eritentan #givenfan

"I'm glad I found you." "Thank you for finding

Kizu Natsuki's Universe Parallel (Links, Given & Haikyuu!! Doujinshi)

1. Aoi & Yuusei and Ritsuka & Mafuyu

2. Shizuragi (Shizu-chan) & Iwaizumi (Iwa-chan)

3. , 4. & 5. Ritsuka & Mafuyu and Iwaizumi & Oikawa

From previous post, I discussed the theory about a possible love triangle between Ugetsu Murata, Shogo Itaya, and Ryo Ueki.

To give you some background, Ueki and Itaya were best friends in high school along with Ritsuka Uenoyama. Ueki and Itaya show a very close relationship.

First, let me introduce you to Akiha Niitsu and Yahiko Tsubame from Links by Kizu Natsuki.

The theory here is that Akiha’s counterpart in Given is Ugetsu, while Yahiko could be Shogo Itaya. Similarly, Aoi represents Ritsuka, Yuusei represents Mafuyu, Takaaki corresponds to Akihiko, and Shinobu corresponds to Haruki — due to the obvious similarities in their art styles and personalities.

Akiha is a pianist, while Ugetsu is a violinist.

Akiha and Yahiko are friends with benefits.

Both Yahiko and Shogo are younger than Akiha and Ugetsu.

Ugetsu and Shogo Itaya are possibly in a similar relationship. Both live in London. Shogo even posted a picture of himself with Ugetsu on Instagram — and we all know how Kizu Natsuki loves to drop hints. Not only that, but she also reuses a lot of scenes and plots from her previous works.

Please see character profile here from Given 10th Mix.

Aoi X Yuusei parallel to Ritsuka X Mafuyu

Theory/Prediction: Ugetsu and Shogo are the fourth couple and eventually the two of them will date for real. Assuming Kizu Natsuki will reuse their counterparts.

(Note: These are all theories/predictions and not yet canon.)

Ritsuka: I'm home. Mafuyu? Are you there? Hey, if you’re around, make sure you reply on LINE, okay?”

Mafuyu: Welcome home. Sorry, I am drunk and dinner's not yet ready.

Uenoyama-kun?

Haruki's Disappearance

Before Akihiko moved to Osaka, Haruki once disappeared for a short while, and when he came back, Akihiko suddenly had a ring on his ring finger. He and Akihiko keep the promise that whenever Akihiko returns to Tokyo, they will "always meet at the station.

Apparently it is hinted in the character profile that Haruki and Akihiko had a fight or something. That cause Haruki to disappear and when he came back Akihiko had a ring (to compensate whatever they were fighting about).

As you can see Haruki is NOT happy when Akihiko said they are married but living apart.

Haruki once brings up if he should wear a ring too which obviously he wants to.

Haruki also brings up that Yatake family has a spacious house hinting he wants to settle with Akihiko but he brushes it off.

Haruki has to ask permission to Akihiko to stay in his Osaka apartment. (Hinting he wants Akihiko to invite him.)

Akihiko for some reason has to bring up that he doesn't have an extra futon when it is obvious that Haruki wants to sleep in one bed with Akihiko.

Haruki has been hinting Akihiko that he wants to settle. Haruki has been patient with Akihiko. He's also missing Akihiko a lot. 😭😭😭

I am smelling a sequel/spin-off here. I want to know what happened to that "disappear" part of Haruki.

I AM EVERYWHERE

Mafuyu is horny.

I watched the anime/manga/stage play a thousand times to understand every scene. I still see a lot of people in YouTube, X and Reddit hating Akihiko and still debating whether they stopped or not in Chapter 20 which was heavily debated. In this Tumblr Thread, I am giving you the answer.

I've read every past subreddit and Tumblr and see some inaccuracy from each answers.

In the stage play, it was very clear even after the "I'm sorry" Akihiko and Haruki continue to have sex. After it was over, Haruki said it was consensual. I am annoyed with the inaccuracy translation in most manga sites of Chapter 20. Thanks to X (Twitter) and Tumblr community for the accurate translation. Akihiko and Haruki did had sex. There was a mistranslation that not everyone knows even in 2025.

The original is Haruki was wanting Akihiko to "Slow Down". He did say "No way" and "You're not really going down are you?". Haruki said "Stop" once when he was saying to Akihiko "Don't do that face like you are hurting" and tells Akihiko to open up. Akihiko said it wouldn't help anyway. Even after the "I'm sorry." They did it.

In the manga, you will noticed Akihiko's shirt is gone and his pants are slightly down (the v shape noticeable) before fading to black and in the anime, it is covered through angles. Not to mention after the manga faded black, Akihiko's ZIPPER IS DOWN.

Same goes with the Stage Play where even after the "I'm sorry" and "Why can't it be you?" Akihiko continued to have sex with Haruki and he did not say stop. (I am not saying this is okay.)

In the manga and anime Haruki's clothes changed. He told Akihiko that in the end it is "consensual" or "sex with consent" (which was also mentioned in the stage play and Drama CD for those who haven't watched or heard it).

Here is a scene above from the stage play. Akihiko said "I'm sorry" and then continued to have sex with him during fade to black.

Watching all three versions countless of times makes it clear that Haruki was hurt more of the rejection than the sex.

Translation: I said I’d do anything, in the end, it’s basically consensual sex anyway, right? So… for now, you can stay over today.

Why some people misinterpret it as “almost had sex”:

1. The word ほぼ (hobo) can mean “almost,” so if you read it quickly, it might seem like:

• “We almost had consensual sex.”

• But in this context, ほぼ softens the tone, meaning more like “basically” or “practically”, not literally “almost didn’t happen.”

2. The scene’s tone:

• Before this line, Haruki is flustered and overwhelmed, so readers might assume sex hasn’t happened yet.

• That, combined with ほぼ, leads some to think: “Oh, they almost did it,” rather than “They did it consensually.”

⸻

So did they have sex.

Yes.

• The use of 和姦 (wakan) explicitly indicates that sex occurred and it was consensual.

• Haruki’s post-line comments about staying over today and “basically consensual anyway” reinforce that the act already happened.

• The “ほぼ” just softens or teases the phrasing — it does not mean they didn’t actually have sex.

✅ Conclusion:

• They did have sex.

• The confusion comes from misreading ほぼ and combining it with the earlier flustered scene, which makes it feel like it’s pre-sex.

Also Haruki changed hair from braids to ponytail and his clothes changed from green shirt and joggers to blue shirt and pants after it faded black. Implying they did screw around.

Also even a lot of Japanese fans did said that Haruki never said Stop during the act. Spoke with multiple Japanese fans and they told me Haruki and Akihiko did NOT stop. Haruki did not verbally asked him to stop as he continued.

I do not condone what Akihiko did since he took advantage of Haruki's vulnerability.

Haruki did not ask Akihiko to stop therefore it is not rape. I do consider it as sexual assault since Haruki was in vulnerable state and was being used. He was not in the right mind to be intimate.

Now here is another question from a fan who is not paying attention. "WHY DID HARUKI LET HIM STAY? If I were him, I'd kick Akihiko."

If you read the manga, Haruki said “If you weren’t a band member, I would’ve thrown you away…”

Because Haruki is the band leader of given and Akihiko is their drummer and not to mention they have an upcoming live show. Haruki is simply being a good leader and he is not thinking of himself, he is thinking of the whole band. It is not hard to understand.

Did Haruki forgave Akihiko fast?

No. It has been four seasons had passed. Plus why would Haruki accept Akihiko after everything?

Because Haruki realised that Akihiko changed for the better. He also realised that he wasn't one sided all along even Yayoi mentioned it that Akihiko has always been in love with Haruki.

Why am I explaining this? Because I am an avid fan who wants to explain to casual fans who aren't keen to pay attention to the details. And I'd like to change their minds about the what really happened to Chapter 20.

I hope this helps!