January 17, 2020

Kore wa ai de, koi janai [Chapter 1]

Wearing a short skirt and loose socks, a girl walks towards her school. Everyone immediately notices her. A couple of ladies comment that it is quite nostalgic since there’s still someone who’ll wear the kolga* outfit.

[*Japanese fashion culture that involves schoolgirls wearing an outfit based on Japanese school uniforms, but with very short skirts. The short skirts are worn irrespective of the season. The girls may also wear loose socks and scarves, and have dyed hair. From Wiki]

A girl says, “I know that girl’s ins—[tagram?] Her friend says that even if wearing those loose socks is very cute but she won’t dare wear them. A guy calls out, “Hey, Ren-chan, go out on a date with me next time-” Ren turns to them and says, “I don’t wanna.”
Narration: “Whatever other people say about me, I don’t mind them. Boring like everyone else[?], I’ll do whatever I want and do what I want to do. Living it up as much as I like. Wanting to be in a special romantic relationship.” A girl greets Ren a good morning.

Surprised Ren turns to the girl and shouts, “Good morning, Shouri [guesswork from 小裡]... Ah--!? How come you’re wearing that skirt!! You even wore the required vest!! What happened!?” Shouri asks what she is saying. “Isn’t today the inspection for hair and uniform?”

Freaking out, Ren exclaims in disbelief because she forgot all about it. “Help cover me up~~” Gesturing at the side, Shouri says, “Look, he’s waiting at the school gate. The general affairs committee...Hidaka Yusei.”
Then, Yusei looks at them. Ren looks aghast since she unintentionally made eye contact. Pointing at Ren, Yusei says 2-1 section Yaotome Ren, she failed in everything. Looking away, Ren says, “Ya, ya, are you going to tell me to change everything?”  

Narration: “Our school is a school wherein one moves up from middle school to high school. The school is well-known for its independent management of school life. It’s school atmosphere is like this. The students in the general affairs committee are responsible for inspecting the students’ ordinary appearance and bearing.”

Yusei says that Ren’s attitude is the worst... This irks Ren. Pointing at Yusei, Ren says that even if he says that she fails in everything but doesn’t he also normally dress up in a mess!?
Yusei nonchalantly replies that he does it [dresses up] quite carefully so don’t lump him in together with her. Ren shouts, what~~!? Yusei says that he basically doesn’t want to correct and discipline.

“Learn more from your friend. *pushes a form on Ren’s face* How about using your brain a bit? Ah, but then, it cannot be helped since your brain is a flower field.” As an imaginary flower pops out on her head, Ren angrily thinks, “What did you just say-!!!”

At the gym for basketball PE class, Ren angrily complains what’s up with that, being so strict only towards her. Hairbun friend says but, he’s really very handsome. Ren asks what’s good about that, that sadist guy. Shouri says that it is because he is a sadist that he’s very popular.
Hairbun says, “Even if I’m in the same class as he is during first year, but I didn’t get to talk with him. *looks at Yusei playing basketball* I have this feeling of unconsciously falling in love with him!! Next time, let’s all go out together. *holds hand together in request* Ren, can you help me ask him!?”

Ren is stunned. She then shouts, “I don’t wanna!! *freaking out* Why does it have to be me.” Hairbun says that it is because she hasn’t talked with him and she’s a bit afraid. “Next time, I’ll also help you out.”

Pointing at Ren, Shouri says that Ren doesn’t have a first love yet and she’s a shy girl contrary to her appearance. Hairbun asks if that is true when Ren is obviously very popular. “Weren’t you being asked out this morning?”
Ren tells her that isn’t called popularity. “I only feel that it is very cute so I dressed up like this. That’s all there is to it. But those frivolous guys think that I’m easy to get so they would ask me out!”

Narration: “Perhaps, it is also from this kind of situation wherein love unfolds-- It isn’t being asked out or private chat kind of thing, rather, for it to happen in everyday, ordinary days. And when it was noticed, one had already fallen... That kind of once in a lifetime romance.”

At the playground, Yusei asks, what? Ren says, no...so this weekend, if he’s free, why don’t he hang out with everyone... “So tell me your LINE id.” To her shock, Yusei refuses to go. While her friends are on watching at the side, Ren exclaims why!!
Yusei says, anyway, she is just being asked by someone body else. “Tell that person that I’m not the type of person who’ll go out with someone who would ask somebody else to invite me rather than doing it herself.”

Irked Ren tells him not to be too... Hairbun comes out and tells Ren that it is alright. Yusei asks her if she’s the one who asked Ren. Somewhat embarrassed, Hairbun apologizes and says that it appears that it isn’t quite good to ask someone else to invite him.

Yusei says that he has never talked with her before. “And, you want to go out with an unfamiliar person like me. *Hairbun uneasily says that is because...* I’m not interested in that kind of playhouse love game nor do I plan on keeping [you/someone] company.”
Ren is surprised by that reply. Hairbun quickly runs off. Ren grabs Yusei’s arm and tells him to wait a minute. “What is that playhouse love game! It doesn’t hurt to simply go out together. And, romance starting from there--” She wonders, “Eh, where did I hear that before... *lets go* ack, from me!!”

Yusei asks how come she is so angry when there’s nothing she ought to be angry about. Ren exclaims that of course she’s angry. “The way you answered hurt my friend. It’s possible that for you it is not quite an important thing so you don’t understand!!”

Ren is surprised when he suddenly corners her to the wall. He tells her that she’s so annoying. While pinching her face, he asks if she wants him to help her shut her mouth up?
Looking serious, he says, “...important thing. The feeling of wanting to cherish. Even I know that.” He then turns and leaves. Ren wonders what’s up with that guy and what is his important thing. It is already school dismissal.

While walking at the outer corridor, Ren thinks that dealing with Yusei today made her spirits somewhat down so she’ll go take a stroll before going home. She is startled when she heard some girl shouts, “Wait you, stop right there!”

Ren turns around to see what’s going on. It is three middle school girls wherein two are ganging up on a girl. Girl 1 asks isn’t it strange that nothing was mentioned during the inspection when obviously she has brown hair. The girl says that she already mentioned that it is natural.
Girl 1 asks if she had told her brother already since he always let her through. “Don’t get cocky!! Dye that hair into black.” Holding out her hand towards the girls, Ren interrupts by telling them to wait. “Didn’t that girl say that her hair color is natural!!”

Girl 1 asks who she is and does it have anything to do with her. Girl 2 says that it is high school division’s Yaotome, famous for wearing loose socks. With folded arms, Ren says, “Yes, yes, I know. This is very important, right?

...And there is also that kind of school rule. But, you guys don’t have the right to make her dye her hair black, okay!? If you want, you can go and dye your own hair into brown.”
Girl 1 shouts ha?! “What are you saying. I simply think that it isn’t fair so I’m saying this.” Ren says that girl 1 doesn’t have the guts to do it even if she wants to so she’s very jealous. “But, isn’t it ridiculous to vent out this irritable mood on someone else?”

Girl 1 says, what...let’s go, so annoying to death- After Ren sees those girls off, she apologizes to the girl for meddling but she cannot just leave things be. The girl says no, she’s a great help. Ren tells her that if they say something to her again, just tell her. The girl says okay.

Then, the girl becomes dizzy. This made Ren call out to her, hey..hey... Just then, Yusei passes by. Just when Ren is helping out the girl who is breathing hard while holding her chest, Yusei shouts, “Manami!! *goes to the girl* Are you alright!?” Manami says, brother...
Ren freaks out for this girl is Yusei’s younger sister [imouto]. Yusei glares at Ren and asks what did she do to his imouto. Ren is surprised. Manami quickly explains that it isn’t so, she is just anemic. “This person helped me out when I was bullied because of my hair color.”

Yusei goes to Ren that made her asks wha..what... Yusei apologizes for being suspicious of her. “Thank you for helping out my imouto.” Surprised Ren says ah, ya. She thinks that it is the first time she has seen him so frank.

Yusei asks Manami if she can go home alone. Manami asks if he cannot go home yet. Yusei replies that he can’t because he still has work to do. Ren thinks that he treats his imouto so nice yet normally, he is always [mean] like that. “He obviously can also be so nice to someone.”
Since the situation isn’t quite good for the two, Ren volunteers to walk Manami home. Yusei asks her what she’s planning. Ren asks what, always saying it like that. “Then, treat today’s inspection as if it didn’t happen.” Looking at them arguing, Manami suddenly declares that she can go home alone.

She quickly walks away causing Ren to call out to her to wait up. After catching up to Manami in the streets, Ren says that she’s a bit worried so she’ll walk her home. “Are you okay?” Manami says that she’s always like this. Ren tensely says is that so.

Ren thinks that the Hidaka siblings are hard to deal with. “Imouto’s health is quite weak, right... What happened a while ago actually happens often... So, Hidaka was like that. So caring towards his imouto. Obviously, he is a nasty guy with a malicious mouth but in his family, he is a good older brother.”
While waiting at the stoplight, Manami suddenly feels dizzy. She falls down on the street. Just then, a car is going towards her. Ren calls out to imouto and grabs her. Then, everything went blank. Ren opens her eyes and wonders where she is.

Someone calls out if she’s awake. She is puzzled that it is Yusei, how come he is-- Worried Yusei suddenly hugs her and shouts, thank goodness...! Flustered Ren wonders what, how come she is being hugged by Yusei. She pushes him away and says, wait, what kind of joke are you suddenly trying to pull!?

While Yusei looks confused, Ren points at him and asks if his imouto is alright. Yusei says, ha...? “What are you saying? Yaotome stepped up and saved you, right? Manami.” Ren goes huh? It is revealed that Ren is actually in Manami’s body.
Comment: This series is by Umezawa Marina serialized in Shocomi. For me, the main pull of the series is Ren. I like her as a character. The plot is also interesting since I originally thought that it is a typical love triangle based on the cover.

The twist is the body switch. How will Ren deal with it? How will the others react to it? But then, thanks to this, the romance that Ren dreams of will happen. By the way, the two girls’ name means ‘love’. So, the title is ‘This is love [Ai same kanji as Manami] not love [Koi same kanji as Ren]. Scan by 正宮汉化组

Word of the day:
Make it a habit to give- whether yourself, your time, your money, a word of encouragement, or a listening ear- and you’ll find peace and happiness that can’t be beat. ‘Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord. 1 Chronicles 29:9’ ~ 101 mottos for success by J. Richards and M.S. Fontaine.

2 comments:

  1. Omg! I love it. Thanks for this. Looking forward for the next chap��

    ReplyDelete