Showing, Not Telling, In Bloom Into You

Writers are generally advised to "show, don't tell." This is by no means an absolute rule, but showing what you want to convey rather than telling your viewers about it has many advantages; it's more organic, has more respect for readers' intelligence and can often communicate more. This will look at Special Chapter 3 of Bloom Into You, as an excellent example of subtle storytelling.

Sayaka is waiting for Touko at a train station when Chie Yuzuki(whose name is not provided in the manga) happens to run into her. For context, Chie had asked Sayaka out when they were going to Tomosumi Middle School together, and they had briefly dated. The two grew distant after Chie advanced to the high school division, until one day, Chie broke up with Sayaka, saying that they were no longer kids. Sayaka was deeply hurt, and ended up transferring to Toomi East High School.

Sayaka is surprised (but clearly not happy) to see Chie, as shown by her facial expressions, and a brief flashback panel in the background reminds us of who Chie is. They make some small talk about why Sayaka came, and Chie casually mentions that she remembers it's Sayaka's station. This helps establish a bit of familiarity between the two, even if Chie never says why she's at the station. Perhaps Chie had hoped to see Sayaka again, despite never attempting to contact her.

After that exchange, Chie then says she had hoped to apologize to Sayaka. Sayaka doesn't understand why Chie would apologize, but then Chie explains why- before she asked Sayaka out, Sayaka was "a normal girl" (i.e. heterosexual), and she believes she's to blame for Sayaka liking girls. Sayaka's face twists from surprised to uncomfortable to outright hurt, a good example of how visual media can subtly show information through characters' body language. But why doesn't Sayaka say anything?

The answer is that while Sayaka dislikes what she's hearing, she isn't the type to outright be rude to anyone, as seen in how she never shows overt hostility to her romantic rival, Yuu. Despite her bitterness toward Chie, Chie is still her senpai, so Sayaka owes her respect. Because of this, Sayaka says, "No need to worry about me. As of now, I don't know how I ever had feelings for you. Still, I suppose I'm grateful to you- in a way." Her remark outwardly reassures Chie that she's back to normal, but if you pay closer attention, the wording reveals that she no longer loves Chie. Judging by Chie's relieved reaction, the insult went over her head. Perhaps Chie never meant Sayaka any ill will, but Sayaka knows that Chie doesn't understand that what she did was wrong, and is understandably unwilling to forgive Chie.

Touko then arrives and Sayaka greets her first, addressing her by her first name without honorifics before taking her by the arm. The former is highly familiar for Japan (compare how Sayaka uses family names and honorifics for most of her other acquaintances), albeit not too unusual considering that Touko and Sayaka are best friends, but the latter is a sign of intimacy that would suggest an intimate relationship. Sayaka then caps it off by saying "Sayonara," a Japanese word that generally means "Goodbye forever," thereby confirming that she is finished with Chie. Many of the cues discussed in this paragraph are difficult for non-Japanese readers to pick up on, but deciphering social interactions often depends on understanding the cultural context, and Bloom Into You is no exception.

On the final page, Touko asks if Chie was a friend of Sayaka's, and whether Sayaka wanted to talk more, but Sayaka dismisses the inquiries with "No, it's all right." Since Sayaka never told Touko about Chie, it's implied that she isn't ready to tell Touko about her sexuality, let alone that she's in love with Touko. Touko notices that Sayaka is holding onto her arm and opts to hold hands with her, suggesting that Touko is already aware of Sayaka's feelings for her; a later chapter has Touko state that she wasn't oblivious to Sayaka's feelings as much as not thinking about them (in fact, she tries to pre-emptively shoot down Sayaka's confession). Just as Sayaka is more knowledgeable about Touko than she lets on, Touko knows a bit more about Sayaka than Sayaka herself suspects.

From Chie's perspective(as someone who's blind to Sayaka's feelings, possibly willfully so), this scene is a friendly encounter with her ex-girlfriend, during which Chie manages to get something important off her chest. If, however, you understand Sayaka's character, you can tell that she has come to terms with her sexuality and has cut her ex out of her life. The Regarding Sayaka Saeki spinoff novels provides more details about this period in Sayaka's life and its significance for her, but a surprising amount can be gleaned from this brief scene.

This chapter is fairly short, and, as an extra is not "required reading" for Bloom Into You (although unlike other extras, it was adapted into the anime). Nevertheless, it not only provides closure to a small subplot, but also shows a great deal about Sayaka in a subtle and organic manner, as well as the author's skill at storytelling.