Mmmm, yeah, when you put it that way, that does make sense. When I first read this chapter, Ayaka's continued listlessness during the date scenes kinda escaped my notice, (since I thought it was like, Risa's imaginings during her confessing, not actual events across a minor timeskip until a page or two later) so the aggressive face felt kinda more relevant to Risa's own fed-up vibes these past few chapters than in response to that. But going back and looking again, it does come across a bit better now....[Cutting off the rest for space]
Oh detailed response. Cool. Harumin all the way! That's all I'll say.
Lol. But yeah, if you haven't already, check Ayaka's eyes in those scenes (also check that Risa was the only one ever blushing--bless her). The awkwardness is a bit of comedy. Ayaka is completely shell shocked that they're even doing this. She must have been so confused. When a good friend confesses, it can be so weird if you're not attracted. It can feel like "hey, they're a great person, shouldn't I try it out? Should I? Why don't I like them? Why does this feel weird?" But the reality is it doesn't work that way. We can't turn a switch, we don't have as much control as we think we do over our feelings. Maybe in time they could, but Risa was already so upfront the entire manga and still not even a thought from Ayaka, so it's right for her.
It's tough to move on but the upside is Risa tried it. She can have closure. She has no regrets. That's the other purpose here, I think. She's not the silent unrequited love trope, she stood up and made it happen (just like Ayaka has been doing). Now she knows it doesn't work and can move on head held high. She's not Sayaka. I agree about your Liz/Liberty comments but that's another divergence.
last edited at Jun 18, 2023 6:52AM