Sugar*Soldier [Chapter 39]

While walking home from school, Iriya asks Makoto if their class has already decided on the groupings for the school field trip. Makoto says that they have not, so has section F already grouped together. He says yes, and each group has to submit a report but then, in reality, it seems that whether they are grouped or not, they can freely assemble together since the report is only by name. [<-it isn’t a fixed group so they can group with anyone on the actual trip since they only have to write the name on the report as a group.] Makoto asks if he had gone to Kyoto. Iriya says that he did a number of times with his family but then, it won’t feel the same if it is with her and the others so he really anticipates it. Makoto smiles over this. They arrive at her house, so Iriya gives her a goodbye kiss and bids her goodbye. Makoto thinks that there are all sorts of disturbance which had temporarily come to an end. There is a scene of Uki scratching her head and telling her ‘fans’ = Nanami, Yusa and Yoshiaki, that it is troublesome to be famous, and Yusa shouted for her not to be cocky. Blushing Makoto thinks that it is light and soft, like cotton candy, her gentle everyday. She thanks Heavens for this.

Entering the house, she happily says that ‘she’s home’ and is excited about the school trip. She wonders what bag she is going to bring, but then, she only have a handbag. She notices her sister’s shoes by the doorstep as well as some guy’s shoes. She thinks that it is Shouki’s who came over to the house. While going upstairs, Makoto thinks that her sister ought to have a lot of big and cute bags. She knocks and opens the door of her sister’s room to ask about the bag.. She is shocked to see equally shocked Shouki sitting on the floor as Rika is about to kiss him. Makoto immediately closes the door and apologizes repeatedly. While Shouki is freaking out, Rika goes out and asks what Makoto wanted. Teary-eyed Makoto tries to tell her about borrowing a bag for the school field trip. Rika exclaims that it is already that time-- She tells her to wait a minute, she’ll get a good-looking bag. Makoto thanks her. Inside the room, Shouki is sitting seiza position and is also crying. [<- as if caught doing something bad]. Makoto tells her sister that she’ll go to the convenient store. Rika asks her to buy them two cups of coffee. Makoto says okay and heads out. She is quite surprised by that because Shouki looks like a herbivore that she didn’t think that he..but then, the two are going steady and they are lovers so.. She starts to wonder if later on while going steady, Iriya would also.. Makoto imagines wolf Iriya going aawwoo~~ Waving her hand above her head, she laughs it off and says that is impossible, for Iriya to.. “I’m thinking too much!” Then, she doesn’t seem convinced.

In class, Yoshiaki tells the class to use the rest of the time to form groups for the school trip so how about three guys and three girls. Then, he curses on how come they are the only ones who get to enjoy youth-whatever. Everyone sweatdrops over that and Uki thinks that he’s an idiot. Yoshiaki tells them to first give him their action plan [<- itinerary for Kyoto] then when they get back, the report. Ah..how troublesome. He says that after they grouped together, the group leader would look for him to get the materials[/data they’ll need]. Soon, everyone is busy grouping with each other. Makoto, Uki and Nanami form a group. Nanami notices gloomy Makoto not looking well so she asks her about it but Makoto says that she’s fine. A guy calls out to Uki and asks about him and his two friends joining them. Uki calls out to him as Aida [guesswork from 相田]. She tells the two girls that Aida are from the male basketball club and they aren’t ‘bad’ guys so how about it.

The two girls say that it is okay since they are Uki’s friends. Uki says that even if they are grouped together, it is just a formality. They give their greetings. The other two guys names are Sendou and Naito [guesswork from 千堂 and 內藤]. Aida asks how they are going to go about, with the action plan. Makoto suggests that they discuss it after school. Aida is surprised that Makoto can normally interact with them because she has an Iriya-level boyfriend. So it always felt that she would basically look down on people like them. Makoto freaks out and exclaims that isn’t so. She thinks that it is bad for people to think that way. She wonders if she should interact better with people. Aida laughs and says that Makoto’s reaction is very interesting. Uki warns Aida not to excessively tease Makoto. Iriya calls out to Makoto. She immediately recalls wolf-Iriya but still goes to him by the classroom’s door. He asks if they already grouped together. Makoto says that they did. Holding a piece of paper, Iriya says that this is a photocopy of his group’s action plan. Noticing that she looks flustered, Iriya tells her that there is a thread on her collar.

Just when he is about to remove it, Makoto instinctively backs away and exclaims in surprise. This surprises Iriya that Makoto quickly apologizes. Iriya says no, it is his bad for startling her, sorry. Just then, a couple of girls shout at Iriya and ask if that is their group’s action plan. They tell him not to show it to other groups without permission for the report is super important, and they should stick as a group. Yusa, who is obviously in the same group with Iriya, laughs and agrees with the girls. Uki tells him that it isn’t worthwhile to persist on sticking as a group, for isn’t it better for everyone to stroll together. Yusa laughs and says no, rules is rules, they must properly abide by it. Uki replies that he would unexpectedly say that. The two girls say that is right, they are going to eat lunch together and at the same time, they are going to research[/study] their itinerary again. The two girls grab Iriya and pull him away. Yusa childishly makes faces at Uki and the others. Iriya gestures his apology and Makoto gestures to him that it is okay. Uki comments that the F section’s girls and Yusa are quite enthusiastic. Nanami says that she can feel that ‘how can I let go of this opportunity’ aura from them.

Uki tells Makoto not to be dejected because during the trip’s checkpoints, they should bump into each other and there should be a number of times when they’ll go to the same place. Uki whispers to her that at night, if she wants to slip out, she’ll put in all her strength to assist her. Makoto freaks out about this for they’ll be scolded. Uki tells her that they’ll just be careful not to get exposed. They’ll secretly do it so relax. She says that being in different section is just a small matter, and doesn’t Iriya also plan on doing it. Nanami stares at Uki and says that she absolutely shouldn’t slip away. Uki says ya, ya, didn’t she say that they’ve [she and Yoshiaki] temporarily separate. Makoto is lost in thought wondering if Iriya is also thinking about slipping out. Imagining herself as red riding hood and wolf Iriya going aawoo~ at her, Makoto couldn’t imagine that of Iriya, since he is so nice and handsome [/cool], whether it is kissing or hugging her, light and gentle. She thinks that it is already very good to maintain the current situation, but what is she going to do..right now, she is starting to not want to go to the school trip.

Wondering what to do, Makoto hides underneath the table. Her friends, who are eating lunch, comment that there is something under the table. After school dismissal, Uki and the others start talking about the places where they want and should go. Uki says that going to Kiyomizu temple is a must-go. Aida says that while on the way there, they also check out Togetsukyou bridge. Uki asks if anyone else have some place that they want to go to. Holding some papers, Nanami says that she wants to eat Matcha [green tea powder] parfait and she already listed some stores [where they can get it/famous for that dessert]. Uki comments that she is fully prepared. Still looking listless, Makoto drinks from her bottled drink when Aida asks if that is the new drink. He went to convenience store this morning for the sale but there were none left. Makoto says that she bought the last bottle. Aida exclaims that’s great so how about letting him take a sip. Just then, Iriya is by the classroom’s door. Nervous Makoto wonders if that is like having a kiss [indirect kiss on the bottle] but then, isn’t that normal among friends, is she strange for thinking too much about it, and isn’t the answer is for her to be a girl who is good at social interaction. So, Makoto gives the bottle to Aida.

Just when Aida is thanking her, Iriya grabs the bottle and asks Makoto go to with him at that side for a while. While Uki and Nanami seem to look concerned, Makoto goes out with Iriya. At the hallway, Makoto wonders if she made him angry. Iriya stops walking and angrily drinks from the bottled drink. He turns to her and asks if she doesn’t get jealous. Makoto tells him that it is because she felt that he is popular so it is inevitable and she cannot help it. Iriya admits to her that he cannot do that, and seeing that kind of thing makes him very jealous. Clueless Makoto asks if it is Aida, that is impossible, someone like her is.. He asks her how she can say it is impossible when Watase and Kishino are like that with her. Makoto tries to protest that frustrated Iriya shouts that it is because she is actually a lot cuter than she imagined herself. Makoto is surprised by his outburst. Just when he pulls her to him to kiss her, Makoto pushes him away and says, no.. Iriya asks if he did something to make her avoid him. Surprised Makoto tries to explain but Iriya’s group mates are already calling out to him that they are going to have their group meeting at Mister Donat [pun for Mister Donut] by the train station. Iriya tells them ya, he’s going now. And he goes to them, leaving Makoto behind.

Comment: So, on their second year high, Makoto has to resolve her self-confidence issue which seems to be still an obstacle to their relationship. She doesn’t think too highly of herself that she lets other guys who are interested in her have their way because she believes that they aren’t romantically interested in her. Well, in this case, she also doesn’t want to look ‘snooty’ and not be able to interact normally with other guys. She knows that it will be an indirect kiss but then, she doesn’t want to look strange for overthinking about it. Iriya admitted to her that he can be quite jealous over that. Unfortunately for him, his forcefulness or touch triggers her fear of the ‘next level thing in a relationship’. She is not ready for it but for her to back away from him twice, Iriya will obviously misunderstand her over that. Maybe like before, she’ll turn around and tackle him to explain her side. I guess Iriya has no problems with ordinary interactions like he does with his fangirls – just hanging around and eating with them, but if it goes beyond that, of course, it is a no-no. I guess Makoto isn’t quite aware of that and, she has too much awareness about that other thing. ^^; Amusingly, she imagines Iriya as a wolf when in that scene, it is obvious that it is her sister who is the wolf and Shouki is indeed, a herbivore. =P Scans by all★wink汉化组

Quote of the day:

A single moment of misunderstanding is so poisonous, that it makes us forget the hundred lovable moments spent together within a minute. ~ Author Unknown