Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-31488396-20180604222449/@comment-44993037-20200511082311

I see it that way - ons was NEVER short on calling someone family, it is mentioned SO OFTEN and yet it was not mentioned once this chapter in reference to mikas feelings for yuu. Ashera couldve said "he loved you like family" heck mika couldve said "youre my brother/family, i love you" yet he didnt and the fact that its left ambigious (which is understandable considering the publisher and audience being overall pretty non acceptant towards main characters who are not straight implies that it is indeed romantic nature. there was literally no reason to skip the family frame in this chapters dialogs, so its pretty clear to me that is because it is not what the author wanted to express. also not to mention mika sacrificing himself was an exact parallel to shinoa sacrificing herself only we dont get told abt the romantic feelings involved from a third person but yuu is told directly by mika, making even more an impact.