[R18] 〇〇-ka Darling

〇〇科ダーリン

〇〇-ka Darling
[(Species) Darling]

apricot label

About: The start of love stories with guys who are also osananajimi with the MC.


Cat-family, Tamashiro Touma (CV: Margarine Tengu)
Touma is younger than MC by two years; she's in university while Touma still in high school. He has a rather rude way of speaking, but he also didn't know how to convey his feelings honestly and gets embarrassed of them most of the time. They lived nearby and both see each other on a daily basis. Although they hide strong feelings towards one another, neither ever said anything about it. One night when MC came home drunk from a drinking party, she was bothered by a male senior of the group, wanting to take advantage of her. Touma happened to be nearby and he saved her by claiming that he is her boyfriend. He later very seriously confessed he had been in love with her for a long time and wanted to date her before anyone else does. At first, MC gave themselves a chance, but soon felt something is awkward between them soon after. Touma started to lie and avoid meeting her all that much. She later confronted him about a bruise he won't explain why. After some convincing, he admitted to have been taking odd jobs so he could afford to buy an expensive birthday present worthy of her. MC was upset thinking she made him believe he needs to sacrifice himself for her sake, whereas she just wanted the relationship between them to go naturally with no pressure. They talked it out and instead of wanted to give her something fancy, he gave her a cheaper necklace that he gave a lot of thought that it will suit her.

Touma has an older sister who was the MC dating Sousuke, who also lived close by. Sousuke is a big brother figure to him.


Dog-family, Inui Sousuke (CV: Sawa Manaka)
MC and Sousuke are at the same age and grew up very close together in childhood. As they entered high school, they began to notice a change of feelings they had for one another and it made them hard to communicate anymore. When they both graduated, Sousuke enrolled to a university away from home and he and MC never met that much anymore. After some years passed, they coincidentally met nearby his university one night and spent some time catching up. An alert from her phone told her that there is an emergency happened to the train system that made her ride home no longer available. She called her mom and she suggested that MC could stay at Sousuke's place until tomorrow morning. Sousuke, although very awkward to let a girl stays at his place, lent her his bed after having a good time talking to her again. The morning after, he decided to let MC knows of his feelings for her and was glad it was mutual. They dated and took their time to reconnect and picking up where they left off years ago. There's a scene where the MC visited his room at his family's home and saw him keeping a photo not of himself in an album. He was reluctant to explain but later pointed that he asked that photo from a junior because it has MC in it at the background. He admitted he had then realized he really like her from back then and would like to confess if he won a friendly basketball match he took place, but he lost that match and ultimately gave up on ever telling MC about his feelings. 

Sousuke has a little sister, and considered Touma as his own little brother. His sister is the MC who was dating Touma.


Rabbit-family, Ukai Haruta (CV: Asagi Yuu)
Haruta and MC lived just next door to one another, with their rooms connected by the balcony. He is a shut-in (hikkikomori) but pretty productive despite his avoidance with going outside at all. He is good with computers and earned his living by investing in stock markets. The story started with him waiting for MC in her room coming home from her university to confront to her about the news in social media that he heard that someone confessed to her. He was upset when he heard about that, and when MC didn't want to tell him about it. She asked him how he knows everything about what happened and Haruta admitted to have cyber-stalked her. He explained he was upset because she promised him when they were kids that they'll marry each other. Haruta assumed she is his fiancee ever since, and that now she had betrayed him. She watched him left her room only to latter came back again to apologize. He didn't mean all the terrible things he said he'd do. He confessed his feelings for her and MC responded positively. Taking their time to readjust with a new defined relationship with each other, MC suggested if they could go on dates like most couples. Haruta translated everything she suggested with activities you can do at the comfort of their rooms like renting a movie, ordering meals through delivery etc. MC instead suggested if they could actually go out together. Haruta didn't like it, but he agreed anyway. MC was very appreciative of his willingness to humor her. He mentioned later that the reason because he became a shut-in was triggered by a certain vehicle accident that involved the MC when they were younger, that he suddenly realized what a risky and dangerous world it is. He'd rather be together with her where he could be sure she will be safe at all times.

Haruta and Kazuki are cousins, and that he always look up to him.


Panther-family, Hyoudou Kazuki (CV: Yotsuya Cider)
MC for this volume is characterized as 'herbivor' while Kazuki a 'carnivor'. I think this means one is the more aggressive than the other? The both of them reconnect one day when Kazuki greeted her on the streets while he was on his way to work at a night bar. He mentioned his desire to catch up and wanted to talk more, but MC kept avoiding him with ignoring texts and went out of her way to not to meet him anymore. Kazuki had to ask MC's mom for her whereabouts and met her in the library. He tried to ask her why she's actively avoiding him but she didn't give any reasons; only run as fast as she can as soon as he lets her go. One night she received a call from him that she ignored the first time her phone rang. The second time she answered and Kazuki was asking for her help as he was injured from a misunderstanding with a customer. I guess MC actually cares for him, she ran to where he worked and brought her home to treat the wound since he didn't want to go home and have his parents saw them. There had been a tough fight between him and his parents when he first started to say that he wanted to pursue bar-tending. Kazuki then finally has her where he wanted and asked her again if she really hates him. I don't think MC ever gave her reason. But if she did, despite whatever it was, she changed her mind right then and agreed to date Kazuki. At first, everything was going well, with Kazuki earnestly open to going to places MC liked to go like an art gallery, which he commented would never have gone to if it's not for her. He then invited her to come to his night bar to celebrate her 20th birthday, and that he wanted the honor to serve her first alcoholic drink after reaching legal age. However though, MC got to see the version of Kazuki she thought only reserved for her; his lip service to his female customers that look exactly like how he was flirting with her. MC took off soon after from feeling jealous. Kazuki came to her place later that night to explain that's his work mode and how he is privately are not the same. He has interest only in MC, and asked if she would trust him. They made up that night. Later, Kazuki received a phone call and MC happened to overheard the conversation that include him saying he didn't have a girlfriend, and that someone wanted to meet him at a hotel. Again, MC felt lied to. She confronted him when he came back and noticed a lipstick stain on his shirt that he at first tried to pass off as a wine stain. He later came clean and said he went to see a certain rich lady who had been the person who supported the bar he worked at financially and his boss asked if he could entertain her in return. The lady, for some reason, lived in a hotel room. He went there that night to apologize and explain he did have a girlfriend. Fortunately, the lady laughed and let him go. Kazuki asked MC again if she could forgive him and trust him again, and she said yes. He then suggested for them to live together so they could spend more time with each other.

Kazuki and Haruta are cousins, though he considered the younger a bit strange, he treated him like a little brother.


Final say: I actually can't find any resemblance of the mentioned animals in any of these guys, if there supposed to be any at all lol. Well, maybe the Panther and the Cat one are quite obvious. Anyway, this series made quite an impression on me when my computer got fried one day and these are one of the few I got in my music player so I played it so much for a week or so I can probably recite each lines by memory already hahahaha. My favorite of these would either be the Rabbit or Panther, although the latter gave me the creeps at first. Girl is not comfortable with you, my dude, why are you still insisted on cornering her????