginning...