When last we left our sexless duo, our salesperson opened up about his sexless relationship to his mysterious email friend.
And he’s about to get a reply
But first, Kaori fails BL 101. Instead of removing and eating rice stuck to his face, she laughs at Hagiwara. It proves she’s not his chosen one and doesn’t want to touch him.
Then he gets Nakarai’s reply, which details his sexless roommate situationship. So our leads are partners in repressed misery.
He admits to his recent attempt which led to the usual rejection and more unhappiness. He ends the email with a polite thank you.
Nakarai wakes up on the couch and Fujisawa is in the kitchen. He excuses Nakarai’s behavior as being caused by drinking and won’t let him bring up the real reason.
After he leaves, Nakarai gets an e-mail: “Is this true?” Nakarai laughs, which I think he needed.
And the emails continue
We get side-by-side shots as each goes about their day alone while messaging. Hagiwara thinks there must be things his girlfriend never told him. Nakarai knows he makes Fujisawa uncomfortable and admires Hagiwara quietly suffering for his girlfriend’s sake.
A flashback of Hagiwara and Kaori’s initial meeting proves things started well. She made the first move, they had sex, she said she liked him. Present day Hagiwara looks at her empty bed.
Even though it’s the weekend, Nakarai is at work. He gets an email asking if he’s always been into men. Then Hagiwara suddenly shows up. They sit together and Nakarai casts shade on Hagiwara’s sweet beverage choice, reminding Hagiwara of Kaori. So, Hagiwara has a type?
Hagiwara is nosy in email and real-life
Nakarai helps him return some umbrellas they borrowed. Hagiwara uses this opportunity to interrogate Nakarai about where he lives, who he lives with, his bag, and his wallet. He asks Nakarai if his roommate is his boyfriend, and apologizes for the weird question.
Nakarai doesn’t answer, and as soon as they return the umbrellas it rains. They escape into a gallery, and both become transfixed by a piece about religious joy. The rain stops, but before leaving they sit to email someone.
Their phones chime
And this is how they figure it out. Hagiwara’s email is about seeing the statue and realizing people can never escape from sexual frustration. He urges Nakarai to see it if he can.
Nakarai’s email is about how he relates to the woman in the statue. He suggests Hagiwara see it if he can.
Once they figure it out, Nakarai smiles and Hagiwara laughs. Instead of being awkward, they share a meal and Nakarai tease-insults Hagiwara about what he’s like during sex. He thinks if Hagiwara is going to marry Kaori, he should be able to talk to her about sex. Seriously.
Nakarai explains how after his parents died Fujisawa took care of him, and he was either clued into his feelings or they were ignited. Hagiwara sees that Nakarai’s dependence on Fujisawa makes sexual intimacy tricky.
Despite Nakarai’s prediction that the emails will end, they eat together again. After, Nakarai has Fujisawa spray him so the restaurant smells won’t bother Fujisawa. He feels he owes Fujisawa after all he’s done for him.
Hagiwara admits he now sees his situation as the same as Nakarai’s. He feels like he’s someone with a hidden agenda, hoping to have sex with his girlfriend.
Fujisawa says yes to a TV
And cuts Nakarai off before he can bring up what he really wants. The frustration makes Nakarai crack his toenail on a chair.
Hagiwara sees him limping and pushes him to see Kaori. As she works on his nail, Nakarai wonders why she doesn’t like Hagiwara and guesses it’s never occurred to her how distraught he’s been. While she kindly and carefully repairs his nail, he calls her a cruel woman in his head.
At home, Fujisawa insists on seeing the toe until Nakarai gets embarrassed. He relates accidentally hurting himself to how they hurt each other. Hagiwara emails to check on him.
As a thank you, Nakarai sends Hagiwara’s girlfriend a Storm Glass. I’ve never seen one and it looks super cool. Hagiwara realizes the designer who made it is Nakarai’s roommate.
More misery seeks company
Hagiwara has another awful couple get-together that gets even worse when the wife opens up about her husband’s erectile dysfunction. Since he didn’t invite the sharing session, Hagiwara is horrified and confused. But she knows from Kaori that they’re in the same situation. They want sex with the person they love, yet are seen as dirty and disgusting.
Meanwhile, Fujisawa got Nakarai the TV even though he didn’t really want it.
That night, Hagiwara finally directly approaches Kaori for sex. She puts him off until “next time” because it’s late. Nakarai gets an email saying he just “wants an answer”. Nakarai sends his number. Which Hagiwara says if he calls right now, he’ll probably…
Probably what?
Well, something exciting is going to happen in the next episodes.
Given the literal dark clouds hanging over our leads, I love that Nakarai and Hagiwara are happy after discovering they’re each other’s secret email pals. I’d been predicting one of them would find out first, and it would lead to angst. Instead, it was sweet.
This is perfect for the general message of the show. As much as the lack of sex is making them miserable, it’s also the way they’ve been cut off from expressing themselves. We see both try to talk with their partners and get put off. So the freedom they give each other, allowing each other to be honest, is the bright spot in their lives.
It bodes well for them as a couple.
Nakarai says he’s rough around the edges and Fujisawa makes him more refined. This is interesting because Hagiwara is more straightforward with Nakarai than with Kaori. It’s not just about being honest, but being their genuine selves. Again, I think this bodes well for them as a couple.
And I like their overall dynamic too. Nakarai comes off as soft on the outside, hard on the inside while Hagiwara feels the opposite. That’s a dream BL combination, right?
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