Sukitte Ii na yo [Chapter 21]

Summarized by: Carolyne

Yamato is busy doing some research on his laptop when his sister, Nagi, pops in curious as to what he’s doing. Seeing the homepage of Land on his desktop, Yamato explains that his 1 year anniversary with his girlfriend is approaching hence he’s considering having a celebration at Land. Another reason was that Mei hasn’t been to Land before. Nagi clings onto him and tells him to bring her along too, saying that he won’t be able to navigate around by himself. Yamato tells her that it’s impossible as it’s a special day for Mei and him while ignoring Nagi’s demanding cries. Nagi then tries to threaten him by saying that she knows that he wants to do perverted stuff with Mei. Yamato, blushing, tells her not to let her imagination run wild. Over at Mei’s part time place, her co-working comments that it’s great to see her lively again. It seems that Mei has started to look endearing recently. The granny recounts that during the period when Mei took a break, quite a handful of students from the boys’ high school had asked for her whereabouts. Just as Mei was trying to comment that it happens only once in a while, the door opens as Kai walks into the bakery. The granny tells him dejectedly that they have sold out all their sweet breads, much to the Kai’s disappointment. The granny then recommends the tuna mayo cone as Mei had helped out a little in making those. Kai, surprised, decides to buy those. He then whispers to Mei that she must be feeling troubled having those left on the shelf. Kai asks if her shift is ending soon as he would like to have a chat with her. Mei replies that she’s fine with that and the 2 walk home together. Kai starts off the conversation by questioning why Mei isn’t out with Yamato even though it’s a school holiday. Mei replies that because they practically meet every day, they didn’t promise each other or anything. When Kai comments that their relationship is open and honest, Mei’s shocked face made him reply that he didn’t mean that their relationship is weird. He admits that if it was him, he would want to meet her every day regardless whether it was a normal day or a holiday. When asked if such a person exists, Kai replies there is and he even met her today, causing Mei to be amazed. Mei thanks Kai for all that he has done for her, supporting her and giving her the confidence. All her loneliness and uneasiness that was building up in her had been swept away with Kai’s words. Kai relates that he had had a similar experience, when someone helped him changed his way of thinking. Mei comments that the person must be someone wonderful.

At one of the corners, Megumi coincidentally caught sight of them from behind. She decides to make use of this opportunity and follows them. Kai then confesses that the person that he had been referring to throughout this whole conversation was actually Mei. As he points at her looking serious, Mei was caught by surprise and stopped in her tracks. Kai tries to lighten the mood by laughing and saying that she’s cute to stop suddenly like that. However, he had meant what he said and apologizes for confessing to her even though she’s going out with Yamato. Megumi, spying from a corner, emits the dark and evil aura again. Looking at the crumpled up envelop that Kai gave to her and recalling him saying to use this however she wanted to, Mei walks home alone. The next day at school, a surprise visit to the freshmen corridors caused lots of commotion amongst the girls. Yamato made a trip to Kai’s class as he wanted to speak with him. Outside the main building, Yamato asks Kai whether he really has no special feelings for Mei. Kai, rather shocked to be asked this, tries to evade by commenting what’s with this sudden question. Yamato remarks that if he didn’t feel anything for her, he wouldn’t be coming to their class everyday for her sake. Kai was dumbfounded but he managed to come out with another excuse that he was worried about Mei being alone. Yamato then refutes that she wouldn’t be alone as he’s around. Pissed that Yamato is acting so defensive, he ticks him off for having put Mei in that situation in the first place and acting all cool even though his girlfriend is feeling down. Yamato flares up saying that he wasn’t alright at all. Besides, not knowing where and what Mei and Kai had been conversing made him irritated. Kai cannot accept Yamato’s reason that he had ignored Mei because he felt irritated. He then confesses to Yamato that he had made his feelings known to Mei just recently. Feeling shocked and betrayed, Yamato pulls Kai by his collar and asks why he’d done that. Kai replies that he doesn’t know either. Kai recounts that Yamato was his everything in junior high. Unlike himself, Yamato was someone who had a broad vision. Because of that, he felt envious and mortified. However, he now stands on the same position as Yamato in front of this single girl, and he no longer thinks that his inferiority will never change. Before Yamato and Kai could resolve the dispute, Megumi calls out to Yamato asking if he could spare her a moment. She discloses that she had seen Kai and Mei together on Saturday and that Kai had suddenly confessed to Mei and gave her a pair of entrance tickets to Land. When Megumi accuses Mei of being a horrible girlfriend, Yamato tells her that he’s aware of all this since Kai just admitted a moment ago. Megumi tries to stir more trouble by emphasizing that Mei is indeed awful for not sparing a thought for Yamato who instead always has eyes only for Mei. She wonders why Yamato has to go through such sadness and seeing him like this makes her feel pained too. Yamato thanks her and tells her that it can’t be help if someone says ‘I’ve come to like you’ to the person that he had fallen in love with. When Megumi attempts to change his opinion, Yamato looks at her coldly and tells her not to inform him anymore regarding Mei’s state of affairs and also not to poison him with any unnecessary ideas.

Over to Asami and Aiko, they’re busy choosing a commemorative present for Mei and Yamato’s 1 year anniversary from a magazine. Megumi, who had just arrived, asked what were they discussing so happily about. Asami innocently explains that they were discussing what to prepare for Mei and Yamato as a gift. Hearing that, Megumi bangs on the table and says that rather than talking about this, she can get the 2 of them into the Tokyo Fashion Show as her guests. Asami replies that inviting only the 2 of them, means that Mei is getting pulled out. Aiko then says that she’ll give up her seat for Mei but Asami doesn’t want that as she wants all of them to go together. Megumi, stunned by Asami and Aiko’s reactions, unconsciously blurted that they were a nuisance. Aiko and Asami turned to look at her in shock after hearing such a thing come out from her mouth. Megumi was only inviting Aiko and Asami and if they want to go they should just say ‘I want to go~’ but here they are getting all dissatisfied. She then gets pissed and tears start brimming in her eyes as she shouts at them to go with her. Aiko looks at her angrily and tells her that they aren’t her pets who will follow her like dogs. Aiko asks her why is she selling her flattery and what is she afraid about. An unknown voice comments that Megumi is always standing at the back since she’s tall and it’s also easy to spot her in crowded places. A conservative girl with unkempt hair replies ‘yes’ to that unknown voice who we now see belongs to an elementary girl. Another boy shouts that this is not the case. The reason that she’s standing right at the back is because she’s the poorest in the class and her clothes are always old and dirty, but most importantly, the ugliest. The boy then continues with the verbal abuse as to how dirty and poor the young Megumi is. Back home, Megumi’s mum welcomes her back but informs her that she needs to leave immediately for her job hence she needs to make her own dinner. With that, her mum leaves and Megumi was left to cook instant noodles for dinner while she bites on her fingernails. On the table in the untidy living room laid a few photos of Megumi and her mum. As she ate the cup noodles, Megumi stares at the photos and recalls the boy’s words about how she’s always at the back because she is the ugliest. She stabs hard into her own face in the photograph with the fork in her hand. With that, we see the high school Megumi awake from her sleep perspiring and panting profusely. Megumi runs frantically in front of the mirror and lets out a sigh of relief after seeing her ‘normal’ face in front of the mirror. Thinking to herself that she isn’t trying to flatter anyone and that she has many friends, she picks up her handphone and calls one of her friends. Really, she isn’t fearful of anything.

[[To Be Continued]]

Translator's Commentary: Megumi touching her face after looking at mirror in the last part makes me question whether her face had gone under the knife before. Hmm, we got to see a teeny glimpse of Megumi’s past that might explain her warped personality. I think we might get to see the events of her past pretty soon now. Well for all the Yamato fans, aren’t you glad that he got his act together this time round! –winks-

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