Amadare no Koro

Soft, sweet, melancholic growing up story laced with a bit of BL. It's really lovely. The vibe is immaculate, soft and fragile with just a little bit of bitterness that makes growing up so much sweeter. Characters are really well-written. Suguru is adorable and cheerful but the story still takes a good care of showing that even he has his own problems and consideration. Meanwhile as much as Yoshiichi is troubled and tormented, he is also a considerate young man who still tries his best. And the story makes it clear just how strong their bond is even through the cusp of puberty. It really makes mewant to see more, to know more about their lives as highschoolers and beyond. The side characters are also well-written. They all remain mostly in the background, serving their purposes, but even then they are fleshed out properly to help develop our main characters well. I also REALLY like the extra chapter. It's such a familiar story for so many young queer people and I'm glad that for once this story doesn't intentionally push it towards age gap romance, as much as I love the sensei.