Kobayashi ga Kawai Sugite Tsurai [Chapter 48]

While Aoi and Mego hug each other and listening to each other’s heartbeats, Mitsuru and Chiharu are spying on them. They chased after the couple because they were worried but it turns out that everything is lovey-dovey. Mitsuru cheers Aoi on and hopes that they’ll kiss. Chiharu reprimands him for keep on staring at the two. Mitsuru wasn’t able to see anymore lovey-dovey action because Azusa saw him. She asks how come he’s here. She accuses him of wanting to flirt so came here to check over the girls. The love birds are interrupted by Mitsuru shouting why Azusa is there. Azusa says that her work is finished and she’s going home. She tells him that it is worrisome for a beautiful girl like her to go home alone, right. So, Azusa drags Mitsuru off to escort her home. Then, Chiharu comes over to Mego to apologize for getting her involved with those who hate him. Mego happily tells him that it is okay for even if it was scary but a lot of good things happened. The three of them saved her as if they are princes, and it got to the point wherein she can touch Aoi.

Shaking his hand, Mego thanks him. Chiharu couldn’t believe that she is thanking him. At the start, he wondered why Aoi would like such a plain girl. But then, he was a coward regarding Aoi’s scar whereas for Mego, it was an insignificant thing. This made Chiharu think that Mego is stronger than him even if she doesn’t have [physical] strength, any weapon or anything. Later on, Aoi wants to bring Mego home but she asks him to let her see his scar. In his house, Aoi takes off his shirt. Mego looks at the burnt right shoulder. With his permission, Mego touches it and asks if it hurts. Aoi says no, for it is an old injury. Aoi tells her not to force herself to look at it if she feels uncomfortable. Mego assures him that it is okay. She asks him if the scars were burns. He says yes, there was a fire when he was young. While her mother is away, the fire quickly spread that almost half of the house is engulfed. His father died because he wasn’t able to escape. He protected Shino as if his life depended on it. And when he woke up, he is already bandaged up in the hospital.

Mego realizes that this is the reason why Shino blames herself for it. Aoi tells her that their mother is mentally weak and unstable so she always blamed herself as the reason why Shino was born deaf. But, because of the fire causing the death of her husband, and for Aoi to become like that, their mother finally had a meltdown [fell apart]. She didn’t touch him again and he became someone who cannot touch other girls except for Shino. Aoi apologizes for the gloomy story. He is startled to see Mego trying to stop herself from crying. She ended up crying and telling him that it isn’t pity for she knows that he hates people pitying him. She explains that it is because she loves Aoi who has high self-esteem and she only wants to have met him earlier on, even for just a year, so that she can be his comrade and to protect him who bore this sadness. Wanting to give the young Aoi a tight hug, Mego says that someone like her might not be quite useful but she feels frustrated that she wasn’t at his side at that time.

Touching her face, Aoi says yes, if it is her, she will definitely become a strong and kind mother one day. Just when they are about to kiss, an older man comes in and asks Aoi if dinner is ready. As the man sees Aoi half-naked and Mego pouting her mouth for the kiss, Mego shouts in surprise and wonders who the man is. Five minutes later, Aoi introduces his uncle [father’s younger brother], Sanada Kagetsuna to Mego. Aoi says that he was the one who took care of him since he was young. Mego give her greetings but she got scared for Kagetsuna is staring at her. He angrily tells Mego that his house is not a love hotel. Even if he knows that Aoi is going out with someone, Kagetsuna cannot believe that while he is gone, this scary girl would attack his cute nephew whom he personally brought up. Embarrassed Aoi scolds him not to say such embarrassing stuff. Kagetsuna says that it isn’t embarrassing and he basically is a scared lonely nice kid. Mego thinks that it is the first time she saw Aoi with that expression and they are like brothers. Not wanting to offend his uncle, Mego tells Aoi that she’s going.

Putting his arm around Mego, Aoi tells his uncle to remember her name, Kobayashi Megumu, for he will marry her and she’ll be part of his family. Inspired by Aoi’s clear and determined eyes as if changed by his new life, Mego salutes and formally introduces herself. She adds that she will become Aoi’s bride so yoroshiku [/I’ll be under your care]. After looking surprised, Kagetsuna angrily shouts for them brats not to get carried away and brazenly show conjugal love-something in front of a 30 year old single man. The two freak out for they just made things worse [/put oil on the fire]. They held hands and run away. Kagetsuna recalls how he used to walk Aoi to school and now, Aoi is telling him about the girl who’s going to be part of his family. Kagetsuna is amazed that Aoi who couldn’t go near anyone would have that kind of expression. At the pedestrian bridge [hopefully, the one where they first met/stolen kiss and where Mego confessed], the two notice that they are holding hands for the first time. And after two tries, they finally get to share their real mutual first kiss. Mego thinks that this is the world’s happiest ‘on the way home’. Blurb: “The two’s world’s happiest kiss. Next, new progress! Mitsuru and Azusa’s love will also progress!!”

Comment: That was really nice ^^ They are now a ‘normal’ couple who can touch each other. Honestly, for a while there, if Aoi’s uncle didn’t come, I thought that they might be doing more than a kiss =P Actually, it ought to be quite scandalous since they are doing it in the living room. ^^;; And, he thinks Mego is the attacker..is it because Aoi is the one half-naked and he’s so nice and everything? =P I guess Kagetsuna must have been quite overprotective of Aoi. Even if there is some resistance but I’m sure his uncle will accept Mego with open arms ^^ Theories about Aoi’s story turn out to be the worst..and not what actually happened. It turns out that Aoi got the injures from an ordinary fire and not some child abuse thing. Probably, when debris is falling down, his eye and shoulder got hit. The mother does seem to be quite mentally unstable to blame herself for Shino’s deafness. I guess she is the type who blamed herself, somewhat like self-pity for everything including why she wasn’t in the house. That might be one of the reasons why Aoi doesn’t want any pity and be like his mother. Since their mother is no longer able to take care of the kids and probably sent to some hospital/hospice-whatever, they are sent off to other relatives. Aoi is sent to his father’s brother. And, Shino is probably sent to her father or someone related to him. Then, that will connect Shino with Azusa but not Aoi. <- This is based on the English translation that mentioned that they have different fathers. The Chinese translation is same father different mother. ^^; Since Asahi of Halftone Circle also mentioned different fathers so I’ll stick to that regarding the theory below.

Hm..but then, whose father was Aoi talking about when he mentioned got killed in the fire? I presume that it is his so that would make the mother having an affair or something since Aoi is older than Shino. Maybe someone was able to comfort her and something happened between them? If that guy is dead, again, the mother probably blamed herself. Oh..maybe, because it was an affair, she believes that it is a punishment that Shino is deaf. Maybe she also went to see the man again or something, then the fire happened so she had a meltdown. Anyway, Aoi is going to get a happy ending to his story and finally be able to do all those lovey-dovey stuff with Mego ^^ In their position, I think the feelings of it finally happening can be quite overwhelming and as described, ‘world’s happiest’ for them. I guess Chiharu would just remain a friend. Not sure if he can still intervene between a couple who practically proposed to each other. They are informally engaged if I may say. So, it is time for Mitsuru and Azusa to progress their own relationship. ^^ Hehe, from this chapter, she really knows how to handle Mitsuru. =P And it seems that there is no link between Azusa and Chiharu. Scans by 夜莺工作室

Quote of the day:

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. ~ Maria Robinson