Whisper Me a Love Song (Sasayaku You ni Koi o Utau): Ship Rant
Where love takes on different shapes for each person...
♥╣Asanagi Yori × Kino Himari╠♥
Volumes 1-3 mostly focuses on the main protagonists, Himari and Yori. They each had their own meaning of love which made it difficult for them to get together right away but hey, who says we all understand what love is especially when we're just starting out anyway? They might've had troubles putting their feelings into words but, they finally manage to reach a mutual understanding by the end of Volume 3—reciprocating each other's feelings. In the middle of that though (Volume 2), Aki's interest in Yori was revealed to Himari—introducing her as a love rival that consequently helped Himari reflect on the gravity of the word "love".
♥╣Asanagi Yori & Mizuguchi Aki╠♥
However, that is only actually short-lived since Aki chooses to support them and hide her feelings instead—choosing to protect the friendship and happiness of the one she secretly loves over her own feelings (damn, don't worry Aki, you have someone just as hot that's pining for you lmao). It was in a short flashback at the end of Volume 1 that shower a younger Aki (probably in first year since her hair wasn't dyed yet) falling in love at first sight with a certain lone singer at a rooftop. This means she's been hiding her feelings for at least 2 years already man...
♥╣Izumi Shiho (×) Mizuguchi Aki╠♥
But it seems romance would be the farthest thing from Aki's mind right now after the heartbreak as Izumi Shiho—SSGIRLS's former guitarist/lead vocalist—formally enters the story at the end of Volume 3, foreboding a complicated relationship with SSGIRLS's bassist. This bitter old friend aggressively returns to flip Aki's life upside down as she reveals to her former best friend her knowledge of Aki's secret love. It's a love that she was able to hide for the past two years, so how could've she known something that even the recipient didn't pick up on? Well, I don't know if anyone was surprised: it turns out that she too, has been carrying secret feelings—something that Shiho attempted to convey through a letter but instead found out about Aki's own secret feelings—for another.
♥╣Whispering You a Love Song╠♥
Their story still hasn't reached a proper conclusion yet as each side still has no closure over the abrupt ending of their friendship. A lot of people hate Izumi Shiho for acting the way she is because certainly, Aki doesn't deserve all the bitterness she gets from her former friend just because of unrequited feelings that she doesn't even know about. However, whenever flashbacks of their past is shown, I get weak for the possibility that they reconcile and slowly progress towards a romantic relationship. With the way they are now and the heavy and bitter past behind them, I don't think they are going to date right away even after Aki learns of her feelings because there's just too much going on.
Love that is reciprocated—a happy ending.
Secret love that hopes for the other's happiness—a bittersweet feeling.
Hidden love consumed by jealousy and bitterness—a strife never-ending.