Kobayashi ga Kawai Sugite Tsurai [Chapter 24]

During junior high, at the school’s roof, a boy calls out to Aoi and says that today, they are going to have a showdown[/duel to know who is the winner]. Aoi calls out, Uesugi [上杉]. Suddenly, Uesugi tries to punch Aoi and Aoi’s eye patch flies off. And, Aoi suddenly wakes up from his sleep. He sits up and tightly clenches the blanket. He mutters that it is a dream of THAT TIME.. At Igaku High, Mego is happy that she and her otaku friends are in the same section again this second year high school. Looking at the bulletin board, Mego learns that both Shino and Azusa are in different sections. Azusa doesn’t bother Shino again and she would always call out Mitsuru as her ‘match/dueling partner’. Mego wonders if it is because Azusa likes Mitsuru but she thinks that it is impossible. Shino taps her back and ‘greets’ her a good morning. Mego holds Shino’s hands and happily says that they are in neighboring classrooms and they should continue to eat lunch together. Apparently, things are going smooth with Shino and her college boyfriend. Mego tries to say something to her when Shino asks if she is going steady with her brother. Blushing Mego admits that she is and apologizes for having difficulty in telling her about it. To Mego’s surprise, Shino is actually glad that her beloved* brother’s girlfriend is Mego. [*it is written ‘brother I like the most’. I’m not sure if she has other brothers so I use ‘beloved’ instead.] “Because I like both of you and even if I’m a bit jealous. *Mego is moved by her words* Mego-chan, have you heard from brother ABOUT THE PAST?” Mego is puzzled about it so Shino realizes that she didn’t know. Shino ‘tells’ Mego that perhaps there are a lot of things her brother cannot tell her. “But, believe in him. No matter what happens, you should continue to like brother..” This puzzles Mego. While looking out the window, Mego thinks that this half year, Aoi won’t say much about himself and he would happily listen to the things she says. “Even if there isn’t much exchange of communication, I’m already quite happy just for us to be together. Saying that I don’t mind a bit about the past, that is a lie. *recalls Shino hoping that she’ll continue on liking her brother no matter what* Yes, it’s definitely alright, Shino-chan. I will wait for the day when Aoi-kun can tell me everything himself. Because I like him, so I believe [in him].” A glasses guy overhears a couple of guys saying that lately, the aura around Mego has changed when before she is quite an otaku girl. Glasses guy blushes until the one of the guys gossips that they heard that she’s going steady with a delinquent from Akechi Academy. The other guy is surprised about it.

In class, Mego tells glasses guy, Toudou [藤堂] that they are quite unlucky to be on day duty on the first day of school but they are lucky for they only have to use half a day to finish it up. Toudou is blushing at Mego. He thinks that he is in the same section with Mego during first year. She would happily show off a Masamune phone strap to everyone. “After her hair became long, I feel that she had become more beautiful..” At the gate, Mego bids Toudou goodbye. Then, Toudou calls out to Mego and asks if it is true that she’s going steady with a delinquent guy from Akechi Academy. Wondering why he knew, blushing Mego admits that it is true. Toudou asks what kind of person he is. After being surprised by it and wondering over how to say it, blushing Mego tells him that his right eye has an eye patch and that way, he is like Sengoku’s Masamune-sama. “He’s very strong and very cool. [poetry ->] His pitch black eyes are densely moist with beauty that it seems like anyone would fall deeply into them. (<- summarizing it) I think that he’s my ideal prince♡” Imagining some eye-patch pompadour haired delinquent, Toudou wonders if this is the dreaded chuunibyou ["Middle-school 2nd Year Syndrome", a person at the age of fourteen would either act like a know-it-all adult, or thinks they have special powers no one else has. Some would even go as far as being obnoxious, arrogant, and often look down on adults or older people. Source: pixiv] Grabbing hold of Mego’s shoulders, Toudou advises her that it would be better for her not to continue to be pulled away by that immoral bad guy. Mego, I.. [<-confession]” Then, he slips on an empty can of drink. Before he falls down, Aoi grabs his collar to hold him up. Toudou looks up to see Aoi and recalls Mego’s poetry about Aoi’s eyes and being a prince. After Aoi lets Toudou go, he asks him if he is alright. Blushing Toudou says yes. Blushing Mego exclaims what’s up, did he come to fetch her. Aoi says that’s right. Toudou thinks that before Mego called out his[Aoi] name, he immediately realized that ‘this is the guy’ whom Mego likes. Mego asks if Toudou is alright. Toudou says ya. Holding out an adhesive bandage, Mego says that’s great, be careful and put this bandage in the meantime. Mego bids him goodbye and leaves with Aoi. Toudou thinks seeing her face that looks very happy and cute, he finally realized it. “In the end, Kobayashi-chan became quite beautiful is because she has fallen in love with him.”

Meanwhile, Mitsuru has just bid his friend goodbye. At the pedestrian bridge, he sees Aoi and Mego together below the street. Mitsuru mutters to himself that he can somewhat see it from there. “That Mego, even if at first she is quite childish that she doesn’t seem to be a match with senpai. In the end, girls can change. Isn’t this such a nice scenery- No matter how one looks at those two now, they are a very compatible couple.” While walking, Mego thanks Aoi for fetching her after school. Mego thinks over the changes that have happened after half a year. “Unexpectedly, the distance from him has been cut down to 30 cm. And also, when talking, we gradually no longer use polite language. From calling him, ‘Aoi-senpai’, it has become ‘Aoi-kun’.” Aoi asks Mego if that guy a while ago is her classmate. Mego says yes, and they just finished doing the day duty together. Aoi seems to be thinking of something that Mego calls out his name. Aoi says that it is strange because starting from the time he saw her with some other guy, he couldn’t calm down. “It somewhat feels like some sort of needles pricking in my heart. Obviously no one did wrong but I’m in a bad mood. *serious* What could this feeling be?” Clueless Aoi looks at Mego who wondered if it is appropriate that she’ll be the one who would tell him for it seems that she is a bit thick-faced but then.. Mego says that even if she is a bit scared to tell him but, using a normal way of saying, it is definitely the so-called, ‘jealousy’. Aoi looks surprised. Thoughtful at 10 seconds. Realization at 15 seconds. Pointing to himself and Mego nodding at 20 seconds. Blushing really red at 25 seconds. Knowing it at 30 seconds. Bending down, Aoi mutters that he’s really inferior to not have self-awareness. Mego blushes and becomes teary-eyed over this since Aoi is unexpectedly jealous because of her, and that makes her a bit conceited[/proud of herself]. Mego tells him that it isn’t inferior and she’s really happy for it makes her feel that she’s loved. Aoi asks if that’s how it is. Mego explains that it expresses ‘do not want to give the person I like to someone else’, and this is what a girl longs for. “So, Aoi-kun, from today on, absolutely don’t leave me♡” This surprises Aoi and makes him blush again. Aoi thinks that after half a year, their distance has been reduced to 30 cm. “But from then on, it’s always at a standstill. I know that it is because my heart is afraid. Afraid that I’ll be ruthlessly rejected like THAT TIME. *flashback of older woman* Even if you were to know the true me, will you smile at my side just like before, or not. I don’t want you to know. I want to touch you but I cannot touch. It is no good for this to continue on. My heart kept on being anxious. Always having this close convincing premonition that one day, a guy will appear and spare no effort in stealing you away.” There is a scene of Mego and Uesugi who is by the water fountain. Blurb: “Next, ‘Uesugi’ appearing in front of Mego and Aoi-kun?!”

Comment: I guess Aoi’s past is going to haunt him soon and from his premonition, Uesugi would most probably go for Aoi’s ‘cherished one’ and that is Mego. Given whatever trauma or fear he had, that can deliver the ‘fatal blow’ for Aoi. Well, at least, we’ll know more of Aoi’s past. It is very cute though that he’s clueless and slow regarding jealousy. I think that is a set-up for Uesugi’s arrival. I wonder what is his ‘true self’ since he seems to be sincere in his thoughts and actions. This chapter raised a lot of flags for some imminent break up. And, I wonder if Toudou would still be in the series. As for Azusa, it seems that no one has yet discovered of her true feelings for Mitsuru or maybe like Mego, thinks that it is impossible. Scans by 夜莺工作室

Quote of the day:

There is no true love without jealousy. ~ Sahil Rathod