Recap

Christmas! More sad memories of being excluded for Yutaka!

At the Ramen restaurant, Minoru questions his boss’s decision to offer a couples discount. His boss firmly believes in the romance of ramen on Christmas. He guesses Minoru is spending Christmas with his family rather than a special someone.

Yutaka eats a Minoru-cooked meal with the brothers. As he’s leaving, Minoru fumbles to say something so badly that Tane beats him to inviting Yutaka to their family Christmas party.

For the first time, Yutaka is excited for Christmas.

Yutaka works late — you know what that means. After a video chat with the brothers, he comes down sick and calls Minoru to tell him. Poor Yutaka is super sad, alone in bed.

He wakes up to Minoru at his door, sweating and out of breath. He panicked when Yutaka didn’t answer his calls. While Minoru cooks, Yutaka worries this will make bad memories for Tane. Minoru reassures him Tane is happily playing with presents.

Dinner is simple udon with yuzu, another of Minoru’s mother’s recipes that she made for them when they were sick. After dinner, Yutaka stops Minoru from leaving and then apologizes. He was just feeling lonely.

Minoru offers to stay until Yutaka isn’t lonely. Yutaka worries again about ruining Christmas. Sitting together, Minoru opens up about his mother’s sickness and death, since he’d never explained it. He’s happy to have this time just the two of them.

Minoru pulls out a Christmas tree toy and Yutaka mentions how he’s never enjoyed Christmas. Seeing an opening, Minoru says he wants to hear about Yutaka’s past too. Yutaka thinks about it, but falls asleep on Minoru’s shoulder.

Tane worries at his dad that Yutaka will die and wants to see him, but their father reassures him Minoru is there and Yutaka will be okay

Yutaka has made it into bed and Minoru is straightening up when he finds Yutaka’s presents. They’ve each bought each other scarves. 

Thoughts

Christmas, one of the big staples of Japanese dramas along with Cinderella. It feels like some kind of unwritten rule that a modern romance must contain at least one of these two things.

Yutaka is basically a member of the family now, and it feels like we are slowly moving into the BL part of the story. Minoru’s boss got him thinking, but I like that it was still going to be a family thing, Yutaka doesn’t feel ready for more. Still, they ended up with alone time together anyway.

It’s good of Minoru to realize that telling Yutaka about his mother might help him share more than just asking outright. Yutaka has to have put the pieces together about the mom, but there is something different about figuring something out and being told. Minoru made a real step forward there.

Udon with yuzu is not something I’m familiar with, though I am familiar with yuzu. It’s more intense than lemon though it also has some floral qualities that make me think of a meyer lemon. Udon itself is delicious and I’ve made the noodles a few times because it’s so easy. I think my winter might involve udon with yuzu.

There’s something very special about the foods we eat when sick. In my family it was matzo ball soup. Yutaka probably doesn’t have any sick-food memories, so it’s great to see Minoru sharing his mom’s recipe with him. 

I love the found family part of this show, but I’m glad to be hitting more of the romance now.

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