Ao to Midori Episode 3

“Because we’re friends”—the feelings Ao cannot say aloud

Episodes 2 and 3 show how Ao fell for Midori, and I liked that it was Midori’s honesty that caught his attention. Being able to admit that he involved his teammates for his own reasons and apologize sincerely says something lovely about his character.Ao finding happiness simply in seeing Midori at school, and later in Midori remembering his favorite foods, feels sweet. But as they grow closer, Ao also becomes more afraid of losing him. Saying “because we’re friends” keeps his real feelings safely hidden, while also making it harder to ask for anything more.Still, I find Ao a little frustrating. Arisa seems to have to push him forward each time, and when he worries that Midori might date a girl, he withdraws instead of talking to him. I understand his fear, but I wish he would take a little more initiative.Midori doesn’t seem particularly interested in finding a girlfriend himself. To me, it feels as though Ao already occupies a place in his heart, even if he hasn’t quite understood it yet.There are tender moments here, but the pacing feels a little slow for my taste. I’m hoping to see these two take a step toward each other.

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