What do you think?
Rate this book
Awkward Silence #3
Awkward Silence, Vol. 3
Satoru Tono is too shy to speak to classmate Keigo Tamiya. Instead he fills his sketchbook with drawings of the boy he likes. But perhaps Keigo has noticed him too...?
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2010
8 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Hinako Takanaga
105 books328 followersTakanaga Hinako (高永ひなこ) is a Japanese author of Boys' Love manga.
She has also provided illustrations for several BL light novels by other authors, including The Guilty by Katsura Izumi. Her first manga story, 合格祈願 (Goukaku kigan, Prayers for a passing grade?), was published by Hanamaru Comics in 1997; it was later reworked as the first chapter of Challengers. Most of her works have been translated into foreign languages. She was a guest at YaoiCon 2007, invited by Juné, the US publishers of her popular series Little Butterfly.
When not making Boys' Love manga, she spends her time collecting Wallace & Gromit merchandise and playing Final Fantasy. Takanaga doesn’t like beer and people who are ignorant.
She comments that her biggest influence on her art and writing-style was KOUGA Yun, a famous shoujo manga artist whose works she read as a teenager.
She has also provided illustrations for several BL light novels by other authors, including The Guilty by Katsura Izumi. Her first manga story, 合格祈願 (Goukaku kigan, Prayers for a passing grade?), was published by Hanamaru Comics in 1997; it was later reworked as the first chapter of Challengers. Most of her works have been translated into foreign languages. She was a guest at YaoiCon 2007, invited by Juné, the US publishers of her popular series Little Butterfly.
When not making Boys' Love manga, she spends her time collecting Wallace & Gromit merchandise and playing Final Fantasy. Takanaga doesn’t like beer and people who are ignorant.
She comments that her biggest influence on her art and writing-style was KOUGA Yun, a famous shoujo manga artist whose works she read as a teenager.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 20, 2020
I like the second couple more. I don't want to compare but then again.... Damn.
*Highlights of the manga:
Toono's mom is the funniest manga character I have ever come across. The character development is superb without even trying!
Ah, young love. Gimme more😘
*Highlights of the manga:
Toono's mom is the funniest manga character I have ever come across. The character development is superb without even trying!
Ah, young love. Gimme more😘
March 3, 2016
A nice continuation of the series. It was nice to see the other couple develop and grow. throught the story focused more on the second couple the parts where we where switched back to couple #1 we a nice sweet romance. Cute story.
August 31, 2018
The pairing we can in this volume reminds me TOO damn much of the second pairing we get in Junjo Romantica, where one is so set with orders and stoic and this guy who's his exact opposite comes in and shakes things up. I love it so much.
January 5, 2026
3,5*/5* it's funny as hell.
June 17, 2021
I enjoy this couple a bit more than the main one now. I like the enemies to lovers trope and this one has a slight vibe of it. Our two boys on the cover, Yuji and Takahito are part of the school planning committee. I love the Ferris wheel scene in this volume. It's a cute read.
August 7, 2021
This series is so close to being one I really like. Fair warning (if the cover isn't enough of a hint): this particular volume might be a little bit of a tough sell for anyone who was super attached to the main couple, since they barely appear except to provide occasional pushes to get Yu and Kagami together.
In their occasional scenes, Satoru continues to be adorable, and I continue to love how balanced and caring their relationship is. After Yu and Kagami get steamy - in one of those traditional "no means yes" scenes - it was refreshing to see Tamiya specifically and clearly ask his boyfriend if it'd be ok if they progressed to making out. From the beginning, he's done a great job of both showing his interest and respecting Satoru's boundaries, which is probably why they're so happy and stable that Takanaga finds it more difficult to continue writing them.
Kagami, in contrast, is (as Satoru himself says) very, very pushy. It's not always in bad ways - people do have different personalities, and it'd be a bit dull if both relationships followed exactly the same formula. But there was room for other really interesting storylines here...I loved the introduction where we met Yu's mom and learned about her needing surgery and an extended hospital stay. This is the Yu I'd really liked from Volume 1...while he was a bit of a "villain" in Tamiya's eyes, Satoru had a reason for thinking of him as a good friend and an all-around good guy, and seeing more of his home life really sold that for me.
Plus, Yu gets to display a wider range of emotions; while he'd been prickly and manipulative with Tamiya and sweet with Satoru, his softer, more vulnerable side really comes out in these early pages as he worries about his mom and their finances, and picks up a part-time job to try to help out with the bills. I liked that Kagami noticed his distraction, sleep deprivation, and anxiety. I liked that his pushiness, in these scenes, mostly just boiled down to poking his nose a little too far into Yu's business, with the best intentions.
Kagami showing up at Yu's restaurant, finding out about his mother, and taking steps to relieve him of some of his school council responsibilities so he could have a few less things to worry about...those were all fantastic character- and relationship-building moments, and I wish the whole volume had stayed on that path. It would've given them a lot of room to learn more about each other, and for Yu to recognize that Kagami is someone worth loving...and trusting, which is the primary obstacle right now.
Instead, we jump way too quickly into a sex scene - probably mostly to bump the rating up to something readers had grown to expect from this series? - and then squeeze in a double date at an amusement park so the main couple can interact with them again. It all feels a little forced, and that's a bummer because the beginning of this volume was so promising.
I get the impression that Takanaga isn't a very outline/plot-based writer, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but that lack of structure and tendency to bounce after new ideas shows.
Unfortunately, this could have been a really, really good book, but it lost steam by trying to go in too many directions at once, without fully tying them together. I loved the scene in the rain, where Yu realized he'd been buying into rumors about Kagami without questioning them - which made him start seeing Kagami a little differently, and trying to understand him better, without buying into his old prejudices. I loved the bit in the amusement park where he saw Kagami almost turning into a different person as he talked to one of his father's friends - a politician who expects Kagami to follow the same path.
What would happen if Kagami did decide to become a politician? Would he cut off this budding high school romance? Yu is worrying here about what happens in six months, when their lives diverge and they part ways, and he wanders off in an emotionally turbulent daze...and instead of addressing this super interesting issue, we just get another steamy scene in the ferris wheel.
At least Kagami was trying to pay more attention to Yu's comfort level, and taking him on less frightening rides. But he was still trampling over Yu's signals, trying so hard to start up a relationship that it felt increasingly less likely that they should be in one.
I really wish this series and this storyline had a clearer narrative arc. At this point, I really like Yu, and I'm as unconvinced as he is that Kagami is a good fit for him, especially in a longterm view. And I want to see more of his job and his mother and even his relationship with Satoru, who never just talks to his friend about what he's feeling and whether he actually wants to be pushed into this relationship. Yu's a stubbornly independent guy who needs more people to talk to. I loved that he actually had some of that with his mother, but she drifted out of the story partway through, and he was left floundering again.
Hopefully Volume 4 will give him firmer footing, and let him make solid decisions about what he wants.
In their occasional scenes, Satoru continues to be adorable, and I continue to love how balanced and caring their relationship is. After Yu and Kagami get steamy - in one of those traditional "no means yes" scenes - it was refreshing to see Tamiya specifically and clearly ask his boyfriend if it'd be ok if they progressed to making out. From the beginning, he's done a great job of both showing his interest and respecting Satoru's boundaries, which is probably why they're so happy and stable that Takanaga finds it more difficult to continue writing them.
Kagami, in contrast, is (as Satoru himself says) very, very pushy. It's not always in bad ways - people do have different personalities, and it'd be a bit dull if both relationships followed exactly the same formula. But there was room for other really interesting storylines here...I loved the introduction where we met Yu's mom and learned about her needing surgery and an extended hospital stay. This is the Yu I'd really liked from Volume 1...while he was a bit of a "villain" in Tamiya's eyes, Satoru had a reason for thinking of him as a good friend and an all-around good guy, and seeing more of his home life really sold that for me.
Plus, Yu gets to display a wider range of emotions; while he'd been prickly and manipulative with Tamiya and sweet with Satoru, his softer, more vulnerable side really comes out in these early pages as he worries about his mom and their finances, and picks up a part-time job to try to help out with the bills. I liked that Kagami noticed his distraction, sleep deprivation, and anxiety. I liked that his pushiness, in these scenes, mostly just boiled down to poking his nose a little too far into Yu's business, with the best intentions.
Kagami showing up at Yu's restaurant, finding out about his mother, and taking steps to relieve him of some of his school council responsibilities so he could have a few less things to worry about...those were all fantastic character- and relationship-building moments, and I wish the whole volume had stayed on that path. It would've given them a lot of room to learn more about each other, and for Yu to recognize that Kagami is someone worth loving...and trusting, which is the primary obstacle right now.
Instead, we jump way too quickly into a sex scene - probably mostly to bump the rating up to something readers had grown to expect from this series? - and then squeeze in a double date at an amusement park so the main couple can interact with them again. It all feels a little forced, and that's a bummer because the beginning of this volume was so promising.
I get the impression that Takanaga isn't a very outline/plot-based writer, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but that lack of structure and tendency to bounce after new ideas shows.
Unfortunately, this could have been a really, really good book, but it lost steam by trying to go in too many directions at once, without fully tying them together. I loved the scene in the rain, where Yu realized he'd been buying into rumors about Kagami without questioning them - which made him start seeing Kagami a little differently, and trying to understand him better, without buying into his old prejudices. I loved the bit in the amusement park where he saw Kagami almost turning into a different person as he talked to one of his father's friends - a politician who expects Kagami to follow the same path.
What would happen if Kagami did decide to become a politician? Would he cut off this budding high school romance? Yu is worrying here about what happens in six months, when their lives diverge and they part ways, and he wanders off in an emotionally turbulent daze...and instead of addressing this super interesting issue, we just get another steamy scene in the ferris wheel.
At least Kagami was trying to pay more attention to Yu's comfort level, and taking him on less frightening rides. But he was still trampling over Yu's signals, trying so hard to start up a relationship that it felt increasingly less likely that they should be in one.
I really wish this series and this storyline had a clearer narrative arc. At this point, I really like Yu, and I'm as unconvinced as he is that Kagami is a good fit for him, especially in a longterm view. And I want to see more of his job and his mother and even his relationship with Satoru, who never just talks to his friend about what he's feeling and whether he actually wants to be pushed into this relationship. Yu's a stubbornly independent guy who needs more people to talk to. I loved that he actually had some of that with his mother, but she drifted out of the story partway through, and he was left floundering again.
Hopefully Volume 4 will give him firmer footing, and let him make solid decisions about what he wants.
December 21, 2025
This volume focuses on the romance between reluctant Yu and charismatic, wealthy Kagami - the supporting characters from the previous two volumes. These guys are far more interesting than the super sweet leading couple, so its actually a relief to finally make them the focus - Plus its a lovely contrast to Satoru & Keigo. There's a lovely sequence where the four of them go to the funfair on a double date.
I love Satoru's romance obsessed mum - She follows them hoping to get gossip on Yu's mystery romance (they just tell her they are trying to set him up, just not with another guy.) She pretty much steals the show in every scene she's in.
I love Satoru's romance obsessed mum - She follows them hoping to get gossip on Yu's mystery romance (they just tell her they are trying to set him up, just not with another guy.) She pretty much steals the show in every scene she's in.
December 7, 2019
Despite how interesting it was to see Yuji’s home life and what he’s going through with his mother, this manga series just can’t keep my interest. It started out well at first but then my interest fizzled. The characters reacting oddly and overly emotional to problems that simply needed to be talked about, made me irritated. Also with both relationships not having much depth to them, this series just wasn’t for me.
August 16, 2025
Bon, c'est la package du BL japonais lycéen de cette époque, ni plus, ni moins donc je vais pas en faire une critique sérieuse (version tome 3) car ce serait bien trop redondant :
Rahlala le méchant rival amoureux a finalement sa propre histoire, il oublie vite le bleu pour nous emmener dans la narration de son (romance) plus ou moins consenti avec un fils de député, wow.
Rahlala le méchant rival amoureux a finalement sa propre histoire, il oublie vite le bleu pour nous emmener dans la narration de son (romance) plus ou moins consenti avec un fils de député, wow.
July 18, 2020
Al centro di questo volume c'è la coppia Sagara-Kagami. Il primo tutto serio e preoccupato per la mamma; il secondo farfallone come il solito.
Sono simpatici, divertenti e credibili. Cosa voler di più da uno yaoi?
Sono simpatici, divertenti e credibili. Cosa voler di più da uno yaoi?
January 2, 2020
Love this series
It’s so sweet with wonderful touches of perversion thrown in! Highly recommend, must warn though that each chapter starts basically the same and gets a bit tiring.
It’s so sweet with wonderful touches of perversion thrown in! Highly recommend, must warn though that each chapter starts basically the same and gets a bit tiring.
March 22, 2020
Love love love!! I want more of Keigo and Satoru tho🥺
May 10, 2022
La pareja secundaría es maravillosa, aunque es predecible como temática del BL, si tiene un avance sano y posiblemente de los más divertidos y con su gustito de drama necesario en toda historia
September 2, 2022
Vol 2. Diff couple.
February 21, 2024
I rate this 3.75 stars.
November 28, 2025
I prefer the side couple
February 2, 2017
This volume was about a side character and his love interest and I may or may not ship them more than the main couple.
August 22, 2021
This actually wasn't a badly written volume... I just can't stand Yuji's character! He's so prickly and disagreeable... with that permanently annoyed look on his face! I just don't understand why Kagami likes him! Yeah, I heard his explanation in act 7 but that doesn't seem like it'd be enough to overcome Yuji's constant scowling and complaining.
I really tried but I honestly have zero interest in his love life. I only continued reading because of the small glimpses of Satoru and Keigo that I got every now and then. I wish this series focused only on them. I'm a huge fan of Junjo Romantica and The World's Greatest First Love so I'm no stranger to multiple relationships in one series but they've got to involve characters that are at least tolerable 😒.
Okay, okay, I know I'm being unfair. This is only my opinion and I'm sure there are others out there who will find him endearing. And that's fine. I will leave it to those people to boost the overall rating for this book because I can't do it. Unfortunately, it looks like the next volume also focuses on his story so I'm a little upset, but, I'll put up with it for the sake of getting to 5 and 6 which focuses back on the main couple.
I really tried but I honestly have zero interest in his love life. I only continued reading because of the small glimpses of Satoru and Keigo that I got every now and then. I wish this series focused only on them. I'm a huge fan of Junjo Romantica and The World's Greatest First Love so I'm no stranger to multiple relationships in one series but they've got to involve characters that are at least tolerable 😒.
Okay, okay, I know I'm being unfair. This is only my opinion and I'm sure there are others out there who will find him endearing. And that's fine. I will leave it to those people to boost the overall rating for this book because I can't do it. Unfortunately, it looks like the next volume also focuses on his story so I'm a little upset, but, I'll put up with it for the sake of getting to 5 and 6 which focuses back on the main couple.
September 25, 2014
~4/5
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
This volume had a lot of the second, not as important to me, couple in this series, Yuji and Kagami. They are fun to watch, though. Yuji is very distant, putting up a rude front, and Kagami is very forceful and pushy and flirty. Satoru is trying to push them along, trying to be a nosy, but good friend. And Tamiya is helping him do that, being a good boyfriend.
Satoru and Tamiya are so cute together, I love them. Satoru’s inner monologue is so adorable and hilarious and so full of feeling. Tamiya is getting to know him so well, and he’s such a sweet boyfriend to him. The other two are growing on me, but Tamiya and Satoru are still my favorite.
Then there’s Satoru’s parents. I just love his mom, who is so like him, and so nosy, and gets along with Satoru so well. She showed up quite a bit in this volume, and I just want her to show up more, because she’s awesome. Also, I'm not sure how much she knows about Satoru, or Yuji, being gay.
I love this series, honestly. The releases are very slow, because we’re pretty much caught up with Japan and I don’t know how fast it’s released over there (apparently not very?). The next volume is coming out next month, and I am looking forward to its arrival.
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
This volume had a lot of the second, not as important to me, couple in this series, Yuji and Kagami. They are fun to watch, though. Yuji is very distant, putting up a rude front, and Kagami is very forceful and pushy and flirty. Satoru is trying to push them along, trying to be a nosy, but good friend. And Tamiya is helping him do that, being a good boyfriend.
Satoru and Tamiya are so cute together, I love them. Satoru’s inner monologue is so adorable and hilarious and so full of feeling. Tamiya is getting to know him so well, and he’s such a sweet boyfriend to him. The other two are growing on me, but Tamiya and Satoru are still my favorite.
Then there’s Satoru’s parents. I just love his mom, who is so like him, and so nosy, and gets along with Satoru so well. She showed up quite a bit in this volume, and I just want her to show up more, because she’s awesome. Also, I'm not sure how much she knows about Satoru, or Yuji, being gay.
I love this series, honestly. The releases are very slow, because we’re pretty much caught up with Japan and I don’t know how fast it’s released over there (apparently not very?). The next volume is coming out next month, and I am looking forward to its arrival.
May 2, 2013
The playboy and the prig. Opposites attract and they make for great drama, too. In this latest installment of schoolboys in love, Takanage has the uptight Yu being pursued by the amorous Kagami. Yu’s dilemma stems from the uncertainty of his own feelings and his certainty that Kagami is merely playing with him. The latter is always surrounded by gushing schoolgirls and he shows no sign of chasing away his swooning entourage. So why should Yu think he’s serious about showing affection to another boy?
Yu’s dilemma and Kagami’s determination to prove the truth of his feelings are well displayed here. Yu is a very serious student but he’s not merely a rigid, prissy type. That would make him boring. Kagami isn’t exactly the playboy he seems to be, either. Hinako Takanaga has both boys playing against expectations, making this a richer story than one lad merely trying to overcome someone else’s prudish boundaries. The illustrations are good; there isn’t the problem you encounter in other manga when you can’t tell one character from another when there are multiple faces on the page. The sex is fairly hot, too, although not as steamy as what is found in the really explicit manga.
Yu’s dilemma and Kagami’s determination to prove the truth of his feelings are well displayed here. Yu is a very serious student but he’s not merely a rigid, prissy type. That would make him boring. Kagami isn’t exactly the playboy he seems to be, either. Hinako Takanaga has both boys playing against expectations, making this a richer story than one lad merely trying to overcome someone else’s prudish boundaries. The illustrations are good; there isn’t the problem you encounter in other manga when you can’t tell one character from another when there are multiple faces on the page. The sex is fairly hot, too, although not as steamy as what is found in the really explicit manga.
February 4, 2014
Not my favorite of the series. Kagami is very, very pushy and Yu is very, very unwilling to admit what he wants. And while it's pretty clear to the reader that Yu reciprocates Kagami's feelings, Yu's consistent verbal refusals and Kagami's seeming unwillingness to respect his boundaries made me really uncomfortable with several parts of this. (Book 4 is better in that sense, fortunately.)
January 18, 2015
And so, here I find myself in the world of manga. Yaoi manga, no less. It's a compelling story form, truly, and it's silly and funny and deeply true in many ways. Deals with some pretty HEAVY relationship dynamics stuff.
August 29, 2015
...aaaand it's suddenly a less consensual series. While it isn't as bad as other yaoi titles in that respect, the consensual nature of the first couple's relationship really was one of my favorite things about the series. Oh well.
October 24, 2012
Kagami-kun & Yuu-chan are priceless and I love them <3
Yes, that's all.
Yes, that's all.
March 15, 2016
1st read : Dec 2013
2nd read : Mar 2016
2nd read : Mar 2016
February 18, 2014
This review is for the italian edition.
November 8, 2015
3.5. Yu and Kagami's story.
January 14, 2016
My love for side couples is immense.
It's so bad how much I love them.
So naturally them having their own volume ...
Oh man ... guys ... my heart.
It's so bad how much I love them.
So naturally them having their own volume ...
Oh man ... guys ... my heart.
March 15, 2016
1st read : Dec 2013
2nd read : Mar 2016
2nd read : Mar 2016
April 4, 2018
Yuji got on my nerves in a big way; I don't like tsundere characters in romance. The end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews