My problem with the first book was the possibility of Kotori and Kohei getting together. A high school student and high school teacher relationship snuck into a heartwarming story about a man and his daughter didn’t sit well with me. While I liked the first one, I told myself I would stop the series if the romance came to fruition. I’m relieved to say nothing becomes of that and Kotori is just surprised at the paternal figure she has in Kohei. With Kotori’s mom being absent all the time, it’s not surprising that she had such strong emotions in the first volume.

This volume delved into a little bit more about Kohei’s relationship with his wife. The book did a great job conveying the grief Kohei feels in a lot of subtle ways. Tsumugi also showed that she still misses her mother and doesn’t understand how to deal with her grief. At the same time, the book balanced that feeling with light hearted, innocent, and childlike humor. It was very sweet.