Namaikizakari [Chapter 7]

It is graduation day. Holding some flowers, Yuki congratulates her senpai-s. The others hold out flower bouquets to their senpai-s and congratulate them. The third years say what they are doing, are they planning to make them cry. Narration: “March. Our basketball clubs OBs [Old Boy; already retired members] had smoothly graduated.” While pony-tailed guy is crying and holding a tambourine, two-toned hair guy holds a guitar and tells the senpai-s that as representative of the basketball club, he is going to dedicate a song for them. “Please listen to ‘Summertime☆Offensive’. *strums his guitar and starts to sing* Oh- the radiance by the seaside.” Someone shouts that is the wrong song, quickly stop. Another one says that he heard that song during the Christmas party. Tonomura asks Yuki if it is okay not to stop this noise [pollution] nuisance. Holding her chart, Yuki says that it is okay, for she got a 30 second permission from the teacher for this musical performance. Kido pats Yuki’s head and says that she is perfect as always so if she’s around, he can graduate without worries. Shou immediately hits Kido’s head with a basketball and says, “Congrats-” Kido exclaims what’s up with him suddenly doing that. Holding the basketball, Shou says that this basketball with dedicated messages is for the [ex-]captain from the first years. Narration: “It seems that it is totally quite long ago, the days when I was secretly in love with Kido-senpai. ..Generally, it is because so many things had happened these past few months and it is all this brat’s fault.” Brat = Shou. Laughing Kido says that the writing is quite ugly. Shou points out where he wrote and Kido shouts that it is a scribble. Narration: “—and then, the imminent arrival of a brand new spring day.” Pfft. At the gym, Yuki tells the guys that it is over and switch with Team B. While someone complains over practicing during spring break, Yuki looks at her watch and thinks that the clothes would have been finished [<- laundered by the washing machine] and right now, she is going to air dry the towels. Just when Yuki is leaving, Shou grabs her hood from behind and chokes her. ^^; He asks her where she is going. Hitting him away, Yuki angrily says that she’s going to wash the clothes. Shou says that he got something to ask her. She scolds him what, and it is forbidden to talk privately [<- private matters] during club activity. Shou says, “Yuki-senpai.. for White Day [when guys give something back for the chocolate they got during Vday] is there a gift that you would want?”

Yuki’s heart beat for their eyes met. She looks sideways and says, what White Day, isn’t it over earlier on. To her irritation, he says ya, he remembered it just now. Yuki thinks that she had summon up the courage in abandoning her pride and reason to go and give that chocolate to him..and acknowledge ‘liking’ [him].. She blushes and tells herself to calm down, she only acknowledge it, that’s all and she hasn’t said it out, so there is no problem as long as she didn’t say it out. <- Yuki’s rule. Shou says forget about that..then, go on a date with him. This surprises her. She asks how come it turned out that way. Going back in the gym, he says that it is spring break and there is no club activity tomorrow. Yuki protests but he continues to tell her that 1pm tomorrow, they’ll meet by the station below the clock and she would wear a white skirt <- what he likes. Just when she is telling him to wait, he turns to tell her, “Senpai, during club activity, please don’t talk privately.” <- first time Shou used polite language. Yuki is furious as she mentally curses. At home, she wonders what’s with this ‘date’, how can he just casually say that but then, she doesn’t know how to reject him. Looking at her drawers, she wonders what to wear for the date. She imagines herself wearing a white skirt and timidly telling Shou that he’s been waiting. Covered in cold sweat, Yuki immediately slams the cabinet door and thinks no good, since she UNWILLINGLY acknowledged that she likes Shou, she always avoided being alone with him or perhaps, for their eyes to meet. She knows that it has always been like that before. She believes that first of all, in this kind of date situation, it is impossible for it to be fun[/happy].. The next day, Yuki nervously thinks that she came too early. She is wearing cropped pants. She feels that something is wrong as if her shirt is rolled up or something is in her shoe. She wants to go to a toilet to check herself first and anyway, that guy hasn’t arrived yet. She overhears a girl calling out to someone. She looks out the bushes to see some girls flirting with Shou by asking if he is alone and he’s quite tall so can he stand up for them [to see how tall he is]. Yuki wonders what’s up with that situation. While grabbing the bushes, she loses her balance. Shou notices some leaves rustling. He and the girls see Yuki falling over the bushes. Yuki can only think of her bad luck. While walking, Shou says that is quite humiliating. She tells him to shut up. He asks her what she’s doing, hiding in that place. Yuki says that she isn’t hiding, she just tripped, that’s all. Shou says that it’s great that she isn’t wearing a skirt. Yuki couldn’t retort back.

At a restaurant where girls are looking at Shou, he tells her that he’ll go buy them drinks so she go look for a place for them to sit, and be careful not to trip. She angrily thinks for him to shut up. While sitting down, she observes that Shou is always very calm and even if he said ‘date’, he isn’t moved at all but then, this is Shou so it is definitely not his first date. This made her gloomy that she slaps herself. Then, her ears twitch upon hearing a girl saying that tall guy is handsome and could it be that is his girlfriend. The girl’s friend said that it seems like a friend because there is no mood between them. This made Yuki think that she should have worn something more suitable for a date. She wonders what to do for she is always minding those minor details. Shou arrive with their drinks. He tells her that he bought a cocoa-type of drink like the one she drank at the game arcade. Yuki offers to pay him but he says that there’s no need, consider it as a return gift for Valentine’s Day. This made Yuki wonder if this is the reason why he dated her out today. Just when she is going to thank him, Shou says that actually, he planned to give her a gift but thinking about her in detail, she is basically not the cute girl type who’ll honestly tell him what she wants for herself. Yuki mentally apologizes since he’s right. Shou asks her what gift she has received until now that she likes the most. She tells him that it’s a mug. When she is three years old, her grandma gave her one and it has her name, ‘YUKI’ and because it is her beloved grandma, she recalled that she felt very happy about it and she wanted to properly treasure it. But later on, her younger brothers broke it. (And thinking about it, it is when she personally experienced the feeling of ‘give up’.) Flashback: Their mother shouted at the three younger brothers with one of them holding a pair of scissors over how they ruined Yuki’s bag when she is going to the school opening tomorrow. Yuki just told her that it is alright, just use tape to repair it. End flashback. Then, Yuki snaps out of it and wonders why she is talking non-stop to Shou. She tells him to forget that, anyway, he won’t understand. To her surprise, he says that he understands that anyway, at that time, she would secretly cry by herself and most probably, she is still keeping that broken cup. Yuki is shock for he is right about those. Shou says that he knows because he is always watching her attentively. This made her slightly blush and become nervous for their eyes met again. Yuki is worried over how Shou can easily find out the things that she wanted to hide with all her might and that is why she is unwilling and wanting to escape. And, if their eyes met, he would also find out about her feelings for him.

While riding the escalator, Yuki tells him about wanting to wear the shoes that she normally wears but in the end, those shoes were bitten and destroyed by Ieyasu [家康]. Shou asks who Ieyasu is. She says their family dog. Then, she loses her footing again that she is about to trip again. Shou quickly holds up her hand to stop her from falling. Their eyes met and he said that today, she kept on tripping so she definitely just took out some shoes that she doesn’t always wear, very interesting. Embarrassed Yuki tries to protest but stops herself for he just helped her. Just when she is thanking him, he is staring at some girls at the general store. This infuriates Yuki for they are on a date yet he is looking around at other girls. She angrily thinks that he is a lewd brat and starts to walk away. He asks her where she is going. She tells him to the toilet. She feels like an idiot for she’s the only one who is anxious and uneasy. In the movie theater, Yuki wonders if it is okay to watch the movie since it turns out that the distance of the seats is quite close. She felt that it is more constricting than just him walking beside her. While her heart is beating fast, she tells herself to calm down and just by sitting still, she wouldn’t get any closer to him. She is startled that when she is just thinking of it, Shou leans to her and asks her if she thinks that actor is a bit like Captain Tonomura. She realizes that she totally hasn’t been watching the movie so she looks at the screen to find the onscreen couple kissing in the rain. This made her recall their kiss. She trembles and becomes embarrassed for the onscreen couple kept on kissing that she wants it to quickly end. Then, Shou falls to her side and it turns out that he’s fast asleep. Yuki couldn’t believe this and wonders what she should do for usually, she would push him away. She angrily thinks that he’s heavy and is he a stone. Then, she notices that his hair is fine, soft and naturally curly. She reaches out her hand to touch it when someone in the movie starts shouting, ‘Help Me! Yes we can’. This startles her that she calls herself stupid and a thief for casually touching a sleeping person. As Shou leans at the other side, Yuki glances at him and thinks that he totally didn’t wake up. She starts to wonder if it is very boring since today she is always being difficult all by herself and does he felt it very boring when he’s with her when obviously, this is a rare date to thank her.

While walking, Shou asks how the movie is. Thinking that she totally didn’t watch it because of him, Yuki says that it is a bit difficult to understand. Shou says is that so since he slept for a long time in the middle of the movie. She asks what time he slept last night. She is puzzled when he said that he didn’t sleep. She blushes when he yawns and says that it is because he eagerly anticipates today so he wasn’t able to sleep. Yuki thinks that just for this little thing, being preoccupied and worrying over every little thing, what-‘like’[/love]..it’s quite idiotic. At the bus station, Shou says that he obviously told her that he’s going to bring her to her house. Looking at her watch, she says that it is alright, for she can quickly go home by riding this bus and if her younger sisters saw them, they will be talkative again. Shou calls out to her and tells her to turn to this side a bit. She is startled when he easily turns her around to face him. He tells her to close her eyes and stand without moving. Embarrassed Yuki tells him to wait, it is no good here. He tells her to be quick for the bus is coming. She closes her eyes. Putting a small gift box on her head, he says that it is for her, Christmas and Valentine’s return gift. She takes the box and opens it. It is a mug with the words YUK-something that is covered by her hand. She exclaims as to when he bought this. He tells her before they watch the movie, he saw it being displayed at the general store so while she is at the toilet, he quickly bought it. She realizes that he wasn’t looking at those girls but at the mugs that the girls were looking at. Shou tells her that the bus had arrived and if she doesn’t ride it, he’s going to accompany her home. She exclaims that she’ll quickly get on. At the bus door, she calls out to him and thanks him for today. She tells him to pay attention at the club activity tomorrow, and don’t be late. Shou asks what’s that, she’s talking quite fast. Blushing a bit, she adds, “..ah, also, I’m very happy.” Slightly smiling, Shou says, ya, and he’s also very happy. Later on, while walking on the streets, Shou passes by a black haired guy. The guy turns and looks at him then mutters, “Shou..?” At home, Yuki is speechless for the mug has the words, ‘YUKA’. She wonders who Yuka is. Narration: “Thus, spring has arrived.”

Comment: Well, the mangaka is going to drag out Yuki’s confession..maybe timing it with spring time? Since Shou is really sharp that he can deduce what Yuki is thinking/doing and what she is like, I think he probably already knows that she likes him. =P He is probably bidding his time for her to confess. In a way, Shou being stoic, hard to read, and those other stuff can make Yuki think the worst about him. ^^; It turns out that he isn’t exactly like how she imagines him to be. In a way, that always throws her off-guard and makes him unpredictable for her. =P I do wonder why she still won’t confess. Maybe like what she mentioned earlier, she doesn’t want to admit defeat that he has ‘conquered’ her by making her fall for him. In a way, she seems to think of love as irrational and unpredictable which is bad for her since she is always in control. Oh ya, maybe because she also couldn’t be honest since she tends to suppress and hide her true feelings due to her troublesome siblings. I’m amused that she even got permission for that song number during graduation. ^^; The mug is nice though I wonder what happened that the name is wrong. ^^;; Was he in such a hurry that he just grabbed what seems to be her name or there is no Yuki so he just got Yuka? ^^;;; And, Yuki would most probably keep this like the broken mug even if it has the wrong name. For Yuki to mention about having a dog that destroyed her shoes and how she reacted to Shou’s dog, I guess dogs hate her..unless that is their way of affection ^^; Anyway, since Kido graduated, we might have another male love rival or perhaps, maybe someone who’ll make us know more about Shou’s background. Scans by 红莲汉化组

Word of the day:

Don’t judge too quickly what you see; Treat lightly first impression;
Misunderstandings multiply without communication. ~ Sper from Our Daily Bread