July 9, 2013

Akai Ito [Chapter 11]

Cover page: “Finally..the resonance between two lover’s ‘like you’, countdown starts!!” Blushing Chihiro says, “..Hinase, about that.. (no only that ‘kiss’ but also ‘like’, can I believe you?) I.. I have something that I want to ask you.. That is.. About yesterday.. kiss..kiss..” Suddenly sitting up, Souta points in front and says, “It’s a kiss!” Then, he quickly goes back to sleep. While Chihiro is embarrassed by that, Sho laughs and asks if he is talking in his sleep and he is most likely dreaming of something lewd. Sho says that Souta is truly quite cute that he wants to have a younger brother. Chihiro asks if he doesn’t have any siblings. Looking dark, Sho says that he has an older sister in college and basically cannot be called a girl. Chihiro mentally takes note that he has an older sister. Sho asks her again what she was saying. This made her blush and think that like this, he is looking at her straight and it seems that it isn’t the normal ridiculing expression. “Why..” She suddenly realizes that she has been exposed and could it be that he already knows what she wants to ask him so he has that kind of expression. As Sho urges her to quickly say it, Chihiro blurts out that it is already quite late so wouldn’t it be better for him to go home. Then, she laments that it isn’t that. Outside the house, Sho thanks her for inviting him to eat and mention this to her mother. While timidly saying yes, Chihiro thinks that what she just said seems like she wants him to go home. After Sho bids her goodbye, Chihiro tries to say something to him but lets it be. She sighs for she wasn’t even able to say a single word of what she wanted to say. While walking, Sho thinks that Chihiro also has a cute side and her ears unexpectedly became reddish. Then, he chuckles. At school, around 12:20pm, Chihiro gives Sho a wrapped bento box and says that it is for him. After a pause, Sho points at himself and asks if it is for him. She says yes. Holding the bento box, he looks at it and at Chihiro. Chihiro wonders why he is lost in thought. Then, she thinks that in the end, making a bento box is over the top and this simply is like what a girlfriend does. “Could it be that he’s thinking that I’m considering myself as a girlfriend and beating the drums [about it]. By the way, last night, he just ate hamburger and today, I’ve made the bento from the leftovers.. No matter if one likes to eat but continuing to eat the same thing, that isn’t quite good right. Ah, totally forgot about it. *blushes* ..this, this is a bit..embarrassing..” Sho asks if this is homemade bento.
Waving her hands, blushing Chihiro says it is only leftovers and it just so happened that there are a lot of excess food so she made them into bento and that there is no meaning in doing this.. Sho says asks if he can open and see but then, he already opened it. While Chihiro thinks that he isn’t listening to her, Sho comments that it is amazing and it looks very delicious. He asks if she is really giving this to him and even if he always just get a snack-type of thing but it is the first time he got a bento box. Blushing Chihiro thinks that it turns out that it is the first time he got a bento and today, she didn’t use frozen food..and he looks quite happy. Sho happily says that he wants to quickly eat it. Chihiro is wondering if there is a value in doing her best and in the end, she feels happy in doing this kind of thing. “This is bad. The corners of my mouth are rising up. Even if I wasn’t able to say it properly yesterday.. But, seeing Hinase like this now, I can consider it as what I thought it is, right?” Sho says, “Shichimi, here.” She asks, huh and he puts a cookie in her mouth. While covering her mouth to eat it, she asks what he is doing. He smiles and tells her that it is a return gift for the bento box and this one is very delicious, right? She munches on the cookie and says that it is very delicious. Sho says isn’t it, then how about another one but she tries to decline. He just says, “[Say] ah--?” She wonders why he is feeding her and he looks quite happy, is this some sort of prank. He looks at her and says, “Ah--” She opens her mouth and he happily feeds blushing Chihiro. She thinks that it is like at the fastfood restaurant, and what is she doing. Just then, a couple of fangirls bump Chihiro away and goes to Sho to tell him that they were looking for him. They say that they have been practice cooking during cooking class and it is a chocolate muffin. Sho asks wouldn’t it be better to give it to her boyfriend rather than him. The girl says that she doesn’t have a boyfriend so she’s giving it to him. To Chihiro’s surprise, Sho accepts the muffin. Chihiro thinks that even if she knows that he’s very popular and this is no big deal. She becomes flustered when the girl is feeding the muffin to Sho. Then, Sho asks if Chihiro also wants to eat. He gives the bitten muffin to her. While the girl complains why he is giving it to Chihiro, Chihiro looks away and declines. The girl asks Sho why he is carrying that bento, did he already ate. Gesturing to Chihiro, Sho says that she gave it to him. They ask if it is for him and they want to see, ah, it looks amazing and exquisite. Sho says isn’t it so.
Chihiro wonders why he is showing it to them and in the end, he didn’t thought of it. “He totally didn’t think about me[/the thing regarding me].. And he can even do this kind of thing, as if nothing had happened.. I seemed like a fool..” Chihiro suddenly grabs back the bento box from Sho. This puzzles him that he calls out to her. She darkly says that she won’t give this to him and how can she say it, she suddenly felt very hungry. Running off, she shouts that is right, she is very, very hungry. Sho is speechless and the girls wonder what’s with her, so weird. Outside the school, Chihiro is eating with Rino. Rino asks why she has two bento boxes. With her mouth full, Chihiro tells her that it is because she is very hungry and today, she is so hungry that she’s a total mess. Rino sweatdrops and says is that so. While eating her sandwich, Rino thinks that Chihiro is hiding from something that she chose to eat behind the school building and it seems that it is something big. Then, Chihiro chokes[?] that Rino asks what’s the matter. Chihiro looks ill and says that she doesn’t feel good. Rino worriedly asks if she is alright. Chihiro thinks, “I’m simply hopeless.” At the clinic, Chihiro is in bed groaning. “I’ve spilled the vinegar[/could figuratively mean that she got jealous], ate two bento boxes, bedridden.. How embarrassing.. *looking up* ..Aren’t I the same with those girls.. And aren’t I one of them.. It is good that yesterday I didn’t ask about that kiss..” A tear is forming on her eye that she pulls up the covers. She hears a noise at the side. To her surprise, Sho pulls away the curtain and asks, “Tachibana- are you okay?” She couldn’t believe that it is him that she quickly hides in the blanket. She asks what he is doing here. Sho says that he heard that she isn’t feeling well so he thought of going home together with her. Chihiro says that there’s no need and anyway, Rino is still around so he can go first. She is surprised when he puts his hand on the bed and slightly goes on top of her. He asks just now, what she is angry about and is she being difficult with. She slightly sits up and denies that she is being difficult with. And, to her surprise, Sho leans to kiss her. Blushing, she pushes his face away and asks what he is doing. Sho says what he is doing, isn’t he kissing her. She asks why he is kissing her. Slightly blushing, Sho says, “Asking why..it’s because you’re jealous.” Flustered Chihiro shouts for him not to look down on people.
Later on, after leaving school, Chihiro thinks that this is really bad and awful for what is a kiss for Sho and could it be that he just kisses anyone. “The kiss before definitely isn’t because he likes me that he did it.. I already don’t know what Hinase is thinking.” Then someone calls out to her. It is Nanjou. Chihiro asks why he came and is he waiting for someone. He says that he is waiting for her. This surprises her. He apologizes for startling her but it is because there is no other way of contacting her so he thought of waiting here with hopes of seeing her and he wants to see her. This made her blush. Nanjou tells her that actually he heard that South Junior High’s kendo club is going to participate in the Kanto competition and as OB, everyone wants to go there and cheer the senpai on so how about her, and also tell Rino about this. Chihiro says that it is amazing that they can participate in the Kanto competition. Chihiro hates that her heart is unexpectedly moved a bit. Nanjou says that if she has decided, he want them to contact him so can she tell him her email. Chihiro says ah, that.. She wonders why she is hesitating and why she is thinking of Hinase right now. “He also isn’t my boyfriend and fundamentally, I don’t have to mind that..” Chihiro apologizes and says that she forgot her cellphone today and she just changed her cellphone so she doesn’t remember her email. At home, Chihiro looks at a paper with Nanjou’s email and telephone number. Chihiro wonders what she is doing. While walking home, Nanjoy mutters, “How boring.” At school, some people are gossiping about something. Chihiro and Rino arrive in their classroom. Chihiro notices that Sho’s fangirls are looking at her. Long haired girl says that she heard that her boyfriend from a top-notch school is a handsome guy. Chihiro is puzzled. The girl says that he seems to be from Kazama High and according to someone from section C, he specially run to their school to fetch her after school. She says that Chihiro is amazing that their feelings are quite good so when did they start going steady. Thinking that they are talking about Nanjou, she tells them that he is only a classmate during junior high and he isn’t her boyfriend. The girl gushes that they are going steady since junior high. Flustered Chihiro tries to make her listen but the girl asks Sho if he knows. Chihiro nervously wonders if he just heard that and he will misunderstand again. Sho says that it isn’t like that for right now, Chihiro is going steady with him. “Right?” He looks at Chihiro. This makes her blush.
While the fangirls look doubtful, Sho says that he isn’t deceiving them. The girl laughs and says she knows that it is a joke for really, don’t be like that and shocking people. “No matter how one sees it but Hinase and Tachibana are totally not up to par[?]. It is just that it seems that Tachibana, that kind of person doesn’t suit you, Hinase.” Sho laughs and says that it isn’t so for actually this girl is actually quite interesting. The girl is in disbelief that he would actually say that Chihiro is interesting. Chihiro has had enough for even if it is just to deceive others but don’t do it in a joking manner and conveniently say things so quickly shut up. Chihiro shouts that they aren’t going steady and she isn’t going steady with a person named Hinase. While Chihiro angrily walks at the hallway, Sho, who is following her, tells her to wait. But she keeps on walking. She stops when he shouts for her to wait. He catches up to her and tells her that there’s no need for her to be so angry. Chihiro says that of course she would be angry for he would just casually say things like that. “Don’t you understand? Just like this, since yesterday, I’ll become a rumor being recklessly spread around by everyone.” Chihiro thinks that the more she likes Sho, the more it hurts. She tells him that he also doesn’t like this right, to be casually being gossiped by others. Sho says no, that thing isn’t a big deal. Flustered Chihiro says that is enough, she really doesn’t understand him. “Why did you do that kind of thing.. don’t kiss me.. We are not going steady so don’t casually kiss me!” Sho grabs her wrist and asks, “What about you? What are you thinking? How do you regard me. Say it clearly. Could it be that you basically don’t like me?” Chihiro says, “I I..” Sho seriously tells her to say it. She looks surprised and looks away. He holds up his hand and says, “Okay. Because time is up, so I’m going to kiss you.” Chihiro looks at him and goes ha..!? He repeats, KISS..kiss. Chihiro becomes scared over his expression then she blurts out, “Li..like. I also like Hinase. Like the most!” And Sho quickly kisses her. Backing away, she asks, why she got kissed again when she obviously said it out. Sho says that it is inevitable because he wants to kiss so he kisses. He smiles and says, “So?” Blushing Chihiro says, geez.. Then, Sho says that they do it once again. She says no. He asks why. She says not why. Chihiro thinks that even if she has been taken advantage of and forced to say it, perhaps, this is also not bad at all.. “Actually, I still have a lot of things that I want to tell Hinase. Want to be together with him. Want to see a lot more of different him..” In the last scene, Hinase has cut his hair and is wearing kendo uniform. Blurb: “Finally, the feeling of ‘like’ has been said out.. And, Hinase also finally joins the kendo club!?”
Comment: So, after a lot of dilly-dallying trying to think if he seriously likes her or not, in the end, it is back to him declaring that they are going steady because he is kind of forced to and she finally ended up blurting it out. Not really romantic in a way but then, I guess it is okay rather than for this to drag out some more. ^^; Of course, it is amusing that he is no longer waiting for her to confess to him and just wants to kiss her =P This couple seems to revolve around food that I wonder if there would be more romantic stuff related to food later on. Of course, maybe later on, Sho won’t easily let his fangirls ‘pamper/flirt’ with him if he goes steady with Chihiro. As for Nanjou, he seems to be planning something with Chihiro. It makes me wonder if he is the type who breaks up couples because he didn’t show any interest in Chihiro until he saw them together. Thankfully, Chihiro didn’t take the bait and gave her email to him. For a while there, it makes me wonder if Nanjou is also a stalker. ^^; Well, even if Sho has fangirls, Chihiro has her stalkers to keep Sho on his toes. =P Scans by 深雪

Quote of the day:
Love is one of the hardest words to say and one of the easiest to hear. ~ Johnny Depp