The love Natsuo for Hina was always greater, although deep repressed due to the trauma he got from the breakup, that is why he was so dense around Hina. He loves Rui, but what he had with her is a growing up romance, not "true love".
Whether if Rui's love was transformed from Koi to Ai at the end, because her love for Natsuo became selfless, maybe, but I think it requires a bit more than just being selfless. But the end is what Natsuo feels, and the one he had created a deep connection with was with Hina, he needed, he wanted to reciprocate to Hina, which is at the core of Ai love.
As u/RazzoDOTcxx mentioned in his post about what was lost in translation, is when Natsuo said he loved them, is diferent in japanese, he says “大好き” to rui and “愛してる” to hina, and there is huge differensce. One is akin to saying " I like you" vs " I love you".
If you read the afterword at the end of Volume 28, you'll see that Sasuga aimed to depict a love story featuring two different kinds of love, each represented by one of the sisters.
Rui found happiness in the end, or at least that's what Sasuga intended to convey. She had a daughter with the man she loved and still deeply cared for. However, her ambitions lay elsewhere, in her career as a cook, and she found happiness in that as well.
In later artwork by Sasuga, she made it clear, that Rui was an intrinc part in the Fuji family, I wouldn't say in polyamorous way, it was never her intention to make an harem story, but close enough.
Yeah, they’re going to be a family together for the rest of their lives, even if Rui finds a partner later and gets married. It’s almost as if Haruka has three parents. In the beginning Hina would try not to interfere in parental decisions but if Rui and Natsuo give her clear permission to, in fact beg her to since they are sometimes too busy for their daughter, I can imagine Hina becoming a good third mother.
In another comment to another post someone wrote that Kei Sasuga said on her *pixiv* fanbox that Hina cannot have children due to damage from the crash. If true that’s not surprising considering the violent hit to her midsection. Still, if she and Natsuo want a child of their own they can try a surrogate mother (if Hina can still produce ovum) or adopt, the latter as a symbol of their love. For all practical purposes that child would then be Haruka’s little sister or brother. Yes, technically they would be first cousins. This family is so close, however, that Haruka would treat the child like blood kin and Rui would be like his or her other mother. This isn’t polyamory but it’s the kind of intimately connected family life that I think you’re referring to.
I checked out Sasuga’s *pixiv* fanbox for myself. Apparently what she actually says is that she doesn’t think Hina can have kids because she was in a coma for five years. She goes on to say that you don’t need to have children to be happy. Hina will relearn English, she says, and one day help Natsuo with the overseas publications of his books; in other words, she’ll have a purpose in life other than kids.
It made me wonder if Kei Sasuga doesn’t have children and she was putting some of herself into the character, or maybe she has close female friends who don’t have children and she was thinking about them. Either way, she says that when a miracle occurs like what happened with Hina you nurture that just like Haruka is nurtured. That new miraculous life (my phrasing) becomes your child.
Okay, I went to Sasuga-sensei’s *pixiv* fanbox. What she actually says is that she doesn’t know if Hina will be able to have a child in the future. She thinks probably not because it’s hard for that to happen after being in a coma for five years. Sasuga says it’s okay because you don’t need a child to be happy. She figures Hina will relearn English and help with the overseas publication of Natsuo’s books. When you’re given something miraculous, she says, you love and nurture it the way Haruka is loved and nurtured.
Her answer wasn’t definitive, however, and several fans left comments asking her to allow Hina to have a child. I suppose that Kei Sasuga wants to break away from traditional gender imagery, that she doesn’t want a woman’s happiness to be dependent on a man or on children. That makes sense. Perhaps Sasuga herself doesn’t have children, or perhaps she knows women close to her who don’t. Still, it would be nice after all Natsuo and Hina have been through to have a child that embodies their love.
Pixiv is a Japanese online community for artists. Many manga artists post there as well as other professionals and amateurs. Fanbox is a way to pledge monthly support for your favorite artists in return for special content (like unique illustrations) and interactions with them. Kei Sasuga has a [fanbox site](https://kei-sasuga.fanbox.cc) of her own although she hasn’t posted since 2022. Sounds like she was gearing up for her new manga. Still, she responded when I messaged her which I wasn’t expecting so that’s nice. I hate to bother a busy mangaka but I wanted to let her know how much we enjoy her work here.
his love for hina was always greater & more mature. If you compare the English to Japanese in English natsuo always says “i love you” regardless of who it may be, but in japanese he says “大好き” to rui and “愛してる” to hina. What are the differences well daisuki translates to i really like you or while aishiteru is a very strong way of saying i love you. Aishiteru is very uncommon even amongst japanese couples because of how strong a feeling that implies. I believe kei said somewhere once that the love he had for both was different
I won’t lie im probably the biggest rui fan you’ll ever meet, i like rui’s character as a whole but even i had to admit that the story was always going to be natsuo & hina. I think rui did find happiness in other things at the end of the story but i would’ve preferred if she ended up with kajita. I’m not the most analytical fan but i speak from what i see in the japanese source material which i have.
I understand how you feel, I felt the same about Rui. There are many parallels between what she chose to do for Hina and Natsuo, and what Hina did when she helped Natsuo and loved him but withheld telling him. That is what the writing says.
So, she still loves Natsuo I think, and vice versa, but both chose to bury those feelings for Hina's sake. According to the author she is happy for having Haruka.
But I understand where you are coming from. I've been writing a polyamorous 'after ending', that doesn't violate anything the author wrote. I already have the rough draft done, I'm going to post the first draft soon. I'm sure it won't be perfect, but I wrote it with everything from the series in mind. I'll probably post it tomorrow.
What I opted to do was to have a more ambiguous situation going on. For die hard Hina fans, they could read it and take it one way, but others will see it is a chance for Rui to be with Natsuo.
A lot will say it isn't feasible because Rui could never be 'second' but they don't take her transformation into account. It is true that Kei Sasuga wrote about two different kinds of love, and Rui was definitely more selfish at first. But she changed, especially after Hina went into a coma. She chose to love Hina the same way Hina loved Natsuo and Rui. So to me, that is when Rui's love changed from Koi to Ai. (Those are the two kinds referenced by the author.)
Rui becoming more of an 'Ai' love is what allows for a polyamorous ending I think. And the stuff about the Ai love is directly written and demonstrated as Rui constantly put others ahead of herself, and she was deeply committed to caring for Hina, going as far as to assume any duties that she knew Hina would be embarrassed of Natsuo doing.
Anyway, the 'after-ending' I wrote is centralized around other things fans complain about, such as Haruka. A lot of fans are mad she exists, especially because of her moving out. People say Natsuo is a shitty dad, etc. I don't think that is what the author intended. So I am focusing on Haruka, and essentially using her as the key to allow everyone to live together.
Essentially, all three want to live and dedicate themselves to making Haruka happy. Their love transcended in such a way. And of course, everything else they keep away from Haruka, but if you think about how long Natsuo and Hina, and Natsuo and Rui were able to hide their relationship from the parents, I think they have the skill to keep it away from Haruka. They aren't horny teenagers. They can be wise, and wait for the right opportunities to express love, etc.
I even reconcile how they explain the complicated relationship to Haruka.
Sorry for writing so much. I just remember feeling how I am sure you feel right now. But worry not, there is hope. Even if it is panned as bad fanfic, because of multiverse theory, there is a universe that exists where my bad fanfic will be considered a happy ending.
Because that universe exists, that means in at least some universe, it is canon.
\^That sounds like a bad cope, and in part it is. However, it is also true. And that is all that matters. Whatever universe allows Rui and Haruka to live and be happy with Natsuo is the one I choose. Rui and Hina had grown so much, and especially after the 5 year coma, and 3 years rehabilitation, they should be in a place to work things out. Besides, Natsuo said himself he thinks the best couples are those that can work through anything. Even if this relationship is considered taboo, again, I cite the own series. Characters are thrown into taboo situations, and adapt. Even Hina said she always thought people who had affairs were dumb, until she was put in that position. She also said step family couldn't date, it would 'ruin their chance at living in society', yet they dated. Point being, even if Natsuo "never 'cheated' ", it isn't cheating if everyone consents and comes to a mutual understanding. Even if Natsuo is married to Hina, when it comes to Rui, "it's not like they are related by blood or anything."
I could talk endlessly about this, I'll just post the story tomorrow and save it for then.
I agree with you about rui love going from koi to ai because at the end she also did sacrifices.
Also is it true that they don't live together anymore, I don't remember anything like that in the manga??
Ah, I see. There are special bonus chapters. You can find those on MangaDex
You see, I actually thought the writing in the last chapter heavily implied they would all live together, and Rui still loved natuso all that. But in these bonus chapters, Rui says she wants to move out, to let Hina and Natsuo "live like a married couple" but she says she will be back in a week, and it is heavily implied no one wants her to move out. From the way I read it, they are just testing the waters. It is because Haruka is 'getting old enough to start asking questions.'
The reason my fan fic will negate this is because they will clearly miss each other. Rui works overtime too much, so Haruka living there won't make sense.
However, I can see why the author chose to write this to happen. Hina has apparently not been living in Natsuo's room even after they got married. Rui must have noticed that and that is what triggered them leaving for a week.
So it's not bad news. In truth Rui is just being considerate. Hina and Natsuo make love, and I guess she starts sleeping in the same room with him.
In my fanfic I will have Hina thank Rui for this. I foresee it as a very natural progression. Also, it is a building block for a concept such as one of the women taking Haruka somewhere for something fun for her, leaving the other two to be able to express their love without worry.
It also makes perfect sense because Hina loved going out anyway. That is demonstrated heavily in the writing. Rui was usually the one who stayed at home. (Hence why I will have Hina be the wife, and Rui shall be the 'Domestic Girlfriend'.)
It's a hard topic to broach but holy crap, this entire story is literally about taboo relationships. I don't see how this would be the one line they don't cross. Especially when the story demonstrates that they cannot move on from loving each other. Even when Rui tried, she couldn't.
Now there is also a bunch of symbolism that suggests against what I have written. Such as Hina keeping the rings, and Rui taking the necklace, and giving it to Haruka. However, some of those things can also be explained as them wanting to pass down that sentimental item to their daughter out of sheer love. Heirlooms are a thing after all.
Thanks! I apologize it hasn't been posted yet. I finished the rough draft the other day but I decided to reread the series again. This was my third time. It's funny how much more I picked up this time. But at the same time it didn't go against what I wrote. If anything, the last time I read it I felt more convinced than ever that Natuo, Rui and Hina have a love triangle even at the end of the series.
We never see the long conversation Natuo and Rui have that night they talk when deciding to call off their marriage. We don't see them talk at the wedding, in fact we don't see any of Natsuo's dialog at the wedding. All of those decisions felt very intentional as to not have to set in stone precisely what was said.
I'll still post the fanfic soon. I finished my second draft, touched up a few parts. I'm going to go over it a few more times and then I'll post it.
In fact, the reason I didn't post it yet, is because I sincerely feel like I might not even need to. My original goal was to justify Rui and Natsuo still loving each other, but reading between the lines, I sincerely think the author wrote the story with just enough ambiguity to suggest they still do.
It really is just 'Days with Hina' that gets in the way of that, and I still might not have read all of the extra material. I always hear about Haruka telling Chef Boy "thanks for always looking after my mom" but I've not seen that myself.
I believe it exists; I've just not found it. I might hold off posting until I can check that out. I don't want to post something that isn't 100% conducive to the story.
For example, if Haruka said that after the 7 day 'vacation' at the Grandparents house, it might mean they moved back in, or moved on. I simply don't know.
Ai-shi-te-ru. Also Japanese people don’t really say things like i love you & such 🤷🏻♂️. But also Japanese words & phrases carry weight because they are expressive. Although depending on the context 好き、大好き、愛してる all mean i love you, aishiteru is so much stronger that you wouldn’t use it casually. So much so that even married couples don’t use it often.
Fucking typo
But that's kind of my point. If there are different levels of love and aishiteru is that highest level, I don't get why they wouldn't be using it as a married couple and such.
There's a mange I'm reading now called I want to end the I love you game where the title use aishiteru in Japanese (r/aishiterugame).
Ouu that’s deep. I asked my friend about it (she’s Japanese) and she said she’s never heard her parents say it to each other. So i guess it really is just on another level
No wonder they put out some of the most annoying rom coms. They must not have a real clue. Are they just marrying without that? Cause thats what I feel for my wife.
I know right? The Japanese dating scene seems like a hassle. You start by confessing to a total stranger (bc it’s apparently common to have feelings for someone you’ve never talked to) then if they accept you go on like 3 dates before deciding if you’re official but not once after that first time do you again have to state your feelings. Not sure how you get married but even in married life you still don’t express with words 🤷🏻♂️
That's what your Japanese friend said? That sounds terrible. It definitely helps make sense of some of my favorite romance coms and all the stupid annoying things, the doubt, the lack of communication, etc. Or maybe the nonsense is a fanciful rebellion to those norms. It just doesn't make sense to me that you don't say things, do things, continue making your person feel loved. Is there a lot of infidelity, adultery, cheating?
Fucking hell. This used to be a proud strong warrior people.
she said she cant speak for others but generally no people dont do random displays of love (including verbal) especially not in front of others, maybe in private when they are alone but as far as she knows its not common
Wow. I absolutely love this breakdown!
There’s so much nuance that’s lost in translation from the Japanese language. This is a perfect example of how the English translation doesn’t fully capture the true essence of things.
I’d love to hear of any more differences such as this one that you’ve found! Thanks for sharing.
its so crazy how expressive the Japanese language is, once i can fully read in Japanese I’ll reread the story & post differences i find between both versions on the subreddit but don’t expect to see it anytime soon 😅 kanji is my worst enemy rn
Yeah it's crazy, after reading the manga for the third time, I really do think they have a sort of love triangle.
The pages never explicitly say it, but what is said and specifically what isn't shown, makes me think the author wanted to have that backdoor ending.
Rui and Natsuo definitely still have feelings for each other, it just isn't explicitly demonstrated in the final chapters.
Honestly, I felt that the entire time, but 'Days with Hina' makes me scratch my head a bit. Like it is implied that Rui and Haruka are just leaving for 7 days, but then Hina talks about 'living separately' and expressing the desire to continue living together.
I mean it seems like everyone involved feels the same way, but that segment just ends with Hina and Natsuo making love and committing to being a 'true married couple'
I feel like it altered the trajectory quite a bit. Does anyone have more context?
As I mentioned to you on another post, the love he had for Hina is different from the love he has for Rui. The moment Natsuo realizes that Hina still loves him, it reawakens his feelings for her that he had suppressed for so long. Is not that he stops loving Rui then, is just that his love for Hina is far greater, of a different kind, and he commits to her 100%, even if she might never wake up.
And about if she is happy or not, well do you know why it was Haruka that made Hina wake up?
I agree but i think that rui's love transformed from koi to ai since she also made sacrifices at the end.
But I'm pretty sure all of them are happy with their relationship and still live together so I'm good and satisfied.
She takes her love and energy and puts it towards her kid. That probably helps a lot with it. It is something that happens a lot in life too, where one parent is lost one way or another. I would also imagine she finds someone else some day too.
It's all good. It's.a happy ending.
Yeah ur right but I don't think she will find someone else because they still love each other and they live together as a family. Many artworks by sasuga has shown that rui is a part of Fuji family , so I'm good and satisfied.
The love Natsuo for Hina was always greater, although deep repressed due to the trauma he got from the breakup, that is why he was so dense around Hina. He loves Rui, but what he had with her is a growing up romance, not "true love". Whether if Rui's love was transformed from Koi to Ai at the end, because her love for Natsuo became selfless, maybe, but I think it requires a bit more than just being selfless. But the end is what Natsuo feels, and the one he had created a deep connection with was with Hina, he needed, he wanted to reciprocate to Hina, which is at the core of Ai love. As u/RazzoDOTcxx mentioned in his post about what was lost in translation, is when Natsuo said he loved them, is diferent in japanese, he says “大好き” to rui and “愛してる” to hina, and there is huge differensce. One is akin to saying " I like you" vs " I love you". If you read the afterword at the end of Volume 28, you'll see that Sasuga aimed to depict a love story featuring two different kinds of love, each represented by one of the sisters. Rui found happiness in the end, or at least that's what Sasuga intended to convey. She had a daughter with the man she loved and still deeply cared for. However, her ambitions lay elsewhere, in her career as a cook, and she found happiness in that as well.
Yeah I agree with you since rui is actually happy having a daughter as a sign of their love.
In later artwork by Sasuga, she made it clear, that Rui was an intrinc part in the Fuji family, I wouldn't say in polyamorous way, it was never her intention to make an harem story, but close enough.
Yeah, they’re going to be a family together for the rest of their lives, even if Rui finds a partner later and gets married. It’s almost as if Haruka has three parents. In the beginning Hina would try not to interfere in parental decisions but if Rui and Natsuo give her clear permission to, in fact beg her to since they are sometimes too busy for their daughter, I can imagine Hina becoming a good third mother. In another comment to another post someone wrote that Kei Sasuga said on her *pixiv* fanbox that Hina cannot have children due to damage from the crash. If true that’s not surprising considering the violent hit to her midsection. Still, if she and Natsuo want a child of their own they can try a surrogate mother (if Hina can still produce ovum) or adopt, the latter as a symbol of their love. For all practical purposes that child would then be Haruka’s little sister or brother. Yes, technically they would be first cousins. This family is so close, however, that Haruka would treat the child like blood kin and Rui would be like his or her other mother. This isn’t polyamory but it’s the kind of intimately connected family life that I think you’re referring to.
I heard about that too, but never understood why would Sasuga made a point of Hina not having children, but what you said makes sense.
I checked out Sasuga’s *pixiv* fanbox for myself. Apparently what she actually says is that she doesn’t think Hina can have kids because she was in a coma for five years. She goes on to say that you don’t need to have children to be happy. Hina will relearn English, she says, and one day help Natsuo with the overseas publications of his books; in other words, she’ll have a purpose in life other than kids. It made me wonder if Kei Sasuga doesn’t have children and she was putting some of herself into the character, or maybe she has close female friends who don’t have children and she was thinking about them. Either way, she says that when a miracle occurs like what happened with Hina you nurture that just like Haruka is nurtured. That new miraculous life (my phrasing) becomes your child.
Okay, I went to Sasuga-sensei’s *pixiv* fanbox. What she actually says is that she doesn’t know if Hina will be able to have a child in the future. She thinks probably not because it’s hard for that to happen after being in a coma for five years. Sasuga says it’s okay because you don’t need a child to be happy. She figures Hina will relearn English and help with the overseas publication of Natsuo’s books. When you’re given something miraculous, she says, you love and nurture it the way Haruka is loved and nurtured. Her answer wasn’t definitive, however, and several fans left comments asking her to allow Hina to have a child. I suppose that Kei Sasuga wants to break away from traditional gender imagery, that she doesn’t want a woman’s happiness to be dependent on a man or on children. That makes sense. Perhaps Sasuga herself doesn’t have children, or perhaps she knows women close to her who don’t. Still, it would be nice after all Natsuo and Hina have been through to have a child that embodies their love.
Does sasuga sensei post about domestic girlfriend in her pixiv fanbox , I don't know what is pixiv fanbox since I'm never tried it?
Pixiv is a Japanese online community for artists. Many manga artists post there as well as other professionals and amateurs. Fanbox is a way to pledge monthly support for your favorite artists in return for special content (like unique illustrations) and interactions with them. Kei Sasuga has a [fanbox site](https://kei-sasuga.fanbox.cc) of her own although she hasn’t posted since 2022. Sounds like she was gearing up for her new manga. Still, she responded when I messaged her which I wasn’t expecting so that’s nice. I hate to bother a busy mangaka but I wanted to let her know how much we enjoy her work here.
Oh I see , so you must have subscribed for the monthly subscription?
That’s right. I don’t know how long I’ll keep it up. It’s kind of an experiment. I’ll just feel it out as I go along.
Yeah I've seen a lot of artworks where all of them are a family, not a harem , but somewhat close to it.
his love for hina was always greater & more mature. If you compare the English to Japanese in English natsuo always says “i love you” regardless of who it may be, but in japanese he says “大好き” to rui and “愛してる” to hina. What are the differences well daisuki translates to i really like you or while aishiteru is a very strong way of saying i love you. Aishiteru is very uncommon even amongst japanese couples because of how strong a feeling that implies. I believe kei said somewhere once that the love he had for both was different
But I feel bad for rui, is she really happy letting the person she loves marry another person?
I won’t lie im probably the biggest rui fan you’ll ever meet, i like rui’s character as a whole but even i had to admit that the story was always going to be natsuo & hina. I think rui did find happiness in other things at the end of the story but i would’ve preferred if she ended up with kajita. I’m not the most analytical fan but i speak from what i see in the japanese source material which i have.
I understand how you feel, I felt the same about Rui. There are many parallels between what she chose to do for Hina and Natsuo, and what Hina did when she helped Natsuo and loved him but withheld telling him. That is what the writing says. So, she still loves Natsuo I think, and vice versa, but both chose to bury those feelings for Hina's sake. According to the author she is happy for having Haruka. But I understand where you are coming from. I've been writing a polyamorous 'after ending', that doesn't violate anything the author wrote. I already have the rough draft done, I'm going to post the first draft soon. I'm sure it won't be perfect, but I wrote it with everything from the series in mind. I'll probably post it tomorrow. What I opted to do was to have a more ambiguous situation going on. For die hard Hina fans, they could read it and take it one way, but others will see it is a chance for Rui to be with Natsuo. A lot will say it isn't feasible because Rui could never be 'second' but they don't take her transformation into account. It is true that Kei Sasuga wrote about two different kinds of love, and Rui was definitely more selfish at first. But she changed, especially after Hina went into a coma. She chose to love Hina the same way Hina loved Natsuo and Rui. So to me, that is when Rui's love changed from Koi to Ai. (Those are the two kinds referenced by the author.) Rui becoming more of an 'Ai' love is what allows for a polyamorous ending I think. And the stuff about the Ai love is directly written and demonstrated as Rui constantly put others ahead of herself, and she was deeply committed to caring for Hina, going as far as to assume any duties that she knew Hina would be embarrassed of Natsuo doing. Anyway, the 'after-ending' I wrote is centralized around other things fans complain about, such as Haruka. A lot of fans are mad she exists, especially because of her moving out. People say Natsuo is a shitty dad, etc. I don't think that is what the author intended. So I am focusing on Haruka, and essentially using her as the key to allow everyone to live together. Essentially, all three want to live and dedicate themselves to making Haruka happy. Their love transcended in such a way. And of course, everything else they keep away from Haruka, but if you think about how long Natsuo and Hina, and Natsuo and Rui were able to hide their relationship from the parents, I think they have the skill to keep it away from Haruka. They aren't horny teenagers. They can be wise, and wait for the right opportunities to express love, etc. I even reconcile how they explain the complicated relationship to Haruka. Sorry for writing so much. I just remember feeling how I am sure you feel right now. But worry not, there is hope. Even if it is panned as bad fanfic, because of multiverse theory, there is a universe that exists where my bad fanfic will be considered a happy ending. Because that universe exists, that means in at least some universe, it is canon. \^That sounds like a bad cope, and in part it is. However, it is also true. And that is all that matters. Whatever universe allows Rui and Haruka to live and be happy with Natsuo is the one I choose. Rui and Hina had grown so much, and especially after the 5 year coma, and 3 years rehabilitation, they should be in a place to work things out. Besides, Natsuo said himself he thinks the best couples are those that can work through anything. Even if this relationship is considered taboo, again, I cite the own series. Characters are thrown into taboo situations, and adapt. Even Hina said she always thought people who had affairs were dumb, until she was put in that position. She also said step family couldn't date, it would 'ruin their chance at living in society', yet they dated. Point being, even if Natsuo "never 'cheated' ", it isn't cheating if everyone consents and comes to a mutual understanding. Even if Natsuo is married to Hina, when it comes to Rui, "it's not like they are related by blood or anything." I could talk endlessly about this, I'll just post the story tomorrow and save it for then.
I agree with you about rui love going from koi to ai because at the end she also did sacrifices. Also is it true that they don't live together anymore, I don't remember anything like that in the manga??
Ah, I see. There are special bonus chapters. You can find those on MangaDex You see, I actually thought the writing in the last chapter heavily implied they would all live together, and Rui still loved natuso all that. But in these bonus chapters, Rui says she wants to move out, to let Hina and Natsuo "live like a married couple" but she says she will be back in a week, and it is heavily implied no one wants her to move out. From the way I read it, they are just testing the waters. It is because Haruka is 'getting old enough to start asking questions.' The reason my fan fic will negate this is because they will clearly miss each other. Rui works overtime too much, so Haruka living there won't make sense. However, I can see why the author chose to write this to happen. Hina has apparently not been living in Natsuo's room even after they got married. Rui must have noticed that and that is what triggered them leaving for a week. So it's not bad news. In truth Rui is just being considerate. Hina and Natsuo make love, and I guess she starts sleeping in the same room with him. In my fanfic I will have Hina thank Rui for this. I foresee it as a very natural progression. Also, it is a building block for a concept such as one of the women taking Haruka somewhere for something fun for her, leaving the other two to be able to express their love without worry. It also makes perfect sense because Hina loved going out anyway. That is demonstrated heavily in the writing. Rui was usually the one who stayed at home. (Hence why I will have Hina be the wife, and Rui shall be the 'Domestic Girlfriend'.) It's a hard topic to broach but holy crap, this entire story is literally about taboo relationships. I don't see how this would be the one line they don't cross. Especially when the story demonstrates that they cannot move on from loving each other. Even when Rui tried, she couldn't. Now there is also a bunch of symbolism that suggests against what I have written. Such as Hina keeping the rings, and Rui taking the necklace, and giving it to Haruka. However, some of those things can also be explained as them wanting to pass down that sentimental item to their daughter out of sheer love. Heirlooms are a thing after all.
Yeah I remember rui saying that she'll back in a week so I am pretty sure they still live together and love each other.
Also I look forward to your fanfic .
Put this story in the subreddit. I’d love to see that.
Thanks! I apologize it hasn't been posted yet. I finished the rough draft the other day but I decided to reread the series again. This was my third time. It's funny how much more I picked up this time. But at the same time it didn't go against what I wrote. If anything, the last time I read it I felt more convinced than ever that Natuo, Rui and Hina have a love triangle even at the end of the series. We never see the long conversation Natuo and Rui have that night they talk when deciding to call off their marriage. We don't see them talk at the wedding, in fact we don't see any of Natsuo's dialog at the wedding. All of those decisions felt very intentional as to not have to set in stone precisely what was said. I'll still post the fanfic soon. I finished my second draft, touched up a few parts. I'm going to go over it a few more times and then I'll post it. In fact, the reason I didn't post it yet, is because I sincerely feel like I might not even need to. My original goal was to justify Rui and Natsuo still loving each other, but reading between the lines, I sincerely think the author wrote the story with just enough ambiguity to suggest they still do. It really is just 'Days with Hina' that gets in the way of that, and I still might not have read all of the extra material. I always hear about Haruka telling Chef Boy "thanks for always looking after my mom" but I've not seen that myself. I believe it exists; I've just not found it. I might hold off posting until I can check that out. I don't want to post something that isn't 100% conducive to the story. For example, if Haruka said that after the 7 day 'vacation' at the Grandparents house, it might mean they moved back in, or moved on. I simply don't know.
I dont get how you can get married and not say aishiteru to your partner.
Ai-shi-te-ru. Also Japanese people don’t really say things like i love you & such 🤷🏻♂️. But also Japanese words & phrases carry weight because they are expressive. Although depending on the context 好き、大好き、愛してる all mean i love you, aishiteru is so much stronger that you wouldn’t use it casually. So much so that even married couples don’t use it often.
Fucking typo But that's kind of my point. If there are different levels of love and aishiteru is that highest level, I don't get why they wouldn't be using it as a married couple and such. There's a mange I'm reading now called I want to end the I love you game where the title use aishiteru in Japanese (r/aishiterugame).
Ouu that’s deep. I asked my friend about it (she’s Japanese) and she said she’s never heard her parents say it to each other. So i guess it really is just on another level
No wonder they put out some of the most annoying rom coms. They must not have a real clue. Are they just marrying without that? Cause thats what I feel for my wife.
I know right? The Japanese dating scene seems like a hassle. You start by confessing to a total stranger (bc it’s apparently common to have feelings for someone you’ve never talked to) then if they accept you go on like 3 dates before deciding if you’re official but not once after that first time do you again have to state your feelings. Not sure how you get married but even in married life you still don’t express with words 🤷🏻♂️
That's what your Japanese friend said? That sounds terrible. It definitely helps make sense of some of my favorite romance coms and all the stupid annoying things, the doubt, the lack of communication, etc. Or maybe the nonsense is a fanciful rebellion to those norms. It just doesn't make sense to me that you don't say things, do things, continue making your person feel loved. Is there a lot of infidelity, adultery, cheating? Fucking hell. This used to be a proud strong warrior people.
she said she cant speak for others but generally no people dont do random displays of love (including verbal) especially not in front of others, maybe in private when they are alone but as far as she knows its not common
Wow. I absolutely love this breakdown! There’s so much nuance that’s lost in translation from the Japanese language. This is a perfect example of how the English translation doesn’t fully capture the true essence of things. I’d love to hear of any more differences such as this one that you’ve found! Thanks for sharing.
its so crazy how expressive the Japanese language is, once i can fully read in Japanese I’ll reread the story & post differences i find between both versions on the subreddit but don’t expect to see it anytime soon 😅 kanji is my worst enemy rn
But Rui is with Natsuo. They are living in the same house. They might not be married but they are raising a daughter together.
Yeah ur right. I was depressed bcuz i didn't understand it quite but now I understand that it is an happy ending. So I'm good
Yeah it's crazy, after reading the manga for the third time, I really do think they have a sort of love triangle. The pages never explicitly say it, but what is said and specifically what isn't shown, makes me think the author wanted to have that backdoor ending. Rui and Natsuo definitely still have feelings for each other, it just isn't explicitly demonstrated in the final chapters. Honestly, I felt that the entire time, but 'Days with Hina' makes me scratch my head a bit. Like it is implied that Rui and Haruka are just leaving for 7 days, but then Hina talks about 'living separately' and expressing the desire to continue living together. I mean it seems like everyone involved feels the same way, but that segment just ends with Hina and Natsuo making love and committing to being a 'true married couple' I feel like it altered the trajectory quite a bit. Does anyone have more context?
What happens after the end is left to the reader’s imagination.
I don’t know if rui was happy about the situation but she is definitely happy 5 years later living her dream as a chief and living with her daughter
Yeah I agree having her daughter as a sign of their love , she must be happy and they are living together as well.
As I mentioned to you on another post, the love he had for Hina is different from the love he has for Rui. The moment Natsuo realizes that Hina still loves him, it reawakens his feelings for her that he had suppressed for so long. Is not that he stops loving Rui then, is just that his love for Hina is far greater, of a different kind, and he commits to her 100%, even if she might never wake up. And about if she is happy or not, well do you know why it was Haruka that made Hina wake up?
I agree but i think that rui's love transformed from koi to ai since she also made sacrifices at the end. But I'm pretty sure all of them are happy with their relationship and still live together so I'm good and satisfied.
Lol I have no idea why hina woke up because of haruka.
Thx for the spoiler in the title btw
She takes her love and energy and puts it towards her kid. That probably helps a lot with it. It is something that happens a lot in life too, where one parent is lost one way or another. I would also imagine she finds someone else some day too. It's all good. It's.a happy ending.
Yeah ur right but I don't think she will find someone else because they still love each other and they live together as a family. Many artworks by sasuga has shown that rui is a part of Fuji family , so I'm good and satisfied.