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A review by ellelainey
Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time by Cocomi
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was the most bittersweet story!
Tsubushi and Toui have been living together for 4 years, and Tsubushi has just reached his breaking point. Toui is lazy, selfish and doesn't express his love, to the point where Tsubushi feels taken advantage of. He does all the housework, is left behind while Toui socialises without him, and is always eating and sleeping alone because Toui forgets about him or because Toui is wrapped up in his work as a writer.
Toui is a child of a divorce. He had to watch his mother fall apart after his father was caught having affairs with other men, and Toui hasn't put much stock in romance or relationships ever since. His relationship with Tsubushi is his first with a man, and his longest, and he doesn't believe it when Tsubushi says they're breaking up.
What follows is a gorgeous, honest, realistic portrayal of a relationship that has stagnated. Two jaded boyfriends - one by the past, one by the present - are polar opposites. One cares too much and is the caretaker of the relationship; the other one seems like a freeloader, but is actually just work-obsessed and oblivious. As the story unfolds, Tsubushi realises that he never communicated his needs or concerns to Toui, so that they could work on them. And Toui begins to realise that he used sex as a means of communicating his affection, but Tsubushi never understood that, and presumed all the times they fall back into bed together are nothing but manipulation.
Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time is a story of bittersweet romance, where two people realise they've fallen into a rut, lost their ability to communicate, and just might be able to salvage their love for one another if they can start being open with each other.
I loved all the flashbacks, to happier times and how they were used in direct comparison to present day events. I loved the emotional journey they both went on, and the little tokens they tried to use, to show each other how they felt, like Toui buying Tsubushi's favourite banana bread and watching his favourite show, while Tsubushi bought Toui's book and read it, supporting his career even after their break up.
This is such an understatedly beautiful story, and it nearly had me in tears. I'll definitely be reading it again in the future, and I'll be taking a look at anything else the author does.
Tsubushi and Toui have been living together for 4 years, and Tsubushi has just reached his breaking point. Toui is lazy, selfish and doesn't express his love, to the point where Tsubushi feels taken advantage of. He does all the housework, is left behind while Toui socialises without him, and is always eating and sleeping alone because Toui forgets about him or because Toui is wrapped up in his work as a writer.
Toui is a child of a divorce. He had to watch his mother fall apart after his father was caught having affairs with other men, and Toui hasn't put much stock in romance or relationships ever since. His relationship with Tsubushi is his first with a man, and his longest, and he doesn't believe it when Tsubushi says they're breaking up.
What follows is a gorgeous, honest, realistic portrayal of a relationship that has stagnated. Two jaded boyfriends - one by the past, one by the present - are polar opposites. One cares too much and is the caretaker of the relationship; the other one seems like a freeloader, but is actually just work-obsessed and oblivious. As the story unfolds, Tsubushi realises that he never communicated his needs or concerns to Toui, so that they could work on them. And Toui begins to realise that he used sex as a means of communicating his affection, but Tsubushi never understood that, and presumed all the times they fall back into bed together are nothing but manipulation.
Send Them a Farewell Gift for the Lost Time is a story of bittersweet romance, where two people realise they've fallen into a rut, lost their ability to communicate, and just might be able to salvage their love for one another if they can start being open with each other.
I loved all the flashbacks, to happier times and how they were used in direct comparison to present day events. I loved the emotional journey they both went on, and the little tokens they tried to use, to show each other how they felt, like Toui buying Tsubushi's favourite banana bread and watching his favourite show, while Tsubushi bought Toui's book and read it, supporting his career even after their break up.
This is such an understatedly beautiful story, and it nearly had me in tears. I'll definitely be reading it again in the future, and I'll be taking a look at anything else the author does.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity