Excellent. A singularly satisfying read. I admire that you were able to so effortlessly make both Ryoma and Tezuka believable characters. Tezuka especially, since he is the narrator, has this matter-of-fact-ness to him that really moves the story along. He does everything with such an easy confidence that even when he's being a complete, lovestruck dork, it probably doesn't occur to him that there's an easier way to go about wooing Echizen. He makes being a spazz look dignified. It's very refreshing to read a Tezuka whose restraint is not a monumental crisis, but merely a personality trait. Also, one who is not the source of his own kabuki-esque postmodern tragedy. ^_^

That Echizen NEVER looked at the bookmarks was . . . well, it was very Echizen. Dorks in love. <3