I was really enjoying this until the brakes slammed on in Vol 7. For Vols 1-6, while a bit slow, it depicted a brash couple who had no truck with social norms about dating and often blazed ahead of more established couples. The love was fresh and honest, and while there was a speedbump in the road, that drama never felt serious, since they were tight and equally committed. However, for some stupid Japanese reason, Vol 7 has done a 180 and now they are ultra embarrassed and reserved, and are determined to start taking it slowly, so the book is just a series ofpedestrian events that serve the couple to stress and worry about moving too quickly, and worry about social norms. Admittedly, they no longer have very many firsts to tick off that are not physical intimacy, and the writer now appears to want to stretch the story out a few more volumes, while not reaching those milestones. However, to do that, the story and the characters feel betrayed. FMC's Gal friends, who both date older gym rats and have been dating for years, have done nothing but hold hands and have pecked kisses. Anyone knows that regular exercise increases testosterone, which in turn would make young men very interested in physical relationships, but this volume has made it very clear that this is the one thing no one in this series will be doing. So, progression has halted, and all relationships are now in a holding pattern circling reality like a bad joke.

I appreciate that markets dictate what you can and can't cover in a young person's novel, but this artificial ceiling warps the reality of this story, and maybe the writer should have just given up at this point, rather than present this artificial limbo and continue to stretch the gravy train out while failing to remain true to reality. My advice would be to read volumes 1-6 and end it there. I gave up halfway through Volume 7, as it just feels wrong. I don't need it to include intimacy, but I don't want intimacy to be a core topic that is discussed while being repeatedly suppressed as if it is preaching to readers about holding off until marriage.