Given, Vol. 4

4.5 stars! This volume was painful to read because of all the emotions it made me feel, but I don't regret feeling the pain one bit because I've said it before and I'll say it again: Natsuki Kizu's writing is simply IMPECCABLE.

The way all the real, raw, complex emotions were written in the story was masterfully done. You really get to understand Haruki and Akihiko's psyche in a way that is so vulnerable.

I honestly still have this lingering craving to read more about Uenoyama and Mafuyu's relationship. Now that they're together, I want to see them interacting with each other as a couple; we do get this one really touching scene where Uenoyama realizes how he was being a jerk to Mafuyu (again, impeccable writing done in this scene on the author's part), but I still wanted more scenes with them. It's because this entire series started with a focus on them, and right when the satisfying moments of them being together happened, these two characters that I became so insanely invested in aren't too much of a focus in the story anymore, which is a very slight bummer. But then again, the fact that the author is taking the time to flesh out the side characters to the point where I, as a reader, am consistently caring about them more and more (despite already loving them to begin with) is a great thing.

I also LOVED that we got to know more about Ugetsu (Akihiko's roommate) since he was a character that really intrigued me in the previous volume. Though the things we found out about him (and his relationship with Akihiko) wasn't all sunshine and butterflies, I'm glad to have read about it nonetheless.

Overall, my obsession with this story and its characters keep getting deeper and deeper each day, but I'm not complaining