Cherry blossoms after winter vol 1 by Bamwoo

Haebom & Taesung have become adoptive brothers after Haebom’s parents died tragically in a car accident and Taesung’s mother agrees to take Haebom in. But this upsets Taesung, and they spend the next several years avoiding each other. Now, it’s senior year, and the two are in the same class. So are Haebom's bullies, and Taesung gets a front row seat to the tormenting Haebom gets on the daily. Taesung, the smart, beautiful, athletic, and popular class darling, must choose whether he'll let Haebom continue to be picked on or if he'll use his power and influence to help Haebom start standing up for himself.

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Seasoned readers of BL will clue in pretty quickly why Taesung didn't want Haebom to live with them, but less experienced readers might be along for the ride on this slow-burn romance. As Taesung begins to stand up for Haebom and show his protectiveness, the story becomes very sweet. Haebom's bullies are pretty one-dimensional and classic stereotypes, so there is a part of me that hopes we are done with them so they can be gone, but another part of me hopes that they can come back and have some more depth or development and not just be a trope. Bamwoo has put a lot of effort into Taesung and Haebom to make them relatable and likeable, but so far, other characters are only around to serve as plot points or decoration. Regardless, romance fans will enjoy the misunderstandings and revelations between the two leads as they finally understand and open up to each other about years of unrequited love.

Despite this first volume being relatively tame, Inklore rates the series as adult. Down the road, the series supposedly includes adult scenes, but those volumes haven't been released as of this writing.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-12 (this volume), Adult

Publisher: Inklore
Publication Date: Nov 26, 2024 
ISBN: 9780593870938 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Suitability: Adult, Manga, Romance, LGBTQ+, School Life, Family, Inklore