Izumi, the sales ace with excellent grades, good looks and great communication skills, has someone he absolutely cannot lose to.

His name is Sendo, the most unlikable man who took the top spot from Izumi.

After a fateful app encounter, Izumi and Sendo fell hard for each other—now they’re next-door neighbors, savoring the honeymoon phase from opposite sides of a shared wall!

But when Izumi is tasked with mentoring an ambitious new hire, the newcomer’s rapid rise triggers his competitive streak—and his anxiety. As Izumi pushes himself harder and harder to reclaim the #1 spot, he starts to buckle under the pressure… just as his enigmatic older brother, Hayato, unexpectedly returns to Japan.

So why isn’t Izumi happy to see him? And how did he wind up working himself to the point of collapse? Determined to help, Sendo seeks out Hayato in hopes of understanding the “baggage” Izumi has been carrying. Whatever the weight of his burden, Izumi doesn’t have to bear it alone—if he’ll let Sendo in.

NOTE: This book contains mature content and is intended for readers 18 years of age and over.

The manga starts with Izumi once again being competitive with Sendo–over a conversation with their boss–and Izumi confesses to the reader that he and Sendo are no longer enemies to lovers, but enemies AND lovers. The chemistry between the two are at an all-time high and they can’t even keep their hands off each other at work, even though they are keeping their romance a secret.

As an added bonus, the apartment next to Izumi’s was vacant and Sendo moved into it, since they couldn’t move in together. It’s a perfect situation for the two, where they can see each other all the time, and have copious amounts of sex (there are a lot of steamy uncensored scenes in this manga).

One day things change when a new employee, Sahara, is introduced to the office and Izumi is tasked to training him. Izumi doesn’t want to at first and judges Sahara to be a nepo baby, but he proves to be quite capable. So capable, in fact, that his sales numbers quickly surpass Izumi’s, which brings about a horrible competitive streak. (Click on the images below to zoom in).

Izumi starts to overwork himself to the point of sickness–staying overtime, coming in early, working during every waking hour–and Sendo is highly concerned for Izumi. To add to the drama of all that, Hayato, Izumi’s brother, makes a surprise appearance.

Izumi’s relationship with his brother is polite but a little bit on the cold side. There’s no open malice towards each other, but there’s no true warmth there, either. This is because Hayato in a way is the source for Izumi’s competitive drive. Izumi describes his brother as a “genius,” always getting first place (even in the nation), winning at sports, getting the best grades, etc. I would, however, argue that Izumi’s parents are the real problem, as they are genuinely a pair of assholes who clearly favored Hayato and punished Izumi with open disappointment and open comparison (as you will find in the flashback scenes). What terrible people! However, the trauma that Izumi feels is more towards his brother and less towards his parents, and their relationship is strained.

Hayato wants their relationship to be good. He singles out Sendo for a dinner, (he picks up on the fact that Sendo is “close” to Izumi) and he opens up to Sendo about Izumi’s past and trauma, and how competition seemed to destroy their relationship.

Hayato asks Sendo, “Every time Yuto [Izumi] finds himself backed into that same corner, over and over again? Will you be there to support him when the time comes? I think that alone will make things far easier for him.” Hayato recognizes that Sendo and Izumi are together, but won’t say anything outright. He trusts Sendo to take care of Izumi and decides to worry about his brother less.

The manga ends with a romantic trip to the north where there’s beautiful snow and a mountain ryokan and restaurant, and Sendo and Izumi take a much-needed brief vacation together. The two make love and then there’s an important scene in the baths where Sendo says the exact thing that Izumi has been needing to hear all this time, and it brings him to tears. Suffice it to say this was an emotionally fulfilling scene.

Of volumes 1 and 2, I think volume 2 is the best and truly elevated the storyline. I remarked how in volume 1 I was uncomfortable with relationships based on misunderstandings, but now this relationship has grown into something great, with two rivals, who, when it gets down to it, love and support each other unconditionally. Because of volume 2, I have decided to add the Fated NOT to Meet series to my permanent collection at home.

I have done some (brief) investigating and found on Amazon Japan (search 運命だけどあいいれない) that there is a volume 3, which means we just have to wait for its English release to come stateside. I’m looking forward to continuing the story!

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Fated NOT to Meet Volume 2 is available directly from the publisher or wherever books are sold online and in store, in digital and paperback release.