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薫る花は凛と咲く [Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku] #6

薫る花は凛と咲く 6 [Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku 6]

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お嬢様校に通う和栗薫子と出会った、底辺男子校に通う紬 凛太郎。薫子と過ごす時間を心地よく感じる凛太郎だったが、次第に、自身が抱く恋心に気づき始めていた……。ある日、薫子と二人きりになった凛太郎は突如、彼女への想いが溢れ、「好きです」───思わず言葉が零れ出てしまう。この出来事をきっかけに、凛太郎は、自身の気持ちを薫子に伝える決意をする。“近くて遠い”二人の、一途で淡い恋心の行方は──!?

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 2023

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347 people want to read

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Saka Mikami

26 books69 followers

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5 stars
792 (66%)
4 stars
334 (27%)
3 stars
65 (5%)
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3 (<1%)
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2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
Profile Image for rory (jess' version).
547 reviews231 followers
August 3, 2024
i love confession arc and the first day of being in a relationship arc so much because it's just pure joy from both of kaoruko and rintaro 🥺 and the backstory of kaoruko liking him way before they even know each other? PEAK i love some she fell first but he fell harder trope
Profile Image for charly.
116 reviews
June 16, 2024
SCREAMING, CRYING , THROWING UP WITH HOW WHOLESOME THIS WHOLE VOLUME WAS. SIX STARS, NO SEVEN. THIS WHOLE VOLUME WAS ROMANCE PERFECTION AND I THINK THE MOST ROMANTIC PIECE OF MEDIA I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE.
That festival was beautiful. Kaorus AND Rintaros confession had me in tears. The flashbacks to how Kaoru fell in love was so close to you coded. That song is hers and hers alone. I didn’t think anything would top it but then their date after their phone call happened and everything changed. I WAS SQUEALING THE WHOLE NEXT CHAPTER. THAT DATE WAS SO SO SO ROMANTIC. RINTARO IS THE STANDARD AND KAORU BEING NERVOUS AND THE OH ITALIC MOMENT, IT WAS ALL SO MUCH TO COMPREHEND. THEY DID THE OH ITALIC TROPE SO MUCH JUSTICE. AND RINTARO IS SO ALDO CODED WITH HIM WANTING TO LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT HER AFTER BECOMING OFFICIAL. THEY ARE JUST TOO CUTE. THEN THEY TOLD THE GANG AND THEY WERE SO CUTE WITH HOW HAPPY THEY WERE FOR THEM. I JUST LOVE THEIR FRIENDSHIP SO MUCH. USAMI IS TOO FUNNY WITH ANNOUNCING A SURPRISE WITH THE BIRTHDAY BOY IN THE GC. TOO FUNNY. CAN’T WAIT TO READ NEXT VOLUME. SO MANY QUOTE GEMS FROM THIS ONE ALONE.
AGAIN SEVEN STARS
Profile Image for AC's.
88 reviews34 followers
August 19, 2025
Lemme just cry for a bit...my babies 🥹
Profile Image for Mark.
2,685 reviews252 followers
April 10, 2025
Well, extremely teenager declarations of the eternal nature of relationships aside, this is cute. Very, very cute. Everything is so stupidly adorable from confession to embarrassment afterwards to enjoying that new dating smell.

The revealed backstory of just how little Rintaro actually had to worry about his declaration is very sweet and gave a lot of depth to Kaoruko’s own feelings towards him, which turned out to be even stronger than first glance.

Sometimes a story needs just that little extra push to be even better than it already was and all this with Kaoruko is the perfect example. It really developed her character a lot and showed just how equal their feelings were; I thought it was a very delightful addition.

(Although when she says ‘I love you, Rintaro’ it’s hard not to imagine that she’s just earned her place with 20 other girlfriends.)

Everything else just pays off in small, but satisfying, ways. The first date is incredibly charming and the low-level flirting and playing around is very believable. They’re so nervously into one another that it’s hard not to enjoy it.

That makes up the bulk of the volume, plus the usual supportive friends and plans for even more dating going forward. It’s just a real pay-off volume for anybody who was waiting for them to get together and it rewards that reader extensively.

4.5 stars - let’s just give it the full 5 stars because I’m a big old softie who likes stories about two wacky kids in love. Sometimes that’s all it takes.
Profile Image for dora♡.
52 reviews1 follower
June 9, 2025
MAAAAAAN I LOVE THEM SO BAD
Profile Image for cio.
144 reviews9 followers
August 16, 2025
We finally got that big moment between Rintaro and Kaoruko and it was everything. Him actually taking the time to explain why he said “I love you” before anything else just melted me. He didn’t rush, he didn’t make it awkward, he was so open and sincere and then Kaoruko’s huge, glowing smile when she told him she loved him too? I swear my heart grew three sizes. Their date after that was just the cutest thing ever, full of those little moments where you can tell they’re still giddy about officially being together.

I also love how thoughtful they are, even about telling their friends. It wasn’t just a “we’re dating now, deal with it” vibe, they actually considered how it would affect the people around them, which just proves again how grounded and mature Rintaro is.
Profile Image for maya ☆ (is starting uni!).
265 reviews119 followers
July 12, 2025
no, im not jealous. i’m not jealous of fictional teenagers in love and being so sweet and cute to each other and so embarrassed and so eager and still finding out new stuff about each other. in fact, i think it’s too sweet. (im a BIG liar)
Profile Image for Mariah Rose.
260 reviews
July 6, 2025
That 👏🏻 was 👏🏻 so 👏🏻 cute 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Profile Image for Sierra Mermejo-Varga.
14 reviews
August 23, 2025
One of my favorite volumes so far! So much vulnerability and emotions captured, such an easy read and can’t wait to see what happens next!
Profile Image for Adiba (mankind hater).
132 reviews17 followers
October 7, 2024
DEAREST GOD ME WHEN?!!😭😭😭😭 I want what they've SO BAD goddddd ME AND WHO AND WHEN??😭😭😭😭
Profile Image for Yunebooks.
438 reviews40 followers
July 19, 2025
¡necesitaba tanto este avance y el cambio de perspectiva! me gusta cómo se desarrollan las cosas, el ritmo y la forma de narrarlo. el dibujo potencia tanto los momentos bonitos... me tiene enganchadísima este manga ♥️🤲🏻
Profile Image for ℂ ✧.
2,372 reviews
March 12, 2023
Aiii no sé què m'està passant amb les històries d'amor, però estic living amb aquesta sèrie!!! ♥ És tal com la descriuen en la majoria de ressenyes: un amor d'adolescència tendre, cuqui, adorable i molt assossegat entre un noi d'un institut marginat i una noia d'un col·legi elitista que tenen una rivalitat i un odi històrics. La noia és una clienta habitual de la pastisseria que regenta la família del protagonista, que és molt alt, ros i amb pírcings i una aparença força amenaçadora. La noia veu el seu cantó més amable i empàtic, s'enamora i més endavant descobreix que la seva relació (sigui d'amistat o d'alguna cosa més) serà jutjada pel seu entorn. Alhora ell també queda totalment enamorat quan veu que ella no el jutja, l'anima a no rendir-se i el tracta amb tant d'afecte. Un amor impossible al més pur estil Romeu i Julieta, però amb un final mil vegades més feliç ^^' Com a única crítica, la dinàmica entre els personatges de la colla pessigolla em sembla molt forçada i no sé si és un tema cultural o un problema de guió: s'estan contínuament donant les gràcies, demanant perdó, assumint la responsabilitat de les coses que passen amb una formalitat que a mi em sembla artificial i poc creïble entre adolescents d'institut. Amb ganes de molt més :3
Profile Image for ⋆. ˚ Demi's Reads ౨ৎ♡ .
49 reviews4 followers
April 29, 2025
4.5/5 stars ☆ confession arc and first day of them being together!! they're so cute!! i love them. i love the friendships. i love this manga series so much. everything and everyone is just so sweet and wholesome. 🥺
Profile Image for Rachel.
151 reviews
August 8, 2025
3.75⭐️

"It's the same as always. But amid all of that, we're slowly changing."

Alright, we're official now. And that was some love confession. The way Rintaro is way more open about his thoughts and actively wants to communicate with others is evidence of his growth, but I could not believe he said all of that out loud. And I don’t know if I like that he did.

So far I have felt the first love/teenage love has been very accurately depicted, which has been very endearing and cute. This was a little dramatic for me. Maybe that’s part of the first/teenage love experience too, but it feels like we skipped some steps in this romantic development.

Obviously Rintaro and Kaoruko dating is where this was headed and it makes sense to start around here, but going from “I like you” to long confession to “I love you” in one scene was a lot.

"Until now, I thought I'd be fine with the way things are. That I was perfectly content with seeing your smile. That I was satisfied with that. And at the same time...I didn't want to cause you any trouble, with our schools being on bad terms and all. But at the beach...when I realized that our time together would end eventually...I suddenly felt so lonely...I'm well aware of how selfish I am. That I'm just being greedy at this point...But even so I can't accept things staying the same way. Going out with someone...means to receive courage and joy from the person you care for the most. And if it allows us to spend more time together, then that's what I want us to be."


It’s interesting because usually I enjoy how characters in the manga I’ve read are both articulate and not at the same time–they attempt to put their feelings into words in ways I haven’t really seen in the books I’ve read, revealing this honesty and capturing those feelings in very specific ways while also kind of rambling and finding their words as they go along. But I don’t know, something felt a little off or over the top here. Maybe I should be harping on Kaoruko because she’s the one who escalated things to love.

That being said, the lead up to this moment was done well. We’ve had Rintaro go from “what is this I’m feeling?” and wanting to be around Kaoruko and see her smile, to acknowledging he likes her and wants to learn more about her as other people plant the idea of dating her in his head. I think that progression could have been more naturally continued by having “I like you” —> dating —> “I love you.”

Getting hung up on the small things here, but I was left in a very “woah, okay” headspace after reading the first chapters here instead of the usual enjoyment and investment in the couple.

Moving on, we get more Kaoruko backstory and learn that she liked Rintaro first, which I could see coming.

"That kindness may have been natural to you, but it was something special to me. It made me happy to the point that it began to hurt."
"I was given courage and joy by none other than you. Because of that...I fell in love with you."


Her time spent going to the bakery to see Rintaro was again another encapsulation of a teenage crush, but damn, she was quite into him without even knowing his name. Perhaps another example of how this volume felt sort of over the top, like it was hitting all the right notes but then just kept going and adding unnecessary intensity that undermined what it was successfully doing. It also didn’t feel right that Rintaro doesn’t remember encountering and comforting a sobbing girl while working. I guess it is supposed to emphasize how kind of a person he is, but again, it just feels like it takes things a little too far.

But Kaoruko backstory! And more of those layers in her expressions. This is what I’ve been asking for, but it still feels like a tease. Let me in!

I appreciated the awkwardness of Rintaro and Kaoruko trying to navigate the change to their relationship as well as learning more about each other. Rintaro learns Kaoruko is not as put together or as confident as she seems, which was very good and I want to see more of the flawed Kaoruko. "But we'll keep going at our own pace." I continue to enjoy the depiction of how good it can feel to spend time with someone and what it can add to your life.

"I want to increase the amount of time that we spend together"
"Up to this point, in order for us to meet...we've always needed some sort of excuse. But right now, all the reason we need is that we want to see each other."


Rintaro’s growth is again displayed at the end when he wants to tell their friends about their relationship (also enjoyed how Subaru already knows because it makes sense that Kaoruko would have already told her while Rintaro wouldn’t have immediately told his guy friends). The friend group seems very official now, but they are still somewhat awkward with each other.

Special shout-out to the symbolism with opening the curtain, especially after the weird Kikyo teacher thing where she told them they’d never see beyond the curtains. Kaoruko thinks the sun might help her feel better and she opens up the curtain and sees Rintaro. She’s letting the light in. They both are the light in each other’s lives, which is very sweet.

The schools are still being emphasized but never playing a super big role, so I wonder how they will factor back into the story as we go along. It really feels more like a Kikyo issue than a Chidori issue, so I’m still thinking there’s going to be more about Kikyo girls needing to learn to live life more fully.
1,435 reviews49 followers
April 13, 2025
This volume was kind of sickeningly sweet, like the drink Kaoruko poured way too much syrup into, but for some reason it's working for me. Again, I think it's because the characters feel nicely grounded. Plus, Kaoruko finally gets some decent development in this volume.

Because the majority of the story is from Rintaro's point of view, Kaoruko is portrayed as this effortlessly adorable, sweet, cheerful, smart, supportive person who's always going to be full of smiles and optimism no matter the situation. She makes him feel relaxed and comfortable and validated, so he goes into their first date feeling nervous but assuming that, as usual, Kaoruko will do most of the heavy lifting to put him at ease and make their conversation flow.

Except she doesn't. She's flustered and awkward when she shows up. She avoids eye contact. She blushes and doesn't smile. She gets distracted and empties all the syrup on the table into her cup and then forgets and tries to drink it. She's too nervous to eat.

And Rintaro...likes it. He laughs at her awkwardness, thinking that's cute, too, and is actually a little relieved that he gets to pick up the slack for once and be the one to step in and calm her down. It's so sweet and such a good balance. (And a nice parallel to how absolutely wonderful his parents and their relationship seem.)

And I just really, really like that Rintaro isn't disappointed by the realization that she's not perfect - that she's actually been trying really hard to seem put together and appealing and enthusiastic. Because that's her reality: she had to work incredibly hard to earn her place at her elite school, and she also worked super hard to catch Rintaro's attention and build their friendship into a romantic relationship.

Loved the backstory where it turns out they'd met a year earlier in his family's bakery and she's been interested in him since then. And he doesn't remember at all! It's funny and cute and I really adore how much she loves this big, scary-looking guy who's always thought no one likes him.

Plus they've got their absurdly supportive friends group, too. Shohei being way more excited about their dating announcement than either of them was so cute. I hope he gets a girlfriend eventually, he's an enthusiastic and kind of dumb sweetheart. (Immediately leaking his secret birthday plans to the birthday boy in the group chat was so funny and so like him.)

Hard to tell what the rest of the series will do, since we're already past the hump of the couple getting together, but I think I've seen spoilers that it carries through to college and career, maybe? I wouldn't mind if it speeds up past the Romeo & Juliet high schools drama.
Profile Image for Josh Bidwell.
13 reviews
August 4, 2025
The hype for this series is ridiculous.

I think it says a lot that I find the parents a thousand times more interesting than the main couple hell Kazuya and Chizuru had more chemistry going on in 10 chapters than these two ever did and this is the confession arc? Well, I felt nothing because I just don't care about these two.

At this point it's no secret within the manga community the biggest issue holding this series back from being something truly special is the simple fact its wayyyy too wholesome to the points it's a determinate to the story. In a lot of ways this situation reminds me of my biggest problems with "A Sign of Affection" and why that story was also a giant disappointment. The main couple of that manga is very wholesome just like this one but the fast-paced romance and ridiculous drama kinda makes the whole thing feel very empty with no true emotion behind anything. Eventually the entire thing became repetitive, and the manga went down the slippery slope of what I like to call "Rom Com Decline" aka that feeling when you start thinking "Wow this should have ended 50 chapters ago!" when reading a rom com and this happens a lot believe me. Regrettably this affliction has also started affecting fragrant too and I promise you'll start noticing it around chapter 70~ just like I did.

Admittedly I also have a number of other problems with this manga, forgettable characters, ridiculous drama (Seriously half of the reason people forget about the school feud is how stupid it is) and just a very lackluster run of the mill romance between the main couple. In the end if you're looking for a cozy rom com this series is fine, but it truly isn't anything more than that and unfortunately this fact has held the series back significantly from being called a true masterpiece.
Profile Image for marti.
92 reviews
July 25, 2025
she fell first but he fell harder.

AAAAAAA
the backstory of kaoruko liking Rintaro WAY BEFORE THEY EVEN KNOW EACH OTHER💘I love them I LOVE THEM. They already have my heart. i’m giggling and laughing and loving this story. I’m beyond happy reading this. that’s all. this is romance perfection. THE CUTEST RELATIONSHIP EVER.
they are so in love that brings me to tears or maybe i’m just the emotional one here but they are just too cute together. PROTECT THEM AT ALL COSTS. i just want them to be happy FOREVER. the date was so romantic and sweet and cute. they are so cute together, this whole volume was just so cute and sweet.
The boys and Subaru were so happy for them. I just love their friendship so much!!! and they all deserve to be happy. They all are amazing good friends, i love the way they support each other.💖
Profile Image for Susanna.
Author 51 books98 followers
April 2, 2025
Ah, my heart. What a sweet, wholesome volume. Rintaro and Kaoruko confess their feelings and agree to start dating. Kaoruko then tells him they’ve met long before he knows and he’d been so nice to her she’s had a crush on him ever since.

Now that things are official, the pair find themselves a bit awkward. Luckily, it goes away fast. Then it’s time to tell their friends who are all supporting. Together they start planning of Saku’s birthday, for which Rintaro promises to bake a cake. The volume ends before the party starts.

This volume was mostly about the main pair and it was perfect. They’re so supportive and understanding of each other, and it’s wonderful to follow how their relationship progresses. I can’t wait to read more.
Profile Image for Afifahcookie.
331 reviews27 followers
September 22, 2024
This is the best volume so far. I usually lose interest after the MCs get together. However, Rintaro & Kaoruko are an exception. I'm looking forward to seeing their relationship deepen. Love the backstory of how Kaoruko fell first. Also loved
the fact that Rintaro wanted to share their relationship with his friends so that they won't be caught off-guard, however, everyone already had a good feeling about our MCs so there was nothing to worry about.

Story & Plot: 5 ⭐
Characters: 5⭐
Writing: 5 ⭐
Enjoyability: 5 ⭐
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