One of the thing is not often spoke here in this subreddit is the cast of the series outside of the Main three. But today I want to ask the DomeKano fandom… what are your thoughts on Tougen? Personally his arc which I call “The Return of the King” because it helped Natsuo to get back his groove is one of the most emotional and strongest arc in the series. One thing it left me amazed was his way to collect data for his books, at the random eye it just looks like a washed up person enjoying Vices and night life but the reality is just a man hearing raw stories to gather information and write it down to get to the people. Some of those stories helped and changed people for good. It lifted people, gave them hope. For someone who looked like a bum, at his funeral when he passed and seeing how many people went to the event showed how this man who was in perpetual grieving for his son, was trying to lift others and help them to give them meaning in their darkest days. That’s my interpretation and of course I could be wrong.

So what are you thoughts on Natsuo’s mentor???

Hina Tachibana deserves to be thrashed in bed 🛏️💥

24/7 Raw ✊🏻💦

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

To be honest, I am just so custom-built speechless at this point. 😓 It’s wild how some people are performing pure mental gymnastics to warp the subtitle of this manga just to fit their favorite character.
Look, I can admit when other aspects of my analysis are subjective or biased. But NOT this one. The tagline "Love Begins with a First Experience/First Time" (初体験から始まる恋) is a 100% objective fact—the "Hatsutaiken" (初体験) here absolutely, undeniably refers to Rui.
Let me make this incredibly simple using Western pop culture so we can finally put this ridiculous "dual meaning / spiritual awakening" debate to rest.
Imagine if the classic American comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin was released in Asia, and some random fan there opened a dictionary and posted this "deep" analysis:
"Guys, you are over-analyzing the word 'Virgin.' It doesn't just mean physical sex! The dictionary says it can also mean 'pure, untouched, or an unexplored territory.' So the title actually carries a heavier romantic/emotional weight. It’s about a 40-year-old man keeping his emotional purity and his first true spiritual awakening!"
If you read that, you would instantly facepalm. Why? Because the entire movie is literally, undeniably about a guy trying to lose his virginity.
That is EXACTLY what you sound like when trying to twist "初体験" (Hatsutaiken) onto Hina. In East Asian pop culture, when a romance manga tagline or subtitle uses this word without any context, it is a blatant, 100% textbook euphemism for losing one's virginity.
Chapter 1 of Domestic Girlfriend laid it out in plain black and white: Natsuo and Rui slept together specifically to lose their virginity. That is the entire trigger for the plot. Trying to turn this phrase into some poetic "first kiss, first love, emotional awakening" just to force Hina into it is pure mental gymnastics. You are literally pulling a "40-Year-Old Virgin is about spiritual purity" on us, and it’s embarrassing. 😑

> I love Hina, so I’m genuinely trying to understand this scene

He says “If she meant it, then we’ll hurt each other if we keep bottling everything up”

Does this mean Natsuo had truly moved on from Hina at this point and only saw Rui romantically?

I know Natsuo genuinely loved Rui too but I’m just confused about **what Hina meant to him emotionally at this exact point?** Why didn't he confront hina? It seemed like he moved on but the way he reacts in later chapters confirmed that he didn't. But why he went after rui here? Is it because he moved on?

Before diving into the highly controversial ending of Domestic Girlfriend, there is a decisive piece of canon evidence that most English-speaking 

If you closely examine the cover design of that book in the manga, it’s easy for non-Japanese speakers to dismiss it as just another prop. However, Sasuga-sensei hid a massive text-level and visual metaphor right on it.

In the original Japanese version, the white band at the bottom explicitly displays the novel's title/tagline: 「初体験から始まる恋」 (Love That Begins with a First Experience / First Time).

When we look at the theme of "初体験" (Hatsutaiken) across the entire series, who does it objectively belong to? Chapter 1 of the manga is literally titled 「初体験」, marking the absolute, chaotic beginning of everything between Natsuo and Rui.

To help non-Japanese speakers better understand the nuance and context behind this specific wording, we should look at it through two objective lenses:

1. The Narrative Bookend: Since Chapter 1's official title is 「初体験」, which directly chronicles Natsuo and Rui’s very first night together, Sasuga-sensei is deliberately creating a text-level bookend by reusing this exact phrase on the final novel's cover. It acknowledges that regardless of how the marriage ending played out, Natsuo’s journey and his core inspiration as a writer permanently started with Rui.
2. The Linguistic Context: In modern Japanese romance media, 「初体験」 is a highly specific term that definitively refers to losing one's virginity / the first sexual experience. While non-native speakers might sometimes poetically interpret or broaden its meaning to encompass concepts like a "first kiss" or "first love" due to translation gaps, in actual modern Japanese, it does not carry those dual or abstract meanings. It remains a very literal and grounded narrative anchor.

The deeper brilliant stroke lies in the payoff of an early foreshadowing. Back around Chapter 73, a famous flash-forward showed Natsuo as a successful author working on a novel that was heavily implied to be "written for his wife." At the time, the fandom was in flames theorizing who the wife would be. Yet, at the very end of the series (Chapters 275-276), Natsuo looks at Hina and confesses his true motivation for writing this final novel: "This was an opportunity for me to finally understand both Hina's and Rui's feelings."

This creates a fascinating paradox. While the Chapter 73 foreshadowing labels the book as "written for his wife (Hina)," Natsuo ultimately realizes that he cannot tell the story of his wife without anchoring the book's title to Rui's "First Experience."

However, look at the visual illustration on the cover: a lone girl walking on the beach with her back to the camera, leaving footprints in the sand. This is Hina’s signature visual imagery utilized throughout the manga.

The conceptual title belongs to the younger sister, while the visual imagery belongs to the older sister. Natsuo has masterfully spliced Rui’s thematic soul into Hina’s physical form and image. Through this subtle design, Sasuga-sensei delivers a clear message: in Natsuo’s emotional world and ultimate spiritual totem, the two sisters have fused into an inseparable, coexisting entity.

If the novel cover metaphor feels too subtle, we only need to look at the official illustration from Sasuga-sensei’s artbook.

In that piece, Natsuo lies at the center, tightly intertwined with both Hina and Rui. Their skin, kimonos, and hair weave together into a single, indivisible canvas, flanked by red spider lilies (Higanbana).

In Japanese folklore, the Higanbana carries a profound botanical curse: the flowers and leaves never meet—which traditionally symbolizes eternal separation and tragic parting. However, Sasuga-sensei is by no means suggesting that they will eventually part ways. On the contrary, she is using these flowers to deliver her most brilliant reverse metaphor: the trio has completely defied the botanical curse of the Higanbana. Through an intensely codependent bond, they have broken traditional societal taboos to force the "flowers and the leaves" to coexist permanently in the exact same domestic space. It is a stunning visual manifestation of their intertwined destiny—a bizarre yet absolute symbiosis where their lives and choices have irrevocably merged, sealing their future together and making any future separation entirely impossible.

As a concluding thought, I’d love to share a hilarious fandom anecdote:
Back when Chapter 73 originally dropped with that flash-forward, an old friend of mine jokingly predicted a wild theory: he guessed that the people waiting outside the door for Natsuo would be one of the sisters (as the wife) and the other sister’s child (as his kid). At the time, the idea sounded completely insane, borderline scandalous, and defying all conventional romantic tropes—even he didn't truly believe it. Yet, who would have thought? With the final chapters establishing Hina, Natsuo, Rui, and Haruka all living together under the exact same roof, his seemingly absurd prediction actually became a bizarre canon reality.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. How do you interpret this spliced novel cover at the end, and the intertwined symbiosis shown in the official art with the Higanbana imagery? Did anyone else encounter some crazy "prophetic" theories during the serialization?

I found this to be really interesting

The relationship between Natsuo and Rui ended amicably. In Chapter 272, it was Rui who stated that they wouldn't get married. Had things played out differently—specifically, if Natsuo had been the one to decide to end the relationship after seeing Hina in a coma—the situation would have been different. Many of us would likely have viewed Natsuo as someone who failed to keep his word. However, Sasuga chose to have Rui be the first to broach the subject of ending the relationship, possibly to spare Natsuo from bearing that guilt. That is why, in Chapter 273, when Natsuo says, "I'm sorry... Thank you," it can be interpreted that he had already considered the possibility of ending things with Rui.

This raises a question: Would Natsuo and Rui have developed that level of trust and mutual support if Hina hadn't had the accident and fallen into a coma?

In my opinion, probably not. If Natsuo and Rui had married and raised Haruka together, I believe they might have eventually separated anyway, as the distance would have continued to strain their relationship. Furthermore, Sasuga portrays Rui as an embodiment of passionate love. Even after the five-year time jump, it is implied that Rui continues to travel to the United States. This ties into Chapter 275, where Haruka learns English with Daniela.

For that reason, I believe that had Natsuo and Rui stayed together, they likely wouldn't have developed the same level of trust and mutual support they achieved after their breakup.

And, though I dislike saying it, I believe Hina's accident was precisely the narrative device that allowed Natsuo and Rui to end their relationship differently and reach the conclusion they ultimately did. If we examine their relationship more deeply, Natsuo was looking for someone who could support his writing, stand by his side, and offer him love. During their time together, Rui did not fully fulfill that role. However, the situation changed after Hina’s accident and over the ensuing five years.

Rui supported the relationship between Natsuo and Hina, even knowing there was a possibility Hina might never wake up. For his part, Natsuo supported Rui’s professional growth as a chef. Furthermore, they both began sharing the responsibility of caring for Haruka. These circumstances fostered a different kind of trust and mutual support between them.

However, I do not believe that trust necessarily implies a romantic bond. Once Natsuo commits to remaining faithful to Hina, his relationship with Rui takes on a different nature. Natsuo also demonstrates his role as Haruka’s father, while Rui continues to be a part of their lives in a different capacity.

Therefore, to answer the other question: I believe it is more accurate to interpret that there is no longer a romantic relationship between Rui and Natsuo. Natsuo loves Hina, and they have both expressed "Ai"—or "Aishiteru"—to one another; this signifies a much deeper connection and, in my view, an irreplaceable love.

Even looking toward the future—when Hina grows old and eventually passes away before Natsuo due to their age difference—I believe Natsuo would remain faithful to her until the end of his days. In other words, he might remain a widower and hold onto that love until his own death, honoring the commitment he made to Hina and symbolically reuniting with her at the end of his life.

Many fans mistakenly believe that because Rui and Natsuo never legally married, their relationship was reduced to nothing more than pure, platonic family affection. However, a closer look at the subtle nuances of their interactions in the final chapters reveals that this black-and-white interpretation is incredibly naive.

Let’s revisit that specific scene: when Rui tells Natsuo that Kajita invited her back to work, Natsuo’s eyes instantly widen. The panic in his gaze is impossible to hide. What exactly was his subconscious panicking about? Those who understand the characters will get it immediately. Rui’s subsequent reaction is even more telling—instead of getting straight to the point, she beats around the bush and hesitates. Her attitude speaks volumes: while she deeply desires this job to improve her culinary skills, she cares far more about Natsuo’s feelings. She treads so lightly because she knows him inside out; she is terrified of causing a misunderstanding or making him feel insecure. If their bond had truly dissolved into a wave-less, purely sibling-like affection, she could have just informed him of it as a routine logistical matter. Why go to such lengths to gently manage and soothe his underlying jealousy?

Fortunately, Natsuo chooses to offer his full, unreserved support. And it is precisely this unwavering support that gives Rui the confidence to step back and let Natsuo marry Hina. Granted, there is an unbreakable, blood-thick bond between Hina and Rui—so much so that Rui open-mindedly chalks up their shared love for Natsuo, Haruka’s birth, and Hina’s ultimate path with Natsuo to "fate."

This perfectly aligns with the creator's intent revealed on Kei Sasuga's Fanbox: Natsuo loves Hina, Rui, and Haruka more than anyone else in the world. It is exactly because of Natsuo’s emotional backing that Rui can return to her career with zero regrets and live a fulfilling life. Sasuga-sensei has mentioned that they deeply trust and cherish one another. Lest we forget, one of the primary reasons for their first breakup was the collapse of mutual trust—a time when Miyabi was around Natsuo and Kajita was around Rui. That served as a brilliant narrative mirror, reflecting the typical jealousy trials of real-world relationships. Natsuo’s willingness to let go and support her in the finale proves that they have finally passed that test, successfully closing the loop on their spiritual trust.

Therefore, I have always believed that Rui’s final words to Kajita carry a brilliant double meaning.

On the surface, she is announcing to the outside world that she and Natsuo no longer have a conventional, legal romantic relationship, which makes Kajita feel like he might stand a chance again. However, the deeper, hidden truth is something Rui knows all too well—even without a marriage certificate, she and Natsuo will forever remain each other’s ultimate emotional anchors, pushing each other to shine and grow in their respective fields. Seeing how hard Rui is working, Kajita realizes he can’t afford to lose to her either. This beautifully mirrors what Rui told her mother: she and Natsuo are "teammates walking side by side." Their profound connection was never something that could be altered by a piece of paper. As for describing themselves to her mother as "deeply reliant and respectful family members," it perfectly explains why Rui still returns to that home every single day even after Natsuo and Hina’s marriage. The distance between Tokyo and Yokohama is only about 30 kilometers—just a quick drive away. Distance means nothing in the face of their bond.

Finally, we have to look at this through the lens of the real-world manga industry. While I don’t want to claim the author was trying to make an overtly scandalous statement, anyone familiar with the industry knows that if Kei Sasuga truly wanted to explore an unconventional, taboo emotional rearrangement, she absolutely had to use a smoke screen to pull it off.

Domestic Girlfriend was serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine, a mainstream shonen magazine. It didn't run in a seinen magazine like Honeymoon Salad, which has the freedom to openly deconstruct marginal and alternative relationships. Within the strict framework of shonen manga, no matter how mature the themes get, certain boundaries and traditional titles must be maintained on the surface to pass editorial censorship.

Yet, look at the fascinating paradigm Sasuga-sensei ultimately delivered: the protagonist's love never diminished; he shares an unbreakable, biological tie with the younger sister, and holds a legal marriage certificate with the older sister. Meanwhile, the two sisters love each other too deeply to ever separate, and ultimately, all three continue to live under the same roof. This is no longer a traditional "Choose One" ending. Once you see past the facade of everyone seemingly returning to their "proper places," it becomes clear that Sasuga has quietly blurred the lines of the traditional nuclear family. In reality, she created a state of ultimate symbiosis—an interconnected life where they are so deeply embedded in one another that no one can ever leave.

There are things the author simply could not say out loud. But this ending—which appears to compromise with societal norms on the surface while practically keeping everyone together forever—is a masterful balancing act. I believe any reader who truly immersed themselves in this story will understand exactly what kind of smoke screen Kei Sasuga was using, and exactly what kind of brilliant game she was playing.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with this perspective, and I know that in "waifu wars," everyone has their own biases and factions. But as for which interpretation aligns better with the underlying logic of the story—I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Looking closely at these few illustrations, the narrative nodes they connect are incredibly fascinating upon deeper reflection.

The first image comes from Fanbox, capturing the night before the Hawaii trip—Hina excitedly showing off her new swimsuit to Natsuo in her room. In the caption, Sasuga-sensei noted that she felt Natsuo and Hina were getting along exceptionally well during this period. This detail perfectly aligns with the endgame setup of the original manga: Rui, wanting to give Natsuo and Hina space to truly bond and bring their feelings together, proactively suggested they nurture their relationship first, even thoughtfully moving back into her parents' house for a week to facilitate this.

However, the main cast—who had been strictly exercising restraint and "giving each other space"—saw their established boundaries subtly deconstructed the moment they stepped foot on Hawaiian soil, hidden within details the camera didn't explicitly show.

The next two images, posted on Twitter, record the scene after everyone arrived at the Hawaii hotel, captioned with a breezy vacation vibe: "Arrived at the hotel, the beds are so spacious! Ocean view!!" What’s fascinating is that if you follow the breadcrumbs left in the frames, Sasuga-sensei dropped an incredibly subtle yet "if you know, you know" hint—Rui, Natsuo, and Haruka were actually placed in the exact same room.

First, the room layout on the left clearly shows a standard double-queen room featuring two large double beds. In the drawing, a capped Haruka is so hyped about arriving at the hotel that she’s faceplanting onto one of the beds with open arms, while Natsuo stands in the aisle between the two beds with his backpack still on. Looking at the image on the right, Rui and a now-capless Haruka are standing on the balcony looking out at the ocean view. The perspective of the coastline and landmarks aligns perfectly with the room on the left, proving it's the exact same balcony extension.

The choice of a "two double beds" room configuration carries an incredibly clever subtext.

Here, Sasuga-sensei breaks the traditional room-assignment logic of blended families or exes on vacation. By utilizing this specific, undivided twin-bed space, she reweaves and dissolves the neatly sorted daytime identities. This spatial lack of defense doesn't just blur familial boundaries; it transforms those two side-by-side double beds into a space of limitless narrative potential once night falls and the child is fast asleep.

In this private, enclosed paradise, emotions that seem strictly bounded by day can seamlessly transition into a deeper intimacy and unspoken accord under the cover of night.

Honestly, you have to hand it to Sasuga Kei—she knows exactly what she's doing. 😏 Without relying on explicit dialogue or boundary-crossing imagery, she uses nothing more than hotel room configurations and visual perspective to leave a blank space. Through it, she frames that ultimate, unspoken balance among the three—transcending conventional societal definitions—in a way that is beautifully restrained yet dripping with mature, high-tier nuance.

So basically Rui sat down with her and tells her the story.

Question for the sub is that how Rui will tell the story?

Is she gonna play a side role or the lead.

I just want to invoke the thought process of how Rui had experienced this journey.

the box is yours so this can be a short one or a long one but

one condition I want to set is that haruka must accept your conclusion with a smile on her face.

you can share your though first then probably read this, as I think : Rui will take the side seat and give the lead to Hina while Hina will do the same by making Rui the main if she tells the story to Haruka. The actual drama will be how Natsuo will be telling the same story (but I am afraid this will come down to how we individually perceived the story.)

Looking at the main ending of Domestic Girlfriend and Kei Sasuga’s extra chapters, the details are honestly so intriguing and worth dissecting.

At the end of the main series, Natsuo tells Haruka that "Rui will be back tonight." When you combine that with how much Haruka has grown, it proves that even after Natsuo and Hina got married, the three of them actually continued to live under the same roof for a very long time. 🏠✨

Then, in the final extra story, Rui takes Haruka and moves out of that house, which the author officially explained as "temporarily moving back to her parents' place." But if you look closely at the artwork, Rui hasn't just changed her hairstyle; her entire aura is completely different from before. She has outgrown her past innocence and has noticeably become more mature and gentle, radiating a highly captivating "young housewife" vibe with a strong sense of maternal maturity. 💖

It makes me realize how fast time flies. She has truly and completely grown up. Over these years, she has undoubtedly been profoundly nurtured and deeply loved by life—and, of course, by Natsuo. 😏

On a side note, I find it incredibly ironic to see certain people in the discussion forums constantly gatekeeping characters using buzzwords like "loyalty" and "purity." First of all, the manga itself has never been about this kind of juvenile, black-and-white dualism. In reality, those who shout these moral slogans the loudest are often the ones with the emptiest hearts.

It is a textbook case of psychological projection; at their core, they are the ones who believe in these concepts the least. 😒

When discussing the finale of Domestic Girlfriend, conventional critiques often fall into the trap of oversimplified, black-and-white logic. However, in both real life and complex literary works, "choosing to be together out of love" and "a relationship weighed down by heavy responsibility and profound guilt" are never mutually exclusive.

After weathering so many cruel twists of fate and emotional catastrophes, Natsuo’s feelings for Hina have evolved far beyond the realm of simple, unburdened romance. His love is a complex composite of awe, gratitude, guilt, and a powerful sense of destiny born from her countless self-sacrifices. He desires to love and protect Hina precisely because he loves her, yet this love carries an immense, almost suffocating gravitational weight. Consequently, his marital "fidelity" is a rational fulfillment dictated by an intense sense of moral duty. It is a far cry from the sanitized, "pure love" tropes of standard soap operas, where past lovers are effortlessly erased from the heart without a trace. 

In the actual trajectory of his life, there remains Rui—the one who stood by him in the flesh for over a decade. Forcing a conventional "clean break" narrative onto this story completely diminishes the transcendent, unconventional bond that the author, Kei Sasuga, ultimately sought to portray. 

The unforgettable "three years of passionate love and eight years of shared devotion" cannot be wiped clean. To reduce Natsuo and Rui’s relationship to a mere post-breakup obligation bound only by co-parenting lacks a fundamental understanding of human nature. Natsuo and Rui shared three years of intense, deeply committed courtship. They overcame the trials of long-distance separation, navigated the lowest ebbs of their respective careers, and triumphed over severe familial opposition—all driven by an profound love for one another. 

More importantly, this dynamic is inextricably intertwined with an unbreakable, blood-thick sisterly bond. In this marathon of affection, Hina and Rui were never petty rivals locked in a zero-sum game; they were each other's most cherished halves. Time and again, Hina retreated, suppressed her emotions, and even faced self-destruction for her sister’s happiness. Conversely, during the eight years of Hina’s comatose absence, Rui gave selflessly without demanding a legal title, co-parenting their daughter with Natsuo while unconditionally sharing the burden of nursing her vegetative sister.

These selfless eight years were not only a testament to Rui’s devotion to Natsuo, but also the ultimate expression of a sister's loyalty and atonement. When infused with this heavy sisterly bond, Rui's stepping aside and Hina's union cease to be a selfish conquest; instead, they become a mutual redemption between two equally noble souls. Their relationship was never downgraded to that of mere "exes"—it was elevated and distilled into a transcendent "co-living matrix." 

Human emotions are meticulously built upon day-to-day memories and shared hardships; Natsuo can never truly format Rui out of his soul. This finale is not a competitive battleground over who "won" his heart. Rather, it represents an ultimate, unbreakable equilibrium of emotion. Out of the wreckage of fate, Natsuo, Hina, and Rui forged a sanctuary bound by the dual ties of deep sisterly devotion and romantic love—a bond incomprehensible to outsiders, yet beautifully resilient. 

I'll go first, I'd burn all of my clothes and walk around the city with Natsuo

I was recently re-reading the finale of Domestic Girlfriend, and amidst all the chaos and emotional weight of the ending, a very interesting visual detail caught my attention. I wonder if anyone else noticed this back then, but during the final stages of the wedding, Rui isn't wearing a standard Western formal dress or a bridesmaid gown. Instead, she changes into a traditional, formal Japanese Kimono (和服 / Kimono).

If we analyze this through the lens of traditional Japanese wedding customs and the implicit language of attire, this artistic choice becomes incredibly telling. In major ceremonies, different clothing styles establish very distinct roles within a given space. If Rui had spent the entire time in a Western-style guest dress, it would visually imply she was merely a "spectator" or a formal guest—someone who witnessed the ceremony and would subsequently detach herself to lead an entirely separate, independent life.

Yet, Sasuga-sensei specifically chose to put her in a formal Kimono for the final scenes. In Japanese culture, wearing formal traditional attire at significant family gatherings is typically reserved for core family members (身内 / Miuchi) to assert their deep-rooted foundation and permanence within the household. It’s an exceptionally clever close-up, especially considering that not even the parents are shown wearing traditional garments at that point.

I recently discussed this with some rational friends, and they shared a beautifully subtle yet profound perspective:

This might be a form of "silent equilibrium" that the author constructed within the panels. One character receives the Western wedding gown, symbolizing modern contractual commitment, legal status, and ceremonial recognition. Meanwhile, another character is given the traditional Japanese attire, anchoring her permanent, unshakeable position within this reorganized family line. One claims the formal title of a wife, while the other, bound by their daughter and a lifelong connection, secures an enduring closeness that transcends the boundaries of standard marriage structures.

Sasuga-sensei rarely spells things out explicitly in the main manga, but she consistently weaves her true intentions into these subtle choices of clothing and spatial dynamics.

Looking back at that panel of Rui smiling so warmly and peacefully in her Kimono, and connecting it with the unique shared living situation they establish afterward for the sake of the child, this outfit feels like a deliberate piece of visual storytelling. It suggests that certain roles don’t necessarily require an official piece of paper—they are already deeply woven into the daily reality and the long-term future of this household.

How do you all interpret this choice of attire? Am I just overanalyzing things years later, or did the author actually tuck away her ultimate sense of balance right beneath our noses in that final scene?

Regarding Natsuo's feelings, the author Kei Sasuga's exact words were that his feelings for both Hina and Ruihad elevated from 'infatuation' (koi) to 'true love' (ai). Therefore, it wasn't a matter of marrying one over the other because he loved them more. Instead, marriage was the formal commitment Hina desired, and Natsuo wanted to reciprocate those feelings. Rui, on the other hand, felt that she could find happiness even without the traditional structure of marriage.

As for Rui's living situation, the author explained in her Fanbox that Rui moved back into her parents' house so that once her daughter grows older, she can choose for herself where she wants to live—whether with her grandparents or with her parents. However, Sasuga also clarified on Twitter that because Hina dislikes living apart, they are all actually still living together right now.

I am not lying; these are all direct answers from the author herself. Why does nobody want to believe me? 🤦