Say I Love You Volume 3

Former loner Mei is still getting used to her new relationship with popular boy Yamato. The world is full of rivals who want him, though, from Aiko, former fat girl embarrassed by her stretch marks, to Megumi, teen model who wants a “prince charming” who’ll look good next to her. She ropes Yamato into modeling with her as a pretend volunteer in Say I Love You volume 3 by Kanae Hazuki.

Although Mei is open with him about her feelings, she’s still struggling with how to be human and reach out to others. She gets jealous, understandably, and she feels pressured by others’ expectations. Volume 3 also has the classic “I have to make chocolate for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day” chapter, adding to the stress.

My favorite part, though, is when Mei meets and consoles Yamato’s younger sister Nagi, a girl hurt by discovering how she’d been used by false friends. That chapter also portrays Mei’s discomfort with physical feelings and uncertainty over how far to go with Yamato. I like this series because there are odd bits of wisdom in it, as when Mei says, “Once you decide you hate everything, that’s it. You’ll never like anything.”