Warning: many readers fall hard for this cool, tough delinquent type?! “Fukutsu no Zono” by Shikke (しっけ).

Introducing “Fukutsu no Zono” from KADOKAWA eb! enterbrain B’s-LOVY!

The following is quoted from the back cover. This review does touch on the story’s content! If you just want a quick summary!! I’d be happy if you read only the red text and highlighted sections.

Deto learns the weakness of Zono, the delinquent who had been nothing more than a rival in fights.

He’s sensitive to having his neck touched and ends up letting out an embarrassingly suggestive sound.

Hearing Zono’s suggestive voice leaves Deto flustered and confused as his body reacts despite himself.

One day, he comes across Zono—who’s supposed to be tough in fights—being brutally beaten by his father, and rushes in to help without hesitation.

Running into Zonoafter he’s been shoved outside

From KADOKAWA Enterbrain “Fukutsu no Zono”

A sharp-eyed delinquent appears━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━!!

I absolutely love the sharp-eyed characters drawn by Shikke (しっけ)…!! In this work, the protagonist is Akira Deto (出戸 晃), a poor high school student. A fight breaks out over a piece of bread he manages to buy at the school store with his meager food money, and his opponent turns out to be the delinquent Masumi Hanazono (花園 真澄). Delinquents with piercing eyes are usually just intimidating, but the way Shikke portrays them isn’t simply scary—there’s a kind of strength that pulls you in… I love it (sudden confession).

Highly recommended for anyone who loves boys who speak in Kansai dialect!

The story moves forward with lots of everyday conversations. You gradually learn what kind of person Zono really is, and why Deto keeps challenging him again and again without giving up. Even within the comedy, there’s always a solid sense that “there must be a reason behind this,” which makes it impossible to stop reading. Those conversations are delivered in Kansai dialect, with phrases like “~yana,” and “shitoran mon!”—the soft, distinctive nuances are just too good for dialect lovers to resist!! I’m not knowledgeable enough to explain the exact intonation or pitch accents (laughs), but then, all of a sudden, the lunchtime bread-snatching chaos comes to an abrupt end. That moment marks the day Zono stops coming to school.

Zono is the kind of delinquent who skips classes but still shows up at school.

Zono has two gyaru girl friends, and they really play a great role in the story… good friends are the best. In a way, those two are also what sparked the lunchtime bread-snatching fight, but they’re genuinely worried when Zono stops coming to school. Since Zono is the type who skips classes but never actually skips school, Deto decides to go to Zono’s house to check on him.

Running into Zonoafter he’s been shoved outside

Deto finally arrives at Zono’s house, but from inside the house, he can clearly hear harsh shouting and the sounds of a struggle—even from outside, making it hard for him to find the right moment to go in. Then, amid loud voices, the one thrown outside turns out to be Zono himself…! If you’re sensitive to painful scenes, please be careful around this part…I’m not great with intense depictions either, so I found myself reading on with my eyes half-closed.

After opening up to Deto about the violence he suffered from his father and his own personal interests, the distance between the two gradually closes, and seeing them build a kind of connection they’ve never had before becomes incredibly endearing. As long as the two of them can stay happy, I honestly have no complaints at all… I just want to see them cooking warm meals together and sharing a cozy, peaceful life… (a sudden wish). I hope they can keep being affectionate and close forever… I’m truly grateful to Shikke (しっけ) for letting me discover such a wonderful work (*’▽’)

If you’re reading the physical volume, you can enjoy everything right through to the final bonus pages—making sure you can fully savor the affectionate, lovey-dovey moments between the two…! I highly recommend checking it out (^▽^)/