Hello comrades of the shipping! (/°^°)/ it's been so long since the last upload of this manga but I just reread it and I've just recently become interested in the reader forums >v< (I'm glad I'm not the only weirdo out there).
With no malice in mind (I mean I don't want to fight, all ships are precious and I respect them) I would like to share my own research results so far -v- (notice this is me on september 17th of 2015 having read until ch 36 and all of the previous posts in this forum discussion)
I absolutely love Megu's character, and the dynamic she has with Nadeshiko is pretty interesting, but she seems to be the teaseable character overall, a really good friend and a responsible person. Everybody goes on how it would suck if Megumi is treated like that out of nothing, and I agree (a little) but what is it with close friends? Dunno how it is with you guys but my close interactions with friends are filled with the freedom of being mean to each other -v-(please tell me if I'm wrong... cuz I'll have to apologize a lot to my friends xD).
Now (as a lot may think), Megumi would be way too obvious... so I don't think it's her (but then maybe since Namori-sensei knew we would draw that logic they did it on purpose D: so it would be a surprise that it is actually her chanchanchan!) Also in the first comic of these, during the phone call Nadeshiko says ''People say that sort of thing from time to time, it's probably all right.'' that leading us to someone who actually said something that could be missintepreted or gave too much information; Megumi said none of these. That leaves us with Ai vs Miho. I'm sorry Megumi team orz (keep believing, that's what shipping is about ovó)
Miho is the second strong contendant to the Nadeshiko's GF position because of (again) the nature of their relationship, with Miho having unnatural powers over Nadeshiko. Miho seems to be an even greater sadist than the queen D: creating a gap between her outside appereance and her inner self, which makes her really atractive as a character and gives her a strong presense in the series without any effort (Akariin could learn a thing or two from her xD jk). The particular interest in the usual cool and colected Nadeshiko when pushed a little off limits seems normal to me C: As a given of her flirty personality, she will loose to no-one. She is basically that pervy friend °^°. We've seen her in action teasing Megu too (again Megu is teaseable).
Now on the 'teasing' of the first call, I don't see it as it being Miho. Again with the quote ''People say that sort of thing from time to time, it's probably all right.'' I want to make enfasis on ''People say...'' the thing I see as missinterpreteable (<--totally just made that word) in what Miho said would be ''I consider Nadeshiko to be the sort who enjoys being teased'' and then... that is not something that PEOPLE say but rather something that MIHO would say (I may be reading too much on this). Furthermore I don't see enough juice out of them being in a relationship, it's this Miho we are talking about!! do you really believe she would be this calm on the teasing if it were like that?! This would be filled with Nadeshiko loosing her cool! (at least I believe that) The mystery would have been solved chapters ago if it was her xD (on a personal note... I ship her with Megumi (*ﾉ▽ﾉ) )
By now you may know where I'm getting at, but be calm and please do keep reading if you may, I'm not discarding the evidence of the previous two, I hope you won't be disappointed. I'll try to keep it short (now I say it... this is a really long post TT^TT sorry)
Ai. Ai is the least favorite for this... and I've seen that Team Ai (at least in this forum) keep it short, just showing their belonging to this ship. For you my friends I'll give my best to give you voice.
As I read somewhere in this post, Ai is as white as a piece of paper... you may be right but this is what I think.
I'll just mention the obvious traits of her dynamic with Nadeshiko: She is obviously the one Nadeshiko treats nicest and she is always, ALWAYS (I mean ALWAYS) closer to Nadeshiko than the other two.
Let's go with her persona, she is posibly the least developed character as we see no traits of a 'special' personality (thus no considering a special relationship) but that's what makes her interesting. Think it like this, we see nothing of her but what is showed to us, and what is important for us is what we haven't seen of her, since what we haven't seen is what reveals the mystery. She seems WAAAAY too not-suitable, WAAAAY too innocent... attention to detail folks.
In ch. 6 (the teasing with the candy) http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/yuru_yuri_oomuro_ke_ch06#7 I want you to notice here... we don't see the reaction of Ai to Nadeshiko's nom... why is it only Megumi in that last pannel? ''Miho is amazing'' (you may go with, cuz of perspective but you know that could be fixed somehow or another) we don't see her face at all for that moment, we see her the moment before tho. It kinda happens again in ch.16.
not enough? ok in that same chapter Ai requests to buy a strap for Nade's cellphone... I know what you are thinking, what is important here is that she is 'fussy' bout those things (it's there) however we never see that strap... what we see later is a necklace...( maybe the strap is not there so we don't hold a similarity with such necklace...)
Now here --> http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/yuru_yuri_oomuro_ke_ch22#3 in the famous MeguxNade page (I'm sorry as I'm about to change it into an Ai's moment), hidden in the big hint for Megu we see a small ''How did you know by the way'' and after the explanation a really eager ''I see'' even tho Miho seconded her question, she is the only one with an overly pleased face and to top it she desviates the topic by complimenting Megu (again... she did it before... why doing it twice?) then follows to sit next to Nadeshiko (like lovers do). If Namori-sensei really wanted ambiguity they would have left Nade alone, and Miho and Ai sitting togheter...
In the photo booth photos Ai and Nade are the only ones who don't draw a heart between their names and write the super obvious friends (too self-concious?)
http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/yuru_yuri_oomuro_ke_ch27#7 here Nadeshiko's determination shivers only with Ai.
At the end I think Ai is a little devil in disguise... and that's what I find interesting http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/yuru_yuri_oomuro_ke_ch19#4 this simple comment realeases a favorable situation for her (to see Nade as a waitress) without being pushy herself.
I like to see the pattern in how their conversation flows in this http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/yuru_yuri_oomuro_ke_ch33#5 (I also appreciate the hint) cuz Ai asks ''Are you embarrassed by any chance?'' and then goes ''how cute'' In Miho's teasing she goes ''that's cute you are embarrassed'', now pay attention to the phone teasing http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/yuru_yuri_oomuro_ke_ch03#7 That 'nope' is answering a question that is most likely to be ''Are you embarrassed by any chance?'' and here http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/yuru_yuri_oomuro_ke_ch26#3 that ''Celebrating?... I'm not' would be a good negation for ''Are you celebrating?'' or ''Aren't you celebrating?'' and here http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/yuru_yuri_ch54#3 ''you are the one who was embarrassed'' fits for that pattern too.
Also Nadeshiko suggests shopping (Nadeshiko always suggests stuff based on Ai's likes) and Ai loves even window shopping, and ''THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT'' reaction wouldn't go natural with a common knowledge of Miho's nature or the dynamic with Megu (in that case it would have been something more like a collected or a somewhat pissed ''you know I didn't mean it like that'')
The poor recollection of Hanako in the almost hint chapter 11 could be cuz Ai's faint presense xD
Let's be honest an Ai-chan who is wild at night is a completely pausible and lovable idea.
(I so wanna see that ch.40!! D: I would totally die right there if the top of the Kabe-don is Ai!! and the bottom Nadeshiko)
Again this is all speculation from my part... and I'm waiting the end of this while willing to accept any posible finale... All of them work for me -v- <3 (as long as it is not TRUTH :S ) Let's all wait for the best togheter <3
P.D. yup Kaede is the most adorable Moe blob to ever Moe in the history of the history of Moe.
