Never Hollowed By The Stare

Ore no Itoshi no Neet-kun – Shina Suzaka

Chiaki, who is afraid of interacting with other people is a great neet. He wants to change and decides to show a cool part of himself to Naruse Keiichi, who has taken care of him since kindergarten, and decided to actually find a permanent workplace. However, recently, Keiichi’s attitude has been somewhat aloof … !?The start of a love with a strong classmate “Bokuto boyfriend” also included!

I Love Neet-Kun is a hilarious childhood-friends-to-lovers romance between a hapless NEET and a dependable salaryman.

Chiaki, blessed with good looks but cursed with terrible luck at jobs and social interactions, has been cared for by his childhood friend Kei since kindergarten. Secretly in love with Kei, Chiaki tries one job after another in an effort to prove his worth—until he was scouted as a model.

His striking appearance is the only thing going for him and it quickly made him one of the most sought-after faces in the industry. Meanwhile his bond with Kei deepens into something more.

But Chiaki has a predicament: whenever he and Kei get frisky, he gets too excited, leading to premature mishaps that fuel both comedy and embarrassment. His overthinking, daydreaming himbo ways often cause him to blurt out bizarre comments at the worst possible times, creating ridiculous misunderstandings.

The most hilarious scenes are Chiaki’s interactions with Johnson, a fellow model secretly crushing on Chiaki. Distracted by his PME anxieties, Chiaki stares at John’s crotch and makes awkward references to sex—leading John to believe Chiaki is interested.

When John invites him to his room, Chiaki panics and screams for help. Kei swoops in to rescue him, then immediately performs a dogeza apology on Chiaki’s behalf, because Kei knows his man is an idiot and had unwittingly led John on with his spectacularly clueless ways.

He might be an idiot, but Chiaki is endearing, earnest, and utterly devoted to Kei. Kei, in turn, enjoys being Chiaki’s steady anchor and biggest supporter. Taking care of Chiaki is his joy in life. Together, they’re dorky, adorable, and impossible not to root for!

The side story Bokuto Boyfriend is equally intriguing and deserves a full volume. It follows a gay high schooler crushing on a classmate who turns out to be homophobic. He befriends a notorious delinquent who isn’t really delinquent at all.

When the bully targets the boy, the delinquent steps in to defend him. Impressed, the boy asks if the delinquent could ever look at him that way.

I really liked the dynamic here. The delinquent is the strong, stoic type, but is surprisingly quirky. The boy is the friendly, cheerful type who talks while his friend listens. I particularly liked how the mangaka drew the delinquent and his subtle expressions. AND his blush when he thought of the boy that way!!!

P.S.

John is an fabulous character and a good person. Let’s find him a boyfriend soon!

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