Chapter 52: Splinters of the Sky and Stars

The chapter begins where the last one left off, with the closing scene now drawn from Nori's perspective. Tsujigane repeats that he knows Haruna's secret, and Nori looks questioningly at Haruna. Saeka looks a bit worried (remember, she saw Haruna talking to Mio a few chapters back), Kyou looks angry, and Kubo clearly kind of wants to hear. Tsujigane starts, “Nori, the truth is that this guy...” Nori cuts him short, saying, “I know.” Tsujigane repeats, “That's right, I know... huh?” Nori angrily walks up to him, telling him that she can pretty well guess at what he's going to say. She yells, “If you think I'm nothing but some monkey girl, then you're sorely mistaken!” Tsujigane puts up his hands, telling her he doesn't think that at all! She's much cuter than any monkey... Nori completely ignores him, and starts to explain what she thinks he was about to say. Basically, Haruna is careless with girls, but not in the same way as Kyou. Nori then proceeds to rattle off the things that he might have to say about Haruna: He had a girlfriend that he broke up with over the phone when he came to town; he started dating Onohira (who Nori still calls “Onohii”) two weeks after coming to town; something happened, so she stayed at his house; his cooking is terrible; just about the only thing he thinks about is food; he's broke; and sometimes, he's ridiculously sexy! Haruna puts up his hands and begs her to stop (as Tsujigane, Kubo, and Kyou are dumbstruck by the “sexy” part, with Kubo stressing the “ridiculously”). Nori concludes her statement by saying, “But he's my boyfriend. Haruna chose me – I'm special to him. And Haruna is a special person to me. That is to say, I lo-... Lo-...” Tsujigane cuts in, telling Nori that's enough. He sits down and bows his head, and Nori thinks that she doesn't want someone ratting out Haruna to her. If something happened, she wants to hear about it from Haruna himself. Tsujigane mutters, “You people... Since when did this place become a convention hall for professions of love?” Nori turns a questioning eye to Saeka, who just scrunches up her face. Tsujigane stands back up, and says, “Nori has already been sullied...” Nori looks at her clothes, and isn't sure what he means. She hasn't dirtied her uniform yet today... Tsujigane goes on dramatically: That pure Nori-chan, who seemed to gush forward from Mother Nature herself when they met four years ago, is no longer here. Nori responds, “Huh? I don't remember that.” Tsujigane tells them that they're all to blame, then turns his gaze to Haruna, saying, “An outsider like you! You're to blame for ruining Nori!” (Having considered that he's bad for Nori in the past, Haruna looks like that accusation stings a bit.)

As Nori interjects, “Hey, Haruna isn't some stranger!” there's a commotion on the other side of the room. Kyou took advantage of the distraction to free himself and Saeka from the guys who were holding them back. Brushing his hands together, Kyou tells them not to underestimate his upper class self-defense training. Anyway, his personal secretary should have received his signal, and the police will be arriving any time now. Most of them respond by running away, as Tsujigane yells, “Hey, you guys...!” Kyou rubs his sore shoulder, and tells Tsujigane that if he's going to run away, now would be the time. Tsujigane clicks his tongue, and tells Kyou, “I'm not running away – I'm pulling back. Remember that!” Kyou gives him a sort of sarcastic, “Oh, no,” response, and Tsujigane leaves. As the other four continue to look on, stunned, Kyou lets out a breath. For now, it looks like they're done... Kyou turns to Haruna and tells him (sort of dryly) there's no need to worry. Let's just say that Nori is actually something of a femme fatale... Looking out the window, Kubo asks Kyou if the cops are really coming, and he replies that he tells the occasional lie. Nori asks Kyou if he's all right, and he says he's completely fine. Nori thinks that she isn't entirely sure what happened, but is it really over? Recalling something, Nori asks Kyou if [Tsujigane] is Saeka's old stalker, who Kyou got into that fight with. Kyou doesn't know what she means, so there's a little flashback to their early middle school days as Nori explains. Over images of Nori noticing Tsujigane trailing behind them in the halls and peeking around a corner at them in gym class, Nori says that he was always, always trying to hide himself to watch Saeka. (In a panel interrupting the flashback, Kyou and Haruna are both thinking that she says he was watching Saeka, but he was actually looking at Nori.) So, Nori goes on, she took pity on him and went to talk to him. As Tsujigane listens (with his heart pounding), Nori begins, “Umm... Wouldn't it be for the best if you give up on this now?” Thinking that she was explaining that Saeka loved Sensei, and Tsujigane couldn't overcome that, Nori's actual words to him came out as, “There's already someone I like, so... there's just no chance for you.” The flashback ends with Tsujigane pulling back in surprise, and we return to the present. (After the explanation, Kyou is thinking: “Nori!! Is that what started all of this for me!? It seems that you liking me pretty well spread all over middle school...”) Nori smiles, and tells them that she's glad everyone is safe. As they start to leave, she thinks that she sort of missed her chance again to say that she loved Haruna, but...

Stepping outside, Nori exclaims that it's already completely dark out. Saeka stops her near the doorway, telling her that there's something she wants to talk about. Nori calls out to the guys (who are a bit ahead of them) to wait over there, and the chapter flashes forward a bit into her conversation with Saeka. She told Kyou-chan that...!? Saeka says yes, and Nori turns red. So Saeka is switching from Yanaidu to Kyou...? Saeka answers that she stopped changing her mind. They look up at the sky, and Nori says, “I see...” After a moment, Saeka looks over and tells Nori that she needed to talk to Nori first. Nori takes her hand, and tells her she understands. Looking back up at the sky, Nori says that they're amazing, and Saeka agrees. They clasp hands and start gushing to each other in the background as the scene switches back to the guys. Hearing them squealing back there, Kyou comments that they're certainly being noisy. Can't they put off their love talk until later? He guesses that it's cold outside, but their hearts are warm... Starting to feel a bit awkward with the others, Kubo raises his hand and says he'll be going. Kyou thanks him, and Kubo says he'll see Haruna later. Looking over his shoulder as he leaves, Kubo mutters that looks nice, damn it. (Note: The omake at the end of the volumes occasionally center on Kubo's desire for a girlfriend.) Once Kubo is gone, Kyou gets back to talking about “Tsujigane, that bastard.” He suddenly came back to town, and immediately started fighting with him. It's ridiculous. There doesn't seem to really be a reason to resent him so much. Kyou goes silent for a moment... Well, whatever – there's no point in thinking about it now. The important thing is that it set up an opportunity to for him to hear that Saeka shared his feelings... Blushing a little, Kyou thinks about the phrase “requited love.” He turns to Haruna and asks, “Haruna, is there a phrase in this world more beautiful than 'requited love'?” Haruna replies, “No,” and Kyou directs him to look at the sky. Aren't the stars beautiful? From so far off in the distance, the stars are shining their blessings down on them.

Kyou takes on a more serious expression and turns to Haruna, asking, “So, Haruna, what are you really hiding?” Haruna seems genuinely surprised, and Kyou continues, “There's something more important, isn't there?” Noticing how shocked he looks, Kyou shouts, “If you were thinking that I'm just some good-looking guy, then you are sorely mistaken!” Haruna tells him he wasn’t thinking that at all, and smiles a little. Sometimes, Kyou's way of speaking is a lot like Nori's. It might be because they've been together since they were kids. Kyou sighs; well, people say that about childhood friends... Without looking him in the eye, Haruna comes right out and tells Kyou, “I'll only be staying in town until middle school graduation.” Right after that, Nori calls out from a distance, asking what they're talking about. And then they went quiet after she called out... Nori waves at them, and says they should go. Kyou tries to compose himself and wipe the surprised look off his face, then launches a distraction by pretending to look for his bag. Nori tells him not to worry; he left it at Kuni's. Hers is there, too. She wonders if Kuni will be surprised to hear about what happened with Saeka and Kyou, and the four of them start to walk off in that direction. Quietly, Kyou tells Haruna, “We'll talk more later.” As Kyou complains to Nori that they'll have to walk all the way to Kuni's, Saeka asks Haruna where Kubo went. She wanted to thank him... Haruna explains that he already left, and Nori looks back on the other three behind her. She smiles, thinking that it reminds her of the summer festival eight years ago. The chapter closes with a page comparing the image of them at the festival to their current group. Compared to back then, the night sky that's shining gently down on them seems just a little closer.

Chapter 51: Feint King

The chapter begins with Haruna thinking that it's better not to have something that you want to protect, because having something you want to hold onto means getting to know your own weaknesses. The action starts with a quick flashback to Haruna and Kubo sneaking into the warehouse that Tsujigane and his friends use as their “base.” Once inside, they don't see anyone, and Haruna thinks that this warehouse doesn't seem to be in use. As they look around, Kubo spots a door that has been blocked by file cabinets. They look in, and see Saeka on the other side. As they work at unblocking the door, Saeka tells them, “Haruna, you have to call Kyou-chan right away! Tell him he shouldn't come here!” Haruna tells her to wait a minute while they move the boxes, then asks her what happened. Saeka tearfully explains that she heard Kyou was going to be caught and beaten up by an older student from their old middle school. It was all she could think of... Looking out the window, Kubo calls out that those guys came back. They're in the parking lot next to the warehouse... Haruna joins him at the window, and they see Kyou getting out of the car. Kubo points out that it looks like they're going into an office, and turns to ask Haruna what he thinks they should do. Haruna starts to suggest that, for now, they should try to get over there... and Saeka simply takes off running toward the office. They follow, and Haruna stops her before she opens the door. He tells her to wait; he hears people talking. The chapter meets up with where the last chapter ended, as Saeka overhears Kyou begging Tsujigane to leave her alone. As Saeka is opening the door, Haruna thinks that Kyou is really going to owe him after this is over. Saeka declares her feelings, and Haruna smiles that Kyou's wish is coming true... and he's frozen in place!

After a moment, Kyou turns to Haruna, and says, “Haruna, this is bad... Am I already dead...? There's absolutely no way I'd ever hear that said in real life, so... tell me the truth. No, don't tell me!” (Haruna is thinking: “You pain in the ass...”) Kubo declares that it's all right – Prince-senpai is not dead! He turns to Haruna for agreement, and Haruna looks at him witheringly. Kubo doesn't need him to back him up on that... Haruna gives Kyou a little smile, and tells him that he did what he needed to do, so of course this was possible. Finally addressing Saeka, Kyou asks, “Saeka, did you really say that you...” She cuts him off by throwing an empty can at his head, telling him, “I'm not saying it again...” At this point, Tsujigane calls an end to the discussion, and two of his henchman hold Saeka back while another pins Kyou to the floor. Tsujigane crouches down next to Kyou (as Kyou's arm is twisted painfully behind him). It was nice of to let them have their confession time, wasn't it? Not that it's anything to him... So, shall he let them move on to the climax of the play? It'll be pretty cool to be beaten up in front of his girlfriend, right? Kyou looks a bit panicked, and Tsujigane stands back up. Now, on to Kubo and the other guy... They're just middle school kids. What are they going to do? Haruna assesses the situation, trying to estimate how many guys are on Tsujigane's side. They seem to be growing in number; so, to help Saeka and Kyou and make it out of there... Is impossible, isn't it? Haruna concludes that they can only bulldoze their way through. He turns to Kubo... and finds that he's already being held back by a couple of guys. As he flails, Kubo tells him, “Sorry, Haru-chan!” (Haruna is thinking, “Kubo!! Put your massive body to use!”) Tsujigane turns to Haruna, and asks him who exactly he is. Was he hoping to get something out of this? Is Murakami paying him? Tsujigane smiles, and tells Haruna that it's OK. If he does it now, he can walk right out. If he's in the same class as Kubo, they're preparing for exams. It would be better not to cause any problems, wouldn't it? Haruna asks Tsujigane what he'd do if he tried to call the cops, and Tsujigane answers that he expects that he'll be gone before they could arrive. Haruna thinks that having something you want to protect is a burden, and puts his head down. Tsujigane tells Haruna he can go right out that door, and Haruna responds, “I'm an outsider in this, but Kyou, Saeka, and Kubo are important to me.” (The bottom panel shows their reaction to Haruna's statement, and Kubo seems especially touched, with tears in his eyes.) Haruna continues, “And you... If you're these guys' upperclassman, don't you want to keep being someone they can respect?” Tsujigane puts his head down in mock contriteness; Haruna has a way with words. Narrowing his eyes, Tsujigane questions why a middle school kid is preaching at him. He picks up an ashtray, and Kubo yells at Haruna to run. Haruna steps back nervously, thinking that it seems he can't talk his way out of this. Tsujigane says that he's going to teach Haruna a lesson about what happens when he shows off, and swings the ashtray at Haruna's face.

Before he can make contact, Nori leaps at Tsujigane from the window frame and kicks him in the side of the head. He's knocked out cold, and everyone else in the room stares in disbelief. Nori explains that she thought Kyou was acting strange, so she tried to track him and see what was up. Once he got in the car, she sort of lost track of him, and it got tough! Haruna, still in disbelief, asks, “You ran here?” Nori tells him she did, and asks if he's all right. He tells her that it's dangerous, so she should probably get out of here, but Nori ignores him. Charging in, Nori yells, “Where's your boss!?” Haruna tells her that he's the one she just kicked... Tsujigane starts to come to, and Haruna thinks that this is bad... He's going to snap! Tsujigane looks back furiously, muttering, “You bastard...” Haruna yells, “Nori, hurry! This way!” Hearing that, Tsujigane's face starts to soften with recognition, and he says, blushing, “No-... Nori?” Noticing Tsujigane's reaction, Haruna narrows his eyes. Seriously? Nori starts to yell at him, “How long are you going to keep doing this to Saeka and Kyou...” Haruna steps in front of her, and announces, “Nori is my girlfriend.” Tsujigane is crestfallen, repeating, “Girl... friend...?” (Haruna's thought: “Bingo.”) One of his friends grabs Nori's arm, telling her, “Shut up, monkey girl!” Haruna punches him, then backs him up to the wall, telling him, “Keep your filthy hands off her.” Haruna recalls that he always thought it was best not to have anything worth fighting for, until he came to this town. Haruna presses his forearm against the other guy's neck, and Nori yells at him not to do that. Hearing the name “Haruna” again, Tsujigane yells at everyone to stop. Scratching his head, Tsujigane says, “Haruna, Haruna... Ah. I remember. There's something I've been stuck on this whole time... I'm not sure what your connections are to this town, but you know Onohira? Your ex-girlfriend, or whatever that was. Her father ran a subsidiary of our loan company, before he was arrested. I know about you. I heard about you from her. Of course, that includes your secrets.” Haruna thinks that even if it means that his weakness will be exposed, he wants to hold on to this. The chapter ends with Nori listening, wide-eyed.