Koushounin wa Utagawanai review/summary thingie
Koushounin wa Utagawanai (Eda Yuuri) is the sequel to Koushounin wa Damaranai. Since I never got around to pimping that one, here's a quick sum-up:
Mebuki Akira is a negotiator. Not the kind that works on international diplomacy, or hostage crises, or things like that, but one who helps everyday people solve small problems with loan sharks or annoying neighbors. But then one day, his former kouhai, Hyoudou Juetsu, who is now a big-time yakuza belonging to a group that claims control over the area Mebuki's office is in, shows up unexpectedly, offering his protective services for the office. Hyoudou is openly gay and totally in love with Mebuki (although, being a typical yakuza, he is not very good at showing it), but Mebuki hates yakuza and doesn't want anything to do with him. Oh, also, he's kind of pissed at Hyoudou for raping him in high school. Also also, Hyoudou is only trying to get Mebuki's office under yakuza protection because he's secretly trying to protect Mebuki from Uzawa, who is from a rival group and also happened to attend their high school. The book is hilarious as all get-out (Hyoudou's flunkies fawning over Mebuki--they're thrilled to see their beloved boss so happy--is the best ever XD), although maybe not the most romantic book ever written. (Mebuki is still not entirely won over by the end of the story, though he and Hyoudou are sort of dating.) That being said, I loved it to death and was pretty exited about the sequel.
And, (yay!) I loved the second book, too. The characters are still great, I laughed as much as I did reading the first one (maybe more?), and the annoying tropes that seem to show up so frequently in sequels were mostly absent. I was a little disappointed that Mebuki didn't really get to show off his negotiating skillz so much, but that's a minor quibble, really. At first I was iffy about how much Nara Chiharu's art has changed since the first book (crazy eyebrows are almost Vulcan crazy), but it's kind of grown on me now. YMMV, I guess.
Back cover, featuring Kiyo and Sayuri, the two employees of Mebuki Nego Office. (Mebuki should totally listen to Hyoudou and change the name of his business.)
D'awww. Like in the first book, the picture on the title page is my favorite. (For the record, this is the title page of the first book.)
We open the story with Mebuki posing as a host. XD When Hyoudou hears about this, he is Not Happy, and comes in requesting Mebuki. At first the floor manager is like, "Sorry, we don't allow male clients..." but then Hyoudou orders a ton of expensive booze, so they let him stay. XDDD
The case is resolved, but the host that Mebuki was investigating tries to strangle him. Fortunately Hyoudou and Hakuta (Hyoudou's bodyguard) show up and save him, but Hyoudou is royally pissed that Mebuki put himself in a dangerous situation, and whisks him off to his apartment to treat his wounds...and make out.
Mebuki's new client is a host named Mizorogi, who ostensibly wants Mebuki to help stop this stalker client of his. Mizorogi and Hyoudou bump into each other at Mebuki's office, and Mizorogi tells Mebuki that Hyoudou killed Mizorogi's older brother (the brother was going through drug withdrawal and Hyoudou--who had been his good friend--struggled with him and accidentally pushed him out a window). Woe, angst, etc.
Kiyo is totally in love with Tomonori. The feeling is not mutual. XDDDD
(I don't know who I love more, Kiyo or Tomonori, so the idea that they might get together makes me totally happy. ♥ ♥ ♥)
Side note: Kiyo and Mebuki are wearing Hawaiian shirts through most of the book because their office is so hot. Which means that throughout most of the book, various people are telling Mebuki how stupid said shirts make him look. Poor Mebuki. :(
Mebuki hears that Mizorogi is in trouble with Hyoudou (the hatred between them IS mutual) and rushes over to Mizorogi's apartment to find him getting beat up. They're about to drag Mizorogi off to do god-knows-what to him, but Mebuki says he won't let them hurt his client. As they're handcuffing Mizorogi, Mebuki jumps in and attaches one end to himself, all, "Ha! Now how will you take him?"
Hyoudo: ...I have the key, you know.
Mebuki: ...Oh.
But then Hyoudou tells his flunkies to flush the key down the toilet and drags Mebuki (with Mizorogi attached) into the bedroom.
Hyoudou is furious that Mebuki won't listen to him about what a scumbag Mizorogi is, and tells Mebuki that he's going to do him right then and there unless he agrees to let them take Mizorogi away.
Mebuki tells Hyoudou that he knows Mizorogi is lying to him about the stalker chick (actually Mizorogi is planning to hand Mebuki over to Uzawa), but wants to believe him, to believe that people can change, just like he believes Hyoudou is a good person despite his past crimes. Eventually Hyoudou realizes he doesn't like Mizorogi watching Mebuki (and getting turned on XD), so he takes off, leaving the two of them handcuffed together. (Hakuta will later come back and unlock them, and also rescue them from Uzawa.)
It turns out that the reason Mizorogi wants to turn Mebuki over to Uzawa is that Uzawa is holding this girl Marisa's passport (she's from Thailand) and forcing her to work for him. He's hoping that if he does something that makes Uzawa really happy, he'll get a chance to free her, and they can run off to Thailand together.
Mebuki begs Hyoudou to protect Mizorogi and Marisa for a few days, but Hyoudou is Not Impressed. He says he'll protect them if Mebuki agrees to sleep with him. (Thus far, they've fooled around, but not gone all the way.) Mebuki considers this for a while, and then (to everyone's shock) agrees.
PS I LOVE HYOUDOU'S FLUNKIES:
[seeing him beg]
"Mebuki-san!"
"Mebuki-san!"
"Mebuki-san, what are you--"
"Ane-san!"
"Mebuki-san, don't!"
...Did one of those guys just say something funny?
XDDDD
Anyway:
Hyoudou accompanies Mebuki to see Uzawa's father (head of that group) to negotiate Marisa's freedom. He offers Uzawa senior a schedule of when Immigration is going to be investigating for illegal aliens, which he, of course, can't refuse. (The document is a dummy, though, purposely leaked in the hopes that after the initial investigation, offenders will let down their guard and stop hiding the illegals, which is when they'll be searched again.)
However, after leaving, they hear that some of Uzawa's gang found Mizorogi and Marisa, and Mebuki races off on his own to protect them. Hyoudou and Hakuta follow, of course. In the ensuing struggle, Mebuki almost falls out a window, nearly giving poor Hyoudou a heart attack.
Hyoudou doesn't like Mebuki's lawyer friend who helped him get the Immigration document. This is my least favorite part, because I feel like this friend is going to turn out to be in love with Mebuki in the next book (there definitely will be a next book [yay!], it was in the author's notes at the end). I hope I'm wrong about him and they'll just stay be friends. :|
Aaaaand, happi endo, after some discussion on how Hyoudou doesn't want Mebuki to have sex with him out of obligation, or pity, and Mebuki assuring him that that is not the case. Also, in the epilogue, we learn that Hyoudou was fighting with Mizorogi's brother, but that it was his wife who pushed him out, and Hyoudou took the blame. Plus he's been sending the wife money every month since he got out of prison. And also that Mebuki is totally in love with Hyoudou, even if he doesn't want to admit it.
I hope it's not another year and a half before the next book. I want it now! ;_;