Hey! I'm not trying to talk you out of liking volume 2. I MUST have liked it, since I think I started talking up Private Teacher then. I was more turned off by the cosplay cafe than by the stupidly jealous friend, but volume 2 does have the first hint of insightful/thoughtful Rin (the watch plot) and it's also when the narrative p.o.v turns from Rin to Kaede. Kaede's perspective is definitely what makes this series work, both for his hilarious intellectual obsession and for his vulnerability. Otherwise, he would be just another too-awesome do-S seme.