i really like the vibes. Its sunshine and beaches and the perpetual summer sets the tone of the novel. Rippling sunlight, warm breezes, seashores and beaches, heat and sweat, the tangy stickiness of summer, cloying mango and pineapple, lazy yet invigorating. Everything beautifully encapsulated in the prose. I loved it.

overall, its a journey about mutual healing and growth. The pov changed near the middle of the story where we pan away from ning yu's story and focus more on a chong's story. The first half was about ning yu finding strength and bravado and letting go of his inhibitions to chase the person he likes. The second half was about a chong found love and acceptance and a home in someone whom he can return to at the end of the day.

its hard to tell what exactly a chong didnt like about ning yu. Theres lots of reasons and theyre jumbled up. Maybe because he has a poor upbringing and ning yu had a proper one. Hes carefree and ning yu is uptight. He gets bored of people easily and seeks new bed partners whereas ning yu clings onto one person and doesnt let go. He doesnt want family but ning yu wants to be family with him. He doesnt like boring and ning yu is boring. Hes an adrenaline junkie and thinks ning yu would just chain him down. Not wanting to date ning yu for those reasons is fair but the way he went about it was bizzarfe. A chong thinks its fun to play with ning yu's feelings but hates it when it comes and bites him back. He also has a habit of playing the fake affectionate boyfriend but wont let ning yu show his affections. He couldve cut ties cold turkey if he really wanted to but he didnt. Hes not exactly a good person lol. But im also partial to the idea that a chong is a yes-man and got swept away by ning yu's pursuit. He probably never had someone infatuated with him to that extent and that makes it equal parts exciting and annoying. And so he does this half assesed attempt to distance himself but also not really. Point is, a chong is a very contradictory character but I dont dislike it, it gives the story a bit of charm.

anywho, maybe the secret ingredient was just being in his life often enough. And I think he realized having people care for him is a nice feeling. He likes it when his mom fusses over him, and he likes it when ning yu fusses over him.

i wish there was more about ning yu but I feel like the story focused a lot more on a chong. Ning yu's growth felt like it took a step back from the limelight. But hes the reason why the story exists. Im frankly amazed at his perseverance bc there were so many moments where I thought a chong was cruel and his disregard for ning yu's feelings hard to read. But ning yu took it all in stride. What shouldve stayed as a summer fling ended up being a permanent fixture in his life only bc he was determined enough to make it so. Hes headstrong and unrelenting and I love characters like that. I also like how in the end a chong starts seeing ning yu as someone who is 'full of positive energy, optimistic, enthusiastic, and sunny' when those characteristics were usually associated with a chong at the start of the novel.