the og game makes you play as either female or male and doesn't have real romantic interactions so it's not exactly an otome. they do have a personality and a role though, and the writing is amazing so if the adaptation is good it'll be an incredible anime

all of this makes me think that akito wasn't exactly ready to leave japan at the end of rtf (even though he was saying he'd go to america) so it might just give him more time to settle things more and strengthen his resolve (and pairing him with airi who's an experienced idol makes a lot of sense)

rtf akito was in the shadow, just like a good part of his room. dull colors and highlights showing his doubt and lack of fire. his eyes not fixed on anything.
ny akito (finally smiling) is still in the shadow but he's also surrounded by light. the whole room is bright. he's looking at his passport.

parallel n°2: akito is sitting and holding a cushion (domestic object) in his rtf card, once again showing that it's an introspective moment. the cushion covers him, the posture is defensive.
ny akito holds what i believe is his passport, implying that he's ready to face the world now.

in akito5, akito sits in his room in an attempt to find a solution. and in his ny card, he seems to be leaving it: the card shows this part of the room, so i don't think it can be any other door.
so he's find his resolve again, even if his soft-looking expression reveals that he's still vulnerable.

akito's room is revealed at *this* point of the story. it is shown as akito dwells on his problem, doesn't know what to do. it's a room full of all the things that make him akito shinonome, even soccer is included. in short, this room embodies akito himself, at the very moment when he doubts himself

akito experiences a form of vulnerability that we only saw in his summer fes story before. one in which he starts to doubt his own passion, but he can't just go on and on until he succeeds bc he might be burnt out. and when you're burnt out, that's the opposite of what you must do.

both cards have akito's room as background. akito's room has been a mystery for about four years, to the point that he was the last character whose room was unrevealed. we only discover it after akito achieves his dream... and loses a part of himself, the fire that is just *his* theme.

this might be why he's getting another focus now, *before* toya5 (and why airi got dragged into this even though she's not due for a lim at all). another opportunity to strengthen his resolve, perhaps.
anyway the two cards parallel each other, with a similar setting and color palette.

the very eye-catching part of the logo though... we know what you are