Chapter 49: Parallels
The chapter picks up where Chapter 48 ended, with Kubo nervously facing Tsujigane. He stutters, “H-, Hey... It's been a while... Are, uh, it looks like you're back, huh?” Tsujigane explains that he's just back for winter break; Boston sure is cold... Kubo replies, “Is, is it...?” and Tsujigane laughs. What's Kubo so afraid for? They worked so well together, on the basketball court... Tsujigane pauses, takes a step forward, and asks, “Is Murakami doing well?” Kubo tells him that they go to different schools, so... Tsujigane smiles again, and remembers that Kubo is still a third year at the middle school, isn't he? Honestly, he knew that... He has friends at Eirin. He tells Kubo that he's sorry, and Kubo laughs nervously (while trying to stay out of his reach). Tsujigane continues, “Well, I don't really care about Murakami. I'm more interested in seeing her... Saeka.”
The chapter skips to the next morning at the high school, with Saeka waiting for Nori to finish answering the other girls' questions about Haruna. Nori does, and apologizes for making Saeka wait. Saeka says it's all right, and Nori explains that, as a first-year high school, she's getting her first taste of the true thrill of having a boyfriend. Blushing, Nori puts her head down on the desk, and Saeka thinks about how Nori became the talk of the school since Haruna met her at the gate yesterday. She looks at Nori affectionately, thinking how cute and glowing she's been lately. Then, Nori starts to giggle to herself, and Saeka scrunches up her face... that was a little less cute. Nori hops up, and says, “Saeka! Whoever invented boyfriends was a genius!” Saeka smiles wryly; yep, they were a genius. Speaking of which, how did Nori's date go? Nori describes what they did: took a lot of pictures, made out a lot, ate okonomiyaki, and made out a lot again. (Saeka's response: “Wow.”) Saeka recalls that she saw Haruna talking to (as far as she could tell) a girl sitting in a car at the train station. Who was she...? She starts, “Hey, Nori. Lately, has Haruna...” She intends to say, “Has Haruna been acting strange?” but stops herself, thinking that she might not even be correct that the person she saw was Haruna. She switches directions, saying, “Umm... been sort of more assertive as your boyfriend?” Nori replies, “You think!? I think so!!” Settling back down, Nori points out that it's almost Christmas... She wants to make Haruna really happy...
On the other side of the classroom, they hear the guys greeting Kyou, and pointing out that he's late. He's barely been making it, these days. Nori waves from across the room, telling him good morning, and he comes over. He teases her that she seems to be glowing too much; is it from embarrassment? Saeka watches them talk for a moment, and then Kyou is called back over by the guys. Saeka looks at him across the room, and remembers what Yanaidu told her, “Get a good grasp on your feelings.” With a withering look, she wonders how on earth she's supposed to do that. She pictures herself marching up to Kyou, saying, “Kyou-chan, I harshly rejected you; however, for reasons I can't explain, I'd like to revisit that!” and then marching back to her desk. That... is absolutely not going to happen! Kyou walks by and takes a seat at his desk, and Saeka looks sadly at the back of his head. She would like to have a real conversation with Kyou again. At lunch, Saeka tells Nori that she's headed to the staff room for something, and they separate. As she's on her way, she passes Kaori and one of her friends. They make eye contact, and initially pass each other, but Kaori stops and calls Saeka back (her friend looking at her in surprise). She takes off her watch and hands it to Saeka, telling her to return that to Kyousuke for her. Saeka doesn't understand, saying, “Umm, wait. Why...?” Kaori asks, “Where are you looking? Make sure you understand his good points. Are you an idiot?” Kaori walks away, and Saeka thinks, “What was that? 'Understand,' she says...” She runs off, and Kaori glances back. Her friend asks her why she gave him her watch, and Kaori says it was a spur of the moment thing. She didn't have anything else to send him. That felt... kind of satisfying.
Saeka heads back to the classroom and asks Kyou's friends where he is. They tell her that he went to take a nap, and Saeka thinks about where he'd go for that. She knows that sort of thing; that's the sort of thing about Kyou that she knows best. Saeka finds him sleeping in an empty classroom, with a towel over his head (as usual). She notices that the towel seems to be slipping off, and goes to adjust it. He doesn't sleep without covering his head. It seems to be leftover from their grandfather teaching him not to show weakness when he was a kid. Saeka arranges the towel on his head like a soft-serve ice cream cone (or, she thinks, dung). Having amused herself with that, and finding that it didn't wake him up, she sits down at the next desk. She figures she might as well rest, too, and it's warm in that room... The chapter goes to a flashback, with Saeka thinking about something that happened before Nori confessed to Kyou. Nori runs up to Kyou, asking him if he heard (as Saeka tries to stop her). She tells him Saeka was confessed to again, as Saeka looks on in annoyance. Looking angry, Nori goes on a rant about how Saeka is thin now, and middle school boys these days don't judge on anything but looks. Kyou says, well, that could be, but Saeka is still Saeka. He then reflects on that statement, and congratulates himself for saying something so cool. Saeka comes over and hits him, and he asks what that was for. Saeka questions what he meant by, “Saeka is still Saeka,” and he admits that he doesn't know, either. (Meanwhile, Nori is picking leaves out of her hair.) Kyou leaves with a girl (marked as his girlfriend at the time) as Nori looks on longingly and Saeka continues to look angry. He was like that, but the only guys who didn't act differently toward her before and after her weight loss were Kyou and Sensei. She suddenly wakes up, having dozed off in the classroom, to find Kyou's face next to hers. She takes a reflexive swing at him, and he quickly starts to explain that he wasn't doing anything. See, he was just picking up his towel! Saeka apologizes, and Kyou repeats that he wouldn't do anything like [suddenly kissing her] again. Standing up, Kyou explains that her decision has sunk in. She went to stay at Yanaidu's place? He's happy for her; she's always liked him. So he wouldn't use that sort of method on her again. Without looking at him, Saeka reaches out and hands him Kaori's watch. She explains that his ex-girlfriend said she wanted to return this; she came to give it to him. Her face flushed, Saeka wonders why she's the only one who seems to be feeling awkward. Kyou looks at what she gave him, and asks, “Huh? A watch?” Saeka replies that it's from his ex-girlfriend. She doesn't understand anymore than that, either. Saeka thinks that Kyou's feelings already reached her; it's not something they can take back. Saeka gets up to leave, then calls back to Kyou from the doorway that the chime is about to sound; they should hurry to class.
The chapter switches to the middle school, where Kubo arrives with a big bruise on his face. His two as-yet-unnamed friends dramatically ask him what happened. He quiets them down, and Kubo plays it off, telling them that he missed his footing on the stairs. (“You're so clumsy!!”) Haruna (who has no doubt heard his fair share of “I walked into a door” excuses, growing up with abused kids) asks Kubo to come with him for a minute. He drags him into the hall, and asks, “Did you really fall on the stairs?” No answer. He continues, “Someone hit you?” Kubo starts to sweat, and yells, “Don't stare at me like that, Haru-chan! I'm sinking into the depths of your eyes!!” Haruna tells him to stop that, and after a bit, Kubo gives him the real story. It was a guy who was two years his senior on the basketball team. He's been studying abroad, but is home at the moment... Flashing back to where we left off with Tsujigane at the beginning of the chapter, he tells Kubo that he heard Murakami and Saeka had been seen walking hand-in-hand, and things like that. Kubo looks down nervously, and responds, “Umm, Senpai... shouldn't you stop dragging out things from the past?” Tsujigane smiles, and replies, “Ah? Who do you think you're talking to?” He narrows his eyes, and the chapter cuts back to Kubo rubbing his battered face. Haruna wonders what's up with that, and Kubo explains that Tsujigane is the sort of person who loses his temper easily and mercilessly pursues anyone he doesn't like. Back when they played together, he got into a dispute with Prince-senpai (Kyou), which caused him to quit playing basketball...
Back at the high school, Kyou is heading to his locker, looking at the watch Saeka handed him. Something he gave to Kaori, probably? Today was yet another crappy day... Where has Kyou's youth gone? He opens his locker with a sigh, and an envelope falls out. He reaches for it, thinking that it's been awhile since he got a love letter. He wonders if he should go out with her (whoever it is)... He opens it, and sees that it's not a love letter. It says: Murakami, I'll be taking your most prized possession. Serves you right. -J. The chapter ends with Kyou narrowing his eyes at the note, thinking, “J?”
The chapter picks up where Chapter 48 ended, with Kubo nervously facing Tsujigane. He stutters, “H-, Hey... It's been a while... Are, uh, it looks like you're back, huh?” Tsujigane explains that he's just back for winter break; Boston sure is cold... Kubo replies, “Is, is it...?” and Tsujigane laughs. What's Kubo so afraid for? They worked so well together, on the basketball court... Tsujigane pauses, takes a step forward, and asks, “Is Murakami doing well?” Kubo tells him that they go to different schools, so... Tsujigane smiles again, and remembers that Kubo is still a third year at the middle school, isn't he? Honestly, he knew that... He has friends at Eirin. He tells Kubo that he's sorry, and Kubo laughs nervously (while trying to stay out of his reach). Tsujigane continues, “Well, I don't really care about Murakami. I'm more interested in seeing her... Saeka.”
The chapter skips to the next morning at the high school, with Saeka waiting for Nori to finish answering the other girls' questions about Haruna. Nori does, and apologizes for making Saeka wait. Saeka says it's all right, and Nori explains that, as a first-year high school, she's getting her first taste of the true thrill of having a boyfriend. Blushing, Nori puts her head down on the desk, and Saeka thinks about how Nori became the talk of the school since Haruna met her at the gate yesterday. She looks at Nori affectionately, thinking how cute and glowing she's been lately. Then, Nori starts to giggle to herself, and Saeka scrunches up her face... that was a little less cute. Nori hops up, and says, “Saeka! Whoever invented boyfriends was a genius!” Saeka smiles wryly; yep, they were a genius. Speaking of which, how did Nori's date go? Nori describes what they did: took a lot of pictures, made out a lot, ate okonomiyaki, and made out a lot again. (Saeka's response: “Wow.”) Saeka recalls that she saw Haruna talking to (as far as she could tell) a girl sitting in a car at the train station. Who was she...? She starts, “Hey, Nori. Lately, has Haruna...” She intends to say, “Has Haruna been acting strange?” but stops herself, thinking that she might not even be correct that the person she saw was Haruna. She switches directions, saying, “Umm... been sort of more assertive as your boyfriend?” Nori replies, “You think!? I think so!!” Settling back down, Nori points out that it's almost Christmas... She wants to make Haruna really happy...
On the other side of the classroom, they hear the guys greeting Kyou, and pointing out that he's late. He's barely been making it, these days. Nori waves from across the room, telling him good morning, and he comes over. He teases her that she seems to be glowing too much; is it from embarrassment? Saeka watches them talk for a moment, and then Kyou is called back over by the guys. Saeka looks at him across the room, and remembers what Yanaidu told her, “Get a good grasp on your feelings.” With a withering look, she wonders how on earth she's supposed to do that. She pictures herself marching up to Kyou, saying, “Kyou-chan, I harshly rejected you; however, for reasons I can't explain, I'd like to revisit that!” and then marching back to her desk. That... is absolutely not going to happen! Kyou walks by and takes a seat at his desk, and Saeka looks sadly at the back of his head. She would like to have a real conversation with Kyou again. At lunch, Saeka tells Nori that she's headed to the staff room for something, and they separate. As she's on her way, she passes Kaori and one of her friends. They make eye contact, and initially pass each other, but Kaori stops and calls Saeka back (her friend looking at her in surprise). She takes off her watch and hands it to Saeka, telling her to return that to Kyousuke for her. Saeka doesn't understand, saying, “Umm, wait. Why...?” Kaori asks, “Where are you looking? Make sure you understand his good points. Are you an idiot?” Kaori walks away, and Saeka thinks, “What was that? 'Understand,' she says...” She runs off, and Kaori glances back. Her friend asks her why she gave him her watch, and Kaori says it was a spur of the moment thing. She didn't have anything else to send him. That felt... kind of satisfying.
Saeka heads back to the classroom and asks Kyou's friends where he is. They tell her that he went to take a nap, and Saeka thinks about where he'd go for that. She knows that sort of thing; that's the sort of thing about Kyou that she knows best. Saeka finds him sleeping in an empty classroom, with a towel over his head (as usual). She notices that the towel seems to be slipping off, and goes to adjust it. He doesn't sleep without covering his head. It seems to be leftover from their grandfather teaching him not to show weakness when he was a kid. Saeka arranges the towel on his head like a soft-serve ice cream cone (or, she thinks, dung). Having amused herself with that, and finding that it didn't wake him up, she sits down at the next desk. She figures she might as well rest, too, and it's warm in that room... The chapter goes to a flashback, with Saeka thinking about something that happened before Nori confessed to Kyou. Nori runs up to Kyou, asking him if he heard (as Saeka tries to stop her). She tells him Saeka was confessed to again, as Saeka looks on in annoyance. Looking angry, Nori goes on a rant about how Saeka is thin now, and middle school boys these days don't judge on anything but looks. Kyou says, well, that could be, but Saeka is still Saeka. He then reflects on that statement, and congratulates himself for saying something so cool. Saeka comes over and hits him, and he asks what that was for. Saeka questions what he meant by, “Saeka is still Saeka,” and he admits that he doesn't know, either. (Meanwhile, Nori is picking leaves out of her hair.) Kyou leaves with a girl (marked as his girlfriend at the time) as Nori looks on longingly and Saeka continues to look angry. He was like that, but the only guys who didn't act differently toward her before and after her weight loss were Kyou and Sensei. She suddenly wakes up, having dozed off in the classroom, to find Kyou's face next to hers. She takes a reflexive swing at him, and he quickly starts to explain that he wasn't doing anything. See, he was just picking up his towel! Saeka apologizes, and Kyou repeats that he wouldn't do anything like [suddenly kissing her] again. Standing up, Kyou explains that her decision has sunk in. She went to stay at Yanaidu's place? He's happy for her; she's always liked him. So he wouldn't use that sort of method on her again. Without looking at him, Saeka reaches out and hands him Kaori's watch. She explains that his ex-girlfriend said she wanted to return this; she came to give it to him. Her face flushed, Saeka wonders why she's the only one who seems to be feeling awkward. Kyou looks at what she gave him, and asks, “Huh? A watch?” Saeka replies that it's from his ex-girlfriend. She doesn't understand anymore than that, either. Saeka thinks that Kyou's feelings already reached her; it's not something they can take back. Saeka gets up to leave, then calls back to Kyou from the doorway that the chime is about to sound; they should hurry to class.
The chapter switches to the middle school, where Kubo arrives with a big bruise on his face. His two as-yet-unnamed friends dramatically ask him what happened. He quiets them down, and Kubo plays it off, telling them that he missed his footing on the stairs. (“You're so clumsy!!”) Haruna (who has no doubt heard his fair share of “I walked into a door” excuses, growing up with abused kids) asks Kubo to come with him for a minute. He drags him into the hall, and asks, “Did you really fall on the stairs?” No answer. He continues, “Someone hit you?” Kubo starts to sweat, and yells, “Don't stare at me like that, Haru-chan! I'm sinking into the depths of your eyes!!” Haruna tells him to stop that, and after a bit, Kubo gives him the real story. It was a guy who was two years his senior on the basketball team. He's been studying abroad, but is home at the moment... Flashing back to where we left off with Tsujigane at the beginning of the chapter, he tells Kubo that he heard Murakami and Saeka had been seen walking hand-in-hand, and things like that. Kubo looks down nervously, and responds, “Umm, Senpai... shouldn't you stop dragging out things from the past?” Tsujigane smiles, and replies, “Ah? Who do you think you're talking to?” He narrows his eyes, and the chapter cuts back to Kubo rubbing his battered face. Haruna wonders what's up with that, and Kubo explains that Tsujigane is the sort of person who loses his temper easily and mercilessly pursues anyone he doesn't like. Back when they played together, he got into a dispute with Prince-senpai (Kyou), which caused him to quit playing basketball...
Back at the high school, Kyou is heading to his locker, looking at the watch Saeka handed him. Something he gave to Kaori, probably? Today was yet another crappy day... Where has Kyou's youth gone? He opens his locker with a sigh, and an envelope falls out. He reaches for it, thinking that it's been awhile since he got a love letter. He wonders if he should go out with her (whoever it is)... He opens it, and sees that it's not a love letter. It says: Murakami, I'll be taking your most prized possession. Serves you right. -J. The chapter ends with Kyou narrowing his eyes at the note, thinking, “J?”