Ten Count, Vol. 1

To most, Shirotani may seem like an odd man; everyday he wears a suit and a pair of gloves, avoids contact at all costs, and is never willing to go out with co-workers. But little known to most people, Shirotani suffers from severe germaphobia, but he's made peace with his condition. Until chance meeting with Kurose, a psychotherapist, came into his life and offers free counseling with the simple task of completing 10 things. But not as a counselor, instead in exchange for friendship... But is something more brewing under the surface with each meeting? Please take note that the story is fictional. There is merit to the idea of exposure therapy, however, in my completely unprofessional opinion, how that is portrayed in this series is completely fictional, used for the plot and it's not meant to be taken seriously. I had seen some people say that's the portrayal of germaphobia/OCD and its treatment invalidates true diagnoses and treatment of the disorders, and that the relationship between Shirotani and Kurose is unethical. This is a fictional book meant as an escapism for people, not a manual to treat a disorder. I normally don't like speaking about other people's opinions, but I felt like this needed to be said. Now, let me gush about how amazing this series is! This is my second re-read since this series has come out, and I think the relationship between Shirotani and Kurose is definitely flawed, (and unethical if in the real world. However, I feel like this is one of the more grounded premises for a yaoi that I have read, and I absolutely love these boys!) There is nothing spicy in the first volume, and it sets out all of the plot work without being bogged down. There's also a relaxing yet edge-of-your-seat atmosphere to the series, in this volume particularly. Other than the premise of a relationship forming around an (unofficial) mental health diagnosis, there is nothing particularly special about Ten Count, the characters have clichés and tropes native of yoai series, I still feel like this series stands out from the rest. I am highly looking forward to binging these volumes again. It's always lovely to hold one of my favorite series in my hand~