So do guys...
prefer girls like Sakurazaka-san who are earnest and family-oriented?
Huh? Where's this coming from?
What do they like girls to do for them?
There's no point in asking me, is there?
Really? But you said you'd help me, didn't you?
If you don't give me answers, you get nothing but rice.
What?
Think about it seriously.
All right. Things guys like having done for them, huh?
Hmm...
Making them lunch, maybe?
Lunch?
Yup. A home-cooked boxed lunch filled with love.
Really?
Especially from you, since no one would expect it.
No one would expect it, you say?
S-Sorry!
But that might work! And you're gonna help me, right?
I am?
What percentage does "like" have to hit before you can call it "love"?
It's criminal to be so shy
Intelligence and wild fancies, tick tock, just pick a mood
A drizzle from a patch of blue sky
No less than supreme
A maiden's heart zigzags, cute and invincible
The wild ringing of bells
What percentage does "like" have to hit before you can call it "love"?
Hold me so tightly that I fall asleep
A daydream that seems like fiction
Give me a kiss that breaks the expectant silence of the play
Give that indecision a tight embrace, too
My heart hurts and hurts,
racing unpredictably with joy and excitement
It's TRUE FOOL LOVE! Hold me tight!
Be brave, my darling
It won't all be happy and fun
It's all up to us
ONCE MORE SMILE, TWICE MORE CHIME
Please look my way, darling
Please notice my pure love for you
And so I began helping Watanabe with her boxed lunch strategy.
This is a pretty extravagant dinner!
I want to choose the lineup
for the boxed lunch from among these, keeping the color variety in mind.
How is it?
It's great!
But I think I prefer my rolled omelets sweet.
Huh? I'm not asking about your preferences here.
Minami-kun has a mature vibe to him,
so rolled omelets with sugar in them won't work.
Then don't ask me.
I'm really proud of the mini hamburger patties and this ohitashi salad.
Yeah?
And I think I might need a rolled omelet pan after all...
Whoa, what's that? It's not a home-cooked lunch from Akari-chan, is it?!
Well, yeah.
Seriously, Jiro-chan, you're way too blessed.
It makes me want to ask, "O gods, have I done something wrong?"
But you guys are doing fine, too.
No way. There's no love there at all.
But in the beginning, I'd get nervous just eating together.
Morning! I've been waiting for you!
Hashimoto Marin "Morning! I've been waiting for you."
It's already afternoon, though.
Right now, both "good morning" and "goodnight" are just game functions.
Like collecting login bonuses.
Just be glad you even get bonuses.
What?
I don't want to hear that from a guy whose relationship chart
looks like it's from an erotic manga.
Hurry up and let that gyaru wife you live with wreck that factory-fresh unit of yours.
Quit saying such disturbing things!
And there it is!
He's calling the lucky event of graduating from virgin status "disturbing"!
Are you one of those harem manga leads who,
for some reason, don't yield even when cornered by beauties?
So, um, how is it really?
D-Does stuff like that happen?
Does it?
No, it doesn't!
Potato Star
Lightly Salted
So delicious you won't be able to stop!
She only ever wears skimpy, flimsy clothes.
I think I deserve praise for the self-restraint it takes to live with her!
Jiro!
Let's stop talking about this already.
We're eating,
and besides, it'll make things awkward with Watanabe when I get home.
What about me?
What about Watanabe?
Uh-oh. How much did you hear?
G-Greetings. How are you this afternoon?
Huh?
Uh, nothing. Sorry.
So it was something you feel the need to apologize for?
No, um... W-We were talking about Tanabe-kun, and, um...
So how was the lunch I made?
I-It was really good.
Huh? That's it?
Um, the bacon-wrapped asparagus was awesome.
Good, good. What else?
Well...
I really do think I prefer my rolled omelets sweet.
I told you, I don't need to know your preferences.
What? Then don't ask me.
There's other stuff you could tell me!
Like how it all looked together, or if it was okay after being in the box so long,
or what you thought of the taste!
I told you what I thought of the taste!
I need answers that are more useful as reference, or there's no point!
And now, a tanka...
Standing before me
They force me to watch as they Have their lovers' spat
They force me to watch as they
Have their lovers' spat
I am not envious, no Instead, I shall remember Kamo
I am not envious, no
Instead, I shall remember
Kamo
Lancia
What do we need to do to defeat that guy?
Don't worry. I'm sure we'll win. Let's find our opponent's weakness.
Morning.
Wow, that's amazing!
Right? It's a boxed lunch for Minami-kun!
I thought I'd take it to the place where he works part-time.
Oh, so it's the real test at last, huh? Sounds good.
S-Sorry. It just looks so good, I couldn't help it.
I'm really proud of today's rolled omelets.
Are you sure? It's for Tenjin, isn't it?
It's the end piece. It'll just end up leftover, anyway.
Nope, still not sweet.
The lunch that my mock wife makes belong to Tenjin.
But Tenjin's wife, Shiori, is the one I have feelings for.
There really isn't any sweetness here.
Okay!
Isn't it a little too showy?
It's better than looking boring, isn't it?
How many hours did she spend dressing up to deliver one lunch?
She'll be meeting a guy, right?
Lots of things are showing.
She seems a little... obvious.
When she's out with me, she just wears whatever.
She's never worn anything like that.
Yakuin?
U-Um... I'm gonna do my very best, okay?
So...
Yakuin...
Do the goodbye thing.
Huh?
Like you did that other time.
The "goodbye thing"? She can't mean...
Please, Yakuin?
No, I-I can't! My heart isn't ready!
What? You're saying this now?
You said you'd cheer me on, didn't you?
But you're going out to see Tenjin, right?
Are you sure you want that... from me?
Moron.
It's yours I want, Yakuin.
It made me feel really safe that other time.
Huh?
If you say something like that with that look on your face...
Any guy would get his hopes up!
I-I'll get it.
Yes?
Shiori?
Sorry for showing up unannounced.
I'm so glad the two of you are home!
Nah, I've never got anything to do.
He doesn't have many friends, after all.
Oh, I brought apple pies. I kind of made too many.
Really?
You made these?
Wow! They look delicious!
Thanks. It was a request from Minami-kun.
Minami-kun seems to like sweet things, so I made them to suit his tastes.
I hope both of you like them, too.
Really?
Who would've thought, huh?
Oh! How cute!
A boxed lunch? Are you going on a picnic or something?
No, that's... well, uh...
It's really amazing...
They look delicious.
Taking a home-cooked lunch on a picnic?
That seems lovely.
Man, that was good.
Thanks for such a feast.
Come on, cheer up!
Next time, you can go for a time when Tenjin's by himself. Right?
Minami-kun likes sweet things.
That's right! You can research his favorite foods and—
What else do I have?
Huh?
After what you said, I thought I could get by on my cooking.
Watanabe is always so confident.
This is the first time I've seen her so discouraged.
She worked so hard.
There's nothing to do about it now, but it's throwing me off a bit.
Watanabe, you've got tons more good points!
You're cheerful and articulate.
You can make friends with anyone.
And the guys all talk about you a lot.
They think you're great.
Great how?
Huh?
What's great about me?
Um, well, you know...
You're... I guess "sexy" is the word, and you're b-beautiful...
Y-You have a great figure, and you make daring fashion choices, so...
So?
You know, like... you're every guy's dream, the object of their desires...
I mean... How do I put it?
Basically, any guy would want to have se—er, uh...
Wait! That's not what I meant! It's really not!
It's just, all guys think about stuff like that, so, um...
It's more... as a woman, you're very appealing?
You know, like, they have those celebrity rankings of, um...
I mean, uh...
You, too?
Huh? M-Me?
Me and Watanabe...
Um, well...
Zing
I-I've never really thought about it.
Liar.
Huh? Um...
Have you thought of doing things like this with me?
Have you, Yakuin?
You've thought about doing things like this with me, haven't you?
How many times?
When do you think about it?
Watanabe...
Time out! Hang on!
Why? You wanted to try it sometime, didn't you?
Go ahead.
I'll grant your wish.
It was for real.
Gyaru really are like they are in erotic manga.
Is it really okay for me to graduate this easily?
Wait... I have this incredibly uneasy feeling.
Yakuin...
We can't!
We can't.
Th-This is...
s-something you do with someone you love, right?
Oh, man. It's over.
Why did I stop her?
It was my chance to graduate!
You didn't want to.
I mean, for one thing, you have Tenjin.
And you have Sakurazaka-san.
I see.
Watanabe?
Let's stop this married couple thing.
And so our married life broke apart.
Why did things turn out this way?
We could've just muddled through this marriage practical thing...
But now, because I overstepped my bounds and got presumptuous...
9th
8th
Najima Nakano
Miyajidake Asahi
Sakurazaka Shiori
Tenjin Minami
Minami-kun, you're amazing!
You can cook, too?
I rotate with Shiori.
Shiori, what's wrong?
It's nothing.
74th
Okubo Osamu
Shuto Kyoko
75th
Yakuin Jiro
Watanabe Akari
Omure Yutaka
Jiro-chan!
Whoa, man! Think about time, place, and occasion, would you?
What's the meaning of that?
Of what?
The month-end evaluation!
Hey, Jiro-chan, what happened?
If there was a reason for it, it was your fault, right?
What's it matter? Just leave it alone.
I wonder what the right choice would've been.
At first, I thought she was just making fun of me.
I thought that after she made me take her seriously, she'd laugh and call me stupid.
But her hand...
was shockingly cold and trembling.
Her nervousness and uncertainty became painfully clear to me.
She's probably the same as me.
It seemed like it was all new to her, too...
Any guy would want to have se—
It's cold.
If that's true, then...
I'm the absolute worst.
What's this all of a sudden?
Jiro-chan, don't you have a handkerchief?
Oh, Shiori.
Hey, Jiro-kun...
Do you have a little time to talk with me, just the two of us?
Sure.
Are you serious?
Wow!
The breeze feels so nice.
Shiori, is what you wanted to talk about...
Jiro-kun, did something happen between you and Watanabe-san?
Yeah. You could call it a fight,
or you could say I didn't express myself well...
I had the wrong idea about her.
But I couldn't find the right timing to apologize.
And Watanabe doesn't seem like she wants to talk to me.
Even though you're living together?
Huh?
In a day's time, you're with her more than you're with anyone else.
I think Watanabe-san will understand you.
I've been your friend since we were little, so I can vouch for you!
That makes us even, right?
Shiori...
I really don't stand a chance against you.
You've always beaten me when it comes to discussions.
I'm very much still your childhood friend, after all.
Ahem!
Still, I was impressed you'd noticed that something was wrong.
Though, I guess anyone who saw that month-end evaluation would know.
It makes me feel jealous.
I'm back.
600 watts 2 min. 30 sec.
Watanabe, I'd like to talk for a minute...
But, yeah, you're not gonna come out, huh?
So come in, then.
It smells like a girl!
I didn't expect her to just ignore my existence.
S-So, um, I'm sorry about before.
It's not like you did anything wrong.
No!
It's all my fault!
That was just me trying too hard and getting nowhere!
Don't make me say it all out loud!
It's fine, so just forget all of it!
Right now!
Look, it seems like you got the wrong idea, so I'll say this...
It's not like I didn't want to, okay?
I am a guy, after all.
And to tell the truth, it's just like you said.
I've had wild fantasies about you more than once.
And, well, I'm actually really grateful to you for that experience...
That's enough!
Are you stupid?!
Don't say all that! Are you stupid?!
It's sexual harassment!
You're in a girl's room, and you have zero tact!
And that's why you'll never be able to "graduate"!
Y-You're quite right.
But the reason I stopped you then was...
I just... I don't really know, but...
I just felt like I had to treat you with more care than that.
The idea of doing something like that in the heat of the moment
just made me feel uneasy somehow.
I don't really get it, but...
Huh? What are you talking about?
It's the same now!
I really hate things being this awkward between us.
I want to be able to talk to you normally, like we did before.
And I want to eat together.
Would you please give me a chance?
Watanabe, I want to be...
a married couple with you again.
No! Not like that!
When I said "married couple," I meant the practical!
O-O-Of course I realize that you have Tenjin!
I'm not going to get in the way of that... er...
Pff...
Pff?
Oh, man!
What? Why are you laughing?
You're acting so desperate!
And what was all that? A proposal? That's hilarious!
W-Well, you said we should stop being a married couple!
Huh? But we can't stop.
It's something the school decided.
What?!
So that was a lie, then?!
You lied?!
Why?!
How scary. It wasn't a lie. More of a vibe.
Do you have any idea how much I agonized over this?
I think I'm enjoying this married life more than I thought I would.
I like you quite a lot, Jiro.
What is this?
Why'd she suddenly use my first name?
What does she mean by "like"?
What about you, Jiro?
I...
A hand?
Just kidding! Too bad for you!
Sometimes the heat of the moment is important, Repressed-kun.
Watanabe...
Welcome home, Jiro.
Good to be back.
We're not going back to square one.
We're starting from zero.
I like you quite a lot, Jiro.
I said it.
In this moment when I've deceived you on a cosmic scale
I want to give love a try
In this night when everything begins to overflow
I match my stride to yours
The clock hands stop, charmed by a fleeting curse
The answers always slip away
All I want is to do it over again
If I did, would this unsettling gloom inside me disappear?
I want to know where my heart is hiding
One day this will end
I know that
And I know the signs of discord
Turn them inside out
Don't let them pile up
I don't want things to stay unfinished like this
In this moment when I've deceived you on a cosmic scale
I want to give love a try
Everything begins to overflow
On this day when we don't know how much time is left to us
I want your thoughts to drift toward me fondly, again and again
Burned
A burned rolled omelet.
Akari, fretting.
And standing behind her...
Jiro, holding sugar.
So it's your fault?
Ow, ow, ow
I thought it'd taste better that way!
SHFF
You'd better take responsibility for it.
GULP
CHOMP
Ow!
I'm sorry
It's bitter...
Next Time
A Hero, but Not the Main Character.
Next time...
"A Hero, but Not the Main Character."