READ HIKAEME NI ITTE MO, KORE WA AI 18 SPOILERS HERE
School Festival Prep
Risa's schoolmates are all busy setting up for their school festival - making banners, signboards, painting etc.!
Hikari seems to be caught between a conflict between members of Class A and Class B. A senior from Class B is complaining to her that Class A's prop is blocking the view of Class B's signboard, but Class A's members assert that Class B just needs to make their signboard bigger - Class A put in a lot of hard work to make their prop big.
Hikari is trying to get her seniors to calm down, but they start cornering her and demanding for her to decide.
Risa to the Rescue
Just then, Risa appears with a measuring tape, going, "7 centimeters." Going up to the members of Class A, she tells them that their prop is over the allowed measurements by 7 centimeters, so she requests for them to make it smaller. On the other hand, she requests for Class B to move their signboard 20 centimeters higher, so that it won't be obstructed by Class A's prop.
The members from Class A and B start to protest about Risa's request to make the changes immediately, saying that it's impossible. However, Risa smoothly answers that she will ask for permission from the teacher in-charge to allow them to work during class time.
With that, no one has anymore objections. As Risa leaves, the seniors express their awe.
Risa and Hikari
Hikari goes after Risa to thank her for her help. Hikari is impressed at how she handled the seniors. Risa says that it's the seniors' final school festival, so she didn't want them to have memories of conflict.
Hikari is amazed at Risa's words for a moment, then she laughs cheerily, smiling and saying that Risa is cool. Risa looks surprised, and Hikari asks her what's wrong.
Shyly and awkwardly, Risa explains that it's the first time she's been called "cool" by a female. Hikari infers that she must have been called "cool" by boys before and teasingly asks Risa about it.
Risa gets flustered and blushes but remains silent. Hikari can read her easily and infer that it's true. She teasingly probes further, "Who was it? Someone you like? A boyfriend?"
Zen comes to mind as Risa shyly confirms that it's someone she likes - her boyfriend. Risa's shyness infects Hikari - now Hikari is also feeling bashful for asking as she answers, "I-I see-- Wah, that's good, that's good." She then apologizes for asking Risa something strange.
What About Hikari?
Risa then shyly asks if Hikari has someone like that too - someone she likes. Hikari gets a little flustered, then shyly admits that she does have someone she likes. However, Hikari shares that there are various things that make it complicated, so she feels like she needs courage.
Risa answers that she hopes for Hikari to find that courage. Hikari smiles in response and the two girls share a tender moment.
Kuma 🐻
Hikari tells Risa that she will accompany Risa to look for the teacher (about asking permission for the seniors). Risa goes, "Eh, Kumakawa-san too?" (Risa calls Hikari by her family name.)
Hikari asks for Risa to call her "Kuma" instead, and she will also call Risa "Risa-chan" (previously, Hikari was calling Risa "Amakawa-san".) Risa compromises and decides to call her "Kuma-san".
Hikari happily holds Risa's arm, and they go to the staff room together. The teacher in-charge looks intimidating, but he gives his approval, and the two girls rejoice.
After School
Risa and Hikari are now at the shoe lockers. Hikari asks Risa if she's free now, and Risa answers that she has cram school at 7pm. Hikari follows up by asking Risa if she would like to go to the Stabi (manga Starbucks I think) in front of the station.
Risa doesn't know what is Stabi. Hikari suddenly excitedly goes into a lecture about how Stabi currently has a new item and how amazing it is. She also whips out her phone and shows Risa a picture of the new drink.
Risa says that she would like to try it (but she gets the name of the drink wrong, which is a cute and funny moment). Hence, the two girls leave school together.
Zen's Motorcycle
Outside their school, they see a motorcycle. Hikari instantly recognizes it and asks if Risa parked it here again (Hikari is still under the impression that Risa rides a motorcycle to school).
Hikari approaches the motorcycle and remarks that it's no good to park here, because lately there have been people who might vandalize motorcycles.
Just then, Zen (he's still wearing his helmet, which is covering his face) approaches Hikari. When she sees him, she gets frightened and falls to the ground.
Zen then removes his helmet to reveal his face. Hikari seems surprised to see him. Zen then helps Hikari up by holding her arm, asking if she's hurt. Hikari blushes while looking down (not making any eye contact with Zen) as she answers that she's fine. Risa notices Hikari's blush.
Oohira?
After a pause, Hikari goes, "......Oohira?" and Zen answers, "Kuma, right?"
Hikari: Lo-long time no see.
Zen: Yeah. Did you come back here?
Hikari: Yes... I transferred here in my second year of high school...
Zen: I see.
Zen turns to Risa, then asks Hikari, "You know Risa?" while Risa is also surprised to see that Zen and Hikari know each other.
Zen remarks that it's been about 2 years since he and Hikari met. Hikari is simply stuttering, blushing and looking shy around Zen, when she starts to piece the information together.
She slowly asks if Risa and Zen are together. Seeing how Risa and Zen are not leaving, Hikari then realizes that the motorcycle is Zen's, and Risa is... (Zen's girlfriend. She doesn't say this out loud, but we can infer that she has realized it.)
Risa notices Hikari's expressions. Hikari then apologizes for being in the way and tells Risa that they can visit Stabi another day. She excuses herself, saying that her parents asked her to get home earlier.
As Hikari leaves, Zen calls out to her and asks if she's well. Hikari shyly answers that she is, before turning away again and leaving.
Risa and Zen
After Hikari is out of earshot, Risa asks Zen if Hikari was his schoolmate from middle school. [Edited] Zen explains that Hikari transferred schools in the middle of his 3rd year of middle school.
Risa asks if Ryuu and Fudou also know her. Zen answers that they were in different classes, so they might not know her. Risa asks if it's possible that they were in the same school but not know each other, and Zen says it is, because they had 9 classes. Risa is shocked when she hears that.
Risa's middle school only had 3 classes in comparison. Zen asks if she's curious about his middle school times. Risa sticks her palm out at Zen, saying no, as she has a policy of not prying into other people's private lives. Zen comically answers that he's hurt from Risa referring to him as "other people".
Zen: Come on, I'll show you pictures.
Risa: I never said that I wanted to see, though.
Zen: Ah, it's not on my phone. They're in the tablet at home. Wanna come? To my house.
Zen's Younger Days
At Zen's place, we see a picture of younger Zen with Ryuu at the amusement park. Zen had blonde hair!
Risa's eyes open wide in surprise. Zen explains that this was when he was in his 3rd year of middle school, at Nagashima. He starts talking about how Ryuu was bad with one of the rollercoasters, but Risa says that she's so shocked by Zen's look that she can't listen to his story.
She asks if Zen was born a bad boy, and Zen goes, "Wouldn't that be amazing?". However, he explains that Ryuu's older brother wanted to be a hair stylist, so Zen was a practice model for bleaching. Risa notices that Ryuu also had blonde hair. She also notices in other pictures that Zen reverted to his usual black hair.
Looking at Zen's pictures, Risa blushes a little, thinking about how he looked younger, how this was what he was like before she met him.
Zen and Girls
Risa sees a picture of Zen with two girls. One of the girls looks like Hikari.
Zen: Ah, that's a good friend. ...Just to be clear, there wasn't anything between us.
Risa: I didn't ask.
Zen: Come on, be more concerned...
Risa: There's no point worrying about what happened before you met me.
Zen: ...Well, there's nothing to worry about. When I was in middle school, girls really hated me.
Risa: Eh?
Zen: I used to be called things like boss monkey, or shorty gangster.
Risa (thinking of Hikari's blushing expression earlier): ......I wonder. It didn't look like you were hated, though...
Zen: Hm? What?
Risa: N-nothing. It's about time I went to cram school. (It's 6.22pm)
Zen: Cram school?
Risa: Yes. It takes about 20 minutes to reach there from here, so.
Zen: ...
Needy Zen
As Risa reaches for the door handle to leave, Zen hugs her from behind. He goes, "I don't want to let you go."
Risa blushes a little and asks him what he's talking about, but she turns her head and sees Zen's expression.
Zen proceeds to kiss her, and they kiss until Risa falls onto Zen's bed. He then starts kissing her neck, while Risa gets flustered and asks him to wait. She goes, "Zen..." then falls silent between Zen's kisses.
When Zen asks her what's wrong, Risa suddenly gives him a headbutt, going, "The monthly fee is 35,000 yen!!" (I think she's referring to the cram school fees 😂, not asking Zen to pay for the kiss). Both of their heads hurt from the headbutt 😂
Blushing, Risa gets up to leave. However, Zen asks if Fuumin will be at the cram school.
Risa: ...Fuumin? He's there. What's wrong, asking so suddenly?
Zen: Be careful. He might do something.
Risa: It's fine, he hasn't done anything so far.
Zen: It'd be too late by the time he does.
Going close to Risa and gently holding a lock of her hair, Zen says to her, "Don't let him touch even a single hair on you."
About Hikari
When Risa hears Zen's words, she suddenly stiffens up and replies, "Zen, too!", which surprises Zen.
Zen: ...What about me?
Risa (flinching a little): N-nothing. I messed up...
Zen: If there's something you wanna say, just say it.
Risa (after agonizing over it a little): Kuma-san... You touched her.
Zen: Eh? ...Ah- When she fell earlier, huh? I'm sorry, I forgot about it. ...Anyway, Risa, could it be that you were concerned about it?
Risa blushes when she asks, "...Huh?" which Zen notices. Nonetheless, she quickly runs away, leaving Zen behind, calling after her.
While running, Risa narrates: Crap, I failed. I said all those things (about her not prying into people's private lives and how she said it's pointless to worry about what happened before Zen met her) and pretended I wasn't interested, but I couldn't help feeling worried. It's all been revealed. I'm embarrassed to death!! Even though I've never thought this way about anyone before... I want to know everything about Zen-...
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