It's been a long time since I smile so hard and squeals so loud while reading romance. Damn, I simply love a good piece of 'percintaan orang dewasa'.
The premise is quite simple overall. The story is about Nanase that got her first job after graduating, and is trying her best while being guided by Sumisaki, her senior. Throughout the story we followed through the reality of adulthood, work problems, and budding love between two employees.
I personally isn't a fan of office romance, not in novels, not in drama, not in fictions, lagi-lagi when there's a differences in power dynamics. But this one, one of a few office romance that were done brilliantly. (Read: takda conflict of interest, realistic, semua laaah)
I genuinely love the potrayal of adulthood in general, cerita apa jak yang ever mentioned student loan and the terrifying thoughts of incompetability in workplace as newbie — as well as the maturity of the two main characters in work place settings. Despite the story clearly is a romance, they both maintained a super professional behaviour despite their attraction with one another, yet the author still able to give us butterflies every single time and keep things tame-yet-cute.
Also, I love how the story shows the reality of adult and mature romance, because how we catch feelings and how we approach things are different and quite complex, especially dalam pekerjaan. Mind you there's quite an age gap between the two characters, and I love how Sumisaki didn't hide how he feels, yet advises her to spread her wings first and look beyond other views and options out there, as he knows she's still very young and is still fresh in adulthood (outside school/ uni settings). A respectable character I'd say, from the first few pages pun nya nang considerate mena aie. Also, what he said is so relatable now that I'm pushing thirties, 5 years isn't that long, and even for us 'adults' we actually still don't know much of everything and is always in the process of learning. Not going to bebel much or I'll just spoil the entire book, but he's such a wise person.
On another note, I also do love the potrayal of Nanase, she's just like the rest of us after uni / school, extremely relatable, confused, and insecure with anything in life, tapi live must go on, student debt must be settled first, work improvement pun penting. I'm glad she has good people around her for guidance. In term of romance, she's also just as mature ya. I truly love them both very much.
If you want to read something extremely cute, purely relatable, simply mature, and full with aspects of realisms in the story please do get this manga! It's quite a light read, but it's a story full with perisian I'd say!
+ The artwork is very pretty, and it also has probably one of my favourite chibi designs.