Tameiki no Haru ni Koi no Natsu – Nobana Saori

Kuniharu Nishio had been in love with his friend ever since high school. He followed his dream of being a stylist, never letting go of these feelings, and while the nature of his work was very accepting when it came to same-sex relationships, he spent his days feeling somewhat gloomy and depressed. That is, until one day, when a new camera assistant named Ruka Nakamine showed up and suddenly confessed his love for Kuniharu. Ruka was very aggressive and annoying to the point that Kuniharu felt that kissing him was the only way to shut him up…

A Sigh In Spring, A Love In Summer is a workplace romance about moving on and letting in.

Kuniharu and Ruka are assistants to a stylist and a photographer, respectively. Upon their accidental first meeting, Ruka loudly declared he was in love with Kuniharu, then pursued him with dogged determination and an abundance of good cheer.

Thing is, Kuniharu is secretly in love with a friend already in a relationship. Ruka’s situation hits too close to home, and knowing how painful one-sided love feels, Kuniharu did everything he could to dissuade the other man. But Ruka will not be deterred and only wants to see Kuniharu smile.

Bless Ruka for his earnestness and relentlessness while keeping his hands to himself. The man’s capacity for optimism and unconditional love is admirable. When he says he only wants to see Kuniharu smile, he really meant it. He’s shorter, more childlike, and the uke, so it was surprising that he’s the older of the two.

Kuniharu took me a while to warm up to. He’s a grumpy ass, but whenever his friend calls or meets him, you can’t help but feel sorry for the guy for his unrequited feelings. The palpable misery and despair can be felt through his subtle shift of expressions or clench fists.

The most important part for me, where Kuniharu’s feelings towards Ruka changed, was done convincingly well, leaving no doubts to the pairing. Quite a feat for Ruka, given how badly Kuniharu was pining for his friend. I was lukewarm with the manga at first, but this part completely won me over!

One-sided love’s a heart-breaking bitch, but the cracks is where sunshine comes in.

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