A Heart Swollen to the Touch

I feel this.

I wouldn’t want my wife to be alone when I pass.

🎵When I’m gone just carry on don’t mourn rejoice
Every time you hear the sound of my voice
Just know that I’m lookin down on ya smilin’🎵

Shirasagi Rokuwa’s stories have had pretty deep undertones lately, the wife getting over her husband and trying to find someone new is a tale as old as time in hentai and thankfully this one avoided the pitfall of the wife constantly comparing the MC to the deceased.

I love panel 4 on page 17.  It's a perfect image
of a woman who's totally surrendering herself
to the moment.

Culinary Note:
Shijimi clam soup is one of the most
popular miso soups in Japan.
(page 4, panel 2)

Yep the MC lucked out getting a very sexy widow to fall for his “youth” and I like the last panel which shows that she has moved on and now is ready to be with the MC.

Cultural Note:
The Japanese revere dead relatives & ancestors in a way that's quite
alien to our way of thinking. When Ryouka initiates sex in front of her
late husband's picture (first page), it's almost as if she's cheating on
him (from the Japanese point of view), which is why it makes Akutsu
uncomfortable (page 1, panel 3).

(Ryouka seems to be a decent woman who was faithful to her husband,
but it's entirely possible that she's excited by the thought of "cheating"
on him even though he's dead.)

On page 6, panel 2, Akutsu prays to the picture (which, again, is a very
Japanese thing) & asks for forgiveness, because he had lewd thoughts
about Ryouka---who reacts to Akutsu's gesture by immediately stashing
the picture in a drawer (page 6, panels 3-5), so her dead husband won't
be spoiling the mood when she makes her move on Akutsu.

On page 14, panels 4-5, Ryouka makes a special point of removing
her wedding ring, as if she's spiritually divorcing herself from her
late husband, before allowing Akutsu to penetrate her.

In the final panel, we see that Ryouka has prepared for Akutsu's visit
by removing her ring and turning her husband's picture face-down.
Also, there's a "love egg" next to the picture. Ryouka has apparently
been masturbating in order to get herself warmed up.

I don't know if her ring has come off for good. If it has, that means
Ryouka is ready to begin a new life with Akutsu.

This chapter is incredibly hot---and very touching. I almost wept
with joy and ecstasy as I read it.  The tears and the precum were
both flowing freely.

"Yo Dawg; we know some times y'all want Deep Stuff in your H-story, so artist-san laid down some Deep Stuff in this H-story so y'all can conclude 'Whoa - That Is Deep' over the Deep Stuff in this H-story."

Possibly factors beyond normal comprehension were at work to give Ryouka-san an opportunity to "be a woman, once more", and not just be a widow (if you know what I mean), and Kou-kun seemingly fit the bill to be the ... er, 'driving force' to make it happen. Also, it seems that it is revealed that Kou-kun is A Man Of Culture (say-no-more, say-no-more).

Well, stranger things have happened in both real life and in the H-universe, so I'll allow it.

Nice, former housewife. ಠï¹à² 

I like how she has a bit more meat on her bones. Makes me hungry...

Ah yes, of course, it wasn't a dream at all! Of course it'd feel so real, because it...was real.
Still, what he said at the start really got to me. I mean, loving your partner after they depart is a respectable thing, I suppose, but sometimes you have to learn to move on, I guess.
And hey, I'm sure he'd be happy to be with her. She seems to be a little worried about the age gap, but I don't think he is worried about that at all.

Kou-kun sure lucked out. Thought I doubt the adds about "widows in your neighborhood" memes are anything close to this lmao