At school, Beni is still angry over her stupid moron brother
whom she hates the most. A couple of her friends ask Beni if she wants to go
out together to buy Christmas gifts tomorrow since it is Saturday. Beni wants
to go, too. She asks if it is gifts for exchange gift. The light haired girl
says that aside from that, she wants to give the person she likes, a gift this
year. Beni brightens up and exclaims that’s great. She thinks that she will
absolutely not give up and she’ll also give a gift to Sou. As Beni is paying
the bus fare, her friends are already going down the bus. They are saying that
they’ll stroll around LOFT. After Beni dropped 200 yen coins, the bus driver calls
out to her that she didn’t pay enough because only elementary students can buy
student tickets. He thinks Beni is a third year junior high student, and not an
elementary student. Her friends couldn’t believe that it is only Beni whom the
driver had a mistake with. To her friends’ surprise, Beni played along by
apologizing that the money isn’t enough, so she’ll be careful. At the store,
Beni is really happy to be mistaken as a third year junior high student since
she’ll be the same with Sou. Her friends tell her not to waste money and buy
the student ticket on the way back home. Beni wonders what will she give Sou
this Christmas for she gave him a phone strap on his birthday. Then, she
wonders what Sou’s plans for Christmas and could it be, celebrating it with
Anna and others. There is a scene of Sou celebrating his 15th birthday with
Anna and Hinata. Trembling Beni angrily thinks that she couldn’t forgive Anna
for getting carried away just because Sou had a favorable impression on her.
Then, her friends tell Beni that this one is cute. It is cats with different
colors depending on what kind of ‘luck’ it bestows and it is kind of like a
charm. To her friends’ surprise, Beni exclaims that she wants to buy that for Sou’s
Christmas gift. She decides to buy a cat which is ‘graduation good luck’ since
Sou is preparing for exams [for high school entrance]. She thinks that the one
she chose during his birthday is what she likes, so would Sou be happy with
this one. Her friends wonder if it is okay to give a guy such a cute keychain.
At the bus, her friends got off first. Then, it is her stop. After she pays,
the bus driver says that it isn’t enough. To her surprise, it is the same
driver earlier. Deciding to buy the adult ticket again, she just apologizes to
the driver that she had unconsciously.. She thinks that it can’t be helped but
to her surprise, she doesn’t have enough money. The driver urges her to hurry
up since she’s obstructing the people at the back. This made Beni confess that
she is actually an elementary student and she lied about being an adult so let
her buy the child ticket. The driver didn’t believe her so Beni insists that it
is true. He asks her which junior high is she in and at the end of the bus
stop, he’ll contact her guardian. Freaking out, Beni wonders what to do. To her
surprise, Sou drops more money for two adults. Sou apologizes for his younger
sister in giving trouble to others. He’ll pay for the fare so please drop
today’s incident. Beni is quite happy for it is Sou.
While walking home, Sou says that it’s quite noisy. Beni
thanks him. She says that she didn’t think that he was riding on the same bus
so it is a blessing in disguise but she isn’t his younger sister because if she
is, they can’t get married. Aghast Sou just says is that so. She asks him if he
is going to celebrate Christmas together with Anna and others, and can she go
with them. She is surprised when Sou says that there are no plans. Beni thinks
that this is quite unexpected for the three are always together ,and it seems that
lately, she hasn’t been seeing the three doing things together. In front of her
apartment, Beni’s mother is scolding Beni over what she is doing, she is
reaping what she sows and she even involved others. Beni’s mother apologizes to
Sou and says that she’ll pay him back the money. Sou thanks her. Sou bids Beni
goodbye and tells her to take care. Beni tells him to wait for it isn’t easy
for them to meet. Beni’s mother tells her that she should be the one to stop
for she isn’t finished lecturing her. Beni says that she knows already, it
isn’t a big deal, she won’t lie again and not pay.. Her mother shouts for her
to stop while she’s ahead because the money she used isn’t hers, it is the
money that her father worked hard for and she is wasting it over such a willful
reason. “Even if you look like an adult, you are actually a child. This won’t
change even if you spend money to buy the adult ticket.” Beni tearfully shouts
back that she [mother] just said that she ‘has grown up’ so why is she changing
her mind over it. Beni’s mother angrily shouts if she is nitpicking. To Beni’s
surprise, her mother punishes her by stop giving her pocket money, she cannot
go out aside from school activities and she can’t have this. Her mother takes
the package from her hand. Beni shouts that she can’t. Her mother asks why not,
and quickly go to her room and reflect over what she did. She starts crying
that her mother is a scoundrel. Soon, it is Christmas. By the parking lot, Beni
is making a small snow man. She tearfully thinks that it is obviously Christmas
and yet, she wasn’t able to get the gift back, didn’t give Sou anything, wasn’t
able to exchange gifts with her friends and she can’t go anywhere. She is
surprised when Sou, together with Hinata, asks what she is doing there, playing
snow, all by herself. She asks where he is going. Sou tells her that he’ll go
bowling with Hinata to relax a bit before studying for the exams. Beni exclaims
that she wants to go, too. Sou asks what she is talking about for isn’t she
currently grounded that she can’t go out. Shocked Beni asks how he knew. Hinata
says that he also heard that her pocket money has been frozen. Sou tells Beni
that the information network within the apartment building is quite scary. Beni
says that her mother is quite mean for not returning the Christmas gift that
she is going to give to him. Sou says that he doesn’t want it for surely, it is
another cute little thing so why don’t she use it instead. Beni exclaims no,
for this time, it is.. Sou interrupts by saying that kids should just sincerely
take gifts.
As the two guys walk away, Beni felt like crying but she
doesn’t want to cry now or else, she will be treated like a kid. While she
tries to stop herself from crying, Sou notices that she is already on the verge
of tears. They are surprised when Beni starts to run off. Beni thinks that it
is already enough, for being like this is truly childish. “Anyway, I’m a kid
and I also know it up to this extent. But Sou is always walking ahead. Like
this, I cannot just slowly go on.” By the playground, she recalls Sou finding
her and showing her that the cellphone strap she gave him on his birthday is already
on his cellphone. Beni starts bawling out loud. She thinks that she doesn’t
look like an elementary student but she isn’t a kid anymore, and yet she is
still a kid, she already doesn’t understand what she ought to do and anyway, no
matter what, she and Sou.. She stops crying when Sou says that it is like a
child crying in a drawing, even if it suits her more than [when she’s]
enduring. Beni screams that anyway, she’s a kid. To her surprise, Sou says that
he won’t be play bowling today, instead, he’ll play with snow so does she want
to play, too? So, what does she want to play: make a snow man, make an igloo or
a snow fight? Beni says that he is treating her like a kid again when he is
just 3 years older than her. Sou asks if she is saying that she doesn’t want to
play, well, too bad, goodbye. This made Beni honestly shout that she wants to
play. Sou smiles back at her. Sou says that they go back home. Beni grabs his
hand. While holding hands as they walk back, Beni asks if Anna is also going to
play with them. Sou says that if it is Anna, she won’t come. She asks what’s up
lately, did they quarrel, and if they did, it is better to reconcile quick. Sou
says that is right and it is better to tell that to Hinata and Anna for it has
nothing to do with him. Beni asks if that is true. Sou says that both Anna and Hinata
are unexpectedly frank towards strange things when they obviously mutually like
each other. Beni looks surprised at Sou. She thinks that even if she said that
there is only three years of difference, but it felt like that three years is a
huge difference. “Because Sou seems quite mature. ..Does Sou know the way to
become an adult.” She recalls what her brother told her about accepting the
fact that no matter how much one tries, one cannot attain that love and gives
up. Later on, Beni is hiding by the apartment’s post and notices that Sou is
coming. Narration: “If one must definitely give up in order to become an adult,
it is still quite far off for Beni to become an adult.” There is a scene of her
mother giving the package back and told Beni to give it to Sou since it is for
him. And, on the handle of Sou’s bag is a small cat keychain. Beni happily
smiles. She calls out to him and says that is a super cute bag. Sou says that
she has come out, the elementary student stalker. Narration: “But one day, I’ll
properly grow up but right now, I’m still a kid, the Beni who still likes Sou’s
everything, the most♥”
Comment: This is a nice side story. It seems that Stardust Wink’s
side stories tend be about unrequited love but for Beni’s case, she isn’t
giving up just yet. We’ll never know if she did later on because after the trio
became high schoolers, she didn’t seem to appear anymore. I guess the author is
leaving that up to our imagination. Or at least, it is more or less hinted
because this is already the second Beni x Sou side story, though the other one
is very short. I really think that it would have been fun if Beni is still in
the story and make things fun if she goes against Aya. She would have given Aya
a girl fight which Anna couldn’t. Well, as proven, Sou is such a nice guy even
to the point of using the cutie things that Beni gave him and going after her
since she’s crying. It seems that he also have a soft spot for her. ^^ Seeing
Mashiro here made me realize how I missed his character. I like the
interactions even Beni’s strict mother. Sigh..I can only shake my head over
what happened in the last arc of this series..oh well. Scans by all★wink汉化组
Quote of the day:
The hardest part of growing up is that you have to do what
is right for you, even if it means breaking someone's heart. Including your
own. ~ Author Unknown.