A Side Character's Love Story

by Akane Tamura

Genres: Manga, Romance
Pages: 161
Series: A Side Character's Love Story #7
Rating:

Synopsis:

An incident at the park one evening prompts Tanaka and Irie to consider what it might be like to kiss the person they care for, with their nervous imaginings enough to distract them during their daily routines. It isn't easy to be yourself when you like someone, but the distance between them is closing a little more each day...

When I first read volume 7 of A Side Character’s Love Story, I was a teeny bit impatient with Nobuko’s hesitance and self-doubt — in part because it’s so darn recognisable, and (as the reader) it’s clear that Hiroki is going to be patient with all of it. There were some moments in this volume in particular that just made me cringe a bit…

And then there were also some super sweet moments, particularly as Hiroki and Nobuko take a bit of a step forward. Seven volumes in, they’ve finally kissed!

Another thing I’m appreciating through this reread is that there’s a full cast around them, and they have remarkably separate lives from each other. I wish we saw a little more of that, because sometimes it seems like Nobuko probably hides in her apartment whenever she’s not working or with Hiroki, and every so often we get glimpses of e.g. her friendship with Fumi that really help to round things out. In this volume we also see a little more of Hiroki’s life outside of work and their relationship, albeit only a glimpse.

Rating: 3/5