Ten
Count, Vol 2
Author: Rihito
Takarai
Publisher: SuBLime Manga
American
release date: November 8, 2016
Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/manga/glbt/184 pages
Overall
Personal Rating: ★★★★★
Shirotani
is devastated after Kurose tells him they won’t be seeing each other any more.
He curls up on his bed, and ceases to function, to the point where his boss and
his co-worker/friend, Mikami, become concerned. He isn’t answering his phone.
Mikami mentions to their boss that the only other friend he knows of is Kurose.
The president gives him Kurose’s number and Mikami explains what is going on.
Kurose texts as well, but receives no response. When Shirotani finally rouses
himself, he realizes his phone battery is dead. After charging it, he discovers
a number of messages, including one from Kurose telling him to meet him at the café
on Saturday at 2 pm, and he’ll wait as long as it takes. But it’s already 7 pm!
Surely Kurose isn’t still there? Shirotani can’t help but go to find out,
expecting everything but what he sees—Kurose is there, waiting for him.
Shirotani explodes at Kurose, in public no less, then rushes off, forgetting
his train pass and his wallet in his hurry. Unable to do anything or go
anywhere, he sits in the rain and despairs… until Kurose finds him.
Kurose
envelops Shirotani in his warmth and explains why he thought he needed to put
distance between them—because he realized he was falling in love with
Shirotani, and he finds it harder and harder to resist the urge to touch him.
They discuss the situation and Shirotani reveals that he wants to keep seeing
Kurose.
Shirotani
arrives at their next scheduled meeting only to discover Kurose not there. He
receives a text from him explaining he had to cover for someone at the clinic,
and he didn’t know when he can get away. So Shirotani goes to the clinic
instead. Alone in the clinic, Kurose, as he has warned Shirotani, cannot resist
touching him, kissing his hands… and more. Shirotani is both disgusted and
turned on by what is being done to him. They finally decide to meet for the
dinner that never was, although Shirotani, as usual, doesn’t eat, but does
drink some champagne. Perhaps it’s the influence of the champagne that loosens
his tongue when he admits that he’s been thinking all day about Kurose touching
him. Kurose tells him to come with him, he wants to take him somewhere he can
do even more unpleasant things to him.
There is
so much going on this volume. It’s obvious that Shirotani is both attracted and
repelled by Kurose. The chemistry between these two men is palpable. The one
thing that bugs me about Kurose, though, is that as a trained therapist, he has
made no attempt to get to the root of Shirotani’s problems. It’s obvious to me
that Shirotani has been abused, and he’s never dealt with what happened, which
has led to his disgust with and inability to be touched. So far, Kurose is just
treating the symptoms, not the disease. I’m worried that at some point,
something he does is going to trigger something in Shirotani that might make
him worse.
I’m sure
Kurose has his own backstory, and I look forward to knowing more about both of
them. This is not your typical m/m romance, and yet it is very romantic and
sexy. I especially appreciate the artwork, and that the graphic scenes have not
been erased in any way, as is the case with most yaoi manga. Four more volumes
to go, can’t wait!
If you
like men who are real and not perfect, and real romance, this maybe the manga
for you!
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