This manga is a prequel of Hana nomi zo Shiru, but it can be read as a standalone story and works very well on its own. The story is simple yet powerful, it works around the conflict in a straightforward manner that feels refreshing. The characters are well written and real. There's not much room for character development on such a short manga, but they still stand out as unique. As for the art, it's simply beautiful, as it's usually the case with this artist. Fro those who are bothered by graphic sex scenes, there is one in this manga, but it fits into the plot(so it's not gratuitious porn) and it's pretty light.

All in all, a lovely, bittersweet story. If you want a proper happy ending, this might not be the right manga for you, but I personally found the ending to be really satisfying.