Read both chapters today and it got me wondering on what themes Yodokawa is trying to present in this new story.
Warning: Full ramble ahead.
With what we currently have, I believe Yodokawa is exploring the different ways love or affection can be expressed, whether it will lead to something romantic or not.
Nekome’s character shows us that she has a crush and is quite possibly obsessed, but when given the chance to actually show her affection to Shiratori, she backs out. It reminded me of a moment when my friend told me that it was better when she knew nothing about her crush because when she got to know them better, she got turned off. Maybe this will happen to Nekome? I see it leading to that based on the stuff Hotaru has shared about Shiratori. And maybe Nekome just wants to keep that memory of Shiratori complimenting her bento box and only that.
We’ve seen Maki in a few panels but she would be blushing in most of them while talking to Hotaru. Out of all the characters, I think she’s the only one who has shown signs of romantic love. The story begins with Hotaru saying that she would become a teacher because Maki thinks she would be good at it. I don’t know how to explain it, but if you put yourself in Maki’s shoes - it’s like Hotaru believes in what Maki says, even if Hotaru isn’t sure of what she wants for her herself. And we’re talking about her career here! Then there’s that bit about Maki traveling because there’s someone who likes seeing her pictures, and her saying that it’s okay if they don’t have any label as long as they’re together… At this point, I’m confused because if you love someone, wouldn’t you want to be around them? But then we don’t know much about how Hotaru is like around Maki. So maybe Maki has accepted that Hotaru might never love her the same way, and she does what she thinks is the best way to show her affection which is through the stuff she sends while traveling. And maybe she’s scared to be around Hotaru because if she crosses the line, it might ruin what they have now.
Then there’s Hotaru who doesn’t understand Nekome’s crush on Shiratori (though this makes sense given Hotaru’s POV towards Shiratori), and who looks at the parcel from Maki then says that romance doesn’t have much to do with them. Maybe she’s aromantic, or she just truly sees Maki as a friend. But if a friend says she doesn’t care about labels as long as they could be together… wouldn’t that sound alarm bells? If Hotaru doesn’t get Nekome, then I don’t get her. But on a different note, it does seem like Hotaru’s way of showing affection is by being supportive and present. This was shown when Nekome was talking about her bento box and how it reminded her of Maki, where both of them were “glowing” while they were sharing their passions to her.
So to conclude my thoughts:
Nekome - has a happy crush, needs to be shown support
Maki - possible unrequited love, does what she thinks is best to keep her relationship with Hotaru the same way it has always been
Hotaru - confused, very supportive to those who are passionate about something
Very interested on how this story will unfold. And might not ramble like this again in the future lol