After applying lip tint for the first time, Ako bumps into her classmate, leaving a fresh lip stain on his white shirt! Will this awkward first encounter lead to something meaningful?
You can check out chapter one of this series for yourself below!
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What’s the series about? (chapter one spoilers!)
One day at school, Ako notices her best friend is positively glowing. When she asks the secret behind her enhanced beauty, her friend confesses that she has a new boyfriend. Ako, also wanting to be beautiful, pesterings her friend for advice until she hands over a lip tint. If you want to change up your look, some colour on your lips is a good way to start!
Ako runs off to the washroom to apply it, but doesn’t do the most skillful application. It’s her first time applying makeup after all, and it’s a rather dark shade. Nevertheless, Ako leaves the washroom with newfound confidence, and walks straight into one of her male upperclassmen. Leaving a fresh lip stain on his white shirt.
This boy, unknown to Ako at the time, is one of the most popular boys at school—Harumi. He’s famous for two things: his good looks, and his hatred of women. At first, Ako finds Harumi to be needlessly cruel to the girls who flock to him, but could there be a reason behind his supposed hatred of women?
My thoughts on this chapter (spoilers for chapter one)
I really enjoyed this sample! I find both Ako and Harumi to be very fascinating characters. Ako is a high school girl who is still discovering herself and the world around her. She’s quick to call Harumi out when she feels like he’s being cruel, but is just as quick to apologize when she realizes her mistakes. She’s a very honest and upfront character, which makes me want to root for her!
Harumi is a boy that feels complex at first glance, but the more we see of him, the easier he is to understand. The rumours of him being a woman hater are obviously false, but honestly, anyone who was put in his position would feel apprehensive about being near women. We sadly learn that stalking and creepshots are a daily occurrence for him. His stalker’s actions have been so polarizing that he doesn’t even care to put a stop to the photography. It doesn’t even register to him anymore when compared with the other things these girls have done to him.
It’s appalling that so many of the girls around him feel like he owes them something just because he modeled for his family’s account on TikTok. Just because you find someone attractive, doesn’t mean they owe you anything! Likewise, someone being on social media doesn’t mean that you have the right to take pictures of them whenever you want! I found his situation so frustrating.
Learning his circumstances and seeing how he treats Ako at the end of the chapter made everything very clear. He’s cold to the non-stalker women so that they stay away from him, and thus in turn are safe from his stalkers. How scary. While it seems like he doesn’t actually hate all women, he avoids everyone the same for the sake of safety. Thus, making people who don’t know him well to believe that he hates all women for no good reason. I feel bad for him, it seems like he hasn’t done anything to warrant such an exhausting life.
I fear for Ako’s safety now that the two of that have begun a friendship.
Maddies Manga 
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