Read on Twitter
This has been something on my mind ever since I read terminal curiosity part 8.1 and I just want to throw this out into the void where maybe it will help some people make sense of the confession scene. @moonlumie @favspacetwink please feel free to correct me if Iâm wrong!
The way Sakusa is written in TC, I perceive him to be a logic based person. Heâs not someone who is often overtaken by emotions, but he is a critical thinker and makes decisions based on all of the information heâs gathered (which tracks with canon Sakusa, gathering info)
Many of Sakusaâs decisions throughout TC have been made based on logic, rather than emotion. Yes, his decisions may seem odd at times, but itâs because opinions can change when new info becomes available. This is shown multiple times, like when Sakusa agrees to dom Atsumu.
Sakusa doesnât suddenly agree to dom Atsumu because Atsumu convinced him. Rather, Atsumu showed Sakusa that heâs done real research into the subject matter, which lets Sakusa know that heâs serious about his offer.
Now, for Sakusaâs thought process. Heâs hesitant to take Atsumu on. Why? Many reasons. Sakusa doesnât take on new subs. Sakusa has other sub options, which he explores, but he doesnât connect with them. Sakusa doesnât think Atsumu is serious until Atsumu shows him he is.
Thereâs also that bit about Sakusa contacting a dom for Atsumu to try, but Atsumu is uncomfortable with a stranger. Sakusa obviously takes this into consideration. He also doesnât want to lose his only solid connection of doms in Osaka by putting Atsumu on one of them because he
Thinks that Atsumu would still be a bad sub at this point in time.
Taking all of this into consideration, Sakusa decides heâs going to dom for Atsumu once. To me, heâs still gathering information, but heâs working with what heâs got. Itâs not an emotional decision, but a logical
Taking all of this into consideration, Sakusa decides heâs going to dom for Atsumu once. To me, heâs still gathering information, but heâs working with what heâs got. Itâs not an emotional decision, but a logical
One. Out off all of his options, Sakusa has concluded this is the best course of action. He needs a sub. Atsumu wants to try it. (So imagine his surprise when he finds out Atsumu is actually a great sub.)
ANYWAY, back to another situation that Sakusa uses logic, rather than emotion, to make a decision.
Thatâs right, Iâm skipping all the way to 8.1 because that was supposed to be the focus of this thread. The confession and dating scene.
Thatâs right, Iâm skipping all the way to 8.1 because that was supposed to be the focus of this thread. The confession and dating scene.
To be honest, when I first read Sakusaâs easy agreement to dating Atsumu, I was not vibing with Sakusa at all. Record scratch. Full stop. I was like âWait....what?!â So, I kept reading. (It was the collar and cuffs part that made it click for me.)
Sakusa cares for Atsumu. Likes him back even. But he doesnât wax poetic about his emotions for Atsumu.
In fact, Sakusa uses logic to conclude that they should date!! Now, obviously there are emotions involved.
In fact, Sakusa uses logic to conclude that they should date!! Now, obviously there are emotions involved.
Sakusa takes into consideration his own feelings. If he didnât like Atsumu back, or at least wasnât willing to explore a relationship with Atsumu, Sakusa wouldnât have said they should date. But he does care for Atsumu. He does like him back. How do we know? Well, one: he says so
Two: the collar and cuffs. The calm tea breaks. The quiet hours on his couch. The entirety of seeing the man he likes at his most vulnerable, broken down by Kiyoomiâs own hands. All of these things, Sakusa wants them to continue. Is willing to expand on them for Atsumu.
And you have to remember, Sakusa didnât allow for all of these extra things with his other subs. He performed aftercare with them, yes, but with Atsumu, there is a gradual increase in their shared time together over the first 7 parts. The aftercare Sakusa gives Atsumu in part 1
Is distinctly different from the aftercare in part 7. (Sakusa lets Atsumu take his hoodie with him!!!) The tone of their aftercare is different. Thereâs been a shift somewhere along the way.
Anyway, we all know this. Back to 8.1
Anyway, we all know this. Back to 8.1
So Sakusaâs confession doesnât come in the form of emotional vulnerability. No waxing poetic about how he canât live without Atsumu. No âI love you so much!!!
â
Itâs the subtext. His own assessment of their situation and his examination of his own feelings for Atsumu.
âItâs the subtext. His own assessment of their situation and his examination of his own feelings for Atsumu.
Thatâs why he comes to the simple solution that dating Atsumu is beneficial. That maybe sounds wrong with how Iâm phrasing it. What Iâm trying to say is, Sakusa recognizes that he likes Atsumu, Atsumu has confessed to him, and so the solution IS simple.
If Atsumu wants to date Sakusa, then why shouldnât Sakusa say yes? He likes Atsumu back, he enjoys their time together, and he doesnât want Atsumu to go back to being just a teammate. After that logical assessment, he concludes that dating is an option where it hadnât been before
Why hadnât it been an option before? Sakusa thought Atsumu was seeing other people. He didnât know about Atsumuâs feelings. He thought their arrangement was satisfying on both ends. Learning new info - namely Atsumuâs feelings - led to Sakusaâs own conclusions about his feelings
For Atsumu and a way to continue his relationship with Atsumu because why wouldnât they continue their relationship if they both like each other? Sakusa may not have planned for this to happen-he wasnât even looking for a relationship-but it did happen and heâs rolling with it.
Their relationship was just, like, upgraded from dom/sub partners to boyfriends who practice BDSM. In true sakuatsu fashion, a FWB to lovers if Iâve ever read one 
Anyway, this thread got a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. I probably missed some major points, but itâs my offering to TC since everyone apparently has to have an opinion on it. I would also like to add that Atsumu is definitely written as a feeler because heâs more
Driven by his emotions (and by his curiosity) when he makes decisions, which provides us with a great contrast to Sakusaâs thinker type (if you are familiar with Myers-Briggs)
Also itâs refreshing to see a character written this way because if anyone is a thinker type, itâd
Also itâs refreshing to see a character written this way because if anyone is a thinker type, itâd
Definitely be Omi.
Lemme also say thank you to Lumie and Em!!! So much goes into this series, and this was a whole other layer that I didnât even realize was there until I read this part. So excited for whatâs to come!!!
Lemme also say thank you to Lumie and Em!!! So much goes into this series, and this was a whole other layer that I didnât even realize was there until I read this part. So excited for whatâs to come!!!
I debated posting this, because...do we all know this info already? Like did I add to anyoneâs understanding? 
But then I remembered itâs better to have nice things floating out in the void than not nice things so here I am posting it.
But then I remembered itâs better to have nice things floating out in the void than not nice things so here I am posting it.
Iâm also going to sleep so I will not be taking comments until after I wake up at like noon because my sleep schedule is the only thing being fucked recently.
