Never Hollowed By The Stare

Strelitzia – Yuitsu

In order to get into the club where Jin, someone he admires, worked at, Tao underwent an interview. Despite being teased by the interviewer, he successfully passed and made it to his first day of work. His mentor was a man named Chika, that very same interviewer. It was then that Chika told him, “You have no sex appeal,” and then began to train him.
Eager to get closer to Jin, Tao dedicated himself to the lessons on how to exude sexual charm.
However, in a twist of fate, it turns out that Chika and Jin were the same person..?

Strelitzia is an idyllic romance between a rookie host and his enigmatic mentor.

Tao is a passionate fan of a veteran host Jin that he gushes about him in his job interview. On his first day at the club, he meets Chika, the interviewer who saw his potential but insists he must learn to exude sex appeal. Their training grows increasingly intimate leaving Tao aroused, though they don’t cross lines.

One day, Chika strikes a familiar pose, and Tao realizes with shock that his mentor is his idol Jin all along. Even more surprising, Chika proposes they start dating.

Tao with his pink hair and big smiles is just bursting with wholesome good cheer, he lights up the room. Even though he is inexperienced, his innocent charm becomes his selling point, winning customers and fellow hosts alike. His whole-hearted admiration for Jin is contagious. Slowly embracing his bi-awakening, he couldn’t believe Jin, a.k.a. Chika, likes him that way.

Chika rarely smiles. He smolders! He is not exactly poker-faced, not that expressive either. The way Chika’s character is drawn, simply gorgeous! With his ikemen aura and quiet intensity, he embodies the legendary host. He woos Tao with a passion that’s direct yet respectful of bounderies. When Tao is with a client, he keeps it professional but you can feel the simmering emotions beneath the surface.

I loved how refreshingly conflict-free this manga is. The only “conflict” is Chika feeling jealous of his old self, the way Tao fanboys over Jin. I’m tickled pink thinking Chika fell for Tao during that gushy interview and just have to have his fun training the new host while he waits for Tao to connect the dots.

The mangaka draws more masculine characters and while I adore the full-face flushes of boyish characters, the barely-there manly blushes have their appeal. These coupled with Tao’s ray of sunshine and endearing vulnerability make for a devastating arrow straight to Chika’s kokoro. Although you couldn’t tell much from his expressions, his feels are unmistakable. It’s absolutely squee-tastic!

Overall, a charming, drama-free tale of admiration, passion, and manly blushes.

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