Erika dropping truths onto Koto that she does not want to hear, even if she has an ulterior motive.

Also, really happy that the Mystery subplot has finally been picked up again.

Erika dropping truths onto Koto that she does not want to hear, even if she has an ulterior motive.

Also, really happy that the Mystery subplot has finally been picked up again.

Oh yeah, Erika is Ms. Ulterior Motive all over the place here. I pretty much admire her in that she's really not being underhanded about it and is actually giving decent advice to both Aya and Koto.

But her interior thoughts show that "Operation Get With Koto, Eventually" is still very much a go.

Kumagaya-san so pretty tho....

Those last pages legitimately shocked me, damn. I never expected Kumagaya to be so directly involved in the main plot. Excited to see where it goes from here. Presumably Kumagaya knows someone who went through what Aya did (Aya's male friend, perhaps) -- or maybe it's Kumagaya herself who was "spirited away"?

Erika and Koto's conversation was tough to get through because, even after Aya broke up with her and explained exactly why, she still hasn't changed. Demanding to know why Erika didn't force Aya to stay at her place was fucking wild lol. I don't hate Koto but this woman needs some serious psychological counselling before she's ready for a romantic relationship. For as much as Erika seems to understand her, it forces one to wonder just what kind of future Erika is envisioning. Does she actually, seriously think she can just date Koto now and everything will be okay?

What I found genuinely touching in this chapter, though, was the moment toward the beginning when Erika observed that Aya is hiding her pain behind a smile, and correctly surmises that she did the same 7 years ago too. Of course she immediately pushes this though away, just like all the other times she's started to sympathize with Aya. I think, if Koto needs to get over the past and see Aya -- and even more importantly, herself -- for who they are now, then Erika needs to do the opposite. She needs to face up to the past, to honestly reevaluate her old childhood grudges and loves, and (if I'm right) reckon with whatever it is she said to Aya the day she disappeared.

last edited at Nov 4, 2024 8:36PM

That's a totally normal question its the first thing I ask anyone

Does she actually, seriously think she can just date Koto now and everything will be okay?

My guess is that she knows that “now” is still currently off the table. But Erika has always been playing a very long game in regard to her feelings for Koto—she turned her down when Koto brought up the possibility of the two of them dating after Aya had gone missing, because she knew Koto needed to somehow resolve her feelings about Aya first.

From Erika’s point of view, Koto trying and apparently failing with Aya is a necessary precondition for the two of them getting together, however long it might take for that to happen.

(I think that Koto is actually too deeply damaged for a relationship with Erika to ever be feasible, but that’s my read of Erika’s thinking.)

last edited at Nov 4, 2024 9:49PM

That sure was a hell of a swerve, I genuinely kinda felt like we'd just take the spirited away event as a given and the story is just about living with the consequences. A magical realism sort of plot. And well I guess that's still possible lol, just because it's happened to someone else doesn't mean they know how or why any more than Aya does.

RIP Koto, unchanging as a bozo
RIP Erika, her faith in a bozo was misplaced
Erika's been obsessively worrying about the how and when of her hooking up with Koto, trying to get the timing right and the path there so that Koto can love her back and nobody gets hurt in the process, that she's lost sight of if there's anything here actually possible for her. If this clown can ever actually be rehabilitated into a proper girlfriend, let alone doing it without stepping on anyone's toes. I'll give Erika credit in that she's probably more likely to have this realization before Koto has her realization that "oh this shit with Aya is kinda fucked I need to reevaluate my feelings here". But at the moment both are still stuck in the ruts they've worn with their respective unrequited loves.
I wonder if Aya has any idea about Erika's feelings for Koto. She hasn't indicated that she does, but especially back when they were kids I can't imagine Erika was great at hiding it.

Does she actually, seriously think she can just date Koto now and everything will be okay?

My guess is that she knows that “now” is still currently off the table. But Erika has always been playing a very long game in regard to her feelings for Koto—she turned her down when Koto brought up the possibility of the two of them dating after Aya had gone missing, because she knew Koto needed to somehow resolve her feelings about Aya first.

From Erika’s point of view, Koto trying and apparently failing with Aya is a necessary precondition for the two of them getting together, however long it might take for that to happen.

(I think that Koto is actually too deeply damaged for a relationship with Erika to ever be feasible, but that’s my read of Erika’s thinking.)

And it's not just that Koto is still in love with Aya but that her thoughts are still dominated by the trauma of Aya's disappearance, even after her return. Erika was hoping that the reversal of the trauma trigger would reverse the trauma and Koto would come to her senses finally, realize she isn't actually interested in dating a child, and be open to Erika at long last. Koto instead has regressed, or seemingly maybe WANTS to regress? And is farther from both Aya and Erika than ever :( Even having Aya in her life now didn't overcome the pain of the seven years of absence that Koto wants to erase. Aya returning has, if anything, reopened old wounds and made Koto worse, at least so far.

last edited at Nov 4, 2024 9:57PM

Does she actually, seriously think she can just date Koto now and everything will be okay?

My guess is that she knows that “now” is still currently off the table. But Erika has always been playing a very long game in regard to her feelings for Koto—she turned her down when Koto brought up the possibility of the two of them dating after Aya had gone missing, because she knew Koto needed to somehow resolve her feelings about Aya first.

From Erika’s point of view, Koto trying and apparently failing with Aya is a necessary precondition for the two of them getting together, however long it might take for that to happen.

(I think that Koto is actually too deeply damaged for a relationship with Erika to ever be feasible, but that’s my read of Erika’s thinking.)

I would've agreed with you before chapter 15. But after her whole "I'm not an understudy anymore, I have my own words I want to say" spiel there, and her very deliberate word choice of "You need to shed your dependence or you won't be able to face anyone" statement in this chapter, I get the impression she's actually preparing to confess her feelings fairly soon. As you say, she had this grand plan of Koto and Aya dating and then breaking up, but I think from Erika's point of view, that plan has succeeded and now she's in the last step.

And it's not just that Koto is still in love with Aya but that her thoughts are still dominated by the trauma of Aya's disappearance, even after her return. Erika was hoping that the reversal of the trauma trigger would reverse the trauma and Koto would come to her senses finally, realize she isn't actually interested in dating a child, and be open to Erika at long last. Koto instead has regressed, or seemingly maybe WANTS to regress? And is farther from both Aya and Erika than ever :( Even having Aya in her life now didn't overcome the pain of the seven years of absence that Koto wants to erase. Aya returning has, if anything, reopened old wounds and made Koto worse, at least so far.

That's a good insight that Koto wants to regress, and I think this chapter may give us some clues as to why: Koto despises the person she's been the last 7 years, ever since Aya's disappearance. To Koto, those years aren't just completely worthless, they're also evidence of her own intrinsically bad character. It's not just that the last time she was happy was when she was 14, it's that (in her view) the last time she was a good person was when she was 14. (This is a contrast to Erika, who even at 14 hated herself lol.)

Erika points out in this chapter that, even though Aya is back and shows no signs of disappearing again, Koto is still consumed by fear and anxiety. That's because what she wants, ultimately, isn't to date Aya. It's to be 14 years old again. Aya growing up means her final connection to that time is going away, and that's what she's unable to accept.

Erika was hoping that the reversal of the trauma trigger would reverse the trauma and Koto would come to her senses finally, realize she isn't actually interested in dating a child, and be open to Erika at long last. Koto instead has regressed, or seemingly maybe WANTS to regress?

It’s kind of a chilling moment in the previous chapter when that regression is made literal after Aya asks about the seven missing years and Koto replies, “You don’t need to know. Let’s just be together like we were in those days,” and they’re both depicted in their middle school uniforms, not in a flashback but in the present day.

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/how_to_break_a_triangle_ch15#20

Koto’s explanation for her refusal to tell Aya what she did while Aya was gone is actually rather nuts: “What am I supposed to say? ‘I wanted to forget how lonely I felt after you were gone . . . So I dated a bunch of people . . .’?”

Well, yeah, that would seem to be a pretty explicable thing to have done when your first love suddenly disappears, apparently forever, and there would be no reason for Aya to hold it against her. But Koto says, “I don’t want her to know . . .this side of me.”

This series certainly has explored new frontiers in “not a solid foundation for a relationship going forward.”

I'm guessing that guy who works with Aya was the one that got spirited away, and that's the reason why he couldn't finish middle school.

Koto has always sounded immature to me. The author made it conspicuous because she still calls Aya and Erika with the -chan suffix, even as an adult.

Erika calls them "Aya" and "Koto".
Aya calls them "Erika" and "Koto"
Only Koto adds the childish suffix.

Koto never grew up. Her mental universe stopped 7 years ago. She tried (by dating), but failed.

Also, the reasons Aya and Erika love Koto are different, but explainable.

Koto and Erika are childhood friends. So, Erika has always known that Koto is someone actually affectionate, kind, considerate, doesn't judge her bad character and will stick by her side.

Aya has abandonment and trust issues that she hides behind a tough facade. Her pillars of support, her grandparents, were eventually gone too and yet, she toughened up and forced herself to move forward. I can't see how anyone could hate Aya. At 14 yo, she's admirable, even if a bit naive concerning the grown up Koto and Erika. She's fragile emotionally, but she didn't let that stop her and bottled it all up.

She loved Koto because Koto showed signs of not letting go, even after not having an answer to her confession and Aya believed (and still believes deep down?) that Koto would never abandon her.

But that doesn't keep her from breaking up and moving forward so she can be level with Koto and not depend on anyone. It's been her own obsession for a while (even before the disappearance): to be self-reliant and not depend on others, whether emotionally or financially.

So, if Koto and Erika get together, I think Aya would be hurt, but would still move on. Because she's stronger than both of them.

Now, the supernatural makes a comeback and I'm curious which direction it's going to take the story.

You can't just drop this bomb on us what the heck

Does she actually, seriously think she can just date Koto now and everything will be okay?

My guess is that she knows that “now” is still currently off the table. But Erika has always been playing a very long game in regard to her feelings for Koto—she turned her down when Koto brought up the possibility of the two of them dating after Aya had gone missing, because she knew Koto needed to somehow resolve her feelings about Aya first.

From Erika’s point of view, Koto trying and apparently failing with Aya is a necessary precondition for the two of them getting together, however long it might take for that to happen.

(I think that Koto is actually too deeply damaged for a relationship with Erika to ever be feasible, but that’s my read of Erika’s thinking.)

I would've agreed with you before chapter 15. But after her whole "I'm not an understudy anymore, I have my own words I want to say" spiel there, and her very deliberate word choice of "You need to shed your dependence or you won't be able to face anyone" statement in this chapter, I get the impression she's actually preparing to confess her feelings fairly soon. As you say, she had this grand plan of Koto and Aya dating and then breaking up, but I think from Erika's point of view, that plan has succeeded and now she's in the last step.

And it's not just that Koto is still in love with Aya but that her thoughts are still dominated by the trauma of Aya's disappearance, even after her return. Erika was hoping that the reversal of the trauma trigger would reverse the trauma and Koto would come to her senses finally, realize she isn't actually interested in dating a child, and be open to Erika at long last. Koto instead has regressed, or seemingly maybe WANTS to regress? And is farther from both Aya and Erika than ever :( Even having Aya in her life now didn't overcome the pain of the seven years of absence that Koto wants to erase. Aya returning has, if anything, reopened old wounds and made Koto worse, at least so far.

That's a good insight that Koto wants to regress, and I think this chapter may give us some clues as to why: Koto despises the person she's been the last 7 years, ever since Aya's disappearance. To Koto, those years aren't just completely worthless, they're also evidence of her own intrinsically bad character. It's not just that the last time she was happy was when she was 14, it's that (in her view) the last time she was a good person was when she was 14. (This is a contrast to Erika, who even at 14 hated herself lol.)

Erika points out in this chapter that, even though Aya is back and shows no signs of disappearing again, Koto is still consumed by fear and anxiety. That's because what she wants, ultimately, isn't to date Aya. It's to be 14 years old again. Aya growing up means her final connection to that time is going away, and that's what she's unable to accept.

Talking about Koto hating herself, it's interesting how both Koto and Erika hate the distorted version of themselves in their self perception and how their actions reflect that. Koto hates the version of herself without Aya, including the version of herself who's spent half her conscious life separated from her, and thus obsesses over Aya and endlessly loops an impossible wish for her past to change. Tragically, the events that traumatized her, due to their supernatural nature, will surely only encourage her indulging in fruitless magical thinking.
Erika meanwhile views herself as a selfish bitch and thus prioritizes everyone else and neglects herself, with the most prominent hints of that neglect when Aya first sees Erika's apartment, which she's left as a pigsty since the only person who would benefit from her cleaning it is herself. Once Aya has moved in, there's zero sign of Erika being messy, and now that Aya's moved out I fully expect that apartment to go to hell again.
You could also add Aya to this for true parallelism amongst our main characters, as she clearly hates the version of herself who is a powerless dependent child reliant on the choices of others to dictate the course of her life, and so desperately struggles to be an island, to the point of doing things like spending money renting a dorm room and even feeling insecure about her "dependence" on her boss at work. Hopefully Aya doesn't fall for any get rich quick scams like crypto investment now that's she's alone. She missed a lot of development of the Internet era and is thus vulnerable to scams. If she got contacted by a Nigerian prince she'd believe him.

last edited at Nov 5, 2024 4:01AM

I don't know what's so complicated about Erika. She just wants Koto to chose her over Aya. That's her "desire". That would resolve all her inferiority complexes and longing.

For that, she wants Koto to be clear headed about Aya and not wallow in her obsession, so she's trying to "break the triangle" in her own way, without hurting either Koto or Aya.

After all, she's the only one who knows the triangle exists.

I don't know what's so complicated about Erika. She just wants Koto to chose her over Aya. That's her "desire". That would resolve all her inferiority complexes and longing.

For that, she wants Koto to be clear headed about Aya and not wallow in her obsession, so she's trying to "break the triangle" in her own way, without hurting either Koto or Aya.

After all, she's the only one who knows the triangle exists.

I don’t think “subtle” is necessarily the same as “complicated.” Erika’s motivations are just as you say, but unlike most characters who want a couple to break up, her questions and advice to both parties are pretty much what a truly neutral but sympathetic person would say. It’s only because we get those interior views that we see her ulterior motives and how she has always felt guilty and insecure about herself.

Erika’s “manipulation” of the situation, such as it is, usually consists of what she omits to say. As I mentioned, Koto’s absolute refusal to tell Aya what she did during Aya’s missing years doesn’t make a lot of sense, but Erika never pushes back to say that Aya would probably be fine knowing the truth.

@Cogito: On reflection I agree that Chapter 15 implies that Erika may be more ready to make an immediate move than I was suggesting. I still think it’s a bit out of character for her to blunder with a premature romantic advance on Koto after waiting all those years for Koto to get clear of her feelings for Aya.

[Narrator: Koto shows no signs of ever getting clear of her feelings for Aya.]

last edited at Nov 5, 2024 6:24AM

I had a feeling that he might be in a similar situation as Aya, especially with how he quickly opened up and became more talkative after learning that she studies from home too . At the same time since the author hinted at this so suddenly near the end of the chapter it’s possible Kumagaya meant 'spirited away' metaphorically... or maybe even literally, to leave us on a Cliffhanger. What I mean metaphorically is that the reason he’s not continuing his study's in school is because something must have happened to make him feel distant. Kumagaya feels as if his true self has been spirited away. (idk) There isn’t enough evidence yet to be certain of this claim, so have to wait and see in the next chapter. :)
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/how_to_break_a_triangle_ch16#33
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/how_to_break_a_triangle_ch16#34

last edited at Nov 5, 2024 11:06AM

Koto has always sounded immature to me. The author made it conspicuous because she still calls Aya and Erika with the -chan suffix, even as an adult.

Koto never grew up. Her mental universe stopped 7 years ago. She tried (by dating), but failed.

TRUE THAT!!!
Koto's ability to date people mindlessly to fill the void of her loneliness, without concern when the relationship ends, highlights her lack of maturity. Not to mention, one of her reasons for going on a dating spree is that one of the girls resembled Aya. I really believe that in Kotos case it would be better for Aya to disappear again then Koto telling Aya her past.

last edited at Nov 5, 2024 11:34AM

Talking about Koto hating herself, it's interesting how both Koto and Erika hate the distorted version of themselves in their self perception and how their actions reflect that. Koto hates the version of herself without Aya, including the version of herself who's spent half her conscious life separated from her, and thus obsesses over Aya and endlessly loops an impossible wish for her past to change. Tragically, the events that traumatized her, due to their supernatural nature, will surely only encourage her indulging in fruitless magical thinking.
Erika meanwhile views herself as a selfish bitch and thus prioritizes everyone else and neglects herself, with the most prominent hints of that neglect when Aya first sees Erika's apartment, which she's left as a pigsty since the only person who would benefit from her cleaning it is herself. Once Aya has moved in, there's zero sign of Erika being messy, and now that Aya's moved out I fully expect that apartment to go to hell again.
You could also add Aya to this for true parallelism amongst our main characters, as she clearly hates the version of herself who is a powerless dependent child reliant on the choices of others to dictate the course of her life, and so desperately struggles to be an island, to the point of doing things like spending money renting a dorm room and even feeling insecure about her "dependence" on her boss at work. Hopefully Aya doesn't fall for any get rich quick scams like crypto investment now that's she's alone. She missed a lot of development of the Internet era and is thus vulnerable to scams. If she got contacted by a Nigerian prince she'd believe him.

I largely agree with your post, and good job drawing the link to Aya too; her flaws are a lot less obvious than Koto's and Erika's so it's good to analyze her in relation to them. It's notable her extreme aversion to being "dependent" stretches back to her pre-time leap self as well, it seems to be the lesson she learned from her mother's abandonment and it certainly doesn't seem like she ever asked anyone for help in treating her senile grandfather. I would like to, not disagree with, but add to your analysis of Erika though. It's not just that she neglects herself, but as I argued in this post, her self-hatred has kind of become a self-fulfilling prophecy and caused her to actually become a more selfish and resentful person.

I don't know what's so complicated about Erika. She just wants Koto to chose her over Aya. That's her "desire". That would resolve all her inferiority complexes and longing.

For that, she wants Koto to be clear headed about Aya and not wallow in her obsession, so she's trying to "break the triangle" in her own way, without hurting either Koto or Aya.

I don't think Erika only wants Koto to choose her over Aya. She's had a massive inferiority complex about Aya ever since she was 14, and them being love rivals is only one part of that -- a major part, but still only one part. In chapter 2, Erika stated that "The [Aya] of back then was an existence I could never hope to catch up with," and that she was "always a few steps ahead of me," and we can see that jealousy starting to come back when Aya starts acting again in the present day. And I don't think this jealousy is just about acting, either, it's about everything. Erika idealizes Aya just as much as Koto does.

Also, I'm not really sure if Erika is trying to break the triangle "without hurting either Koto or Aya." She knows very well that the breakup she always wished for hurt both Koto and Aya a great deal. Of course, from an objective perspective, the breakup was necessary regardless. But Erika still knew her plan would result in this pain, and she went through with it anyway.

Finally, I'd like to say that, while Erika certainly wants Koto to choose her, it's equally (if not even more) important that Koto chooses her over Aya. When Koto asked her out years ago, Erika refused because "That place is nothing more than Aya's place. In the play I acted as a stand-in for her, I'm sure everyone thought, 'If only Aya were here.' Ever since that day, I've been Aya's stand-in." Erika doesn't just want to date Koto, she wants to defeat Aya, and that victory would be meaningless if it were only by default. That's why she wished for Aya to come back. Which is why it's so important for Erika's development that she's starting to see Aya as a person and not an unreachable opponent slash ideal.

Also, I'm not really sure if Erika is trying to break the triangle "without hurting either Koto or Aya." She knows very well that the breakup she always wished for hurt both Koto and Aya a great deal. Of course, from an objective perspective, the breakup was necessary regardless. But Erika still knew her plan would result in this pain, and she went through with it anyway.

I’m not following this last part at all—what “plan” of Erika’s did she “go through with”? That phrasing implies that Erika has played an active role in causing Koto and Aya to break up.

While there have been oblique hints that Aya’s disappearance and return were somehow connected to Erika’s Tanabata wishes in some undefined way, there’s been no indication of exactly what that mechanic might have been or how much Erika is knowingly implicated in what actually happened.

Erika certainly wished that Aya would be gone, and then later wished that she would return so that Koto could get over her feelings for her. But as far as we know at this point, Erika had no reason to believe that either of those wishes could or would come true. Her “plan” appears to have been to wait for Koto to stop being in love with Aya while continuing to play the role of their mutual friend. Given Koto’s attitude toward Aya and toward the past, all the evidence that we have seen suggests that the two of them would have broken up even if Erika were far away or didn’t even exist at all.

last edited at Nov 5, 2024 4:37PM

Also, I'm not really sure if Erika is trying to break the triangle "without hurting either Koto or Aya." She knows very well that the breakup she always wished for hurt both Koto and Aya a great deal. Of course, from an objective perspective, the breakup was necessary regardless. But Erika still knew her plan would result in this pain, and she went through with it anyway.

I’m not following this last part at all—what “plan” of Erika’s did she “go through with”? That phrasing implies that Erika has played an active role in causing Koto and Aya to break up.

She's given them valid, reasonable advice. It's also advice that she intentionally framed in a way to encourage them to break up.

Some of you guys are blaming Koto for being immature and this and that even after years... Poor girl "lost" her first and only love at 14 (emotionally immature), it's not suprising that she couldn't cope with the fact that Aya dissapeared. She sadly got stuck in that state of mind as you said it before but it's shows how much she loved her and it also wasn't a typical farewell, like breaking up or smth and the emotions between them at that time was really intense, so... Big big trauma she has, kinda understandable, imo. Koto didn't do anything remarkable in her life.. I think she just wanted to survive those seven years after Aya went missing. Also, she always wanted to replace or find Aya but it never worked out. These are the facts.. so, yeah, she needs a good therapy for sure. I feel like, soon there'll be a lot of drama !!!

last edited at Nov 5, 2024 5:22PM

Some of you guys are blaming Koto for being immature and this and that even after years... Poor girl "lost" her first and only love at 14 (emotionally immature), it's not suprising that she couldn't cope with the fact that Aya dissapeared. She sadly got stuck in that state of mind as you said it before but it's shows how much she loved her and it also wasn't a typical farewell, like breaking up or smth and the emotions between them at that time was really intense, so... Big big trauma she has, kinda understandable, imo. Koto didn't do anything remarkable in her life.. I think she just wanted to survive those seven years after Aya went missing. Also, she always wanted to replace or find Aya but it never worked out. These are the facts.. so, yeah, she needs a good therapy for sure. I feel like, soon there'll be a lot of drama !!!

It's not blaming, at least for the most part, just describing. I personally have zero interest in assigning guilt or blame or moral culpability when discussing characters in fiction, just their the details of their characterization and role and relationships instead.

Also, I'm not really sure if Erika is trying to break the triangle "without hurting either Koto or Aya." She knows very well that the breakup she always wished for hurt both Koto and Aya a great deal. Of course, from an objective perspective, the breakup was necessary regardless. But Erika still knew her plan would result in this pain, and she went through with it anyway.

I’m not following this last part at all—what “plan” of Erika’s did she “go through with”? That phrasing implies that Erika has played an active role in causing Koto and Aya to break up.

She's given them valid, reasonable advice. It's also advice that she intentionally framed in a way to encourage them to break up.

I disagree: Erika did nothing to encourage the breakup, because that relationship was obviously doomed. Instead she have Aya advice that resulted in her feeling more confident in her choice, and led to a confrontation with Koto that was more directed than just "stop being so controlling please" "no". She was trying to shape what came after the breakup, but had zero role in the breakup happening in the first place. And her expectations for what that post-breakup state would look like turned out entirely wrong, because she overestimated Koto. Erika really isn't all that much of a schemer or manipulator, because she simply doesn't have the skills for it lol.

last edited at Nov 5, 2024 5:39PM

After reading chapter 3.5 and chapter 4.5 (total 12 pages, you can only see it in paperback edition, maybe even translator doesn't have it), l think Aya does see Erika as an important friend, despite not loving her in romantic way, she's equal to Koto. That's why she did went to the Tanabata festival but chose not to meet Koto after that conversation with Erika. Aya's blaming herself for ruining the friendship triangle by accepting Koto's confession.
( l can be sure Erika said something mean like l wish you never exist in the first place etc. We can see in chapter 4, chapter 8, chapter 12, and chapter 13, where Erika feels guilty and self-hatred. The real reason Erika also be trapped in the past and can't give up on Koto)
It can also explain Aya only comes back because Koto and Erika (finally) both want it to happen.

I have to say l feel really complexed towards Erika now. While she does help Aya a lot, she also let Aya deal with Koto's sadness and trauma alone without knowing what Koto had been through in that seven years.
Yes, it should be Koto's right to decide whether telling Aya or not. However, if Erika tells Aya to figure out her true feelings towards present Koto (deciding to get involved into friend's love affair anyways), she should also give Aya the information.