Kobayashi ga Kawai Sugite Tsurai [Chapter 25]

The shuttlecock falls on the floor. Flustered Azusa curses for he barely hit. Sticking out his tongue, Mitsuru says that rules are rules so he wins. Azusa angrily shouts that they have another round, Kobayashi Mitsuru. Mitsuru angrily shouts back, it is always one more time if she lost. Azusa exclaims for him to quit talking nonsense, for the competition won’t end until she wins. Mitsuru angrily shouts how strong she is, foolish girl. Azusa shouts back for him to shut up, beansprout. Narration: “It has been already been half a year since I’ve been rejected by Shino. *holds chest* Actually, my heart still feels like it was split open, emptied that cannot be filled up.” Half an hour later, the two are lying on the floor. Azusa mutters that finally, she won. Mitsuru thinks that Azusa’s ability to involve[/pester] him makes him concede in defeat.. Narration: “But, this half a year, because of Tokugawa, every week she would kept on pestering me relentlessly by calling me out for a ‘decisive match’ that I didn’t have much time to be alone and be depressed.” Mitsuru calls out to Azusa and says, “Thank you.” He smiles at her and her heart goes on a limbo dance. Blushing, moved Azusa says that is quite sudden for him to say that. Naturally stupid[/clueless] Mitsuru laughs and says that he just wants to thank her. Then, Azusa notices that it is already 4 o’ clock. She tells him that she’ll go ahead first today because she has a photo shoot at Ebisu Garden Place at 5. She hurries off and leaves. Scratching his head, Mitsuru recalls that even if she is cruel, but she’s a popular model. Then, he notices that she left her cellphone. He decides to give it back to her since that Ebisu Garden Place is nearby. Meanwhile, Mego is walking with Aoi for hanami [flower-viewing of sakura]. She calls out to Aoi to look at the beautiful flowers in full bloom. Pointing to a takoyaki stall, Mego calls out to Aoi that there’s a stall.. She stops to look at Aoi who is looking at the side when the wind lightly blows the petals down on him. Aoi calls out to Mego and asks what it is. Mego says that it is nothing. Mego looks a bit nervous for she finds it strange that upon seeing Aoi standing by the sakura tree, it’s quite enchanting like an illusion. “For a second, it feels as if he’ll disappear to a faraway place that my heart became fidgety and uneasy. Obviously that kind of thing won’t happen..”

Aoi calls out to her and tells her to hold out her hand. She did as told and he gives her a small bag with a butterfly logo on it. He tells her to open it. She opens it to see a butterfly-design hair [claw] clip. Mego tells him that this is a branded item for she saw it on a magazine before and it is quite expensive. Aoi tells her that as a remembrance for receiving his first pay from his work, he’s giving that to her. Surprised Mego exclaims that he’s working and when did he start working. He tells her that it is a month ago at a nearby café. “Even if there are only guys at the kitchen where I work but I still want to go out for a while to entertain customers.” Imaging Aoi in a white chef uniform since he works in the kitchen, Mego cries that she really wants to see it and take a picture so how come he always don’t tell her. Aoi says that is because he thinks that she would definitely be so excited that he didn’t tell her. Mego asks why he suddenly wanted to work for it would be very dangerous if he was suddenly touched by girls. Aoi tells her that it is BECAUSE OF THAT, that he cannot let things go on without knowing when he can overcome this ailment. “Always until now, I have been more relaxed by being all alone. Always living by avoiding other people. But, I must change myself. Even if it is a little bit of possibility, I also want to strive hard because it is always the same, I definitely cannot protect the most important thing to me. *smiles at Mego* It’s good if it is a day early. I want to quickly be able to touch you. I want to become someone who’ll be able to protect you. *Mego is moved and teary-eyed* Thanks to you, I thought of that, Mego.” Mego thinks that it is for her that he’s doing this, as if his life depended on it, that he is striving hard to change himself. She puts on the hair clip on her hair and thanks him. “I will always treat it like a protective charm throughout my life.” The two smile. Aoi says that he wasn’t wrong, it suits her. “From the time we started going steady, your hair has already become quite long.” Mego thinks that even if Aoi doesn’t talk much but he always properly pays attention to her. Then, she notices their shadows on the ground. Holding out her hand, she tells him to look, by doing this with her hand, it seems like they are tightly holding hands. “Hihi, right now, I’m holding hands with Aoi-kun in the shadow world♥” Then, she is surprised to see the shadow of Aoi kissing her shadow. She looks at Aoi who blushes and quickly looks away. With her heart beating fast, Mego asks if it was by chance, for just now did he just use the shadow to kiss her. Still looking away, Aoi admits that he did kiss. Mego thinks that she’s not afraid or fidgety uneasy as long as they tightly hold each other’s hands within their hearts.

At Ebisu Garden Place, Azusa is having her photo shoot. Some onlookers say that it is Tokugawa Azusa and she’s shooting for Eighteen magazine. Behind the bushes, Mitsuru thinks that this is the first time he’ll see her at work. He wonders if those girls are also Eighteen models for he has seen them on the television. The photographer says that they have a ten minute break. Holding some drinks, Azusa’s co-models tell Azusa good work and they brought some iced coffee. They darkly smile and spill the coffee on Azusa’s skirt. The co-model apologizes for her hand slipped and what now, they still have to use that outfit for the shoot after the break. The co-models think that even if the others say that Azusa is popular and number one model but don’t be too pleased with herself, ugly girl. Aghast Mitsuru is scared over how girls can be ruthless when in dispute. Just when Mitsuru is going to call out to Azusa if she is okay, Azusa grabs a cup of iced coffee and throws its contents on the other girls. This surprises Mitsuru. Coldly smiling, Azusa says, “Ah, I’m really sorry♡ My hand also slipped. ‘Tooth for a tooth. Blood for blood’, this is my motto♡” Trembling Mitsuru thinks that it is the Code of Hammurabi. The photographer scolds them over what happened to their clothes and how can he take pictures. Azusa tells him that it is alright, just take pictures. Azusa removes her hair ribbons to let her long hair down. Everyone is surprised as Azusa urges the photographer to proceed. As they continue the shoot, the others praises Azusa for being able to move her hair accordingly and cleverly hiding the stain on the dress [by pulling the stained part up or holding tight on it] and with such gorgeous movements, her skirt becomes cuter as if it flies, making it seem like the clothes have a life on its own. “No wonder she’s Tokugawa Azusa.” Azusa notices the co-models, she puts her thumb on her nose and sneers at them. This angers the jealous models. While Mitsuru is speechlessly, an onlooker says that in the end, Azusa’s aura is not the same with the others. Mitsuru wonders what she is..her personality is super nasty and arrogant that fundamentally, it isn’t cute at all but that arrogance and fearless brazenness makes people totally admire [her]. “Even if she dies, she won’t accept defeat, greedy and strong. ‘A proud and aloof queen’--..” Blushing Mitsuru’s heart is beating fast. Narration: “Mitsuru’s empty loving heart that had an injury. Now, it is as if it is immersed into a brand new spring wind.”

Comment: Both couples give a nice feeling in this chapter ^^ Half a year of accompanying Mitsuru and Mitsuru seeing how amazing she is as a model, Azusa has made him start falling for her. And, given her arrogance, pride and everything, I don’t think she will just admit to him that she has fallen for him a long time ago. =P She is indeed a ‘queen-type’. The way she dealt with the other models, reminds me of Skip Beat’s Kyouko-Natsu = she’s the bully here and she won’t allow anyone else to bully her and win. I wonder what kind of couple or lovey-dovey these two will make later on. As for Aoi-Mego, Aoi is pretty much doing the things that can move a girl’s heart = everything for Mego. ^^ Aoi is getting more proactive. She only thought of holding hands, but he went for shadow kissing. ^^ And, it seems that Mego is having a bad premonition but since everything are nice with them afterwards, she’ll probably dismiss it which is inevitable since there is no visible threat yet. Scans by 夜莺工作室

Word of the day:

Are you in distress? Does the Lord seem distant and detached? He is not indifferent to your plight, nor is He unmoved by your pleas. He is waiting while His purposes are achieved. Then, at the right moment, He will intercede. God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time. ~ Our Daily Bread