Damn.. y'all are so judgemental... From the comments I thought things were serious or happ...

Ikr I feel like a lot of them are just overreacting

It's actually not normal at all for a strange older man to approach a middle school student and then invite them over to their apartment for private lessons. (Where was the meeting with Miya's family??) That's the definition of grooming. Grooming is not about whether or not the adult has good or bad intentions but whether their actions normalise behaviour that place the child in risky situations.

I know we're all used to such extreme storylines that this seems "innocent" and you're obv free to respond to it however you like. But by *normal* standards this is certified red flag territory.

I do have moral standards and principles. In reality, all of that is true but I’ve learned to differentiate fiction and reality. If the author is fictionally writing something that you feel uncomfortable with then that’s on your part whether you continue to read the story or not.

What? LOL. Taking a real world scenario and making it fiction does not shield it from critique. In fact, the closer it is to real world scenarios, as this one is, the likelier responses will be informed by it. (Especially when children are involved.) The mangaka knows this and that's why we have to see Miya's inspection of the uni student's IDs, to try and lessen the strong "stranger danger" energy of it all. The fiction story *builds* off the fact that it is a risky situation *in real life*. That's all that the readers who don't like it have done—recognised and responded to a risky situation the mangaka themself knowingly set up.

If you didn't mind it, fine. But acting as if others were "judgemental" didn't make it look as if you recognised the difference between fiction and reality at all—otherwise you would have not only understood your response but the others. You implying it was "normal" was the red light for me because even by BL standards these student teacher scenarios (however far it goes) tend to play out with HIGH schoolers

I like some of the messy deviant storylines but I don't pretend they're "normal". and I don't act confused when others read it and aren't into it...

I get how readers may think why it's problematic in this manga. I'm just used to these things happening in manga that's why it's nothing to me to react about but that doesn't mean I'm implying that I agree to it happening in reality. God, no. I get what you're saying and what you're trying to make me understand.

It's just that anything that happens in manga, it just stays there in the manga because it's fiction. That's what I think about whenever I read any manga no matter what genre.

Not really? I just see it from that point as mentorship until direction proves otherwise at this point. Idk, from my perspective as you get older there are people who are just inspired to impact youth and want to lead them positively if they can.

Literally if it was an older women approaching a middle school student and inviting them over for private lessons/to have a meal or something that wouldn't bug people.

I understand people feel that route does happen alot in BL but I'm only saying the conclusions and accusations being drawn are quite ridiculous for such a vanilla chapter ¯_(ツ)_/¯
(Doesn't even compare to actual flags)

Well, several issues here. You are free to have your point of view but that has zero impact on the definition of grooming that professionals have studied, assessed and established and which informs institutional policies in different places around the world . It's not at all about you and your "perspective" but about centring a child's well-being first, last and always. Feel free to look it up if this is a topic that matters to you.

But your comment nicely proves what I established before. 1. That folx actually don't know as much about their realities as they think they do, about the standards of the societies that they live in and so the entertainment they consume has an underestimated impact. Or 2. The flip side which is that a lot of harmful behaviour is normalized and problematic storylines without a well done critical framing fit neatly into what is seen and experienced.

Whoever happens to be reading this. I never engage in these kinds of conversations for the sake of the participants. I don't expect to change their minds. I do it for the lurkers, especially teens, who may come across what I've shared here for the first time. I've had great relationships with older persons (teachers or students) from 7th grade straight into university. I assure you: any older person who tells you that you need to be in their private apartment in order to be mentored is likely a predator. At best, they are wilfully ignorant about how others might take advantage of the lines they crossed because they care only about their idea of themselves as a good person and not about your wellbeing. If you were ever in such a situation and felt uncomfortable, distressed, or worse, you were not overreacting. You were not being judgemental. There ARE people who know that it was wrong. Your feelings are valid.

Okay, no problem! I think we agree more than we disagree then (if at all).

If this piece was meant to be that type of work to have those serious discussion I think your points are aptly put. But really trying to make a lesson in all fiction or media is just not something I find to be realistic or forthcoming.

All in all this may be very warranted depending on where the story goes to be judged wholistically but if it doesn't go there I also think alot of these comments are playing too much into how young people may not be able to consume media in a healthy manner (that is trying to applying morality and too much positive justification, especially when it's just fiction).

I think you have put it things into some well meaning thought but I do disagree in the current context of the work as it stands right now.

Also to add that I will say you do seem to advocate and stand behind what you talk about. I really dislike when people throw around words without backing them up just and it becoming very superficial and performative "activism" - alot of that happens everywhere now. Just saying it's bad shows a lack of understanding and if you don't understand the why, how can you ever apply that understanding beyond single case specific scenarios when they never will be that cut and dry.

And right now instant gratifications and reactions are seen too often. I also think if this work perhaps ends up presenting any themes or lessons that reflect on this aspect more seriously, then it also shouldn't be dismissed or erased. You may not fall in this vein but it's a commonality seen with people who lack the understanding of what they advocate.

wasn't it confirmed that they had sexual relationship back in chapter 12,,,,,,,