Jyunishi Comedy #111

We have an image of Kisa, perhaps a little more grown up than last time we saw her, on the cover for this chapter...

I've come to think of rainy days...

Just a little more gently...

Starting this chapter, we see Shigure talking to Akito through a partially open fusuma (sliding wall style partition). He asks Akito if there's any point to her isolating herself like she is; and if she thinks that by doing so, things would change to the world that she imagines. However, before anything further can happen, Kureno enters, and Shigure seeing Kureno, leaves. Kureno tells Akito that Shigure will end up leaving, but Akito doesn't care saying that she no longer knows that sort of cold person.

Akito: During difficult times...
During truly difficult times, if he has

No intention of being kind, then

I no longer know him...

[It's pointless

Thinking that sort of thing

Time goes on

As do people; as do feelings

Leaving you behind]

The scene changes to Kaibara HS just after the school day finishes. A couple of girls are gossiping when someone goes walking by shocking the two. Completely taken offguard, one of the girls wonders if there was an exchange student in the school, but the other girl denies it telling her that it was that Sohma...

Momiji seeing Tohru about to head down some stairs pats her on the shoulder and asks her if she'd like to go home together. Momiji's grown since the last time we saw him and is now more than half a head taller than Tohru. The two girls he'd passed in the hall are ecstatic at how Momiji's changed and grown and how adult-like he's become. They can remember when Momiji ran around the school with his bunny knapsack, going on about candy and ices and how now, he's so wonderful and grown up...

Except Momiji hasn't really changed inside and suggests to Tohru that they stop and buy some ices on the way home. (Talk about having your dreams shattered - those two girls...)

Momiji, holding Tohru's hand as they walk down the hall, comments how everyone still looks so surprised when they see him.

Tohru: Probably because you grew so quickly and look so great...

Momiji: Eh, really!? Do I really look great!?

Tohru: Yes
Like a prince

Momiji tells Tohru that while he had lots of fun while being so small and that there were certain things he could do or was even allowed to do because he was small, that he's still really happy to have finally grown. And that he is a guy afterall.

As they continue down the hall, Momiji spots Haru and Yuki

Haru: ...Those two are really something
Anyway you look at them, they look like a really close couple.

Yuki: They're just begging to be misunderstood...

Momiji asks Yuki if he doesn't have student council, but Yuki tells him he's finished for the day. Momiji then suggests that rather than having ice on the way home, they should buy a bunch of them and eat them together at Shigure's instead. Tohru agrees thinking it a wonderful idea when Momiji suggests that they should get an ice cake to which Tohru looks overwhelmed. Yuki immediately realises that Tohru likely had never eaten one before while Haru picks up on Tohru's thoughts that it was something extremely expensive.

The scene then changes to Shigure's home where Kyo has arrived before the others. Kyo is surprised to see Kisa sitting in the living room and she shrinkingly apologises for intruding, when Hiro pops out of nowhere (he'd apparently been in the bathroom) and tells Kyo not to intimidate Kisa so.

Kyo: Wouldn't you wonder if you just got home to find her sitting there!!

Hiro: Is it that sort of problem? For one thing, against someone younger than you...
.........

Huh...
Oh forget it...
When is she (Tohru) coming home?

Kyo: What's with that "I'll let things go" attitude

Hiro then goes on at length explaining to Kyo how he and Kisa had come by to visit since it had been awhile. Apparently Shigure let them in and immediately afterward, asked them to watch over things since he was going to the main house.

Kisa: Ah...
Um...
He-

Hello!

Kyo: ......?
Uh...

Hel_lo

...She
Should be home soon

Kisa: ............
Hiro-chan... I managed to greet him...
And he returned my greeting...

Hiro: Yeah, I saw

Kisa: ...In truth
He really is a kind onii-chan...
Afterall, he always seems so kind to onee-chan...

Hiro: ......

Yeah...

Back at the Sohma main house, Shigure has stopped by to visit Hatori who asks archly if Shigure'd come to say still more cruel things to Akito; and ask if he didn't tire of such things. Shigure can only wonder about Hatori's sudden appearance; but then, it is Hatori's home... ^^; Hatori tells Shigure that each time he visits Akito, she becomes more and more withdrawn, and Shigure can only act shocked and ask if that isn't really bad.

Hatori: Sometimes...
The fact that we're the same age makes me sad...

Hatori then goes on to comment how Shigure doesn't reveal anything of what he has up his sleeve and that it's making Akito more and more obstinate.

Shigure: Ah---...

Shigure: But that's
something I do deliberately...

Hatori: I know it's deliberate.

...How about
Ending the battle of wills against someone younger than yourself.

The way it looks to me, from time to time

It looks like you hate Akito from the bottom of your heart.

...How about
Treating (her) a little kinder

Shigure remembers Kureno asking him to stop being so cold towards Akito and Akito herself telling him that he'd used to be much nicer before. Shigure goes on to tell Hatori that his own "kindness" is an added extra that's slapped together and can't even begin to compete with Hatori's "real thing".

...Why is it. I don't think

That that's sad but

I wonder why that is. For example, something like a parent's love
I didn't especially feel like I wanted it

To be frank, I'm not particularly hurt by the fact that I'm one of the possessed

[If you call this "warped"
Then I am definitely that

Not thinking that that is "sad"
That in itself is also]

Perhaps so extremely lonely

But before looking too deeply at those feelings, Shigure quickly wipes those thoughts from his mind and admits that by nature he's not a nice guy. Hatori can only comment that before Shigure even bothers to put in any sort of effort, he abandoned the concept (of being nice).

Shigure: ...If Akito were

To further seek your kind of big-hearted,

Or Kureno's innocent,

That sort of kindness from me, that

would be absurd.

Shigure: It's not like
I want to become Akito's "father"

Back to Shigure's home, Yuki, Haru, Momiji and Tohru have all arrived and Yuki wonders what they should do for dinner now that so many people have shown up and Momiji exclaims that he wants to do a barbeque. Haru comments mildly that they didn't need a guardian in that house (Shigure qualifies!? really!?!?) and goes on to rebuke Hiro for having dropped by without saying anything beforehand. Hiro admits that he thinks that they were wrong to do so but... Since the one who would end up making dinner didn't feel it an imposition, perhaps it wasn't all that important.

Yuki then tells Tohru he wanted to talk to her about something... shocking Tohru and Kisa into letting go of one another. Tohru asks him what it was he wanted, and he says "Welcome home..." (No doubt Tohru and Kisa had been clinging to one another sending hearts flying everywhere since the moment Tohru'd walked in the door and no one could welcome her back... ^^;; )

Hiro: Somehow, I don't think this house has the necessary equipment to do a bar-be-que

Haru: It should be alright even without, shouldn't it...?

Momiji: Right~~

Yuki: No, we need it...

Haru?: But for that... in any case, if we make a fire and can cook meat, that's all that matters right...?

Haru: .........Yeah

It looks like it'll burn well

Yuki & Hiro: What're you planning on doing!!?

Haru: It's alright if it's naughty......

Momiji: Enterprising...

Hiro: No good; this isn't getting us anywhere

Yuki: Let's make it curry; a curry.

While this is happening, Tohru realises that Kyo isn't around. Kisa tells her that most likely he'd gone to his room and Tohru remembers what Shigure had told her about the 12shi and how they viewed the cat. Shaking her head hard to clear it of that image, Momiji realises that something's not quite right with Tohru as well, and she explains that Kyo wasn't around and Momiji realising that was indeed the case, runs off saying he'll go get Kyo.

After Momiji leaves, Hiro wonders to Yuki and Haru if perhaps Kyo really liked Tohru. Poor Yuki can only think to himself about how even a Junior High Schooler like Hiro realised how Kyo felt.

Yuki: ...Is it wrong to "like"?

Hiro: Eh...
B... But...
...The cat

Is.........

Haru: ...Hiro's
The type to choose to take the bridge that everyone else avoids taking, aren't you...

Hiro: Urk
I'm... aware of that...

Hiro: I-
It's not like I'm against it or anything like that but...
Well... maybe you'd call it mixed feelings or call it worry

...Even though it's been so long

In the meantime, Momiji find Kyo and tells him that things were okay, they were planning on doing curry for dinner and that he should come down. Kyo figuring that it would be too much of a bother to ask what Momiji meant about things being okay being curry decides to change the subject.

Kyo: But, you've really grown.

Momiji: Haven't I--!!
It could be that I'll end up growing taller than you

And maybe even become cooler than you!

Kyo: ......?

Backfired?

Momiji: And if that happens, maybe

Momiji: ...I wonder if To-ru

Would accept my proposal?

...Hey. If you give up

That sort of thing could end up happening
You do realise that?

That's why

Giving up isn't good

I too, will stop giving up because "thinking about it is pointless"

About the cat

Kyo: ...

After so long...?

The scene then switches back to Yuki, Haru and Hiro and Yuki agrees that it is "after so long" and regardless of how they might try to make excuses, but perhaps because it has been so long, that they should think things through in a more simple fashion.

In order to be happy

What should be done

Back to Momiji talking to Kyo, he also agrees that it is "after so long" and asks Kyo if he wouldn't feel upset having Tohru stolen by another guy instead. Kyo reacts slightly to the question but before he can say anything further, Momiji tells him that they should hurry back to the others and help with making the curry. Kyo again tries to say something to Momiji when he suddenly realises...

Kyo: Hang on; could it be that I......

I was obvious!? Was I that obvious!?

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh?

Shigure comes home to see all the kids in the yard making dinner and comments that it really feels strange to come back to one's home to see that sort of scene (akin to victims of a disaster all making dinner together).

All: Welcome ho~me

Note: Apparently they ended up doing a barbeque style curry

Shigure: I'm home kids--
It's Papa--

Hiro: Yuki-nii; what's with that?

Yuki: He's an idiot. Don't worry about it.

Tohru asks Shigure if he's eaten yet and if not... but Shigure instead asks her how she's doing and if she's still hanging in there. Surprised Tohru says that she is...

Shigure: ...
Perhaps the one to be dreamed of

Maybe should have been you...

Especially for a person like myself
Perhaps you're a necessary person...

...That sort of thing
Is what I've been thinking these days...

Shigure tells Tohru that that's a "what if" and instead changes the subject asking for a mid-size serving of curry.

Back at Shishou's home, Kagura tells Rin she should have gone to the barbeque. Rin tells her to shut up and that if she'd known Kagura would be coming over she would have. Kagura a little put out by Rin's attitude bugs her about always being so rebellious and if she was going to be that way, that she'd debate things with her until morning. Rin yells at her to get out while Kazuma tells Kagura to enjoy her stay.

[Time moves]

[And starts to move forward]

[As do people
As do feelings]

[That's why I want

You to hurry and come too]

Banner: Akito continues to wish for things to remain unchanging... But she needs to realise, sooner or later. That time would not wait.