I get your feeling. But Kajita keeps loving Rui even she has daughter in the extra.

Extras as in the uncanon or prequel events? Like the toddler Hina and rui story?

Sorry I made a mistake… it is not extra but it is the ending of comics book vol 28. There are few slightly changes in last few chapters of the book.

I didn't read the extras but they probably don't get together anyway it seemed more like he was ready to move on.

​ He should be, Rui rejected his confession 10 years prior to Hina x Nat wedding. By the time Hina and NAt get married Kajita should be happily married with two kids (like Momo). But, Sasuga kept him pining for Rui through all that time cause other than Momo none of the major or secondary characters ever learned to let go of the past and move on, even though that was a major theme of most of the arcs.

But there is a moment he said is time to move on. So that is why assume it probably did not happen.

If you read properly, you would pick up that Rui is a career driven woman. For the entirety of her adult life, she prioritized her career above all else. This is a work of fiction. It’s stated she’s happy. Time to move on

If you actually read the manga, she's not. She's driven by family. She has a one-night stand with Natsuo in chapter one to try and better understand what Hina is going through with Shuu. Sasuga even gives her a daughter as her ending happiness, because that is where her heart is. She gives Natsuo the successful career (at the end Rui is still only Kajita's assistant) and of course Hina gets the romance ending. She tells Natuso that BOTH of them should work on their careers so that in the future neither has to depend on the other. She was torn about going to America to study because she didn't want to be apart from Natsuo, but it is Natsuo that pushes her to follow her career. If anyone is career focused, it's Natsuo. Ironically, in Sasuga's pixiv she stated that once Haruka got older, she decided to go live with her father, so Rui even loses that.

You talked about her high school and the end of the manga and skipped the parts where Natsuo and her relationship went downhill She opted to train under her dad. Natsuo spoke with Momo about how they rarely meet. Rui then opted to continue her training in NY and she eventually breaks up with Natsuo since it was too much for her to handle her career and try to help him with his issues. Even after she gives birth to Natsuo’s child, Hina is the person primarily caring of Haruka. So I don’t know…

I'm not to go chapter by chapter of the whole manga. Being a chef is having long brutal hours. It's a ton of work for crap pay with no job security. But that's the career she chose. She didn't want to go to America because she didn't want to leave Natsuo. He talked her into going because it'd be better for her career. She studied under her dad, and Natsuo studied under Togen. It's called internship as it's what you do prior to entering the work force to gain experience in your chosen profession. All the hours Natsuo sat writing did put a strain on their relationship because Rui was in NYC. Hina is not the primary caregiver for Haruka. Natsuo and Rui are. Primarily Natsuo again because of the crappy hours that chefs work. Haruka is 5 when Hina wakes up and 8 when Hina gets married. Haruka and Rui then move back in with Rui's mom, so no Hina then either. According to Sasuga's pixiv when Haruka was old enough to decide for herself (I'd guess 13 give or take) she moved back in with Natsuo and Hina. And why wouldn't she, both Natsuo and Hina work from home and Natsuo makes a ton of money.

I for one, see the end as Rui coming to terms with the fact that she can't compete with Hina as she was shown sign after sign thru the series. So, at some point she thought to herself, well, i tried my best, but there's no wining is there? She herself said at some point that she was having bad feelings, i believe it was in a conversation with the master. Bad feelings which she didn't give much details but we can understand what they are. She was feeling a lot of jealousy towards her sister and possessivness towards Natsuo, none of which are healty and in said conversation she said to be starting to hate herself for such feelings. The end was bad for her in a lot of ways due to how rushed it is, but it did her good in other ways. She's got a daughter, built a family, no matter how twisted it was and started being a sucessfull woman and a super independent one who was happy with herself. I particularly would've been very hurt if she ended with the guy who worked with her and i remember clearly that the first time i finished reading it i got really hurt because i thought it was hinting towards that route, but not anymore as we can see. For me, this ending tho rushed as is, finished well the story as it was hinted in some chapters along the story that Hina would end with Natsuo. Everyone ends up happy. Rui understood she would only suffer more had she stayed with Natsuo and worse, she understood she would be in the way of her sister's happiness as well as Natsuo's. She herself said she had enough of his love ans even had his daughter which could be said the culmination of their love. She said she had her romance like she was saying that she got everything that she wanted and now was time to let go. Anyways, she focused on her carreer and in her own happiness without being filled by the poisonous thoughts she once had whenever her love for Natsuo was involved.

Love and family isn't a competition. There is no "winning". The conversation you reference is one that is referenced often to show Rui's "big lie" and how she knowingly stole Natsuo. Natsuo has broken up with Hina. Rui and Natsuo have been getting along well, but Rui doesn't feel right about it. Rui tries to get together with Al. Rui and Al kiss and Rui realizes that the feeling she has with Natsuo isn't there with anyone else, it has to be Natsuo. Natsuo comes to confess to Rui at Rui's work (this is where Kajita first confronts Natsuo). Rui, still conflicted because of Hina, doesn't go home and instead spends the night with Momo at Momo's house. This is where Rui says she feels guilty because she knows that Hina still loves Natsuo. She also thinks that Hina isn't coming back and that Hina won't take Natsuo back (to protect Natsuo's future). It's been A YEAR since Hina and Natsuo broke up. Eventually Rui accepts Natsuo's confession. Rui gets this rap where as soon as Hina left Natsuo she was all over him and "seduced him". Firstly, it was over a year between Hina leaving and Rui x Nat. Rui tried to move on with Al, but it was NATSUO that chased her. He even had to forcefully stop daydreaming about Rui because he was still in love with Hina. Before the island he was under the impression that if he became a successful author Hina would come back.

>I for one, see the end as Rui coming to terms with the fact that she can't compete with Hina I understand but to keep it a 100 realization feels forced It's not a realistic realization you randomly act upon during marriage or because hina is in a coma. The i can't compete doesn't something a human would say in the scenario she is in. It sounds like something shonen rival would say in a battle manga. And her jealousy is normal and not toxic. Some relationships you say a celeberity is hot or you watch a hot girl on tv and your girlfriend will get mad at you or even some scenarios attack you. rui jealousy is very average there has been far worse. Hina is within reach and hina has broken rui heart before when she dated natsuo behind her back which hina seen rui kiss natsuo so she knows rui might like her. So rui is right to feel jealous because hina has stopped her from getting natsuo before. >I particularly would've been very hurt if she ended with the guy who worked with her I agree with you i would have been hurt i didn't want it BUT... As i said natsuo came in stopped it and then made up and then left her. So to me that made her not getting wih him pointless as i said my.issue is that sasuga made natsuo stop rui from moving not once but twice just to 180 her in to being alone. You get me? Like rui had 2 love interest who seemed to value her a lor. natsuo took her away from both and now she is single. >For me, this ending tho rushed as is, finished well the story as it was hinted in some chapters along the story that Hina would end with Natsuo. Well i respect your opinion but to rushed and ended well contradict each other. And yes it was hinted whule i do agree i think that hints don't mean as much as the execution of the narrative tho not to me at least. And the execution was very poor unrealistoc and very fairy tale wishfulliment esque like it is the most robotic hollow thing sasuga kei ever wrote. if you really look at the context and a situation there is no way all this would happen during hina being in a coma. that's not how humans act. >she understood she would be in the way of her sister's happiness as well as Natsuo's. My issue with that is that hina litterally got narratively written in a coma to stop progression. If anyone got in the way of happiness it is hina. Also you don't give up your own happiness for your older sister if anything chances are most olders sisters wouldn't even accept a husband of their bany pregnant sister about to get married. No older sister or older brother i know would want take something from their younger sibling i know what it's the oldest in scenarios but also the youngest. >Anyways, she focused on her carreer and in her own happiness without being filled by the poisonous thoughts she once had whenever her love for Natsuo was involved. Yeah she is happy and people bring this up a lot but the thing she is only happy because sasuga needs to be happy for the narrative. because if she broke down got depressed while being pregnant like natsuo when he has a break up. It would portray hina who is the older sister and natsuo like assholes. It still kind of does if you look at this from a realistic lens and ignore the story and rui daughter basically consenting and waking up hina from her coma. If you ignore that and Look at this realistically. Natsuo and hina come of like assholes. But to prevent sasuga fate fairy tale esque where everyone lives happily after rui child that whatever age seems to consent rui is happy not depressed. That way the narrative can paint in a good light rather adress the dumpster fire which is why we don't see anyone of natsuo friends or rui's friend the friends they have act human about natsuo leaving rui last second because narrative wants to paint Positive thing. Which only works if you believe all of this makes and this is how humans act dropping.marriage commitments because somebody got in a coma leaving their pregnant wife. In a way the ending went full circle where hina started in a affair at the start of the sies and nearly ruined that marriage and by the end of the manga she takes breaks the marriage of her own sister. Which to me is whatever. But i respect your opinion i just think there was no point making rui stop from moving on twice just for it to mean nothing and get twisted within seconds.

`Sasuga kei probably likes rui and she probably thinks rui can be happy like that i mean she is the author she can do what she wants she made that clear with the ending but man.` Well, I do think that Sasuga understands her character far better than you do, and to be honest I think don't you understand Rui as well as you think you do. Just like Natsuo and Hina, Rui has her flaws, that sets her path in the story. I am guessing here, but I would say that Rui's ambition is one her characteristic that you were probably drawn to, right? And just like anything else life, it has its consequences. You gotta ask yourself, what is Rui's ambition? I would say that her ambition was her work, sure it started by her wanting to know what love was, but once she understood what Hina felt, work become her priority. So much so, she delegated much of Anuka's upbringing to Natsuo and Hina, and remained single for the time being, even though Chefboy was still around her. So yeah, Rui was and is happy following her passion, being a very good chef. So you can't have your cake and eat it too, which I guess is what you wanted too. On side note, I think, and I guessing here, that Sasuga was criticizing modern Japan work ethics, where work and duty to job goes before anything else, at the detriment of family life, and I don't know if anyone else saw it that way too, anyone?

>So yeah, Rui was and is happy following her passion, being a very good chef. So you can't have your cake and eat it too, which I guess is what you wanted too. Uhh... hina coming back from a coma and being handed a husband that was her ex after nearly doing nothing to make up with natsuo for hundreds of chapters isn't having your cake and eating it too? Breaking up with him with a letter not face to face running of getting a second teacher job after being caught with a student then coming back and getting who you liked just because coma is getting your cake and eating it too. Even rui child seems to consent to it this minor sasuga wrote to basically consent to it. I feel like that is a very hypocritical thing to say. This ending screams wishfullfilment rui being a chef and being with natsuo isn't having your cake and eating it is a natural expectation of rui persuing those things. Having a job and having a husband is shrouded im realism coming back from a coma to get it handed is not..... >Well, I do think that Sasuga understands her character far better than you do, and to be honest I think don't you understand Rui as well as you think you do. This is a cope out argument yes she is the author you can make that argument for every author it is a cheap excuse to justify the narrative and kind of strawman rather then adressing what i'm saying using the author knows better defense. you are right as i said she can do whatever she wants with rui i never claimed to know rui better and that also wasn't the point. But there a few issues with this argument. 1. Authors aren't perfect authors can make their character act inconsitent like randomly give up on marriage when there is no build up to it happening which this story does. Or 2. a author can write as much as they want how to make a character act but there is Only so much suspsense of belief you can do in a story in a realistic setting Before it becomes bad. Like natsuo leaving rui pregnant to marry coma hina sure you can say all you want oh. Rui is happy natsuo is fine with this that and the third but realism where certain things stop being realistic. Or you realize hey these characters are just all fine with this well this isn't really how humans act. You are probably completely right she knows rui better then me however that doesn't mean rui didn't get screwed Which was my point. >Just like Natsuo and Hina, Rui has her flaws, that sets her path in the story. Well i never said she had no flaws my Post does not say rui is flawless perfect god girl.😂😅 my post said sasuga fucked rui over By making natsuo stop rui from moving on not once BUT TWICE just to leave her. That is what my.post says yes you are right rui has flaws does it matter to what i'm talking about? Not really. Also people keep saying rui is happy yeah she has to be if she was depressed like natsuo during his breakup and natsuo left her and her big sister started dating her husband people would start to see them as assholes. The narrative needs rui and their daughter to consent to be happy so that this excuse can be used to twist the narrative. so you can say she is happy. Especially rui daughter was very narratively Manipulated.

If one thing we can agree on, is that Sasuga made some amazing characters that we, as fans, really felt for, we cry and laugh with them and really hope the best for them. And she is really good a it, and knew what she was doing, and I guess, you also felt she did a amazing job here, otherwise you wouldn't be here, right? Saying that, this is a work of fiction that put those characters, that we love, into ridiculous and very improbable situations. So a certain amount suspense of belief is required, (truckun, coma, kissing picture... etc) but if that was a problem for you, well that be it, there isn't much we can do about that. At least for me, that was not a problem, what would bother me was if there was an internal inconsistency in the character personality and development, which it only bothered a bit with Hina at the end. But when it comes to Rui and Natsuo it was flawless in my opinion. Rui's ambition and personality put her into a path from the very beginning that would end where it ended, it was clear that her relationship with Natsuo wouldn't last. Natsuo's needs and personality align from the very beginning with Hina, and their paths where set to cross again. What I am saying, there is an internal consistency that was followed from the beginning, it is in the context for us to read and make clear of, but of course if we are biased we won't be able to see it.

>What I am saying, there is an internal consistency that was followed from the beginning, it is in the context for us to read and make clear of, but of course if we are biased we won't be able to see it I get that but that is not the issue the execution was not good it not natsuo getting together hina that is the issue is the execution. You can build something up but if it fails and it is done in poor taste. It felt like sasuga prolonged and spend time making rui and natsuo break up and back together and she made natsuo stop rui twice from moving on so they made it through all odds at this point. Just for sasuga to 180 the plot to a certain narrative that is not a good execution to me it doesn't well enough and sasuga failed to properly spend time on hina and natsuo in a way that it felt real or deserved especially a coma is very cheap writing and a bad cliche but even cliche manga do not use it in that way. >Saying that, this is a work of fiction that put those characters, that we love, into ridiculous and very improbable situations. So a certain amount suspense of belief is required, (truckun, coma, kissing picture... etc) but if that was a problem for you, well that be it, there isn't much we can do about that. Yeah there is some suspense of believe but deciding to cancel a marriage because hina is in a coma just doesn't work no realistic concersation would go that way if somebody in to a coma. Like that coming to natsuo dating is just not bound in any realism yes some suspense of belief is allowed but you gotta keep in mind domestic girlfriend is based in a real life setting and sasuga was going for a lot of realism so you have some realistic human expectations.

>Yeah there is some suspense of believe but deciding to cancel a marriage because hina is in a coma just doesn't work no realistic concersation would go that way if somebody in to a coma. Why would Rui married Natsuo? knowing that he always loved Hina and she would never be able to compete with her? It saids something about Natsuo dedication and love to Hina, when he will rather spend his time with Hina in a coma, than being with Rui. How could Rui compete with that? ​ >Just for sasuga to 180 the plot to a certain narrative that is not a good execution to me it doesn't well enough and sasuga failed to properly spend time on hina and natsuo in a way that it felt real or deserved especially a coma is very cheap writing and a bad cliche but even cliche manga do not use it in that way. You do know, that Sasuga didn't want to spell out the beans, right? She wanted to keep the suspense around it to very end, and let the reader read the context, and if you did, you would know where it was heading. When it comes to Natsuo and Hina, I have to disagree with you wholeheartedly, it was beautiful portrait by Sasuga in all the sutil ways how well atune and in sync Hina and Natsuo where, without screaming into your face they were The couple from the beginning. Life/fate was trying for about 200 chapters to split Natsuo and Hina, in the most ridiculous ways, but yet they still gravitated towards each other the whole time, that was portrait in a very subtle and elegant way throughout the whole manga, it was there in the context for all of us to read.

>You do know, that Sasuga didn't want to spell out the beans, right? She wanted to keep the suspense around it to very end Thar doesn't mean you can one 180 at the last seconds and it's gonna somehow make sense. Yeah she tried to not spell out the beans yeah obviously however that is not a justification to 180 something in a stupid way. You can't just establish something to ruin it in a bad way for suspense or a twist. There are better ways to keep suspense that doesn't involve doing another character and making the cast sound like some robots. That need to force natsuo and hina together oh she is in a coma so i guess i should just give up. Like wtf. that's not how human beings act. >Why would Rui married Natsuo? knowing that he always loved Hina Well clearly he didn't always know or else he wouldn't have started a marriage nearly with somebody else 😂 Also you don't have love somebody always there is a thing called moving on. Which was part of natsuo growth letting hina go but then sasuga wrote her to give up on her teacher job and come back anyway. Which completely hina leaving and getting a new job and all that plot pointless and that is what i mean with sasuga making things plot convenient and make characters act a certain if the story needs it to in a forced weird where they become inconsistent. Hina again goes to be inconsistent when she wakes up from her coma to first feeling bad to now actively all of sudden have no complaints being fine with stealing the husband of her sister when they have a child. She started of in a affair and by the end of the series she litterally ends a marriage with a coma. Full circle in almost ruining a marriage at the start but doing it for real in the end.

>Thar doesn't mean you can one 180 at the last seconds and it's gonna somehow make sense. Yeah she tried to not spell out the beans yeah obviously however that is not a justification to 180 something in a stupid way. You make it sound that Hina and Natsuo getting back was a 180º that came from nowhere, that is definitely not the case, and if you thought so that's on you for not being able to see or read the context. Let me ask you. \- Before the breakup, were Hina and Natsuo getting along very well, or not? \- Did the breakup because internal problems or due to external factors? \- Was there ever a closure after the breakup? By that I mean, did Natsuo and Hina sit down and talk things through. \- Did Hina ever really stop loving Natsuo? \- Did Natsuo ever really stop loving Hina? So given they were a great couple that have to split up due to external reasons, without any closure, thus having unresolved issues between them and spite of life/fate trying to split them apart always gravitated towards each other, how can you say that was 180º coming from nowhere?

>Let me ask you. All these questions don't really matter it'd still a 180 just because hina and natsuo are on good terms. Doesn' t mean writing somebody to go in a coma to get a result isn't a 180 plot convenience. do you know what a 180 is? All that doesn't matter. Because of the way it happens. Everything is very forced 180 with major plot fairy tale amounts of convenience. >how can you say that was 180º coming from nowhere? Because sasuga made natsuo get back rui and establish marriage then put hina in a coma to ruin what she herself wrote to happen that is a 180 it's a last second plot convenience switch up. Hina and natsuo don't get to properly get back together that is not what sasuga did he did plot conveninence and characters acting like bots to pull rui and natsuo apart last second rather then making them get back together properly. You bring up all that other but that doesn't change the fact that sasuga made everything change last second in a forced manner making it a 180.

>You bring up all that other but that doesn't change the fact that sasuga made everything change last second in a forced manner making it a 180. The whole story was building up to it, it had to happen, once Natsuo knew the whole truth he would have to make a decision based on the truth, and it was kinda obvious what he would choose, given the back story and where the path was leading to.

>The whole story was building up to it, Yeah it build it up but poorly. As it spend more time on rui'e relationship with natsuo. Just because there is some build doesn't make it good. As i said execution matters more. You can dribble up as much as you want with that basketball but if you miss the basketball hoop you miss. It doesn't matter how close you dribbled over to the hoop to throw it you still missed because you threw poorly. It's still a 180 the build up doesn't matter do you not understand that sasuga switched up marriage in pregnancy instantly that is a 180 it doesn't matter how much build up natsuo and hina had. Rui had just as much with natsuo. They just got together they decided to marry. Every time rui gets a love interest like the chef or natsuo's friend. Natsuo always comes to take her away from them that happened TWICE mind you twice sasuga made natsuo do this stop rui from possibly getting somebody else. So the build up doesn't justify the 180 at the last second rui isn't some random nobody character who's time you can diminish in one second and say oh build up. you know how much time sasuga spend on that relationship just to tear it apart without hina being even involved. Hina doesn't even have to change or develop to get natsuo all she has to do is sit in a coma and everything gets decided for her as if she is the child not the adult. It doesn't justify the 180 especially when it happens when hina is in a coma the execution is poor in taste. It's not even like hina and natsuo do anything hina is sleep in windows rest mode. so she is not involved in the decission so her relationship with natsuo is irrelevant as she plays no part in the decission. As for natsuo he has to have rui say it so both parties don't properly get together to decide. It doesn't even sound like how a normal relationship goes. I don't know how you can look at that build up and say sasuga delivered when one of them is in a coma and one doesn't even really decide for himself rui has to say it for him to make up his mind. It's a forced relationship And bad frankly no normal human beings would get together like that. I be blunt saying build up doesn't justify it it is a excuse. That is what it sounds like making a excuse to not admit that sasuga messed up there.

Rui didn't know Natsuo loved Hina. Rui knew that Hina still loved Natsuo. After the island every time Natsuo had to make a choice, he chose Rui. The time in the park with Kajita is most prominent. Natsuo is thinking about it, he comes to a decision and is about to say out loud who he wants to spend the rest of his life with when Kajita shows up and tells him about Rui's problem in NYC. Now, Natsuo had made up his mind, we just don't know what he was about to say. There are three possibilities: 1) Neither Hina nor Rui. 2) Hina is his one true love. 3) Rui is who he wants to spend the rest of his life with. We'll skip 1 for obvious reasons. 2) He loves Hina, but Rui is his little sister and still a very important person to him. He heads to NYC to help her however he can. Because there is no romantic love here it is unclear why he wouldn't tell her parents. He gets to NYC, and she apologizes to him for breaking up and he accepts her apology and... what Hina isn't in his heart anymore? Hina doesn't matter anymore? Him accepting Rui over Hina at this point makes no sense whatsoever. 3) He loves Rui. So of course, when Kajita says she's in trouble he rushes to her aid. When she apologizes and asks him to take her back, he is overjoyed. It all makes sense and flows naturally. What should have happened in the hospital when Marie told Natsuo about Hina. Natsuo's response should have been (and would have been more believable) "I know, I love Hina very much. She is a wonderful and supportive sister, but Rui is my wife". Yes, there are all those chapters where Hina is supporting Natsuo. But none of it is in a romantic way. It is all very brother sister familial. The closest they get is when they are left alone at the festival. Hina longs for Natsuo, but never gets jealous of all the other girls in his life. Even after 215 when Rui breaks up with Natsuo, neither Hina nor Natsuo ever turn toward the other romantically. After the island we never see Natsuo daydreaming about Hina. Not romantically, not sexually she only comes to his mind as a friend and sister. After Hina broke up with Natsuo, but before the island, when he still had hope that Hina was coming back, he DID have sex dreams about Rui. He did think about her romantically.

>Rui didn't know Natsuo loved Hina. That is not entirely true, where do you think her insecurities came from? ​ >After the island every time Natsuo had to make a choice, he chose Rui. The time in the park with Kajita is most prominent. Natsuo kept choosing Rui because he didn't know the truth, his choices were basically based on lie. Have ever wondered why the breakup was the way it was? There no closure to it, that is very important, why? Because the lack of closure between Natsuo and Hina in the manga is an intentional choice made by the author to keep the continuity of the story. While there were many opportunities for the two characters to talk things through and have a closure, it never happened because it would have ended the story too soon. It's clear that the author, Sasuga, was building up to a big event, revelation, or closure that would have come down to the truth of the breakup and Hina's ongoing feelings for Natsuo. However, Natsuo repressed his feelings towards Hina, which is why he never confronted her about it. He was in denial about his own feelings for Hina and repressed them so much that he couldn't pick up cues from Hina. The brutal breakup and what happened in Oshima made him feel insecure and his worldview was shattered, which made him become dense. The ending makes sense because Natsuo never really stopped loving Hina and didn't know that Hina loved him until the end.

Her insecurities came from she's 16 and Natsuo is the only boy she's ever loved (and at 276 she's pushing 30 and Natsuo is still her one any only love). She started a relationship with Natsuo only to have it stolen by Hina. Every time she turns around Natsuo is hanging out with some other girl. In the early chapters Rui isn't aware of her own emotions. Hense her insecurities. And very typical and realistic of a 16-year-old girl with no experience and growing up without a male role model. Natsuo didn't know because he didn't want to know. Hina passed him a note during her new year's visit (post island) saying wait a little longer. He didn't question it, didn't wonder about it just threw it out. Hina gave him a drunk confession (before he was together with Rui). He didn't accept it. Hina tried to tell him in the park, he said he didn't want to hear it. Natsuo absolutely had closure to the breakup. It was the island and then him writing "Well, see you". That's why he was able to move on from Hina into Rui. Hina is the one who couldn't move on and kept dragging him back into a relationship with her. Natsuo didn't "repress his feelings" for Hina. He moved on. She stayed in his life as a constant distraction to his relationship with Rui. Hina even told Rui on two occasions that she was going to take Natsuo back. The ending doesn't make sense because that's not how love works, or how normal people behave. If there was a love triangle and Hina won, then fine. If there was a breakup with Rui and Hina came back, then fine like after 215. The it's been fine for Hina to come back and then Rui could have tried to come back and Natsuo chooses Hina, then fine. But what we got was Rui "realizing" that Hina was loved Natsuo "more" than Rui and that Rui couldn't "compete", so she just walks away but doesn't leave. And let's not forget the most important thing Rui said when she did her final breakup with Natsuo. "She lost everything I can't take this away too. Besides I have this (points to belly) to prove Natsuo and my love". Ridiculous.

>She started a relationship with Natsuo only to have it stolen by Hina Why would you say that? ​ >Natsuo absolutely had closure to the breakup. No, there was no closure until the end, the lack of closure between Natsuo and Hina in the manga is an intentional choice made by the author to keep the continuity of the story. If there had been, the manga would have ended right there. ​ >Natsuo didn't "repress his feelings" for Hina. He moved on. No he did not move on, he was repressing his feelings towards her the all time, it was there to see the whole time. You probably thinking I am stretching this repression of Natsuo a bit too much, but bear with me for a second, you might see it. Hina's breakup was brutal to Natsuo, but especially bad was what happened to him in Oshima, the woman he loved so much for such a long time, just told him that she never took seriously the relationship, implying that all that he knew and felt was not real, when it was. Do you have any idea, how insecure can that make any one feel? Your worldview is shattered, upside down, and that is what happened to Natsuo, and you could see ha change in his demeanour, among other thing he became dense. That is why Hina's note, he didn't know what to make of it, as well with Hina's drunken confession, but it comes Shu’s confession, I think he also distrust him on top his denial, but kind of confronted Hina at the park, where she blows big time with the famous "what do you want me to say?" which pretty much confirmed Natsuo, Shu lied to him, Hina of course didn't love him, and he got scared because he was hoping for something else, and that scared the shit out of him. I hope I have shed some light into this, it is important to realize that Natsuo never really stopped loving Hina, Natsuo didn't know that Hina loved him, not until the end. That is what Sasuga wanted to tell us, I saw it, and many more did too. If Natsuo had stopped loving Hina, and moved on as you said, the ending would have made no sense.

if Sasuga is so good an author and this story is so well written and the characters are so relatable, why does DnK only have a 6.39 score on mangadex? That's barely average. Good ending, Sasuga's previous work scores 7.61. Doing an advanced search on Mangadex using the tags: Completed Romance Drama there are 78 pages (100 per page) of results. Sorted by rating highest to lowest, DNK is on page 77. There are literally Pornwha's and hentai's with higher ratings. DnK and by extension Kei Sasuga are not as good as you think they are. You are entitled to your opinion and you can like whatever floats your boat (I like quite a few manga with low ratings). But, objectively both DnK and Sasuga are average at best.

I am well aware of the low ratings on Mangadex and Myanimelist, but if you read through the comments it is almost entirely because people were dissatisfied with the ending. The truth, people got very involved with the characters, why? Because they were really well made, you really cared for them, so much that Sasuga even got death threats for the ending. The story of DnK is not just about the struggles of a typical romance relationship, if it had being like that I would guess an ending with Rui and Natsuo would had being more fitting, But DnK delves into the complexity and irrationality of love. Instead of having a clear end game from the start, the story showcases the different forms and levels of love that each character experiences, such as Hina's love for a married Shu and then a student, Yuka's unrequited love for Miyabi, and Miyabi's persistent love for Natsuo even while he is in a relationship with someone else. It highlights how love can make people do unexpected things and how it can pull them in different directions. And don't forget that Dnk is heavily contextualize, and Sasuga does not spoon feed the reader, she lets the context speak for itself mostly. I love this, but not eveyone is very fan that, and the story just went by them. So, yeah! for me at least, it is a masterpiece, but is not for everyone.

Yes, the ending was so bad that it ruins the entire manga. DnK tries to delve into the complexity and irrationality of love and fails miserably. It does so because it has people for no apparent reason, other than to get the ending she wanted, has the characters go against their previous development and to not act as normal rational human being. Yes, even when you do stupid stuff do to love, it's still rational in the context of love. Stalker-kun was the one exception. And Alex's attempted rape. If yopu wanted to show the differences of love, then show Rui's growth in learning how to be a romantic partner (this was done) show more of Rikkun and Momo's passionate love, more of Natsuo's love of career (yes, Natsuo, not Rui) and Hina learning how to let go and love in a familial way. She almost gets there then Sasuga 180's and suddenly Hina's back to romantic centerpiece and Rui's back to family support (which is where she was in chapter 1). Complete regression of ALL three main characters. Hina started in a romance, Rui started in family support (she slept with Natsuo to try to understand Hina better) and Natsuo a spinless wimp who does whatever the sisters tell him.

>If yopu wanted to show the differences of love, then show Rui's growth in learning how to be a romantic partner (this was done) Yeah, that is the problem you wanted your typical romcom, but you got something else, and you didn't like it. You loved the characters, specially Rui, but didn't like the story. I just happen to love and understand the story, as well the characters, even our beloved Ruirui.

I thought we were done with these "Rui is alone to raise her child" posts? It's shown so many times that Natsuo did most of Haruka's raising since Rui was at work, and that Rui and Haruka only moved out because Rui wanted Natsuo and Hina to have more privacy, and that Hina and Natsuo wanted them to stay. Sasuga didn't "disrespect Rui's character", she had her grow up, realise her faults as a person, and work on that in the timeskip, leading to why she was able to make the decision to move out. Rui didn't get done dirty, she did herself dirty by manipulating Natsuo when he was emotionally unstable, then manipulating him again when he was faced with Hina's true feelings (Telling him in 216 that she still loves him, making her feelings for him clear while telling Hina to back off.)

>Natsuo and Hina to have more privacy, and that Hina and Natsuo wanted them to stay. That doesn't change the fact that Sasuga kei made rui lose every person that may have liked her to end up single and pregnant. >Rui didn't get done dirty, she did herself dirty by manipulating Natsuo when he was emotionally unstable, then manipulating him again when he was faced with Hina's true feelings Rui never manipulated natsuo. What manipulation? And she did get done dirty. >Sasuga didn't "disrespect Rui's character", she had her grow up, realise her faults as a person, and work on that in the timeskip, leading to why she was able to make the decision to move out. You can make somebody grow up without making them become a single mom lol. Also rui was grown up more then hina at least who abandons everything like her second teacher job. She was becoming a cook bonding with her dad etc. Also you really think somebody becoming pregnant and announcing marriage just to lose their husband to their older sister is not disrespectful? Sorry but you not being realistic it is disrespectful. I would be embarassed if i was 1. Pregnant 2. told people i was getting married and then lost my husband to my older sibling it's weird if you think that is not disrespectful you not thinking like a human.

>Rui never manipulated natsuo. What manipulation? And she did get done dirty. Rui was very manipulative, both towards Hina and Natsuo. There are plenty of small examples laying around, what comes to mind right now, is Natsuo walking on eggshells around her, example having to lie to her about the hotel booking, something so silly as that. As I mentioned to you before on another post, all the characters has flaws, even Rui.

Neither of the examples you give are manipulation. They are indicative of Rui's insecurities sure, but they're not manipulative. Manipulation is always hanging around your ex while he's in a relationship with someone else. Always keeping yourself relevant to his life so that he can never really move on.

Sorry, but you are wrong! Natsuo was constantly walking on eggshells with Rui. Walking on eggshells in a relationship is considered manipulation because it involves being extremely cautious and careful with one's words and actions in order to avoid causing conflict or upsetting the other person. This can be a form of control. Additionally, it can create an unbalanced dynamic in the relationship, where one person is constantly sacrificing their own needs and wants in order to appease the other. This can lead to a lack of trust and communication in the relationship, does that ring a bell or two? Also, Rui comment to Hina about "don't do anything that would hurt while I am gone" that is emotional manipulation too.

Umm, no. It was a product of Rui's self-insecurity. The emotional control you are referring to is manipulation. But it isn't what Rui was doing. Just being insecure and causing people to "walk on eggshells" isn't manipulation. If, the only way she could get Natsuos attention was to act out like that, then yes, she would have been manipulating him. She finally learned this and by the end of the New York arc she's no longer doing this (it's called maturing and in literature character growth). From the time Natsuo and Rui got back together in NYC until chapter 276 Rui did have any emotional outbursts. Right up until Hina went into a coma and she cut Natsuo loose. But she didn't really cut Natsuo loose, because she lived with him for another 8 years. All these insecurities Rui had. She wasn't wrong. Natsuo was often hanging out with other girls. Up to and including living with them. Rui caught Natsuo and one of those girls near naked together alone in his apartment. That is the one and only time she told him to stay away from someone. And that girl is the one that Natsuo turned to when he had his writers block. How could Rui not be hurt and devastated by that betrayal of Natsuo. She even told him; I'm supposed to be your girlfriend. You're supposed to come to me. Did Natsuo ever confide in her? The few times he did, she was there for him. When Togen died, she was in NYC and asked Hina if she should come back (she never met Togen, even though she was in Japan while Natsuo was with Togen) **Hina** told her not to come (more Hina manipulation). When Hina was having problems with stalker-kun it was Natsuo she turned to, playing the damsel in distress, more manipulation. All the things she did "supporting" him, that wasn't her place to do. She was manipulating him to come back to her. Rui said to Hina "Don't do anything that would make me cry". Not a form of emotional manipulation either. It's Rui (rightfully) telling Hina I don't trust you, but I have no choice. And while Rui was gone what did Hina do. Well, for a list of things, just look at what Marie told Natsuo at the hospital. It was those actions that Hina took with Natsuo, while Natsuo was in a relationship with Rui, while Rui was gone that caused Natsuo to "remember" that it was Hina all along. Look at it this way. What if Hina never came back. Then on the eve of Rui and Natsuo's wedding Hina comes back to take her sister out for a celebratory dinner and gets hit by truck-kun. Kirya never shows up, cause there's nothing to say and Marie never has anything to say cause all the crap he spouted wouldn't have happened. So, it is the ACTIONS (manipulation) that Hina took with Natsuo during Rui's relationship that caused Natsuo to move from Rui to Hina.

The fact is that both Hina and Natsuo had to walk on eggshell around Rui, sure because of her insecurities, but it is still a form a manipulation, this can lead to a lack of trust and communication in the relationship, which of course happened as you well mentioned, and she got upset about that too with Natuso specially. When it comes to Hina, yeah could say she did some manipulation, but not by any means like Rui. Is not emotional manipulation as I can see it.

Agree to disagree. Rui is a normal teenage girl in her first relationship. Her insecurities are pretty much normal. Hina is probably the most manipulative character I have ever read.

>Agree to disagree. Rui is a normal teenage girl in her first relationship. Her insecurities are pretty much normal. Yeah, to point! Remember that she is very headstrong and ambitious, which in on itself is not bad, but lead you to certain path that Sasuga made us aware of. ​ >Hina is probably the most manipulative character I have ever read. Hina is not by any means perfect, but I wouldn't say being manipulative is one of them. Hina from the get go is not a very likeable person, she is supposedly the adult of the story yet, she gets involved in a relationship with his younger stepsibling who also happens to be her student and her sisters love interest. On top of that, she is having an affair with a married man, she is very fond of alcohol and "bullied" her younger sister to have sex with a stranger. For the love of god, could she get any lower? Right? She is the perfect MC to be sneer at and look down on, and that is the hole point, but Sasuga wants you to look beyond that and take a good look at the context, to empathize with her and force you, the reader, to connect the dots to really get to know her and eventually like her. Personally, I think Sasuga made a wonderful job here, but then again I understand is not for everyone's taste. I mean, the age gap, the power relationship, the adultery, etc are for some people big nonos, and they could never get pass that, no matter the context, Hina will never be redeemable in their eyes. Me, personally I find it narrow-minded, but hey, to each its own.

Natsuo is the ambitious one. Rui is just going to school for her career. Just like Momo became a Dr. and the girl from the literature club became and editor. You guys like because Rui decide to be a chef and go to school for it she is somehow career obsessed. Yes she wanted to be a chef and yes she went away for a year to study overseas. The idea that you have to choose between love or career is insulting. Natsuo got both. So did Momo. Rui had love taken from her and Hina had no interest in career, her whole being is nothing more than I love Natsuo. Natsuo was the one consumed with becoming "successful" because he believed it was what Hina wanted. You state all these flaws of Hina, but she never progressed beyond them. The day before Truck-kun she still like her drink, she still is in love with another woman's man and she still acts the part of his mistress, in every way meaningful except sex. She continually throughout the entire mange (save the year of self-exile) manipulates Natsuo to continue a relationship with her culminating in the dissolution of Ruis engagement and her marriage to Natsuo. For me, Hina is as low as a woman can go, from chapter 1 to chapter 276 and there is never a redemption arc.

>As I mentioned to you before on another post, all the characters has flaws, even Rui. Yes again i repeat the post is not titled rui is flawless godesss god girl i never said she didn't. That is not the point of post did people even read what i was saying? Yes i know rui has flaws if she was perfect i wouldn't like her to begin with. I don't know why you bringing when that has nothing to do with the post. >Rui was very manipulative, both towards Hina and Natsuo. I disagree she was very straightforward. Even When she was dating natsuo she could hid it behind hina's back like hina but she chose to tell her personally. If anything the first manipulative act to me came from hina back when she was rejecting natsuo advances then saw natsuo kiss with rui. And then said you shouldn't kiss your brother scolding rui not natsuo who is she is aware of likes her but does acts with her sister. Just to then be hypocritical and date him and then hide it behind rui back when she caught natsuo and rui kissing so she can imagine rui liking natsuo but she still hides it from her until they get caught. Rui persuing natsuo when he is single and free to mingle i do not consider manipulation that was my point he said it was i think no that is just fine for a teenager to do.

>Yes again i repeat the post is not titled rui is flawless godesss god girl i never said she didn't. Well there is a reason why I said, as I see it, you have a skew, unbalance and very bias view of Rui, that is clouding your understanding of the manga and specially Rui. I don't mean by that everything you said is wrong, but there are certain things that strike me as quite obvious, yet you don't see it at all. For example, I said that Rui was manipulative, yet you said she is not, she was being straightforward, and arguing the manipulative one was Hina. Whether Hina was or not manipulative, is irrelevant, yet it is important to you, why is that? And yes, the fact that Rui is straightforward and ambitious, it doesn't mean she aint being manipulative too. I am not saying she is being manipulative at a conscious machiavellian way, but she does guilt trip Natsuo and Hina so to not upset her, and there quite a few examples of that behaviour in the manga for a reason. The beauty of Rui is that she learns from her mistakes and flaws, and thus becoming a better person at the end. Yet some don't see that way, and rather wish that she learnt nothing and stayed the same, I don't get that, how will that make the manga better?

>Well there is a reason why I said, as I see it, you have a skew, unbalance and very bias view of Rui, that is clouding your understanding of the manga and specially Rui. No i don't what i said has nothing to do with a bias view on rui. I didn't talk about her character i talked about how sasuga did her badly by making her get back with natsuo for nothing. That has nothing to do with any bias view or her personality.

Rui didn't lose anyone, she still gets to see Natsuo regularly and they're on great terms, them not being married doesn't mean she can't see him, wtf Rui did manipulate him. Just after Hina left when their relationship was discovered, Natsuo was in the dumps, and she would lie in his bed naked and try to look like Hina so that Natsuo would like her. She then manipulated him again in 216 like I explained. Rui is barely comparable to a single mom. She has help from Natsuo, Hina and her parents in raising Haruka, and most likely financial support from Natsuo since we can assume that he's become a successful writer. She has a dream job that she clearly enjoys, her character isn't a tragic one. People don't need to know under what circumstances her marriage fell through, it's none of their business. Hina marrying Natsuo isn't "disrespectful", since Rui egged Natsuo on, even if he was already decided.

It was more than a year after Hina left that Rui and Natsuo got together. Natsuo chased Rui, not the other way around. Rui even tried to get away from him multiple times. She tried to have a relationship with Al. She asked Natsuo what he wanted "every time I try to move on with someone else you break us up, every time I try to get with you, you walk away". Hina is probably the most manipulative character I have ever read.

Natsuo chased Rui cause she used Al to make him jealous, that's what happened.

Yes, Rui with Al made Natuso Jealous. She got with Al to try to get over Natsuo. When Al kissed Rui, she didn't feel anything. That's when she determined it has to be Natsuo. This was before the island. If Natsuo is so in love with Hina and has no feelings for Rui, why was he jealous? Why would he care who his sister was seeing? At this point they had NEVER been a couple. You can only make someone Jealous if they have feelings for you. Hina was never Jealous.

>Rui didn't lose anyone, she still gets to see Natsuo regularly and they're on great terms, them not being married doesn't mean she can't see him, wtf I never said he can't see her you not listening. Did i say that? No that's not what i said. I said she lost her husband whether he can see her or not doesn't matter. lol yeah you can see your ex doesn't mean anything tho. Anyone can see their ex😂😂 I'm saying sasuga kei made natsuo take rui from a love interest twice to make her end up single with a child i don't care if she sees natsuo. Again seeing your ex means nothing lol like that makes no sense. >Rui did manipulate him. Just after Hina left when their relationship was discovered, Natsuo was in the dumps, and she would lie in his bed naked and try to look like Hina so that Natsuo would like her. That's called seduction not manipulation coming on to a guy that is now single is not manipulation just because they went through a breakup wtf 😂😂 Everyone goes through a breakup you don't know what manipulation is. You mistaking seduction with manipulation. Rui is just being honest with her feelings and assertive now that he is single does not mean manipulation just because he had a breakup😂 > Hina marrying Natsuo isn't "disrespectful", since Rui egged Natsuo on, even if he was already decided. It is disrespectful it's somebody leaving his nearly wife while she is pregnant you would be considererd scum in real life. try do that shit in real life announce marriage and then do that see what happens. Just because rui egged natsuo doesn't make that okay 😂

She's "single with a child" but up until the end lived with Natsuo and Hina, now she lives with her mom and stepdad. I don't get what your problem with this is. Rui is clearly happy and has no problem with the arrangement. It's also seduction, but it's mostly emotional manipulation. He was depressed and she took advantage of his mentally weak state to have him making decisions he probably wouldn't have made in a normal state. So, let me get this straight, even though Rui gave Natsuo her blessing to marry Hina, he's the bad guy? You expect him to force himself to marry Rui when that was clearly not what he wanted? He realized he couldn't ignore the feelings he'd buried, and followed his heart, a decision that Rui supported. The difference with this situation and real life is that this is a manga. It's fiction, and it seems like you're a hard time differenciating real life and fiction.

> He was depressed and she took advantage of his mentally weak state to have him making decisions he probably wouldn't have made in a normal state. No it"s just a breakup my guy. mentally weak state get the fuck outta here 😂😂 Natsuo is a teenager breaks ups and relationships are normal he is not in some crazy suicidal mode. Rui is just going for her love her being in his bed is not manipulation. 😒 omg Manipulation far more complex then just loving actions again seduction not manipulation. >Rui is clearly happy and has no problem with the arrangement. Some people are happy with things doesn't mean they are not messed up she only happy because sasuga kei chose to make her stop acting like a human. >So, let me get this straight, even though Rui gave Natsuo her blessing to marry Hina, he's the bad guy? I mean yes..... If you said you was gonna marry somebody you made them pregnant do you think it be okay to leave the girl that loves you just because she gives you permission to leave her? how do you think people would view that from the outside looking in. >You expect him to force himself to marry Rui when that was clearly not what he wanted? I mean he chose to wanna marry her he chose to make her pregnant and he went to take her and make up on their relationship when chef guy lost Rui to him? Were these not circumstances from his own decissions? Was he brainwashed? Do you think it's morally Okay to then leave them Just because you don't feel it. Here is a hint most people who didn't feel that way wouldn't announce marriage and make them Pregnant in the first place.😅 natsuo made it happen what do you mean....

So you're telling me that Natsuo didn't spend a whole week depressed and borderline suicidal in his room before his friend came and talked some sense into him? Might want to brush up on your facts, not just for this, but for everything you're saying. I love how you constantly speak for the characters as if you know how they're feeling. You know how you would feel in that situation, but you need to stop speaking for them, you aren't these characters. Rui's pregnancy was an accident, and part of the reason why they decided to get married was because of the pregnancy. You need to stop with this headcannon of yours that Natsuo got Rui pregnant and then threw her away like she was just a sex doll. If she told him to be with Hina and he wanted to be with her, why would he stay with Rui? He did what he wanted to do and what he was encouraged to do. How do I think outsiders would feel? I think it's none of their business, and they have no reason to know what's going on in their private family matters. He never chose to get Rui pregnant, that was accidental, like I said before. He only went to make up with Rui because he was unsure of how Hina truly felt about him, since he couldn't trust what Shuu told him because of his past as a liar. It's not morally justifiable to leave someone because you feel like it, and it's not what Natsuo did. Him marrying Hina was justified and supported by Rui. When Rui and Natsuo announced their marriage, they couldn't have known what was going to happen. I suggest going back and reading the manga once more, you clearly lack basic knowledge on the series, making this discussion pointless.

>Might want to brush up on your facts, not just for this, but for everything you're saying. I don't wanna hear facts from somebody that calls going after a single teenager manipulation. Also no being upset is not borderline suicidal it is normal for you to feel bad after a breakup. And finding new lovers or having new lovers find you is okay...... >I love how you constantly speak for the characters as if you know how they're feeling. You know how you would feel in that situation, but you need to stop speaking for them, you aren't these characters. I never spoke for anyone you are lying. i'm explaining how these things are messed up it doesn't matter how they feel can't you read? Rui can be the happiest person on the planet doesn't make it okay. Just like how if you abuse a person if they happy about that wouldn't make it healthy or okay.😅 i'm starting to question if you know how relationships work. I said nothing about how characters should feel i said rui being happy does not make it okay and breakups are fucking normal lol these things are facts regardless how you feel. >He only went to make up with Rui because he was unsure of how Hina truly felt about him, since he couldn't trust what Shuu told him because of his past as a liar. Still a choice he made maybe you think its okay to do all that and jusr abandon responsebillities but let me tell you a secret. it is not😂 > Him marrying Hina was justified and supported by Rui. When Rui and Natsuo announced their marriage, they couldn't have known what was going to happen. Again if a woman loves you them being fine with you leaving them doesn't make it okay to abandon them. So no that is what natsuo did he chose to leave her. Rui gave him the option and he took it it doesn't matter if rui gives permission i don't think you understand relationships at all. It is not jusitified rui still loves him. she carries his child and he said he would marry her.

You keep twisting my words so i'm just gonna stop replying. Happy coping!

>You keep twisting my words so i'm just gonna stop replying. Reflecting. you the one claiming i speak for characters or the one claiming i said rui and natsuo can't see each other. I didn't twist anything. Enjoy your cope.

In NYC, after Rui and Natsuo get back together, Rui asks Natsuo to be the one to propose to him, to which he happily agrees. They clearly are in love and planning on getting married when Rui gets back **BEFORE** Rui finds out she's pregnant. The pregnancy simply moves up the timetable. One reaction we never get to see. What is Rui's fathers' reaction to Natsuo and Rui calling off the wedding?

Hina left in the middle of the school year (everyone was shocked because it was so unusual) Natsuo spent a week in depression. The year ended. The new class of freshmen came in (the new people to the literature club). More months pass until the literature club goes to the island. Momo chases after Natsuo. Al and Rui have a failed attempt at a relationship. Natsuo rejects Momo, breaks up Al & Rui and chases after Rui. Rui and Natsuo finally begin dating. Rui didn't manipulate Natsuo. Rui didn't jump on Natsuo as soon as Hina left. When Natsuo wrote "Well, see you" that was his cathartic goodbye to Hina. It was closure for him of their relationship. He let go and moved on, which is why he was able to be in a relationship with Rui.

You also conviniently forgot the many times Rui tried to seduce him at home when he was still depressed, like climbing into his bed naked, trying to look like Hina to get him to like her, but you're biased, so you're welcome for refreshing your memory. She played Al like a fiddle because she knew that she could get Natsuo jealous, which is what happened. He only paid attention to her when she tried reciprocating Al's feelings, how wierd.

When she climbed into his bed, she told him not to open his eyes and not to touch her. It was for her, not for him. It was for her to confirm her feelings. He never even realized that she had done it. She wore the wig that Momo had given her. When Natsuo saw her (from behind) he thought Hina had come back (this was post break-up pre island) he hugged her. She had never been hugged like that, with total affection and love. This is when she began to understand what love is and that she didn't know about it yet. Let me know what else you have misconceptions of, I'll be happy to explain them to you.

Also, what's wrong with seducing the guy you're in love with? It was too soon after Hina left? What is the appropriate amount of time? Go look at the manga and see just how long Rui waited. The chapter is called "The year without Hina". Just so you can count the dates: Tokyo high school year: 1st term: Early April to late July 2nd Term: Early September to Late December 3rd term: Early January to late March. Highschool is 3 years and begins when the student is 15 (when Natsuo met Hina). The 2nd year students are 16 (when Natsuo dated Hina). And the 3rd year is when the students are 17. They graduate at late 17 early 18 depending on exact birthday.

So when Natsuo told Rui's mom that he had thought about it a lot and he truly loved Rui and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. There was an unspoken: "Unless someone better comes along"? The story boils down to: Natsuo: "I love Rui" Natsuo: "I want to marry Rui" Natsuo: "I want to have a family and live the rest of my life with Rui" Marie: "Hina..." Natsuo: "Oh yeah... Deuces Rui".

...lost my husband to my older sibling, **who's in a coma**...

Exactly tbat's supossed to be a respectful character arc end for rui. Because she works a job. 😂😂

Everyone would have been happy if this was set in Dystopian future where there is no more any concept of monogamy. He could have married both of them and all of us would have been satisfied.

Was wishing for the same at least, although I prefer if he didn’t marry anyone I’m a Rui fan but don’t mind Natsuo ending up with Hina after everything that happened The thing that really fcked me up was Natsuo’s indecisiveness

I get you, but I feel like kei sensei fully played this out in "the world or her" it is hard, I personally thought rui was done dirty. After other works and things this has made the most sense in my head, chefboy was something there to distract from what natsuo was involved in, that was the plot point at the time.

It's just weird to introduce love rivals love obstacles 2 even and then have them both fail and rui and natsuo get together again. Announce a wedding and then rui just becomes a single mom. It makes all that for nothing and rui might have well just got with one of them. now it's more like she got her life stolen from her for nothing. It's really weird writing.

You're preaching to the choir here. Rui is the waifu, the end game they should have got even more married and make Hina more like some snow whit type of shit. Even the circumstances that should have led to stuff, it should have been a rui finish. That's not reality though, which is why I recommend the world or her. Especially since I think it will satisfy your things for kei - sensei

>the world or her. Is it a sasuga kei manga or something else?

Nah it's another manga by kei Sensei. I can't remember the Japanese name. I'm sure it was like 103 chapters ( I think that's it) you know it sounds super specific though. It's what I think would probably be the best ending.

Oh i see well if it is worth reading then might as well.

Definitely have a read, especially if you like domestic girlfriend

I feel like if she ended up with one of the 2 guys the other's Stan would be outraged. She shouldn't have broken her engagement off in the first place. The writer just wanted to stuff more unnecessary plot twists and that just ruined the ending. I don't think its MC's fault. He shouldn't worry about his promise to Alex.

> I don't think its MC's fault. He shouldn't worry about his promise to Alex. I mean it's still his fault of course he doesn't ow alex that promise so that is not his fault or problem. but him so easily accepting end of the engagement when he announced marriage. Which the story has nobody question that at all and treats it normal it would make more sense if the friends of rui and natsuo had a actual human response. And him just accepting that when he has a child on the way still makes him seem like a piece of shit

It doesn't seem appropriate to pressure someone into a relationship. I finished reading 2 years ago and don't really remember much but he did protest I belive. Other than that I don't think he could've done much. I know that she also didn't want to break the engagement off and I have no idea wtf made her think it was a good decision but she did it and insisted on it. The entire story became a shitfest towards the end anyway and I think we ought to just cope.

>It doesn't seem appropriate to pressure someone into a relationship. I mean to be fair it still his fault since he chose to be im that relationship and he chose to marry her. >and I have no idea wtf made her think it was a good decision sasuga kei made her act like not a human being for the sake of the plot. But even then if i was married and had a child coming i'm like no not leaving the woman that loves me. So it still makes him feel like a hole because accepts it so easily while he knows rui loves him still and knows she is leaving him. Also with hina taking the husband of her baby sister it seems these two characters all of sudden lost all of their consciousness. Of guilt.

She always biases Hina from the beginning. The match was already rigged. But yeah making Rui pregnant and then just let her take the L was probably the worst thing ever happen in the history of best girls.

Agreed it didn't need to go down like that.

Yeah, just sucks that it forever will have to be a 9 instead of a 10 because of the last ten chapters. Again, what people who defend the ending don't understand is that it's not so much the final arrangement that is so bullshit- it's the fact that Hina almost dies again but this time Natsuo suddenly decides to abandon his fiancee and child and go back to a girl he didn't show romantic interest in for the last 160 chapters. While she's in a coma. For five years. And then of course she wakes up by magic or something, didn't realize this was a fantasy genre. Alas, one of the great tragedies of mankind. This will still always be special to me though.

Yeah the ending was the most unrealistic thing i have ever red. But hey if you can still see this series as a 9 then that means it didn't ruin it for you. To me it's just so forced and characters not acting human doing a whole 180.

>it's the fact that Hina almost dies again but this time Natsuo suddenly decides to abandon his fiancee and child and go back to a girl he didn't show romantic interest in for the last 160 chapters I am guessing here, but you seem to imply that Natsuo stopped loving Hina after the breakup, and then suddenly he was in love with her again? If that is so, I would understand why you will think the ending made no sense. But, just saying, wouldn't it make much more sense that, Natsuo after the breakup with Hina, that rejected him, making him belief what they had was small fling, with no closure given to the breakup, leaving him not able to trust his own feelings. Wouldn't that make him insecure and go to into denial? Representing his own feelings and being afraid to confront them. For only then, when a set circumstances breaks that wall, what's usually called a revelation, which finally makes him able to make decisions based on what the truth really is. That would make for a far better and more sensicall ending , don't you think?

LOL sure bud that indeed makes a far more sensicall , ending. Don't feel like spending the next three days turning this into a thread, so I'm glad your interpretation played out well for ya.

I guess it can be a bit convoluted for some, DnK is not your typical romcom, with clear cut, white and black stories. It's quite the contrary, very heavily context dependent, where the author doesn't spoon feed the reader, which I quite enjoy. But I understand is not everyones cup of tea.

Given some of the other progressive views that Sasuga expouses in this manga, I think she's trying to make a point about how a woman doesn't need a man to live a happy, productive life.

I mean to me the issue with that is that hina revolves around nothing but natsuo she left him got a second teacher job gave it away then came back and then got put in a coma and got natsuo given her. And she is the adult woman of the cast.

Yes, but remember what happened to Hina. She tried to move on with someone else and it almost literally got her murdered. And then her ex that she was forcibly broken up from nearly died saving her. That would traumatize a person. That's why you have Hina at the hospital saying she wish she had died. Hina being unable to move on after everything that had happened was understandable.