Love So Life

HNNNGGGGGGGG.........

Grandma just got diabetes before a single cookie was even made.

Still waiting for the NTR to rip my heart out at the last second.

Imagine it, like nobody would have seen that coming and would just be devastated.

I really think you are in the wrong manga.

Heck you are in the wrong neighborhood. 

Still waiting for the NTR to rip my heart out at the last second.

Imagine it, like nobody would have seen that coming and would just be devastated.

Grandma all "Oh my god, what did I do to deserve such a cute granddaughter?!"

Not quite, Shiharu is naive but, not to the point of foolishness. what Seiji and Shiharu have done is not just a "summer adventure" it was a two year almost daily occurrence of trials and hardships. Of raising two children "together" they may not have been husband and wife but, they basically took on the roles of "mama" and "papa" for the twins. That's not something you "forget" or have "fade" over time at least not when you are still occasionally seeing each other. It's just each of them has their own "house" to put in order. Sure Seiji could have made her a nice young wife.. but, at the cost of both their reputations, his job, and probably her dreams.  Or He could work his butt off, wait for her to achieve her goals.. and then proceed to court her when both of their own lives are firmly established so no one would dare claim anything scandalous about either of them. Hmm.. I think I'd choose the "stable income/ achieved dreams/ happy family life" over the "happy family life but, at the cost of everything else" . Seiji is rational. So him working himself to the bone in order to accumulate the required amount of "power" to achieve all of the goals for himself and the girl he likes sounds like his style.

 

I feel like the fire and brimstone you're speaking of seems a bit much. Their reputations, his job, and her dreams? I don't understand how them being together even remotely equates to any of these issues. I'm not suggesting he needed to hurry and marry her, but that doesn't mean he needs to practically write her out of his life after the twins disappear for 5+ years. Their 10 year age gap is going to be a sticking point no matter how old Shiharu becomes. The all or nothing approach seems like a joke to me when you look at it through the eyes of reality. Was he really working so much that he could literally only see her for extremely brief moments once in a blue moon, seemingly only when the twins are involved? That he couldn't really be bothered to talk to her on the phone, or what have you, to reassure her that she is still very much in his thoughts? So much neglect that she now feels like the promise they shared has been forgotten? Can someone remind me why this sort of 'hardworking-pseudo-neglect' behavior seems to be romanticized so much in manga? Because I know the moment he finally proposes to her, they're going to point out how all this hard work was for her, and she's going to totally swoon over it, as though the 5+ years of doubts never existed.

True enough, it's a rational decision worthy of Matsunaga.

Problem is, as others have pointed here, feelings are not so rational, and for some, five years of estrangement can be too much. The previous two years of playing "papa" and "mama" could, in fact, worsen things instead of help because the difference in his way of interacting with her is too stark. I guess it was because he didn't have the very convenient excuse of the twins anymore to be near her and didn't think of anything better to avoid the risk of scandal, but that coldness has its risks too.

As a mature adult, I'm sure Matsunaga would understand if Shiharu decided to consider him a lost cause and find love elsewhere, but in that case it would be a sad (and probably unintended) byproduct of his chosen strategy.

Of course, we know it won't happen, but that doesn't mean his way of facing the situation is perfect. On the other hand, not being perfect doesn't mean it doesn't have its own good points, as you pointed out.

And in addition to these well-made points, my whole thing is: if that's your game plan, cool, but DON'T PROPOSE. That's an agreement. That's a contract of sorts. You don't put a physical token of a relationship on someone's finger and then ignore them for five years. I'm not saying he needed to make her wifey or baby mamma yet but, FFS, at least communicate with her. Tell her your plans, your goals, affirm her importance to you, find out how she feels. Y'know, human with her.

She's supposed to be the immature one here, not him.

Of course, I say all of this and yet next chapter will probably have a killer explanation and I'll be all "WOOOO~ MATSUNAGA LOOOOOVE" :/

Sure Seiji could have made her a nice young wife.. but, at the cost of both their reputations, his job, and probably her dreams.  Or He could work his butt off, wait for her to achieve her goals.. and then proceed to court her when both of their own lives are firmly established so no one would dare claim anything scandalous about either of them. Hmm.. I think I'd choose the "stable income/ achieved dreams/ happy family life" over the "happy family life but, at the cost of everything else" . Seiji is rational. So him working himself to the bone in order to accumulate the required amount of "power" to achieve all of the goals for himself and the girl he likes sounds like his style.

 

True enough, it's a rational decision worthy of Matsunaga.

 

Problem is, as others have pointed here, feelings are not so rational, and for some, five years of estrangement can be too much. The previous two years of playing "papa" and "mama" could, in fact, worsen things instead of help because the difference in his way of interacting with her is too stark. I guess it was because he didn't have the very convenient excuse of the twins anymore to be near her and didn't think of anything better to avoid the risk of scandal, but that coldness has its risks too.

 

As a mature adult, I'm sure Matsunaga would understand if Shiharu decided to consider him a lost cause and find love elsewhere, but in that case it would be a sad (and probably unintended) byproduct of his chosen strategy.

 

Of course, we know it won't happen, but that doesn't mean his way of facing the situation is perfect. On the other hand, not being perfect doesn't mean it doesn't have its own good points, as you pointed out.

Well, Love So Life is surprisingly realistic in that Shiharu has been seeing the twins and Matsunaga from time to time in the last 5 years. And Shiharu, naive as she is sometimes, feels that what she might have had with Matsunaga, the "promise", is no longer there. So she agrees with you, no matter if fictionland is full of one-week romances and summer adventures that are remembered for years.

 

But of course, love will conquer all. Even pesky (and realistic) them drifting apart XD

Not quite, Shiharu is naive but, not to the point of foolishness. what Seiji and Shiharu have done is not just a "summer adventure" it was a two year almost daily occurrence of trials and hardships. Of raising two children "together" they may not have been husband and wife but, they basically took on the roles of "mama" and "papa" for the twins. That's not something you "forget" or have "fade" over time at least not when you are still occasionally seeing each other. It's just each of them has their own "house" to put in order. Sure Seiji could have made her a nice young wife.. but, at the cost of both their reputations, his job, and probably her dreams.  Or He could work his butt off, wait for her to achieve her goals.. and then proceed to court her when both of their own lives are firmly established so no one would dare claim anything scandalous about either of them. Hmm.. I think I'd choose the "stable income/ achieved dreams/ happy family life" over the "happy family life but, at the cost of everything else" . Seiji is rational. So him working himself to the bone in order to accumulate the required amount of "power" to achieve all of the goals for himself and the girl he likes sounds like his style.

Matsunaga, what have you been doing leaving Shiharu alone for 5 years? Sigh

Earning enough reputation and money so by the time the public hears "he has a beautiful young wife" he's basically scandal proof ("well no SHIT he has a beautiful young wife... seriously I'm jealous of the girl!" ) . Clearly he's thinking long term goals.. as stressful and somewhat annoying as they can be.

Matsunaga, what have you been doing leaving Shiharu alone for 5 years? Sigh

I was thinking the same thing. I was like, "Oh, we missed the part where they became vampires and are forever... four, maybe? The limbs are leaner, I guess..."

We need to see that sidestory. My guess is that it was "2 years ago", since Shiharu's friend hadn't seen them for 2 years.

Excited about the time skip. It's almost done, but it's been a wonderful ride. Glad they're taking a few chapters to do this epilogue!!

5 year timeskip, nooo....

Also, it seems the mangaka forgot they were drawing a timeskip at the end there. The twins definitely do not look like they aged 5 years.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I was like, "Oh, we missed the part where they became vampires and are forever... four, maybe? The limbs are leaner, I guess..."

 

Also, I agree with others - I think five years of being ignored, if not avoided, as hinted at by him hurrying away, is pretty excessive. That's going to need to be one hell of an explanation next chapter to really soothe my anger or redeem Matsunaga in my eyes. And no amount of "I just wanted to let you live your life" is going to fly for me. You don't propose to a teenage girl without some understanding that you are basically claiming dibs and because she loves you, she will cling to that for some period of time, so it seems shitty to leave her guessing for years after...

5 year timeskip, nooo....

Also, it seems the mangaka forgot they were drawing a timeskip at the end there. The twins definitely do not look like they aged 5 years.

Hue 5 years that time skip tho.

Shiharu : 23 years old, then how old is/was Matsunaga?

Wait, what? Isn't she 21, or actually 22? She turned 17 a while back, I think, and it's been 5 years, so 22. Seiji is 10 years older, so either 31 or 32 now.

Will never understand characters that actually go through with things like this. I think 5 years where I feel like they no longer care about me would probably mean they no longer care about me. I feel like I would have 'gotten the hint' much sooner than that, regardless of their actual intentions towards me. 

 

They'd only even known each other for a couple years, so they've now pretty much been apart twice as long as they'd been together in the first place. 

 

Well, Love So Life is surprisingly realistic in that Shiharu has been seeing the twins and Matsunaga from time to time in the last 5 years. And Shiharu, naive as she is sometimes, feels that what she might have had with Matsunaga, the "promise", is no longer there. So she agrees with you, no matter if fictionland is full of one-week romances and summer adventures that are remembered for years.

 

But of course, love will conquer all. Even pesky (and realistic) them drifting apart XD

3 More chapters to go... ready your tissue boxes boys and girls! ~(=owo)p[__][__][__]

Shiharu : 23 years old, then how old is/was Matsunaga?

 

I can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure he was in his mid 20s at the start of the series. So there's likely a ~10 year gap between them.

Shiharu : 23 years old, then how old is/was Matsunaga?

Group huggie

 

Thank you so much.

Wait, 5 years and thw two of them have barely seen each other in the meantime?

What?

 

Will never understand characters that actually go through with things like this. I think 5 years where I feel like they no longer care about me would probably mean they no longer care about me. I feel like I would have 'gotten the hint' much sooner than that, regardless of their actual intentions towards me. 

 

They'd only even known each other for a couple years, so they've now pretty much been apart twice as long as they'd been together in the first place. 

Wait, 5 years and thw two of them have barely seen each other in the meantime?

What?

Well, this is interesting. We have three more chapters. I'm sort of glad she did a time skip. We don't have to guess what might happen in the future!