Kokoro Botan [Chapter 8]

Summarized by: Osora

This chapter continues from chapter 7. Nina returns home from Koga’s house and she sees that Aoi is already at home. Nina tells Aoi that because she suddenly ran away, Koga is also worried about her. But Aoi just gives Nina an angry glare. Nina is scared so she walks away sneakily, thinking that it’s best not to talk to her right now. As Nina walks towards the door, Aoi tells her to wait and says, “It seems that you misunderstood. If you are cheated by a bad guy, you’ll bring trouble to the family and that is very bothersome.” She then angrily yells, “Something like I cherish you is 100% impossible!!” Nina is delighted by her words “cherish you” and she says she’s very happy that Aoi cares about her but she’s fine so Aoi doesn’t need to worry. Aoi is irritated and shouts, “Didn’t I say that that’s impossible!! You stupid sister.” Aoi continues yelling that Nina is the type of person that is very gullible and also very naive and sentimental and someday, she may even be tricked into buying a super expensive pot. After venting her frustration, Aoi tells Nina that in her view, Koga enjoys teasing people very much and besides, you never know what he’s thinking behind that smiling face and that it’s also very suspicious. Nina goes, “Suspicious!?” and protests that Koga is an honest person. Aoi refutes that a truly honest person would date people seriously and not just by having a “trial relationship”. Aoi’s statement stabs Nina’s heart and her face turns pale. In an attempt to refute back, Nina says that Koga just hasn’t fallen for her yet. After a moment of silence, Aoi sighs and says that Nina is hopeless. In the bedroom, Nina is still mad about Aoi; she keeps hitting her bed with a pillow and thinks that Aoi is so mean and even she will not always be satisfied with this kind of “trial relationship”. Just then, Nina’s cell phone rings. The call is from Koga and he asks if Aoi is all right after she ran out of his house. Nina replies that Aoi is the same as usual (in some way – always being critical). Koga then says that he’s worried if Nina is still upset about the (fake) affair between him and Aoi in his house and asks if Nina is all right. Nina is surprised and delighted to know that Koga cares about her feeling. She blushes and says that she’s all right. Koga continue asking if she had cried and Nina replies him that she didn’t cry. Then Nina’s face becomes all red as she tells Koga that she’ll try very, very hard to make him fall for her. Koga is surprised to hear that and doesn’t know how to response. They then say goodnight to each other.

The following day, at school, Nina is full of energy and she’s stretching on the hallway while thinking that she must work harder, even though she has no plan on how to make Koga to fall for her. Sayaka is puzzled with Nina’s weird behavior and says that she’ll go to the classroom first. Just then, a black haired girl (her name is Keiko Sendo) appears and tells Nina to come along with her because she has something to say to her. Keiko takes Nina to the school’s backyard (where there are nobody nearby) and threatens her. Nina is sweating with fear while Keiko says that Nina is shameless to go out with Koga, and that no wonder Koga is willing to date her because it’s only a “trial”. Keiko continues to say that Nina should have enough “trial” already, so it’s time for her turn. Nina’s face pales. Then Keiko warns Nina not to disturb her, and Nina is shocked and goes, “EHHHHHH!?” Keiko is in the honors class, which is the same class with Koga. Nina peeks into their classroom and sees Keiko sitting closely beside Koga. Nina is envious that Keiko can be in the same class with Koga and that they can discuss homework together. Koga is teaching Keiko how to solve a math problem, but Nina’s face pales (her expression looks like =_=) because what they said is entirely beyond her understanding. Koga notices Nina and asks what happen that she is sitting outside of his classroom. Nina tries to cover up the fact that she’s peeking at them by saying that she dropped her contact lens. However, Keiko gives Nina a hard stare. Nina is frightened. Back at Nina’s classroom, Nina and her friends are discussing about Keiko. Keiko is from a wealthy family; her father is the president of a large company and her mother is a model. Nina feels defeated because Keiko is both pretty and talented, so she thinks that she must do something. Nina stops Koga on the hallway and asks if it is okay for her to make a lunchbox for him tomorrow. (Nina has to stop Koga on the hallway because she’s afraid to meet the scary Keiko in his classroom.) Koga asks if Nina will finally let him taste her food because last time, she seems unwilling to let him try. Koga continues to say that he’ll look forward to her tasty lunchbox. Nina blushes and thinks, “Success!!” She tells Koga that she’ll strive to make the lunchbox. Nina is very cheerful while thinking that even though she still can’t make that many different foods yet, she still hopes to give Koga a pleasant experience tasting her food. Then Nina thinks of an idea.

The following day, Nina takes Koga to the roof of their school. Koga comments that the view is pretty up there, and Nina places the picnic mat and their lunch on the floor. Nina explains that it’s a rare opportunity that they are eating lunch together so she wants to make it feels like picnic. Koga likes this idea as well. He looks at the lunchboxes and plates that Nina has arranged on the picnic mat and says that it’s the first time he eats like this. Just when Nina is very happy that her plan is successful, a strong wind blows the mat away and messes up all the lunchboxes and plates. The mat falls on the playground. Koga says that he’ll go get the mat back. Nina says that she’ll go with him but Koga tells her to clean up first. After she has cleaned the place, Nina goes to the playground to find Koga but she sees a teacher blaming him for making such a mistake and Koga is apologizing. Nina tells the teacher that she’s the one who brought the picnic mat to school. The teacher says that he’ll keep the mat for now and they can get it back from his office later. Nina is very upset and she apologizes to Koga for causing him trouble. Koga tries to console her by saying that the teacher doesn’t blame him very much and that they can still eat their lunch on a bench. After Nina gets the picnic mat back from the teacher, she sees Keiko on the hallway. Keiko blames Nina for causing trouble for Koga; because of her mistake, teachers now have a lower appraisal on Koga. Keiko continues saying, “Koga is an honors class student so he has to consider about his university education, but now you are damaging his future. If you are a hindrance to Koga, you should leave him.” Nina is shocked and doesn’t know how to respond. Just then, Koga calls her from behind and asks if she has already gotten the mat back herself because they have agreed on going to the teacher’s office to get that mat back together. Keiko asks Koga if he would like to go out with her and says it’s okay to start from “trial” first. Both Nina and Koga are stunned. Before walking away, Keiko says that she can wait but she hopes Koga will consider her seriously. Nina is still speechless and then she notices Koga is looking at her. While thinking about Keiko words, “Because of your mistake”, “If you are a hindrance to Koga”, Nina tells Koga that she’ll be fine with any decision he makes. Koga is shocked by her statement and looks at her speechlessly. After a moment, Koga asks if that’s okay. Nina is shocked; she turns her head to see Koga but Koga has already walked away.

After school, Nina is waiting by the shoe closet. Nina hears the other students saying that it’s raining outside and thinks that she’s lucky that she has an umbrella in her shoe case. Then Nina notices Koga walking toward the school entrance to go home. Nina hides behind the shoe closet because they didn’t make any agreement to go home together and furthermore, she doesn’t know how to face Koga. Koga is looking out at the rain and feeling troubled because he doesn’t have an umbrella. Before Nina can call Koga, Keiko calls Koga and says that if he doesn’t have an umbrella then they can use her umbrella together. After some thinking, Koga accepts her offer. Nina cannot stand watching Koga walking home and sharing the umbrella with Keiko; she runs after them and keeps calling Koga to wait. Nina slips behind them and her clothes become dirty. Koga and Keiko notice her. Keiko laughs about Nina making such a mess to herself. Nina cries and confesses that she still like Koga very much, even if she causes troubles for him, she cannot give up. Keiko then says that Nina is such a troublesome person and “as you see Koga and I are….”, but before she can finish, Koga hands the umbrella to her and goes to help Nina up. Then Koga holds Nina’s arms and tells Keiko that Nina is the only person that he wants to have trial relationship with. He apologizes to Keiko and then tells Nina that they should find a place to hide from the rain. Keiko is angry; she asks if Koga is fooling her. But Koga ignores her. Under the shelter, Nina is spaced out thinking about Koga’s words, “she’s the only person…” Koga helps Nina to dry her hair while saying that she’s all wet and full of dirt. Then Koga says that it’s the first time he hears her saying that she likes him. The chapter ends with Nina blushing and saying, “Eh? Really?” and thinking that Koga looks a bit embarrassed as he said that.

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