Sukitte Ii na yo [Chapter 22]

Summarized by: Carolyne

Title: The one year anniversary of Mei and Yamato

The chapter starts off with Megumi who was posing for a last shot. The photoshoot successfully wrapped up with one of the crew commenting that she was charming as usual in today’s shoot. She then runs out in an attempt to chase after this man whom she addresses as Yokoi-san, and passes him a bagful of homemade cake. Megumi also announces that everyone else in the team has a share too. With that, she bids everyone farewell while they all were singing praises of her. In Megumi’s inner thoughts, she proclaims that she’s reflected well in most people. Recalling her past when she was still in elementary school, she’d chanced upon her mum’s makeup wardrobe and out of curiosity, started experimenting with them. Because of that, she learnt how to beautify herself resulting in her catching the attention of everyone during the first day of middle school. Realising that people were noticing her, Megumi decided to hide her family background, alter her personality and become the cheerful and cute “Kitagawa Megumi”. Following that, Megumi gets confronted by a girl whose boyfriend had cheated on her with Megumi. Megumi defenses by explaining that the boyfriend was the one who suddenly held her hand after confessing to her. She wasn’t at fault here as she was just ‘following instructions’. The friends around her too support and side Megumi and blame that girl for being too imaginative. Megumi believed that if you openly say can or cannot be done, even if you do something bad, your friends will trust you. If done well and incorporated into one’s self, you don't have to be afraid of anything. That was what she firmly believed until the day she met Yamato. Falling in love at first sight with the princely looking Yamato, Megumi thought that she could capture him easily. However, she was very wrong as he was already taken, by a scrawny, dull looking “Tachibana Mei”. Megumi even thinks that Mei’s friends seem kinda weird too. Just when she felt irritated by these thoughts, her fans called out to her to check if it really was their idol. While Megumi’s fans were in frenzy that their idol was standing right in their face, Megumi abruptly asks what’s good about her and what do they know about her. Dumbfounded by her sudden question, her fans stutter and before they could say anything, one of Megumi’s closer friends (Momo) runs up saying that she’d been looking for her all over. As Megumi’s fans leave feeling somewhat disappointed, Momo advises that she shouldn’t treat her fans this way. Megumi says that it can’t be help since she’s feeling irritated and besides, these people couldn’t care less if Megumi wasn’t a model. Momo tries to console her by saying that it can’t be helped since Megumi had chosen such a job. However, she feels that Megumi is charming and kind and that is why she’s able to be a model. Momo’s words however didn’t get through to Megumi who raises her voice demanding an explanation as to if that’s the case, why didn’t Yamato choose her, and why is everyone siding Mei. When Megumi tries to coerce Momo in helping her isolate Mei, Momo frowns and tells her to calm down.

It’s lunchtime and Yamato goes up to Mei inviting her to have lunch together. They decide to have their lunch at the school’s rooftop. Apparently, Mei’s eating habits have changed for the better after going out with Yamato (she used to have kimichi and natto beans with bread o.O). While chatting, Yamato took up the task of spreading jam on the bread for Mei. He teases her by personally feeding her the bread. Mei blushes and after some deliberation, takes a bite out of the bread. Her action caught Yamato by surprised who commented that Mei must be an M. Mei, who was embarrassed, insists that she’s neither M nor S. Yamato laughs saying that she’s cute and gives her a peck on the lips. He then remarks that luckily it’s strawberry flavored and not natto or kimichi. Yamato brings up the topic of his plan for them to celebrate their one year anniversary by staying over at Land (the amusement park) for one night. Though embarrassed and nervous, Mei agrees with his plans. Megumi and her friends are hanging out at the donuts shop after school. One of the guys arrived late and noticed that Momo wasn’t present. Megumi tells him that she won’t be coming since she isn’t invited anyway. The guy finds it strange that Megumi didn’t invite her as Megumi and Momo have been pretty close since young. Megumi then explains that Momo is no longer her buddy after what happened earlier. The rest just kept quiet while Megumi changes the topic to discuss what they should do next. As it approaches sunset, Megumi bids farewell to her friends. She receives a call from Momo a while later but cuts off her call while calling her a traitor. On her way home, Megumi caught a whiff of something sweet smelling and when she lifts her head in the direction where the smell was coming from, she met eyes with Kai who was gobbling down a taiyaki. Kai says hi and thank her sarcastically for causing an uproar which ‘earned’ him 2 hours with the discipline teacher. Megumi returns the sarcasm by saying that she had given him an opportunity to study the society. The two start arguing and halfway through, Megumi’s tummy started grumbling. Embarrassed that she’d forgotten to grab a bite at the bowling alley, her face turned bright red. Kai then offers her the taiyaki which was half eaten by him. But of course, Megumi rejects it saying that it’s dirty. She then brings up the topic that Kai finally did confess to Mei and in a way betrayed his friendship with Yamato. Didn’t he ever think that confessing to a friend’s girlfriend would break their friendship? Kai replies that if their friendship was destroyed like that, it would just mean that its value was only to that extent. He feels that hiding his feelings instead is an insult to Yamato and Mei. The link between him and Yamato has always been sincere and honest. Megumi remarked that it’s honest to the point of being ridiculous though Kai made no reaction to her remark. Kai then returns her question of how is it going with Yamato for her. Megumi replies that there’s nothing much going on. Kai then taunts her by saying that in actual fact, her feelings for Yamato was only superficial. And that she is someone who wants to always be the center of attraction and is unable to tolerate others getting attention. Hence, she doesn’t like anyone but herself. Megumi flares up and shouts that she isn’t such a selfish person. She then goes on and on about how everything she had been doing benefits others as well. Kai then says that if she could direct all those emotions to her work, it would be very good. However, her method of aiming her wrath at a person is something that he cannot accept. Kai then walks off leaving Megumi who was shocked and dumbfounded by his words. In her heart, Megumi knows that what Kai said was the ideals. But Megumi is still living in the shadows of her past and she has to constantly put up the front which is “Megu-tan”. All this thinking made Megumi crouch on the floor and grasping her head, she stops herself from thinking any further and trying to chuck out all that Kai has said. She feels that knowing all this would break her resolve.

On the other hand, Mei is in her room staring at the ticket given to her by Yamato. She starts panicking and getting embarrassed over the fact that she will be staying a night together alone with Yamato. Her mum then peeks in from behind the door but Mei was sharp enough to sense her peeking behind. She forces her mum out of the room much to the displeasure of her mum who wants to be let in on what’s causing Mei to blush so much. Summer vacation is approaching and other than the pile of homework that she will receive, or the increase in shifts she will have to work for the trip, there is another topic that is much more important that she will inadvertently face soon…

Translator's Comment:Mei and Yamato have taken a slight step forward in their relationship. Megumi is starting to experience solitude. Next up, Kai is…!?

*S refers to sadistic while M refers to masochistic. Though I’m sure many of you know what SM means.

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