Sugar*Soldier [Chapter 23]

There has always been this knot in Makoto’s heart since she didn’t faced Watase and just ran away. Watase and Makoto look surprised at each other. Watase says that it is surprising that she is in this school. Wondering what is the best thing to say, Makoto says ya, and calls his name. Watase explains that when he reached high school, he came back to this place and today, there is a club [interschool] practice match. He comments that she has changed a bit. They were interrupted by Iriya who calls out to Makoto. Makoto tells Iriya that he is her junior high classmate.. Then, his teammates calls out to Watase, what he is doing there.. Iriya immediately remembers that this is the Watase guy whom Makoto told him about before. Iriya just says, ya. Watase says that he’s going and by the way, Koudzu [guesswork from 高津] is also in their high school. They plan on having a reunion so Watase asks for Makoto’s email address to inform her of the details later on. He also tells Makoto if she is still in touch with their other former classmates, then just inform them. Makoto tells him that Uki is also in her school. Iriya looks left out. After Watase saves the address in his cellphone, a girl arrives and calls for Watase to quickly hurry for the senpai-s had already left. Watase bids Makoto goodbye and he’ll contact her through email. The girl pushes Watase away and scolds him. Holding her cellphone, Makoto wonders why at this time.. While walking together, Iriya glances at flustered and quiet Makoto. Iriya suggests that she go straight home first because her face alternates from the color red to purple. Surprised Makoto apologizes. Iriya lightly knocks her head and tells her that it is alright, see you tomorrow. Arriving home, Makoto lamely announces that she is home. Rika happily greets her a happy birthday and gives her a caonima stuffed toy. [caonima/草泥馬 is literally grass mud horse though sounds like a cuss word. It is widely used as a form of symbolic defiance of the widespread Internet censorship in China. It resembles the Alpaca.<- source: wiki It is the partner of Tsukkomi Bunny.] Makoto mutters her thanks. Their mother is shock that it is Makoto’s birthday. Rika scolds her mother for forgetting. Their mother says that she just cooked the usual sweet and sour pork so how about buying a cake. Rika offers to go and buy it. To Rika’s surprise, Makoto tells them forget it, she’s going to sleep. She goes to her room. Then, she is startled by a ring. It is an email from Watase who apologizes for earlier. He tells her where the class reunion will be held tomorrow after school at around 14 o’clock. After being amazed over the ease to communicate, Makoto thinks that Watase also joined the soccer club in high school. He has grown taller and his voice became a bit deeper. His tone of speech seems normal though she wonders if he is angry at her or not. Even if it has already been two years and at that time, she is ordinary friends with Watase so for them to meet today, he might have totally forgotten about her. Makoto starts to worry that Iriya might misunderstand because on the way home, she is lost in thought. She decides that she must properly apologize to him tomorrow. Makoto covers her head in the blanket over this mistake. Two stuffed toys are now ‘making side comments’ to her. ^^;

The next day, Makoto informs Uki about the class reunion. Uki says that it is so sudden and even if she wants to go, she has club activity that she cannot go away from. Uki asks if that means Watase is also coming. Makoto says yes. Uki asks Iriya if that is okay. Iriya says that it is okay and there’s no need to report to him about it, isn’t a class reunion fun. The girls are speechless. Uki asks Makoto if she didn’t tell Iriya yesterday. Makoto says that she didn’t. As Uki scolds her, Iriya is glancing at them. At the bowling center, a couple of girls happily greet Makoto and mention about that it is amazing to be together again. As everyone exchanges greetings, Makoto notices Watase nodding at her. She nods back. To Makoto’s surprise, the girls start talking to Makoto about Rika being a model and beautiful so about meeting Rika next time. Makoto starts to recall that it was like this during her junior high years. Watase is watching them. Just when the girls want to make an arrangement with Rika, Watase goes in between them and scolds the girls not to mention that again for isn’t it their reunion today. The flustered girls apologize. Makoto recalls that it is like that before, even if Watase says things harshly but he’s actually very nice. There is a flashback of Watase helping her in carrying so many heavy books. The girls start to talk about how Watase became a bit handsome that it is one of the girl’s type. They mention of the rumor during second year that Watase likes Makoto. Makoto is at a loss when the girls want to confirm with Watase about it for surely, Makoto is also very curious. Just when they are about to ask, a guy teases Watase who is holding a cellphone if it is a message sent by his girlfriend. Watase says ya, wait a moment. The girls are shock that Watase already has a girlfriend. The guy says that is right, Watase is going steady with the soccer club’s manager and it is a very cute girl. Watase tells Kenta [guesswork from 健太] not to say unnecessary things. Makoto is delighted to know that Watase has a girlfriend and of course, it isn’t surprising since he is handsome and part of the soccer team- She thinks that this is really great and she can be at ease since for Watase, what happened before is already treated as the past. Also, no one has heard it from Watase himself and perhaps everything was just a huge misunderstanding so that’s quite embarrassing. Believing that is like that, Makoto joins the bowling game with the others. Soon, everyone part ways and hope to meet again. The girls still ask Makoto to say hello for them to Rika. Makoto asks Watase if he is riding on the Central Line [train station]. Since he said yes, Makoto happily says that they go together. At the station, Makoto bids Watase goodbye. When she was about to board the train, Watase suddenly pulls her back. Makoto is surprised. The train door closes and leaves. While Makoto looks tense, Watase says, “..at that time, what I wanted to tell [you]. You know it, right?”

Comment: Apparently, contrary to what Iriya used to do, he kind of back away from Watase. Maybe he wants to give space to Makoto to sort things out because this is her ‘trauma’. He is still acting casual that I wonder if things will change if Watase starts going back into Makoto’s life. I think Watase is quite smooth. That reunion thing can be just a ploy for them to meet each other again. Watase seems to be still in love with Makoto though he already has a girlfriend so I’m not too sure if that is his real intention..or revenge? It turns out that Makoto is more bothered over what she did to Watase before rather than have any romantic feelings for Watase. So, that’s a good thing for Iriya. Makoto didn’t seem to change much after the festival. It makes me think that it will be harder for Makoto to deal with Watase since she acted timid and everything towards those ‘Rika this and that’ girls. Lastly, it is quite ironic that the one whom Makoto perceived as her ‘enemy’ is the only one who remembered her birthday and even has a gift for her. Scans by all★wink汉化组.

Quote of the day:

You have to know the past to understand the present. ~ Dr Carl Sagan