Black and White - Tough Love at the Office - Vol. 3 Ch. 18 - White & Black

[Unma]

That is actually such a wonderful thematic ending. After the last chapter, you'd think that shit would go down this chapter, and the ending would be horrid for Junko, but in reality, it's just... this?
I'd write essays here, but I wouldn't. Junko and Kuroda both won in their own ways. Junko won the game, and Kuroda escaped the game. And Junko is absolutely horrified that Kuroda managed to escape and doesn't give a shit anymore. She's won the game, but lost Kuroda in the end. It's beautiful. Love it.

 

[Milf_Professor]

Lmao didn’t expect that 😂

 

[FionaWitch]

Kuroda-San really deserves that brightness on her aura she lost her one big ambition in that company but she was released from the toxic that eats her well being.

 

[nyannibalism]

thanks for the translation!

kayos happy, junkos distressed due her unwillingness to fight, but they both won in their own ways. love this neutral end, it has been executed really well with the contrast between those who have moved on and those who havent.

also yoshiko really pulls off that outfit, damn.

 

[jokytokyo09]

thanks you for translating for us! wow what a ride! hope the Author make more yuri but less toxicity xD

 

[golestar]

"Do you feel like winning yet?"
Junko won a game that Kuroda simply walked out of. And instead of finding peace, Junko will now be living out her corporate life constantly looking behind her back, not knowing if she'll find herself in a meeting discussing her severance pay one day. It's the kind of slow atrophy of life that kills your mind long before that rope at the end of the line finish the job. And not only did Kuroda find a much easy life, she'd done so side by side with her love Satomi, without the fear of one day pointing a dagger at her throat for some corporate big cat. Best ending, very kino.

 

[himi-cat]

Thank you for the translation.

I'm gonna be honest, as absolutely toxic as they were together I was still praying for an ending where they got together. They were my emotional support abusive relationship. The ending works but it doesn't do anything for me. Looking forward to the authors next work.

Yeah, for all that she was incredibly toxic I rather liked Junko as a character, and I kind of wanted a redemption arc or something like that. She clearly loved Kuroda (in her twisted, toxic as fuck way), and it would have been nice to see her grow out of the toxicity enough to be able to actually have Kuroda reciprocate that love.

That said, this ending is the one that stays true to Junko - that's why it hits so hard.

And that's actually consistent with the other series by Sal Jiang that I've read (Ayaka-chan) - in that story the ending had the same very clear focus on the main character staying true to themselves (and their characterisation), even though there were people who saw it as a cop out. Junko was as true to herself as Ayaka was - the fact one of them got "the happy ending" and the other . . . didn't . . . that's absolutely a true reflection of the characters.

All told it's some excellent story telling, even if the last half dozen pages really felt like a punch in the gut.

 

[himi-cat]

That is actually such a wonderful thematic ending. After the last chapter, you'd think that shit would go down this chapter, and the ending would be horrid for Junko, but in reality, it's just... this?
I'd write essays here, but I wouldn't. Junko and Kuroda both won in their own ways. Junko won the game, and Kuroda escaped the game. And Junko is absolutely horrified that Kuroda managed to escape and doesn't give a shit anymore. She's won the game, but lost Kuroda in the end. It's beautiful. Love it.

Junko really loved Kuroda, even though it was absolutely toxic and twisted and fucked up in every way. She thought Kuroda was coming from the same place, and that they'd just keep going back and forth with that messed up power struggle, totally focused on each other forever, constantly gripping each other by the throat. And then . . . Kuroda just stopped playing. And Junko suddenly found she was holding nothing.

Masterful stuff.

 

[gearoi92]

Ahem
KINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Jumped from an early 5/10 to a solid 8/10. The latter half was pretty good.

 

[onedumninja]

One found inner peace and happiness while the other lives in darkness. Junko will never find true happiness as she is. She'll come to realize that she's just a lapdog for her superiors, and that money and "superiority" ≠ fulfillment and joy.

Love this ending

 

[Deoxyribo9]

I got the ending I wanted. Everyone wins... right?

 

[Jamadhur]

OMG this might be the best ending I've ever read

 

[silverpetricof]

Objectively speaking, this was an excellent ending. It was cathartic, thematically fitting, and clearly brings about an appropriate resolution for our two female leads.

Personally speaking...I honestly wanted the two of them to get together (as fucked up as that sounds). I guess you could say I wanted Junko to "win," but it was never in the cards. Like I said before: I just wanted more passionate hate-sex and I'm left with Kuroda basking in the light of love and liberation and Junko surrounded by the darkness of deceit and vicious office politics.

Ah well. At the very least I can say I'm somewhat satisfied. This was a good story overall.

Thank you for the translation.

 

[St3f4n]

 

[Ninoren]

Not gonna lie.. kinda feels like that ending was more made for the sake of ending it ô_ô..

Like the chapter before lead in no way or form into this 😐
Junko literally went 'It's the only thing binding us' as if she wants to be connected to her, but the next second goes 'Ah whatevs' and just leaves eh

 

[jrocker]

So she is still with the HR girl and now is black because she had to give up her pride, rivalry, and everything else to join the top goal (Black) where she started strong and independent (white). The other girl gave up on her first love and challenging and hurting others with her toxic desires to be the top (Black) but found her love in someone willing to help her grow making her feel better after giving up on the bank (white).

 

[MoonlitWanderer]

So, Satomi created a new company with Kuyo working there (obviously, they're together in the end), and are just content; the best form of revenge, being happy.

Meanwhile, Junko, despite having 'won,' is pulled into the politics and darkness of the company, and won't ever be able to feel like she was truly victorious against Kuyo.

What a nice, realistic, and satisfying ending.

 

[undeadclown]

So…Kuroda goes to a new company started by her girlfriend, which means she got her new position through nepotism and this is supposed to make her “white”…how exactly? Because she loves her? I liked this manga but it often times felt very much like it glossed over the things Kuroda did to throw the villain ball solely at Junko because she made more plans and made crazier faces.

 

[Dzimitory92]

Both got what they wanted, but Junko thought that Kuroda wanted the same thing and it kinda took away the sweetness from her 'win'. I guess I'm ok with this ending.
P.S. can't wait for the next work.

 

[DJNebulous]

Oh that was good.
Like I was thinking Kuroda would leave but for it to end up as a situation where she's working at a better position with one of the companies the bank does business with, thus starting the dance all over with a new dynamic. That this keeps the hollow victory vibe while driving home that Junko's "winning" didn't actually amount to anything satisfying was really well done.

The page where Junko suddenly realizes that all her scheming was just a bit part in someone else's larger plan was soooo good. The guy gave both her and her main pawn a promotion just to point out that he knew everything all along.