For readers searching for this specific volume, you are likely looking for the continuation of that rainy day in the music room—the shift from "first love" to "first fight." This article reviews the plot, thematic weight, artistic evolution, and why this second volume is mandatory reading for any BL enthusiast. Volume 2 picks up immediately after the emotional climax of the first book. Kusakabe and Sajou have confessed their feelings, shared their first kiss, and stumbled into a relationship. However, this is not a story about the honeymoon phase. Instead, Doukyuusei Vol. 2 is about the fear of losing what you just found.
When discussing the pantheon of great Boys’ Love (BL) manga, few titles command the quiet, melancholic respect that Asumiko Nakamura’s Doukyuusei (Classmates) series does. While the first volume introduces the hesitant romance between the stoic, glasses-wearing honor student Hikaru Kusakabe and the free-spirited, "gloomy" vocalist Rihito Sajou, it is Doukyuusei Manga Volume 2 (often collected as the second half of the first omnibus or as Sotsu Gyoushitsu , depending on the edition) where the series truly cements its legendary status. doukyuusei manga volume 2
As summer break approaches, the pair must navigate the impending reality of college entrance exams. Kusakabe, the academic genius, is expected to go to a top-tier university. Sajou, the struggling musician, fears being left behind—not just academically, but emotionally. The central conflict of this volume is brilliantly quiet: What happens to us after high school? For readers searching for this specific volume, you
10/10 Recommended for: Readers who want romance without the fluff, and drama without the melodrama. However, this is not a story about the honeymoon phase
For fans of Given , Umibe no Étranger , or Sasaki and Miyano , this volume serves as a masterclass in subtle, painful, yet ultimately hopeful storytelling. If you read the first volume and thought, "That was sweet," the second volume will leave you breathless. It transforms a sweet school romance into a timeless story about growing up.
One of the most poignant scenes involves Sajou trying to write a song for Kusakabe but failing because he is "too happy." He believes his art comes only from suffering. This internal conflict— Do I stay sad to create, or stay happy to love? —is a mature theme rarely tackled in high school romance. The volume forces Sajou to reconcile his identity as a musician with his identity as a boyfriend.
The volume introduces the strain of different futures. Sajou, feeling inferior, attempts to push Kusakabe away, believing he is a distraction to the honor student’s future. This leads to a spectacularly tense sequence where the two stop talking, walking the same halls as ghosts to one another. It is painfully realistic for a genre often accused of being pure fantasy.