[R18] Sore wa Sasayakana Koi no Hajimari

Sore wa Sasayakana Koi no Hajimari

それはささやかな恋のはじまり 
[That Was (when) Love Subtly Began]

Apricot label

About: The story of how two people met and later falls in love with one another very subtly.

Trivia: There is a sequel to this series, but this summary will only cover the first season.

EDIT: Updated with vol.7

• Katahira Fumiya (CV: Chasuke)

MC and Fumiya accidentally bumped into one another while trying to get to the train, but had to miss it since their stuff was thrown on the ground. Fumiya apologized and while waiting together for the next train, had a light chat with her. They found out that they are both the same age and he gave her a bit of an encouragement to hang on just a little more when she said she sometimes felt like wanted to quit. Some time later, they met again by coincidence when their companies had some kind of a joint project. He expressed that he was glad she didn't actually quit in the end, else they would never met like that. When the joint project was done successfully, Fumiya told MC of his interest to date her and she said yes. After a night together, Fumiya confessed that they have met before three years ago at the same train station. MC was looking for her contacts (I don't wear them but is this a real thing that could happen?) and Fumiya, sitting nearby, decided to help. He was feeling down with a bad day at work, feeling completely useless. MC remembered it happened but did not manage to remember his face due to eyes cannot see clearly, but Fumiya remembered her face very well. MC was very thankful for his help and that lifted his mood to face another day.

• Miura Ayato (CV: Sakurai Masato)

Ayato and the MC first met in a large barbecue/goukon meetup while the two took a break from the crowd. She was trying to get her barrette to keep her hair up but Ayato pointed out that it was broken. She told him she need to hide a thinning spot that bothers her, so he gave her his handkerchief and used that as a hair tie. Later, MC appeared at the cafe he was working part time to give him a new pair of handkerchief to return the favor, as well as a keychain with a penguin design since he said he liked the animal. Ayato then asked MC to accompany him to a fashion show of sort as he didn't want to go alone. However, he got panicked and severely anxious after seeing a certain model on the stage, so MC took him outside. When he calmed down, Ayato told her he was once a hair & makeup stylist for that model. The model was an up and coming name but during the process of trimming their hair, he accidentally cut their skin with his scissors. It was a superficial cut but it was a great deal among the model's management, and after a lot of trouble and paying for damages, Ayato's confidence dissolved by that single incident. He couldn't pick up a scissor anymore thus why he worked at a cafe instead. But after unloading his worries to the MC, he felt better and confessed that he liked her from their first encounter. Their story ended with Ayato quitting his cafe job and regained his confidence to return to his passion as a stylist.

• Miyasaka Haruki (CV: Girigi Lee)

Haruki works as a kindergarten teacher and he mistaken the MC with one of his students while playing hide-and-seek with them. MC got one of her buttons fallen off and was crouching in the bushes to find it when Haruki accidentally hugged her from behind. He later offered her a replacement button from his handcraft kit and later shared contact numbers together. Haruki has a soft spot for children and it became a habit to always talk about them, and that became a turn-off to most dates he had before. MC was the first person who shared the same affection as she has a nephew (around 5-6 years old, I think) whom she dotes very much. One day, she came running to Haruki in a panic when she heard from the nephew's parents that the boy had gone off on his own to meet her. Haruki helped her to calm down and went to the train station to inform the staff there. The boy was found safely in the end. Haruki, encouraged by boy to travel on his own to just to see his favorite aunt, took his chance to confess that he liked her as well. The feelings was mutual and they dated.

• Takiyama Reiichi (CV: Domon Atsushi)

One night while MC was walking home, she was stopped by Reiichi to invite her to eat at his restaurant. He said he always noted her coming home late with a hungry and tired face, and although he was going to close up, he decided to ask her to have a meal. Ever since then, it became quite a routine for her to stop by at his small restaurant he mostly managed by himself. Reiichi told her he used to work for an office but felt that those kinds of job did not match with his personality, thus he followed his passion for food and opened his own restaurant instead. After a while, the relationship between MC and Reiichi grew closer and he began to worry about her well being since she work until so late almost every day. MC got a fever one day and he came by to her place to give her some food and make sure she's alright. He took the opportunity to tell her that he liked her but not in little sister-older brother kind of way (Reiichi earlier said that's how he thought he felt about her). He actually liked her as a romantic partner and would like to care for her as much as he could. MC accepted and they dated.

• Takanami Hayato (CV: Sawa Manaka)

MC and Hayato met coincidentally when she is a representing her company as business partner to his. They were actually classmates in high school, and MC actually had unrequited feelings for him back then. The two of them went for a drink later to catch up but both ended up too drunk and Hayato fell asleep at her place. He left in the morning as soon as he reassured her that nothing happened last night. One day he saw her looking very pale and unwell as she got off the train to work. Hayato stopped her and suggested that both of them to ditch work and went to the beach instead. As they were eating ice cream together and MC saying her desire to quit her current job and seek anew, Hayato took the moment to admit that he had liked her back in high school as well. As the feelings was mutual, they agreed to date. In the end, he invited her to live with him until she can find a new job.

• Natsui Seigo (CV: Tetrapot Noboru)

Seigo and MC works for the same department maintaining the systems. He is very blunt and seemingly unfriendly to everyone on the team, except for towards MC. During a drinking party the company hosted, she saw him went out alone and followed, only to find him wanting to smoke alone. Then, for some reason, Seigo kissed MC but didn't say anything about it. He explained it to her the next time they met at work that he was drunk at the time and didn't think too much of what he was doing. He asked if she hated it, to which MC said she didn't. That led him to confess that he had always liked her, but had no way to let her know. He admitted that communicating with another human being is far more difficult than his job dealing with machines. MC agreed to date him then, but after admitting that she took notice of him because he looked like a teacher back in high school that she admired before. Although Seigo had once said he would never quit smoking for any reason at all, he told her he was thinking of quitting anyway. He said he never thought that just being in love with someone would change anyone, but for the sake of his future with MC - whether or not they were to marry and have kids - he would put aside his selfishness for their relationship. And to quit smoking is one of the first step he's willing to take.

• Kawasumi Takuto (CV: Kuki Masaru)

Takuto lives next door to MC's apartment, and based on her observation, he seems to live a reverse day-night life. he always came home in the morning, and left work at night. One day, the hamster MC was looking after for a friend suddenly stopped moving and she feared the worst. Unable to call for the owner of the pet, she called a 24 hours veterinarian clinic instead. The one who answered the call happened to be Takuto himself. The hamster was just sleeping very soundly after all, but Takuto came to check anyway after work. Since then they managed to learn more about one another. MC found out that Takuto lost his family dog in the middle of the night as a kid and would always remembered the feeling of helpless as human, ambulance can be called if an emergency. For pets, unless you can find a 24 hours clinic, there's not much one can do. He was determined to be a veterinarian ever since with extended service hour to the night. Eventually, MC and Takuto felt like both feeling the same attraction towards one another, and so they began to date.

Final say: Apricot label is the label to seek if you favor problem-free Quality Vanilla™, and this one is no difference. Story wise, there's not much of a depth to the plot but they are still very delightful, wholesome, and heart-warming. IMO I found Sakurai's volume to be one of his most best work so far. But the best volume of this particular series I'd say Girigi Lee's because let's face it, he played a very adorable dude. I can't freaking deal with him saying childish version of words accidentally.

EDIT: After hearing Tetrapot's volume, I'm gonna say his is the best in terms of story. Also I love those kind of majime/bluntly honest type of character, and he played it very very well.