The forbidden fruit. 🍎 Iruma is holding a black apple, dripping with what looks like blood. He’s framed by black roses, and the same thorny vines that wound around Iruma and Kiriwo’s fingers when they made their promise to each other. Remember, this is deeply meaningful red string of fate symbolism that is used to depict their bond of destiny. The imagery that surrounds him is contained within an ornate picture frame, grounding these motifs as not just a marker of their connection, but as a part of Iruma’s identity itself.

Apples and roses have an enormous amount of mythology associated with them. The Garden of Eden; the forbidden fruit plucked from the tree of knowledge and evil. In Greco-Roman mythology they’ve long been associated with Aphrodite/Venus the Greek and Roman goddesses of love.

The apple symbolizes love, desire, temptation, and greed. Roses symbolize the duality of life and death, the joy and pain of human connection, deep devotion, and everlasting love. In Ancient Greece, giving an apple to your beloved as a sign of romantic courtship was a common tradition.

Hiro made a point to say that the entire composition of this painting is monochrome. Iruma’s outfit is bright white, and the symbolism he’s surrounded by is a chiaroscuro of lightness and dark, yin and yang. Half of his face is illuminated, light reflecting in his eyes, and half is shadowed. He’s looking directly into the readers eyes and smirking. Iruma has already been tempted by the forbidden fruit. He’s literally steeped in Kiriwo’s influence. The memory of their promise is part of the very fabric of his being. He’s fascinated by him, inspired by him, and actively incorporating parts of Kiriwo's worldview into his own unique sense of self. A sense of self that he sacrifices none of either. He’s showing us that he knows exactly what Kiriwo is, and he wants it ALL. His hands are outstretched in offering, as he shows us this pitch black token of his shameless desire. Desire, that he learned to reach for from the person he loves.

One last detail, this other lovely color page Hiro drew for us depicts the constellation Libra on Iruma’s sash. (October 4th birthday boy)

Libra is ruled by YOU GUESSED IT, Venus. And represented by the scales of justice that balance the duality of humanity, nature, and the spiritual. ♎️🌌

In conclusion this shit gay irukiri freaks HAPPY PRIDE 🍎🌹🖤

There’s an official novelized version of the manga written in direct collaboration with Nishi! They’re untranslated but it’s a 1 to 1 adaptation of the manga that expands on the emotional tone of many scenes.

Here are 2 excerpts contextualizing Kiriwo’s feelings during the Walter Park arc.

‪好きな子の顔でも思い浮かべてるみたいに。‬

“As if thinking about the face of the person he likes.” (好きな/sukina) likes, is fond of, favorite

‪待ち焦がれた想い人でも見るように、入間に向かって手をのばす。‬

“He reached out his hand towards Iruma, as if gazing upon the beloved he had yearned to see.” (想い人/omoibito) beloved, lover, sweetheart, the object of my affection, explicitly romantic (待ち焦がれた/machikogareru) to yearn for, to long, eagerly look forward to

HAPPY PRIDE MISTER YEARNER THE HOMOSEXUAL FREAK BEHAVIOR IS CANON AND OUR BOY IS IN LOVEEEE 💙🩵🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

Big thank you and credits to my awesome friend that originally found this!!!

MATCHING WITH IRUMA-KUN IS REAL WAHHH

I had to make him 2 his gay ass gap moe just can’t be contained

“Iruma-kun, you’re way way more ambitious than me.”

WHO’S THAT DIABOLICAL LITTLE FREAK OH MY GOD DESPAIR RUSSIAN ROULETTE??????? TWISTING THE STRINGS OF FATE HELLO???? ??? 🧶