Put another way, Kei is telling Yokoe to not change. Maybe I’m reading too much into this but the whole scene kinda reminds me of Bloom Into You when Touko would always tell Yuu not to change.

Yeah, I got the same vibe there. And the classic manga writing where one character knows something and is about to say it but decides not to really isn't helping.

What does Kei know? Has she always known, way back since they flipped hair lengths? Is Kei a friend-zoning monster, or is Yokoe a fuckboy? Is Yatsude really going to stand for this?

Or it's like you said in your first part and it could just be, in a roundabout way, Kei encouraging Yokoe to be herself to be more open and honest

last edited at Oct 23, 2021 12:24PM

What does Kei know? Has she always known, way back since they flipped hair lengths? Is Kei a friend-zoning monster, or is Yokoe a fuckboy? Is Yatsude really going to stand for this?

Honestly I think Kei knows, but is trying her hardest to ignore it and forget that she knows because it makes her uncomfortable.

That was so intense. The moment Kei touched Yokoe’s face I thought I was gonna explode.

last edited at Oct 23, 2021 12:46PM

WTF are you doing Kei. She was trying to not be completely worthless once in her life and you make her regress back to her cyclops form. Sure it might be awkward at first but if you can love the original, you can easily learn to love this slightly improved version.

last edited at Oct 23, 2021 1:07PM

Fuck, so close yet so far. For a moment there I tought they were going for either a kiss or the typical "confession" while watching the fireworks.

After all that build up and they just went back to their status quo?

After all that build up and they just went back to their status quo?

Yeah, I thought the same! What are you doing to my heart author!?

After all that build up and they just went back to their status quo?

This is not necessarily a full reset. Regardless of how Yokoe wears her hair, she can still change.

I think it's likely that Sugiura is attracted to Yokoe, but is even more insecure about it, and wants to ignore any signs that Yokoe feels the same way, perhaps also fearing rejection. This is a staple of the yuri genre, so a real twist would be to subvert this plot.

The fact that Sugiura took it upon herself to remove the hairpin, may also indicate that she's the one more desperately clinging to their friendship staying the way it is. And, perhaps when Yokoe's hair obscures one of her eyes, it's easier for Sugiura to ignore how pretty Yokoe is.

last edited at Oct 23, 2021 2:18PM

WTF are you doing Kei. She was trying to not be completely worthless once in her life and you make her regress back to her cyclops form. Sure it might be awkward at first but if you can love the original, you can easily learn to love this slightly improved version.

I think it's a lot more heartwarming that Kei would rather Yokoe stays the idiot self she naturally is rather than change into someone less annoying just because it would be normal.

[Redacted]

last edited at Oct 24, 2021 11:52PM by runrin

I would be more upset if it werent for Yatsude, she will definitely force them together.

WTF are you doing Kei. She was trying to not be completely worthless once in her life and you make her regress back to her cyclops form. Sure it might be awkward at first but if you can love the original, you can easily learn to love this slightly improved version.

I think it's a lot more heartwarming that Kei would rather Yokoe stays the idiot self she naturally is rather than change into someone less annoying just because it would be normal.

Yokoe's slightly improved self isnt exactly a normie either. She is still quirky, creepy and whiny. But you could actually tell that she had some rational thought and a motive for self improvement. This isnt just about their relationships. It is about Yokoe's self worth as an individual. Girl is a disaster as a friend, as a student, as a person.

Kei was just afraid that she would have to change herself along with Yokoe to keep their relationship going because their dynamic was obviously changing due to Yokoe's baby steps. She isnt ready for that as other comments pointed out

last edited at Oct 23, 2021 5:51PM

2021 and we still gotta make do with bread crumbs after nearing almost 100 chapters. We got a lot of people having to make so many jumps/assumptions/essays to feel better, but tbh at this point, it does just feel like the author is dragging it a bit much, no?

2021 and we still gotta make do with bread crumbs after nearing almost 100 chapters. We got a lot of people having to make so many jumps/assumptions/essays to feel better, but tbh at this point, it does just feel like the author is dragging it a bit much, no?

Yup, I gave up on this manga 50 chapters ago and it's still not going anywhere. Impressive, in a way.

The way I interpreted it...Kei is comfortable and has fun with the Rei right now so she doesn't want her to change. I guess she's just taking things at her own pace so I don't think Rei should rush in a confess but eventually they'll get there.

The main couple is very slow but steady. Can't say the same about the others though.

Progress......?
My heart pines for the two of them, things have gotten so messy now
I really want something seriously drastic to happen because there's a ton of drama and tension that's been bubbling up that still needs to be addressed (Yokoe being a coward, Kei's rejection and hang ups, the twins and their beef with each other, Yatsude's own relationship troubles, the gyarus)
Well the author also said that there are several more volumes coming in the future so it might be a while before progress actually happens
Idol girl is also going to show up soon

NO DDVELOPMENT

Was really hoping for an actual confession. Possible that this festival arc is a bait (since confession at a summer festival is a bit cliché) and that we'll get a confession soon but in a completely unexpected context.

Or this was just a long winded way for status quo of the two main characters to continue indefinitely. Although I do kinda doubt that this is the case considering how much build up there has been for these two's relationship since the trip. Either way, good chapter but a little let down at lack of progress.

I just re-read ouji-sama nante iranai so I'm used to the slow burn and while it seems like nothing has changed I'd definitely call this progress

last edited at Oct 23, 2021 9:47PM

I think that's quite the weird sentence, but I actually have a lot of respect towards Yokoe, she endured such a strong feeling inside her for so long, and towards the very person she sees everyday !!
I remember reading that Yatsude thinks she got dumber and dumber with the time 'cause that was the only way to hide her feelings, to make fun of everything and be overly-excited about shit 'cause if she isn't, she'll prob be way too self conscious about it and her mind will eat her from the inside out(like what happened in the festival), it was a self defense mechanism. Like really, how do we know that's even her real self? she wasn't THAT much of a birdbrain in middle school, what if she literally changed her personality to protect herself?

K, It looks like I'm thinking too much over it, but I can't stop myself, these character have gotten way too real lol

This manga sure is slow with progress(nothing worse than Hana Ni Arashi though, like really? 90 chapters for a kiss? god! and their friends don't even have things going on for them, they're just THERE to be inconvenient), but I love it for that. Life isn't fast, specially when someone is so scared and has so much shit bottled up like Yokoe, things =willl be= slow by default.

last edited at Oct 23, 2021 11:22PM

My heart hurts for Yokoe after what Kei said. And if Kei was really aware that Yokoe likes her and is acting that way towards her because of that, what she said is more damning. But I'm holding on the possibility that Kei, instead, misunderstood the changes in Yokoe's behavior and appearance (hairstyle) hence why she would rather have Yokoe stay the way she normally is, that is, the latter's attention stays only on her and not on someone else.

I've been literally shitting, crying, throwing up, dying, and laughing at every chapter after the beach trip like- GODDAMIT. At this point they might just confess when they're seniors

What does Kei know? Has she always known, way back since they flipped hair lengths? Is Kei a friend-zoning monster, or is Yokoe a fuckboy? Is Yatsude really going to stand for this?

Honestly I think Kei knows, but is trying her hardest to ignore it and forget that she knows because it makes her uncomfortable.

As far as the manga frames it, this is the tried and true (at this point, 50 years of yuri?) girl A loves girl B, and all along it turns out that girl B loves girl A. Assuming that all of the ambiguous frames of Kei seeing through Yokoe means Kei was into her all along. We're just along for the ride on the original yuri storyline, School Zone Girls just does it so much better

last edited at Oct 24, 2021 3:40AM

Yokoe's slightly improved self isnt exactly a normie either. She is still quirky, creepy and whiny. But you could actually tell that she had some rational thought and a motive for self improvement. This isnt just about their relationships. It is about Yokoe's self worth as an individual. Girl is a disaster as a friend, as a student, as a person.

Kei was just afraid that she would have to change herself along with Yokoe to keep their relationship going because their dynamic was obviously changing due to Yokoe's baby steps. She isnt ready for that as other comments pointed out

Yeah I whole-heartedly agree with your analysis.

Bruh I want to know what Yatsude will have to say abt this, if she'll accept this result or try talking to Kei now instead of Rei. But damn, bespite nothing much changing, you can feel a change in how they perceive each other, more Kei if anything