A romance between international flight co-pilots?! “If Only Wearing a Uniform Made It Easier to Lie.” by Kusabi Keri（楔 ケリ）

Dogenzaka Shobo Mike+ Comics “If Only Wearing a Uniform Made It Easier to Lie.” is the title I’ll be introducing!

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

Feelings hidden beneath their uniforms, and the faces they’ve carefully maintained——— the distorted, blurring boundary between childhood friends and rival co-pilots.

Among peers who are mostly still trainees, Sakuraba Kanata has already become a co-pilot at a young age, steadily building his career as a pilot. With good looks, sharp intelligence, and no shortage of casual partners, he seems to be living life on easy mode. The one thing that irritates him, however, is the presence of Ukaji Tsumugu—his childhood friend, praised as the number-one ace among co-pilots. As Ukaji always brushes things off with a carefree air, Sakuraba’s sense of rivalry continues to intensify. But his womanizing habits come back to bite him, and Sakuraba ends up being stalked by a fellow flight attendant. Growing weary of the escalating situation, he makes a shocking proposal to Ukaji— “Why don’t you pretend to be my boyfriend?” —and approaches him with a certain request…?

From Dogenzaka Shobo Mike+ Comics “If Only Wearing a Uniform Made It Easier to Lie.”

This is the second collected volume by Kusabi Keri-sensei, who is widely known for the hugely popular omegaverse series “Kuruinakuno wa Boku no Ban”. While Kusabi-sensei is often associated with portraying ethereal, black-haired beauties, this time the story features a rather rare type of protagonist—a flashy, carefree guy. The signature sensual atmosphere remains intact, and on top of that… pilot uniforms…!!!

So beautiful you can’t help but cry out…

It’s pure happiness to be filled with the precious essence of uniforms that only exist for that profession… they do get thoroughly stripped away, but that, too, is very good. Working as an international flight pilot—a wonderfully admirable profession—yet asking a childhood friend he sees as a rival to pretend to be gay just to escape a stalking incident… what a shocking lack of caution!! Being oblivious to someone’s feelings toward you is overwhelmingly adorable in any universe.

I thought our relationship as childhood friends would always stay the same, unchanged.

As time goes on, the Ukaji-kun who once needed to be pulled along when he was little gradually starts to overtake him, and before he knows it, Sakuraba-kun continues to harbor a one-sided rivalry and burning sense of competition. In the flashback arc, when they’re deciding their paths after high school and Sakuraba catches a glimpse of the possibility that the other person might continue to be by his side in his future, Ukaji-kun breaks into such a genuinely happy expression—and that moment is absolutely, unbearably precious…!!

In truth, he ends up being completely thrown off by his secretly perverted childhood friend, all because of his own natural innocence.

At one point, their feelings nearly fall out of sync, but just as they decide to face each other seriously, a crisis strikes at work. And in that moment, you can’t help but fall for how cool Sakuraba-kun is. Where did the flirty guy go? Did he turn into a completely different person? I love him…

How their relationship shifts beyond being childhood friends is a major highlight, and the real payoff comes in the steamy climax! I truly hope you’ll see it through together (＾＾)