One thing that always piqued my curiosity is the relationship between Masato and Ryouichi. In Volume 14, it is shown how much Masato means to Ryouichi, so deep was their relationship that Ryouichi would've gotten into a serious accident if Umeda hadn't pushed him out of his way because he was so completely focused on reaching the hospital, where Masato was. Ryouichi and Masato both share a bond that is not quite love, but definitely more than what is considered usual for siblings.
Masato seems to think his whole world revolves around Ryouichi, which is understandable because of the problems he had in the past. A long time ago, In a desperate cry of attention, Masato started a fire and ended up killing the only person to show him affection, his father's sister. He tortured himself everyday and locked himself deep in his heart, although that later changed when he met Ryouichi, thus, the formation of the bond between them. Ryouichi was able to understand, but at the same time, slowly began to shelter Masato away. Ryouichi's parents play an important role in this, as well as other problems which occurred between the last four years when Masato turned thirteen. That's probably why they can relate so much to each other and answers why Ryouichi came to care that deeply for a kid when he wasn't supposed to give a flying flan about other people.
In my opinion, Ryouichi perceives Masato as a kid whom he can shower and devote his attention to. He revels in Masato's complete dependence on him, which may be why he tends so much to Masato - the fact that Masato's whole world is Ryouichi alone, and he prefers for it to stay that way. This is made clearer in the final arc of their story, as Umeda watched Ryouichi smile at Masato's complete dependence on him.
The backstory with Ryouichi and Masato is a real treat for Yume Miru Happa readers. Umeda's history also provided a chance to show how much complexity their relationship had back then. Ryouichi's emotional hold on Masato isn't there to cement Umeda's supposedly unrequited love; it's there to show why Ryouichi has such a strong influence on Masato later in their manga. The question of moving on and recovering has never been an issue in the first place, and this revelation is presented from the very first page. Masato had already gotten out of his shell by the time Yume Miru Happa started, leading a perfectly normal life of a high school guy (he's extremely popular with the girls), falling in love with Furuba (YMH's heroine) and finally, getting married. Ryouichi is no exception when it comes to moving on. He runs a successful fortune-telling business, lives with his sister and friends, and interacts with people easier now.
Despite Ryouichi's selfish purpose, they do matter to each other, but now on a healthier level. It is perhaps reasonable to say that their relationship would never go back to what was portrayed in Volume 14, due to the fact that they had already released their feverish attachment to each other. As if to reassure and put to rest all doubts, it was Ryouichi himself who closed that chapter between them forever, in seeing the future of Furuba and the boy he once sheltered:
"Figure it out soon, you two silly people."
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