Nakanishi is not just Sakura’s new boyfriend or Shinobu’s romantic rival. He is a possessive, self-righteous man who mistakes control for love.
To be fair, he was not evil from the beginning. Before Sakura suspected Shinobu of cheating, Nakanishi genuinely helped her. He prayed for a protective charm and even helped recover the necklace Shinobu had given her. His kindness was probably real.
But everything changed once he slept with her.
The very next day, he went straight to Shinobu, announced that he and Sakura had already had sex, told him to back off, and claimed that he would make Sakura happy.
Why did Shinobu need to hear the sexual details?
Because Nakanishi was not simply explaining the situation. He was declaring victory:
“I slept with her. She is mine now. You lost.”
He turned Sakura’s body into proof of ownership and used their private relationship as a weapon to crush Shinobu.
The manga never confirms whether Sakura knew about this meeting. However, judging from Nakanishi’s later behavior, it is entirely possible that he acted without her permission.
He has a habit of deciding what is best for Sakura without asking her.
When Sakura wants to accept a television role involving a bed scene, he does not ask whether she wants it or whether it could help her career. He simply calls gravure work vulgar and tells her not to do it.
That is especially hypocritical because Sakura built her career as a gravure idol. Nakanishi is happy to sleep with her privately, yet he looks down on the profession that made her who she is.
His problem is not sexuality. His problem is control.
He can accept Sakura’s body when it belongs to him in private. He cannot accept Sakura deciding for herself how to use her body and pursue her career.
This also raises the possibility that he secretly destroyed Sakura and Shinobu’s final chance to communicate.
Sakura believed Shinobu had cheated, but never properly confronted him. After sleeping with Nakanishi, she may not have known that Nakanishi immediately went to Shinobu and ordered him to withdraw.
Shinobu may have interpreted Nakanishi’s words as proof that Sakura had chosen him. So he stepped away.
Sakura then saw that Shinobu never came after her and may have concluded:
“He never cared enough to find me.”
This creates a vicious cycle:
Sakura misunderstands Shinobu and runs away.
Nakanishi sleeps with her and immediately drives Shinobu away.
Shinobu assumes Sakura has chosen Nakanishi.
Sakura sees Shinobu’s silence and believes he abandoned her.
Nakanishi becomes the only man left beside her.
If that is what happened, Nakanishi did not merely “win” Sakura. He made sure Shinobu never had the chance to speak to her again.
Of course, Sakura is still responsible for her choices. She never confirmed the truth, slept with Nakanishi before properly ending things with Shinobu, and continued the relationship afterward.
But Nakanishi clearly exploited the situation.
His promise to “make Sakura happy” was never as noble as he wanted it to sound. He did not ask Sakura what happiness meant to her. He simply assumed that sleeping with her gave him the right to define her future.
That is why Sakura calling him selfish in the latest chapter matters.
Nakanishi did not suddenly become selfish. He was always selfish. His selfishness was simply hidden behind kindness, protection, and romantic promises.
He can love the Sakura who depends on him.
He cannot accept the Sakura who thinks and chooses for herself.
