On Roommates and Valentine's Day (KGHR Chapter 13 Analysis)
Before starting the analysis, I would like to briefly introduce an idea I haven't discussed in-depth yet: SSMY, as well as KGHR's world, seem to operate under the concept of heteronormativity, the assumption that only people of different sex form romantic/sexual relationships, or can be attracted to each other. In simpler words, it's common to expect that "boys like girls and girls like boys" and only that. For example, heteronormativity can be why Kagiura assumes Hirano won't be into him (chapter 8), a guy. Additionally, one of Hirano's reasons behind rejecting Kagi is that "he has never considered dating a guy" (chapter 11). Hirano doesn't seem to know that romantic feelings and relationships between people of the same sex are possible and real. In SSMY, Miyano was (slightly) more educated on the topic because he was aware that same-sex relationships existed, even if he considered them strictly fictional.
Let's review the scene in question. First, Miyano asks Hirano if he doesn't give his roommate chocolates for Valentine's. Hirano, who had just realized the date, asks why he would do that.
Then, Miyano comments such a situation has "BL potential." After the Committee members temporarily leave the room, giving Hirano and Hanzawa time alone, Hirano asks what is BL. In the SSMY manga and the First Year's Novel, it's been established that Hirano hears Miyano chatter about it, but Hirano doesn't pay much attention. Thus, Hirano comments all he knows is it's some sort of romance genre. Perhaps the keyword "romance" resonated in Hirano's mind and pushed him to ask the question. Because the idea of "romance between him and Kagiura" can lead to the thought that "his kouhai is in love with him," which Kagiura kindly reminded him at the beginning of the chapter.
Hanzawa answers that BL is a fictional genre about romantic relationships between men. Hirano hangs on the "fictional" part, considering what Miyano was trying to say was "Giving your roommate chocolate on Valentine's Day resembles this fictional genre where romance between two guys is possible."
The key difference between this interpretation and Hirano's initial assumption is that the latter doesn't consider the situation Hirano is in, his kouhai being in love with him, but what he and Kagiura represent, the possibility of "one roommate giving chocolates to another."
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Last updated: 9 hours, 37 minutes ago
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