Miseinen Dakedo Kodomo Janai [Chapter 18]

In class, the teacher is having a roll call and Karin didn’t reply back. He comments that Karin is quite gutsy to skip class even if it’s general clean up. Grumpy Isuzu thinks that there’s only one day left before the closing ceremony He mentally tells Karin to wait, tomorrow, he’ll absolutely make her divorce with that jerk who said that anyone would do. [<- FYI: Thanks to Maika Maese’s correction, it turns out that Isuzu’s nickname is Rinrin 鈴鈴. Sorry for the mistake. I was basing it on the kanji in the Chinese scanlations of Isuzu’s name 五十‘鈴’. ] At the Oriyama mansion, Nao gives his greetings to Karin’s parents and says that he came to fetch Karin. Karin’s father happily says that he heard that they are going on a date and it’s great to have a friendly date even if they are already married. Karin’s mother happily says that doing this action is the secret to maintaining love for a long time. Nao is startled when Karin’s father asks if the shower heater is already fixed. Nao nervously says no. Karin’s father tells him that Karin wanted to quickly return to the apartment that she kept on saying that everyday and kept on saying about how she wants him to quickly fix it. Nao tensely clenches his fist. Just when Karin’s father is going to get ready to go to work, Nao nervously apologizes and says that shower heater might always not be repaired. Karin’s father asks if he wants to give up repairing it and it can also get it repaired by changing it. “You guys are a married couple so decide on it yourselves.” Nao nervously wonders if he already noticed it. Nao is startled when Karin is asking her which gown she is going to wear – the one she’s wearing or the one she’s holding. Nao asks where she is going today, is it to a party. Karin says that she is at a complete loss that until now she hasn’t decided. Showing him a list, Karin says he told her that it is okay for her to go where she likes to go but she has so many places where she wants to go. The list includes: Palace of Versailles in Paris, Machu Picchu in Peru, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Hamilton Island in Australia, etc. To Karin’s shock, Nao rips the list up and exclaims no, they cannot go back and forth within the day if they go there. Thinking over Nao’s condition, she happily suggests Hokkaido’s.. Nao angrily tells her that it is limited within the Kanto region. Karin scratches her head and exclaims that she couldn’t think of a nearby place where she wanted to go. Nao reminds her that if she doesn’t hurry up, their dating time is slowly decreasing. Karin cries then notices a photograph of her parents. She tells him that she wants to go there. On a train, Karin excitedly tells Nao that before her parents married, they went to this place where there is a bell and when she was young, she wanted to go there, and that place is nearby. Nao asks what’s up with that bell.

Karin says that she heard that there is a dragon and a celestial maiden [/goddess] though she doesn’t know the concrete details but in short, if they ring the bell together, they will become happy. The place they are going is Enoshima Island and it is said that if the bell is rung together, their relationship will be forever. [The bell is known as the Dragon's Love Bell and ringing it is associated with success and happiness for romantic couples' relationships. Source: Samurai Wiki] Nao laughs over her casual explanation. Blushing Karin looks at him and asks, “Senpai.. why..” Just when Nao asks what it is, Karin says that it is nothing and it seems that it will become crowded. More passengers board on the train. It was a tight squeeze that Karin couldn’t move her right arm. Karin is suspicious for why would Nao say that they go on a date together for it is totally not his style. Yet, she couldn’t ask him about it because if she did, she has a feeling that this rare first date will end for that reason. Soon, they find themselves at a shrine wherein there is a lot of pink ema-s [Ema are small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshippers write their prayers or wishes. Source: Wiki] Holding one ema, Karin happily says that it is so cute, and asks Nao what would be nice to write on it. Nao nervously asks if she really wants to write. Surprised Karin exclaims if he doesn’t want to write. They are speechlessly when a couple suddenly go in between them to get an ema and write ‘no matter when, always be together’. Then, the lovers happily ask where they are going to hang it and left. After a bit of awkwardness, Nao sheepishly tells Karin okay, write, whatever it is that she wanted to write. This made Karin tensely hold the ema. She tosses away the ema and says that she doesn’t want to write anymore for it is something for uneasy lovers who are going steady to write on, and for her, who is already married, it is totally not needed. Karin decides to go for some fortune telling [O-mikuji; random fortunes written on strips of paper at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. Source: Wiki ] Flustered Karin thinks that upon looking closely, all of the people there are lovers and because they mutually like each other that it is inevitable that they are together. “But then, even if Karin and senpai is a married couple, but it is only Karin who has feelings of like[/love].. Compared to the couples around here, Karin, we are still quite far away..” To Nao’s surprise, Karin shakes the box of fortunes hard and tells Nao to just wait, she’ll get a ‘great blessing’ fortune to show him. Nao asks is that for real.

To Karin’s dismay, she got ‘curse’. It was Nao who got the ‘great blessing’. He asks what she got but Karin just gulps. She lies that she got a ‘great blessing’ and that she’ll go tie it up. Nao tells her that he heard that there’s no need to tie up the ‘great blessing’ and just bring it straight home. [<- usually ‘bad luck’ fortunes are tied with the hopes that it won’t come true. But according to wiki, ‘good luck’ can also be tied for greater luck] Karin nervously says that she wants to tie it. While tying up the fortune, Karin trembles for the fortune wrote that the person she’s waiting for is leaving and her love luck is definitely lost[/gone]. Just when she is thinking that it is impossible for it to be real, she yanks the paper too hard and rips it. While Karin is shock and crying over it, Nao says that he’ll also tie his. He wraps her fortune into his and tied both fortunes. Nao tells her that it is useless even if he brings it with him and even if it is ‘great blessing’, it will always be tied up together. Teary-eyed Karin thinks that even if their feelings are far away from each other but she also wants to be always with him, and possibly, it is just a little bit but definitely, she can be closer to him. Before the walk downstairs from the shrine, Karin grabs Nao’s sleeve and says that just now, she is scared of going downstairs because of her [high heeled] shoes so can she grab hold of his arm. Nao blushes then turns away. He tells her that she should have told him that earlier on. Karin happily walks while holding Nao’s arm. Soon, they pass by at Lon Café. Karin comments that its specialty is French toast. [<- according to wiki, it is a melt-in-your-mouth French toast ^^] Nao suggests that they go in and this delights Karin since she is hungry. Karin suddenly pulls Nao to a stop and tells him to wait. Karin wants to enjoy a bit further holding Nao’s arm and if they go in the restaurant, she would have to let go. Karin suggests that it is okay, she wants to quickly ring the bell. Nao protests that isn’t she hungry. Karin says that it is alright but her stomach growls loudly. Soon, inside the restaurant, two French toasts are served. Karin timidly says, ‘Itadakimasu[/let’s eat]’ and laughing Nao also says, ‘Itadakimasu’. Nao watches Karin who takes a bite of the French toast and looks quite delighted over how yummy it is. Nao suggests that she tries his. [<- the French Toasts have different flavors in the café so presumably, Nao ordered a different flavor from Karin’s]. Karin asks if she can. Just when Nao says it is okay, the waitress has dropped the food she is carrying on a tray. While she apologizes to the customers and picks up the spilled food, Karin says that it is such a waste for it [food] was already done. “Right, senpai..” Then, she is surprised to see Nao bending over, breathing hard and profusely sweating.

Comment: And, it seems that is Nao’s trauma from his mother’s tantrums over his father’s extramarital affairs. It is still a bit unpredictable if that will end up good or bad for Karin. From Karin’s intuition, it seems bad because most likely Nao plans to make this a first and last date with her before divorcing her. Also, in the shoujo manga world, fortunes usually come true so that cliffhanger incident might really be the reason why they would divorce. I have a feeling that they might not be able to do the ‘ring the bell’. What I mention as good is like maybe Karin would learn more about ‘his problem’, want to help him out and insist on not divorcing him or even convince him not to push it through. Ah, I think divorce cannot be done one-sidedly or else, they would have to go to court about it. Also, like Karin, Nao has been a bit uneasy and nervous most of the time. Though, I still couldn’t quite believe over how influential Isuzu is in convincing Nao to go have a divorce. ^^;; Maybe it is also part of Nao’s own problem related to his past rather than Isuzu’s meddling. It seems to be more than Nao being clueless over his feelings for Karin. Well, as I’ve mentioned before, I think Isuzu would quit the divorce plan if he doesn’t have a bad perception of Nao. And, if that is the main reason why he is against the marriage, I think he isn’t a love rival at all. I like the subtle talk between Nao and Karin’s father. Obviously, they are not really talking about the shower heater. As for the amusing part, I think Karin is like one of the rich characters in Ouran High Host Club. They really think big. Date = dress in a gown and some tourist spot in a different country. ^^ I wondered if Karin is unconsciously thinking of honeymoon when she thought of those places. :P It would be funny though if Karin has bodyguard-type who’ll grab Nao and force him to go with Karin to those places. =) But then, contrary to my expectation, Karin isn’t a ‘strong-type’ of ojousama so that is quite unlikely. Anyway, this trip somewhat reminds me of the mangaka’s previous series’ couple trip to Kyoto wherein the lead girl is somewhat depending on a lucky thing-to-do so that they can be ‘together forever’. Scans by all★wink汉化组

Quote of the day:

Every individual is the architect of his own fortune. ~ Appius Claudius