The series that began with a heroine determined to learn more about the art of creating manhwa has now completed its transformation into a high school romance drama. Rather than reference Alice Song’s career goals in any way, this volume is full of sports festivals and love confessions.
On the heels of a particularly nasty fight, Alice and Patrick, the boy she loves, are fuming as the sports festival begins and end up partnered to different people for the three-legged race. Alice, determined not to let Patrick see how upset she is, is all smiles in the company of her smitten partner, Neil, and inspires him to risk his health in order to win the race. Patrick angsts a good deal about how happy they look together, and though he makes efforts to better get to know the scheming girl who’s been relentlessly pursuing him, he still can’t give up on Alice. Nor can she give up on Patrick, despite the fact that Neil has confessed his feelings to her. The volume ends with both of them out on the streets on a rainy night, trying and failing to connect.
“Trying and failing to connect” is the story of Alice and Patrick’s relationship in a nutshell, and one of the most interesting things about this volume is seeing how different Alice is in each boy’s company. Neil and Alice seem to mesh easily; with him, she shows a calm and gentle side that Patrick has not been privileged to see. When Alice and Patrick are together, on the other hand, quarrels are frequent and emotions intense. As far as love triangles go, this is definitely a compelling one; it keeps me invested in reading the series even though it’s strayed from its original concept.
Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at Manga Recon.
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