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(3.91/5)Yoshida and Sayu begin to prepare for (an ambiguous eventuality) of Sayu not staying forever. This book is largely focused on Sayu beginning to grow, have some realizations, forge new bonds, etc. It's especially nice to see Sayu's interactions with Asami.
For some reason, there is yet another potential love interest introduced. Of all the coworkers, I like the fact that A - there is a clear reason why she and Yoshida would have feelings for each other, and B she is very secure with herself, and mature enough to realize that she and Yoshida want very different things, and she has nothing to offer him at this point. I liked where things went with Gotou (she pulls back and actually has some composure, instead of acting like a jealous, insecure teenager. Mishima continues to show both her good and bad sides. While she is my least favorite character, I appreciate that the author gave her some complexity in this regard.
For anyone still worried: the book continues to maintain the same line. It seems very possible that Sayu has some romantic feelings for Yoshida, but if she does, they're mixed in with a bunch of other emotions. She is confused in general about her feelings and emotions, and doesn't yet have the experience or self-awareness to understand or work out what she's feeling in various situations (something she is realizing more and more). There was one segment towards the end that made me worry a bit, but it is sidelined by a much bigger event anyway. The next volume also maintains the line.
Not my favorite of the series so far. I'm not sure why we needed to introduce a new love interest, considering that nothing has been resolved with the other two (or *wince* three) women already in the story. Especially because the best that the story has for why every woman who meets Yoshida is falling over him is because he's good looking and treats people well. That's a pretty low bar.
Up to now I had been rooting for Mishima as the love plot underdog, but as she's realizing she has very little chance compared with the other women in Yoshida's orbit her story is becoming less relatable, especially as she lashes out against two other characters in this books, seemingly in desperation.
That said I did appreciate the movement through the overall series plot that we get in this book. For me that's what pushed it up from a 3 to a 4. I'm very excited to see what's going to happen next.