Chapter 53: Waiting for Spring
The chapter starts with the four of them arriving at the batting center and finding Kuni getting ready to eat dinner. They startle him, and he asks what business they have there so late at night... Then he realizes something, and exclaims, “Isn't this the first time all four of you have come here together!?” (After 53 chapters.) Nori agrees – it's an amazing day!! Kuni then asks that, if Saeka is there, then...? Nori answers, “Exactly! Kyou-chan and Saeka became a couple!!” Saeka and Kyou are a little stunned by Nori's outburst, and Haruna chides her about it. Kuni turns to Saeka, and she tells him, “Yeah... Thank you for everything, Kuni-san. I...” He finishes for her – she made her choice. Saeka thinks that Kuni must think that she's an indecisive kid, wavering between Sensei and Kyou. Then she remembers about Sensei... Kuni recalls that up until now, Kyou had been acting completely defeated (and bringing a pillow). Kyou is too distracted to respond, and Kuni asks if he's already back to spacing out, that lady killer... Kuni suggests that they all celebrate with an all-night batting extravaganza, but Nori waves good-bye and tells them that she and Haruna are going on home. Kuni comments that they'd rather flirt than bat, and Saeka agrees that those two are overly lovey-dovey. Kyou tells Saeka that he's sorry, but he's exhausted for today. He'll call for the car. Kuni teases Kyou for sounding like a snobby, lazy boyfriend (calling for his driver), and Kyou yells at him for being embarrassing. As Kyou calls Isoi, Saeka thinks how strange it sounds to hear Kyou being referred to as her “boyfriend.” Saeka thinks that as she continued to get worked up over her feelings, she didn't notice the slight change in Kyou.
As she enters school the next day, Saeka thinks that there's something important she needs to do before she can consider Kyou her boyfriend. Recalling when Yanaidu told her to get a grasp on her feelings, she thinks that she hasn't formally talked to Sensei. She decides she doesn't want to tell him over the phone or mail, and sends a text message asking if she can come see him to talk about something. Some girls greet her as she walks down the hall, and then she spots Kyou typing a text message. He sends it, and she sees that it isn't for her. She follows his line of sight to see who he's staring at, and finds he's looking at Nori. Someone stops to ask her why she's standing in the hall, and Saeka goes on, wondering why he seemed to be watching Nori... Once in the classroom, Nori approaches and says, “It's finally here, Saeka! What, what do I do!?” Saeka asks what she's talking about, and Nori replies, “I'm deciding!! Christmas... What should I do!?” Saeka figures that she'll be spending it with Haruna, right? Nori blushes, looking sort of dazed, and says, “It looks that way, doesn't it!?” Saeka says that Nori's the one who would have to tell her, and Nori explains. This is the first Christmas in her whole life with a boyfriend... Nori lays out how she expects it will go, telling Haruna, “Here, a pre-, present.” (Saeka interrupts, suggesting that the stutter is because her lips are frozen.) Haruna accepts the gift, saying, “Thank you, I'm so happy.” Pointing to the sky, Nori says, “Look, Haruna. It's starting to snow.” Haruna replies, “It is. It's going to be a White Christmas. Nori, let's spend the night together.” Fantasy Nori agrees, and it returns to the present. Nori pulls at her hair and questions if she can pull off a great Christmas, and Saeka tells her to settle down. Nori asks Saeka if she'll be doing something with Kyou, and she doesn't have an answer. She wonders what she will do...
Kyou comes over, and Nori awkwardly addresses him. Still a bit worked up over her conversation with Saeka, she declares, “Well, I'll be off to the other side of the room!” Kyou comments that Nori seems as high-strung as ever, and asks Saeka to come with him for a minute. Nori looks on a little sadly as they walk out together. They go out into the hall, and Saeka starts to feel nervous, even though it's just Kyou. He asks her if she's all right, after what happened yesterday. She tells him she's fine – no one subjected her to any violence, though she did do some struggling on her own. She didn't realize that Kyou had that kind of strength. He responds, “They say that a wise hawk hides his talons, right?” Saeka relaxes a little, thinking that they seem to be having a normal conversation, and leans back against the wall. As she does, a poster on the wall falls down and hits her in the head. Kyou tells her that the poster came loose, and reaches over her to fix it. He leans in, and Saeka closes her eyes as if he's going to kiss her. He says, “Found the thumbtack,” and secures the poster. Saeka realizes that she thought he was going to kiss her, and considers that her mind is being overly active. Kyou tells her that there's something they need to talk about, and says, “I'm sorry, Saeka. I'd like to wait a little while before we start going out.”
Walking home alone, Saeka passes (and sort of side-eyes) a random couple on the bridge. Love is complicated... Everyone else seems to do so well at it; Nori is amazing. Saeka flashes back to the rest of her conversation with Kyou. Kyou explains that there are some things that he needs top put in order. Saeka responds that she'd been neglecting some things lately, and Kyou cuts in to tell her that isn't what he means. Anyway, he's sorry. Back in the present, Saeka leans back on the bridge and thinks it over. Even though she was certain she knew all about that idiot, today it felt like he suddenly was somewhere far away. Could it be she actually doesn't understand him at all? Her phone rings, and Saeka sees she has a message from Yanaidu. He apologizes for the late response, but he has only bad feelings about what she's going to say. (Saeka cringes.) However, it's like Saeka not to want to do this over email. He thinks he'll be coming for New Year's, so until then. (Saeka thinks that she didn't predict that would be how she greeted the new year.) Sensei concludes by telling her he has another bit of news – he's leaving his job. Saeka widens her eyes at that last part. Sensei is quitting his job...?
Elsewhere, Nori is texting with Mio (recall that she knows Mio as “Aki”). Mio sends Nori a picture of Mii-chan (the cat) balancing on top of the television. Smiling over how cute it is, Nori thanks her for the picture, telling her that it looks like Mii-chan is getting bigger. Mio tells Nori that she's really glad that she rescued the cat, then mentions that it's almost Christmas. What will Nori be doing? Nori replies that she's going out with someone, so she'll be spending it with him. Mio tells her that's great – she's jealous!! She hopes that once she's in high school, she can have an amazing boyfriend like Nori. (Mio goes heavy on the hearts and punctuation in these texts.) Nori tells “Aki-chan” that she's super cute and a nice girl, so she definitely can. Mio tells Nori to have a wonderful Christmas with her boyfriend, and Nori thanks her. The chapter ends with Mio muttering, “Hope that it's a fun Christmas.”
The chapter starts with the four of them arriving at the batting center and finding Kuni getting ready to eat dinner. They startle him, and he asks what business they have there so late at night... Then he realizes something, and exclaims, “Isn't this the first time all four of you have come here together!?” (After 53 chapters.) Nori agrees – it's an amazing day!! Kuni then asks that, if Saeka is there, then...? Nori answers, “Exactly! Kyou-chan and Saeka became a couple!!” Saeka and Kyou are a little stunned by Nori's outburst, and Haruna chides her about it. Kuni turns to Saeka, and she tells him, “Yeah... Thank you for everything, Kuni-san. I...” He finishes for her – she made her choice. Saeka thinks that Kuni must think that she's an indecisive kid, wavering between Sensei and Kyou. Then she remembers about Sensei... Kuni recalls that up until now, Kyou had been acting completely defeated (and bringing a pillow). Kyou is too distracted to respond, and Kuni asks if he's already back to spacing out, that lady killer... Kuni suggests that they all celebrate with an all-night batting extravaganza, but Nori waves good-bye and tells them that she and Haruna are going on home. Kuni comments that they'd rather flirt than bat, and Saeka agrees that those two are overly lovey-dovey. Kyou tells Saeka that he's sorry, but he's exhausted for today. He'll call for the car. Kuni teases Kyou for sounding like a snobby, lazy boyfriend (calling for his driver), and Kyou yells at him for being embarrassing. As Kyou calls Isoi, Saeka thinks how strange it sounds to hear Kyou being referred to as her “boyfriend.” Saeka thinks that as she continued to get worked up over her feelings, she didn't notice the slight change in Kyou.
As she enters school the next day, Saeka thinks that there's something important she needs to do before she can consider Kyou her boyfriend. Recalling when Yanaidu told her to get a grasp on her feelings, she thinks that she hasn't formally talked to Sensei. She decides she doesn't want to tell him over the phone or mail, and sends a text message asking if she can come see him to talk about something. Some girls greet her as she walks down the hall, and then she spots Kyou typing a text message. He sends it, and she sees that it isn't for her. She follows his line of sight to see who he's staring at, and finds he's looking at Nori. Someone stops to ask her why she's standing in the hall, and Saeka goes on, wondering why he seemed to be watching Nori... Once in the classroom, Nori approaches and says, “It's finally here, Saeka! What, what do I do!?” Saeka asks what she's talking about, and Nori replies, “I'm deciding!! Christmas... What should I do!?” Saeka figures that she'll be spending it with Haruna, right? Nori blushes, looking sort of dazed, and says, “It looks that way, doesn't it!?” Saeka says that Nori's the one who would have to tell her, and Nori explains. This is the first Christmas in her whole life with a boyfriend... Nori lays out how she expects it will go, telling Haruna, “Here, a pre-, present.” (Saeka interrupts, suggesting that the stutter is because her lips are frozen.) Haruna accepts the gift, saying, “Thank you, I'm so happy.” Pointing to the sky, Nori says, “Look, Haruna. It's starting to snow.” Haruna replies, “It is. It's going to be a White Christmas. Nori, let's spend the night together.” Fantasy Nori agrees, and it returns to the present. Nori pulls at her hair and questions if she can pull off a great Christmas, and Saeka tells her to settle down. Nori asks Saeka if she'll be doing something with Kyou, and she doesn't have an answer. She wonders what she will do...
Kyou comes over, and Nori awkwardly addresses him. Still a bit worked up over her conversation with Saeka, she declares, “Well, I'll be off to the other side of the room!” Kyou comments that Nori seems as high-strung as ever, and asks Saeka to come with him for a minute. Nori looks on a little sadly as they walk out together. They go out into the hall, and Saeka starts to feel nervous, even though it's just Kyou. He asks her if she's all right, after what happened yesterday. She tells him she's fine – no one subjected her to any violence, though she did do some struggling on her own. She didn't realize that Kyou had that kind of strength. He responds, “They say that a wise hawk hides his talons, right?” Saeka relaxes a little, thinking that they seem to be having a normal conversation, and leans back against the wall. As she does, a poster on the wall falls down and hits her in the head. Kyou tells her that the poster came loose, and reaches over her to fix it. He leans in, and Saeka closes her eyes as if he's going to kiss her. He says, “Found the thumbtack,” and secures the poster. Saeka realizes that she thought he was going to kiss her, and considers that her mind is being overly active. Kyou tells her that there's something they need to talk about, and says, “I'm sorry, Saeka. I'd like to wait a little while before we start going out.”
Walking home alone, Saeka passes (and sort of side-eyes) a random couple on the bridge. Love is complicated... Everyone else seems to do so well at it; Nori is amazing. Saeka flashes back to the rest of her conversation with Kyou. Kyou explains that there are some things that he needs top put in order. Saeka responds that she'd been neglecting some things lately, and Kyou cuts in to tell her that isn't what he means. Anyway, he's sorry. Back in the present, Saeka leans back on the bridge and thinks it over. Even though she was certain she knew all about that idiot, today it felt like he suddenly was somewhere far away. Could it be she actually doesn't understand him at all? Her phone rings, and Saeka sees she has a message from Yanaidu. He apologizes for the late response, but he has only bad feelings about what she's going to say. (Saeka cringes.) However, it's like Saeka not to want to do this over email. He thinks he'll be coming for New Year's, so until then. (Saeka thinks that she didn't predict that would be how she greeted the new year.) Sensei concludes by telling her he has another bit of news – he's leaving his job. Saeka widens her eyes at that last part. Sensei is quitting his job...?
Elsewhere, Nori is texting with Mio (recall that she knows Mio as “Aki”). Mio sends Nori a picture of Mii-chan (the cat) balancing on top of the television. Smiling over how cute it is, Nori thanks her for the picture, telling her that it looks like Mii-chan is getting bigger. Mio tells Nori that she's really glad that she rescued the cat, then mentions that it's almost Christmas. What will Nori be doing? Nori replies that she's going out with someone, so she'll be spending it with him. Mio tells her that's great – she's jealous!! She hopes that once she's in high school, she can have an amazing boyfriend like Nori. (Mio goes heavy on the hearts and punctuation in these texts.) Nori tells “Aki-chan” that she's super cute and a nice girl, so she definitely can. Mio tells Nori to have a wonderful Christmas with her boyfriend, and Nori thanks her. The chapter ends with Mio muttering, “Hope that it's a fun Christmas.”
