While Sawako takes off her jacket, Shouta sees her necklace.
And, Shouta felt embarrassed over Ayane giggling over it. Chizuru asks Ayane
how come she didn’t get Kent to come over. Ayane says about being tormented
until morning [kept on talking?] so Kent ought to be still asleep. Chizuru is
puzzled over how come Shouta knows that Kent is a ‘night owl’. Just when Ayane
asks if this guy [snoring Pin] is really a teacher, Pin suddenly sits up and
says that it is because he can get a salary so it is like that. Then, he sleeps
again. They freak out over it and wonder if he is dreaming when he said that.
Tooru laughs and tells them not to look at Pin like that for during their time,
he is a hero. Everyone laugh in disbelief. They don’t believe him when he said
that Pin is also very popular. Tooru says that it is because of Pin that Ryu
went to [北幌
= I’m not sure if it is a typo for Sapporo or the name of their school] and
Shouta is also always taken care of by Pin when he was young. Shouta says that
it is ‘being bullied’. Tooru says that is Pin’s way of showing his affection.
Shouta admits that it is like having an older brother. Sawako exclaims that Pin
is a good guy. Tooru tells them that Pin is a baseball hero that college, no..professional
baseball even scouted him. Pin planned to continue on with his studies and was
said to be the second nominated but he even said about not rigorously refusing[?/playing
hard to get]. Though, in the end, he wasn’t nominated and ended up like this.
Ayane exclaims why when it ought to be okay since he is quite good. Tooru says that
everyone says that but due to various reasons he heard like about the money,
how Pin was talked with, etc that in the end, Pin flipped out. Tooru just
assumes that it is all because of everything he mentioned and he didn’t bother
asking Pin about it. Ayane tells Chizuru that even if she thinks that he isn’t
the same with Ryu but he is Ryu’s brother for he doesn’t care for things that
he isn’t interested in. Chizuru tells her that she mentioned this before about
those brothers having the same kind of attitude. Tooru asks Shouta about what
happened when Pin was a coach. Shouta says that there is only silence for his
father won’t talk about it whether at Pin or the family so he just assumes that
his father wants Pin to play baseball, Pin would always vent his anger on him [Shouta]
afterwards. [<- not sure] Tooru casually asks about his father if he is
still valiant. Shouta says that he’s too energetic. Sawako comes into Pin’s
defense by saying that Pin really likes to become a teacher. She tells them Pin’s
good qualities with the others slightly refuting Pin’s intentions for being
nice to Sawako. When Sawako says that she really respects Pin, Pin’s ear wiggle
and he quickly sits up. He starts muttering about ‘respect..me’ that everyone
wonders if he is still dreaming. He shouts who is brazen enough to be rude to
him. They realize that he is awake. Sawako tells him that she respects him. Pin
is surprised that he asks since when she is there. Trying to act cool, Pin says
that of course, he ought to be respected for he is a great person.
Then, he asks the others if they are quite idle to hang
around here on January 1st. Tooru laughs and asks Pin if he failed to hit on a
girl again. Pin shouts for him to shut up. After some more teases, Pin glares
at Shouta and tries to threaten him about ‘telling him on’ to his father to
which Shouta retorts back that he didn’t do anything wrong. While the two are
shouting at each other, Ayane comments that Ryu can really sleep through this
ruckus. Soon, Pin is shooing them away to which someone thinks that he is doing
that so that they can properly sleep for the day. Then, Pin tells Sawako that
he has homework prepared for her and she ought to properly think about her possibilities
and it is also okay for it to be more than one. “Even if it is only a dream,
even if it is up to that degree, it is also fine. So go and properly attempt
vainly!” After a pause, Sawako says yes. Shouta is surprised by this. Pin turns
to Shouta and says that he also have homework – to remember his top 100
favorite food and top 100 favorite types of women and there will be a test.
Shouta angrily shouts that he is just picking on him. Outside, Pin, together with
the others, shouts for them not to hinder the business. Ayane shouts that he is
the one hindering and bids Chizuru and Tooru goodbye. As they go back in the
store, Tooru tells Chizuru to properly sleep. She asks him if he is going to
his wife’s place and asks about her health. Tooru says yes, he brought her to
her hometown yesterday and about her pregnancy, he let her rest at her family’s
house though he’ll go see her tomorrow. Chizuru hopes that they’ll have a
healthy baby. Patting her head, Tooru tells her to properly dote on the baby to
which Chizuru says, definitely. Chizuru glances at Ryu and tries to wake him
up. Glancing at them, Tooru asks surprised Chizuru how things are with Ryu.
Chizuru asks if he heard about it and it isn’t like that yet. Tooru asks what happened,
did Ryu confess. Chizuru blushes over this and Tooru says that Ryu won’t talk
about this kind of thing. Tooru asks if she felt an ‘embarrassed and at a
complete loss’. Chizuru thinks that she is a bit like that. She tells him that
she doesn’t quite know because she never thought of it. She asks him how many
girls he went steady with but she starts to freak out when Tooru is counting
more than 4. Chizuru tells him that she wants to be with Ryu forever. Tooru
comments that between the two, no matter one has boy/girlfriend, get married,
perhaps have children, forever not going steady yet wanting to be together
forever is a hard thing. Chizuru asks what about always going steady, not
breaking up and together forever. Tooru says that it is also a hard thing but
if they don’t break up, they will be together until death. Chizuru looks sad
and says that it is difficult to understand. Tooru says is that so, but then, he
used the simplest way to say it to make her understand. Chizuru continues to
say that it is quite difficult. It turns out that Ryu is awake and overheard
their conversation.
While walking, Ayane shouts at Pin not to walk with her but
Pin says that this is also the way to his house. Ayane shouts for him to move
elsewhere. She is bothered about the possible misunderstanding. Pin shouts who’ll
misunderstand that a shortie like her and super unrivalled him would have a
relationship. After some arguing, Pin tells her that it is really great that
she is with Kent. She mutters that it is really bad that he has seen through
it. Pin tells her to worship him for he handled that nosebleed guy [<- the
one Kent punched]. Ayane grudgingly thanks him that Pin comments if it is Kent’s
effect that she is quite frank. After some more teasing, he tells her about an
exam this year and she better not be scatterbrain about it for she wishes to
study in college. Ayane comments that he started saying things like a teacher.
Pin asks him who she thinks he is. Ayane thinks, an idiot. Pin says that she is
quite intelligent. She asks if this isn’t enough and don’t worry about her for
she’ll properly go to a school that suits her. Pin says that is good, a school
that suits her, but is there anything that she would put her all out strength
to do, anything will do whether studies, sports or love. Ayane glances at him
and wonders why he said that. She asks isn’t he the same, could it be that he’s
not afraid of losing. Puzzled Pin asks in what area. Ayane shouts about why he
become a teacher. Pin asks if she is making an enemy of all the teachers in the
world. Ayane shouts that it is only him and doesn’t he only want a stable job. Pin
says that stability doesn’t matter to him for he wanted to do this job.
Surprised Ayane asks why he wants to become a teacher. Pin says that it is
because he really wants to play again, play high school baseball again.
Somewhere else, Sawako comments that it is snowing again. Shouta laments that
it is enough snow already. Sawako tells him that it is fine for him to walk her
up to here. Shouta says okay. She asks if he is going to shovel again when he
gets home. He says most probably. He happily tells her that he’ll contact her. Watching
Shouta leave, Sawako recalls what Pin told her. Sawako thinks of the future and
when she was young, she wanted to be a ladybug [Coccinella septempunctata]. The
end narration is about when one is young, limitless future seems quite faraway,
and compared to what they thought, their ‘future’ is quickly coming to their
side.
Comment: And, this series isn’t going to end yet because we
have troubles ahead called ‘unknown future’. From what is hinted in this
chapter from her fortunes and what Pin said, unlike the usual cliché in other
shoujo of the guy going away, it seems that Sawako is the one who is going away soon. This
might be what Shouta’s fortune hinted about ‘being understanding’. So, moving from
‘troubles with each other’, it is ‘fighting together against’ an outside
factor. We get to know Pin’s past which I think affects how he is treating
everyone in this chapter = after having fun in high school, time to give your
all to something that you really want to do in the future. It does seem to hint
on ‘no regrets and going for your dream’. It makes me wonder if he regretted having
a fit at the ones scouted him or he is just happy with ‘high school baseball’
and not ‘professional baseball’. Compared to the others, Pin seemed to have a
major impact on Sawako and from the looks of it, he will also influence her
future. As for Chizuru, she still seems a bit afraid of
the ‘risk’ which is involved with going steady with Ryu because they might not be ‘together
forever’. Of course, it is also not possible to be together forever if they later on have lovers and
have a family with someone else. Hm..I think she is more afraid of things might
not be the same between them anymore. This is the usual predicament of childhood friends' love story especially if it is still a bit one sided. It seems that Ayane is also ‘afraid’ that
she is going for the ‘safe thing’ rather than what she really wants. That is what she mentioned before regarding choosing Kent. Well, it
does seem that she lacks the ‘enthusiasm/passion’ in fear of getting hurt and
disappointed. I wonder if aside from doing what she wants in the future and her
attitude with life, this hints that Pin is still in the running and that will
end up with a love triangle again. That is the usual ploy for shoujo love
triangles and it seems possible here ^^; Well, we’ll know soon what all these
would lead later on..that might be a bit of wait since this is one of those
slow-paced series. =P Scans by 夜莺工作室.
Quote of the day:
We should all be concerned about the future because we will
have to spend the rest of our lives there. ~ Charles F. Kettering