I can definitely see Mona becoming a huge Naoi/Kurumi shipper in the near future

I'm not sure if this is that type of manga

I have no idea where this Mona plotline could possibly go, but im here for it

See you all next month

Mona is trying to get Kurumi to like her in order to use her to manipulate Naoi, right? I don't think she has outright malice or even necessarily knows what she's doing so much as she lives in an emotionally unstable and manipulative environment, with the baby being used to paper over the issues in their mom and stepdad's relationship.

But her empty eyes in the last panel makes me feel like it could get nasty. Kurumi also seems more open to her than most other people due to the resemblance to Naoi, she's even been very slightly blushing (cute!), and she's emotionally vulnerable due to reaching out to her mom...

Crack theory: Mona isn't trying to get Naoi back because family, it's because the last time their mom tried to save a relationship by having a kid she was the result, and Naoi became the black sheep. So she instead fears that will happen to her... unless Naoi comes back to reprise that role, then she's safe.

I mean, I doubt it'll go that way, but the way this work is going that wouldn't be off-tone.

Mona is trying to get Kurumi to like her in order to use her to manipulate Naoi, right? I don't think she has outright malice or even necessarily knows what she's doing so much as she lives in an emotionally unstable and manipulative environment, with the baby being used to paper over the issues in their mom and stepdad's relationship.

But her empty eyes in the last panel makes me feel like it could get nasty. Kurumi also seems more open to her than most other people due to the resemblance to Naoi, she's even been very slightly blushing (cute!), and she's emotionally vulnerable due to reaching out to her mom...

Kurumi has seemed uncomfortable for most of Mona's visit. Mona wants them to keep secrets from Naoi, which Kurumi's questioning of showed sweat drops in the bubble meaning she didn't like the request. Then Mona starts doing a series of invasive questions that Kurumi questions Mona's intent of. And Kurumi had a WTF reaction when Mona started talking about becoming like Kurumi's little sister. This is basically the same kind of setup as chapter 7, down to the location. Where Kurumi is being pressured into accepting a request that she doesn't really want to.

Unless the author wants to just rehash past arcs, odds are it's there to show how Kurumi handles it better this time around. Also, Kurumi never spoke to her mom yet, only her grandmother, and it was due to Naoi's support that Kurumi thought of that she even found the courage to set up a meeting with her mom in the first place, so saying it's already make her emotionally vulnerable is quite a stretch, since nothing bad happened yet.

If anything, the part of Mona's plan based around hanging out at Kurumi's house is in immediate danger after Kurumi's phone call with her mom, since her mom coming back means Mona wouldn't be able to stay there while Kurumi's sorting things out with her mom. Considering this has so far been framed as an emotional growth arc for Kurumi and Naoi, them making the same old mistakes from past arcs is less likely to happen.

Crack theory: Mona isn't trying to get Naoi back because family, it's because the last time their mom tried to save a relationship by having a kid she was the result, and Naoi became the black sheep. So she instead fears that will happen to her... unless Naoi comes back to reprise that role, then she's safe.

I mean, I doubt it'll go that way, but the way this work is going that wouldn't be off-tone.

I think you nailed it

Even Naoi knows her sister is being sus AF. I'm very curious what her game is because I've felt off about her since she showed up. I think she's pretty much lied about EVERYTHING. Like I don't trust a single word out of her mouth.

Also Kokoro is super cute she got a glow up, if you can get past the forcing herself onto Kurumi a bit back which is still kinda yikes. But let's also not fall for a middle schooler either Kokoro.

And Kurumi told Naoi she was going to the SC room and she finds her with her obsessed best friend and her creepy sister. Good luck explaining your way out of this one girl

This is just a feeling, but right now, the vibe I'm getting from Mona is that she's a super parentified kid.

She and Naoi's mother escaped from Naoi's abusive father together, which must've been hard for Naoi's mother, right? Children in unstable situations, where the parent is socially isolated and doesn't have a reliable support system of fellow adult confidants, often end up becoming the only "friend"/confidant of the parent -- being relied upon for emotional support and other responsibilities -- and need to become "mature" (though it's not actual maturity, just fawning and extreme over-accommodation) way sooner than they're ready. They were prematurely forced into adult roles and never allowed their own emotional space, resulting in a personality that is excessively "nice" and doesn't have any sense of emotional distance.

Her behavior struck me as particularly disturbing in this chapter because it's so familiar. The extreme pushiness and lack of emotional boundaries, being super upbeat and friendly and considerate, yet excessively clingy, eager for approval, and with a sort of frantic anxiety underlying it all, along with the sense that she doesn't quite trust you/is hiding things from you...

It's the exact blueprint of this specific type of abused child who was never quite allowed to have any kind of emotional boundaries. The manner of her loneliness and desperation is just too familiar... I have known this type of person. I have been -- am -- this type of person.

last edited at Aug 26, 2026 1:29AM

call it a hunch but i don't think that kid is on the softball team after all

this fucking story has given me trust issues. still a good read tho.

Crack theory: Mona isn't trying to get Naoi back because family, it's because the last time their mom tried to save a relationship by having a kid she was the result, and Naoi became the black sheep. So she instead fears that will happen to her... unless Naoi comes back to reprise that role, then she's safe.

I mean, I doubt it'll go that way, but the way this work is going that wouldn't be off-tone.

It seems to me like Mona wants to ingratiate herself with Kurumi to either have leverage in pushing Naoi to move back in with her or to just have a home away from home so she doesn't have deal with what you just described.

This is just a feeling, but right now, the vibe I'm getting from Mona is that she's a super parentified kid.

She and Naoi's mother escaped from Naoi's abusive father together, which must've been hard for Naoi's mother, right? Children in unstable situations, where the parent is socially isolated and doesn't have a reliable support system of fellow adult confidants, often end up becoming the only "friend"/confidant of the parent -- being relied upon for emotional support and other responsibilities -- and need to become "mature" (though it's not actual maturity, just fawning and extreme over-accommodation) way sooner than they're ready. They were prematurely forced into adult roles and never allowed their own emotional space, resulting in a personality that is excessively "nice" and doesn't have any sense of emotional distance.

Her behavior struck me as particularly disturbing in this chapter because it's so familiar. The extreme pushiness and lack of emotional boundaries, being super upbeat and friendly and considerate, yet excessively clingy, eager for approval, and with a sort of frantic anxiety underlying it all, along with the sense that she doesn't quite trust you/is hiding things from you...

It's the exact blueprint of this specific type of abused child who was never quite allowed to have any kind of emotional boundaries. The manner of her loneliness and desperation is just too familiar... I have known this type of person. I have been -- am -- this type of person.

I think this read is also pretty much in line with the story's theme of adults pushing off their emotional labor onto teenage girls. It's the dynamic Kurumi has with her mom and the teacher, and what Manaka had with her mom and sister. (And just from glimpses of Kokoro's life, maybe her parents and the restaurant).

I don't think Mona's necessarily trying to manipulate anyone, she's just in a really bad spot in life and raised in a way that makes it difficult for her to make the deeper connections that will help her through it.

This is just a feeling, but right now, the vibe I'm getting from Mona is that she's a super parentified kid.

She and Naoi's mother escaped from Naoi's abusive father together, which must've been hard for Naoi's mother, right? Children in unstable situations, where the parent is socially isolated and doesn't have a reliable support system of fellow adult confidants, often end up becoming the only "friend"/confidant of the parent -- being relied upon for emotional support and other responsibilities -- and need to become "mature" (though it's not actual maturity, just fawning and extreme over-accommodation) way sooner than they're ready. They were prematurely forced into adult roles and never allowed their own emotional space, resulting in a personality that is excessively "nice" and doesn't have any sense of emotional distance.

Her behavior struck me as particularly disturbing in this chapter because it's so familiar. The extreme pushiness and lack of emotional boundaries, being super upbeat and friendly and considerate, yet excessively clingy, eager for approval, and with a sort of frantic anxiety underlying it all, along with the sense that she doesn't quite trust you/is hiding things from you...

It's the exact blueprint of this specific type of abused child who was never quite allowed to have any kind of emotional boundaries. The manner of her loneliness and desperation is just too familiar... I have known this type of person. I have been -- am -- this type of person.

I think this read is also pretty much in line with the story's theme of adults pushing off their emotional labor onto teenage girls. It's the dynamic Kurumi has with her mom and the teacher, and what Manaka had with her mom and sister. (And just from glimpses of Kokoro's life, maybe her parents and the restaurant).

I don't think Mona's necessarily trying to manipulate anyone, she's just in a really bad spot in life and raised in a way that makes it difficult for her to make the deeper connections that will help her through it.

Very well stated. I totally agree.

For another example, Naoi has a similar kind of relationship with her father (taking out his anger on her, forcing her to give him money, and so on). It's that kind of relationship, where an adult wields power over a teenage girl for their own benefit, at her expense.

last edited at Aug 26, 2026 9:57PM