Hikaeme ni Itte mo, Kore wa Ai 24 *SPOILERS*

READ HIKAEME NI ITTE MO, KORE WA AI 23 SPOILERS HERE

Zen and His Dad

Zen is at home in the temple, sitting next to his father. He says to his father, "Hey, Dad. I'll change."

There is no reply from his father - because he's dozing off. Nonetheless, Zen continues talking.

Zen: I think this is the first time I felt afraid of losing someone. I don't have any regrets about what I've done until now, but I've re-prioritized.

Zen's father (suddenly awake): It's love, eh.

Zen: It's shocking, isn't it? Wanting to change myself for the woman I love...

Zen's father: Nah, I was the same, too. In the past... I was a salesman who loved money and dreamed of making money.

Zen: Obsessed with worldly desires, huh.

Zen's father: At a group date, I fell in love at first sight with your mother, the only daughter of the temple. Before I knew it, I was training at the temple.

Zen: *surprised*

Zen's father: In Buddhism, love is considered to be one of the worldly desires that should be abstained from. The more you cling to it, the more your desire grows and the more you fear losing it. It is said that if you want to have peace of mind, let go of love. However, no matter how much I trained, I couldn't let go. Zen, it's fine to love with all your might.

What's Up With Risa

At school, Risa reaches for a ham cutlet sandwich - it's the last one available. However, her hand meets another's - one of her female schoolmates was reaching for it too. The schoolmate apologizes, but Risa offers for her to take it. Risa says that she'll have the shrimp cutlet sandwich instead.

The schoolmate thanks Risa gratefully while Risa walks away calmly. The schoolmate and her friend remark out loud that their senior (referring to Risa) is such a nice person. Risa blushes from the comment.

Risa narrates that she's not nice at all - that she's probably the world's greediest person. (She's thinking back to the previous chapter where she told Zen that she wants him all to herself.)

Hikari

Risa visits Hikari's class to look for her, but is informed that Hikari was called by a teacher, so she isn't around. Risa thinks to herself that she was taking too big a risk in trying to suddenly invite Hikari to lunch together.

However, Risa wants to talk to Hikari, because she feels that they might like the same person.

Risa spots Hikari talking to a teacher.

Teacher: Well then, make sure you don't forget to fill out the documents.

Hikari: Okay.

Risa is about to call out to Hikari, but the conversation between the teacher and Hikari continues.

Teacher: It's such a shame. It's only been a year since you came, hasn't it? You have exams coming up too... 

Hikari: It's because of my father's job...

Teacher: Well, with your personality, even if you transfer schools, you'll immediately be well-liked at the new school.

Hikari: I think so too. (Ahaha, saying so of myself-)

Teacher: Alright then, all the best!

Risa's eyes widen.

Risa and Hikari

Just then, Hikari turns her head and spots Risa.

Hikari: Amakawa-san! Did you just go to the store? (She noticed that Risa is holding a sandwich)

Risa: Ah... yes.

Hikari: I have to go too-

Risa: Your leg... is it okay?

Hikari: Ah- yes! I'm sorry about before... As long as I tape it, it'll be fine. Thank you for worrying about me.

Risa: Kuma-san, are you transferring schools?

Hikari: Ahh- You heard, eh- Please, don't tell anyone about it. I don't like being seen off with sadness.

Risa: ...Anyone? You're planning on transferring without telling anyone?

Hikari: Yes, that's the plan. 

Risa: Wh...what about your good friends? Kuma-san, if you were to suddenly disappear, wouldn't they be sad...

Hikari: Nope. It'll be fine. They'll forget about me immediately.

Risa: That's...

Hikari: I know, because it's always been like that. Ah, but instead, my policy is to do my best to get along with everyone while we're together. It was great getting to meet you, Amakawa-san. It was so surprising that it led to me meeting Oohira. I'm content that I got to properly apologize to him before I transferred schools. Thank you, Amakawa-san.

Risa: Kuma-sa...

Hikari: Ah! I need to go to the store, so see you!

After School

Hikari's classmates say bye to her. Her other female friends ask if she wants to hang out, but Hikari says that she has cram school. They lament that it's lonely and say that she should hang out with them next time. Hikari smiles while answering that yes, they should hang out next time.

As Hikari leaves, we can see other people talking about her: That she's always smiling and energetic, that it's always exciting when Hikari is around.

However, we can see that Hikari's expression is one of sadness and loneliness.

On the Streets

Hikari walks alone outside. She sees a bus station staff announcing that the express bus bound for XX will be departing in 10 minutes. It doesn't stop in the city, so passengers are cautioned not to be mistaken when boarding it.

Hikari's phone buzzes. She sees that it's a message from her father asking if she's at cram school. He also asks for her to contact him. However, she turns off her phone, then asks herself if she should go somewhere.

Hikari is about to board the express bus, but someone stops her. When Hikari turns her head to look, she realizes that it's Risa.

Risa: Where are you going? This is the express bus. If you're taking the city bus, you have to cross the road first.

Hikari: ...I, I know.

Risa: What about your cram school? You told your friend earlier...

Hikari: !

Risa: ...Sorry. Actually, I was following you from school.

Hikari: Eh?!

Risa: I was concerned about your expression during lunchtime...

(Risa narrates that Hikari's usual smiling expression was that of a painful expression.)

Hikari (visibly affected): Hah...haha. I was being my usual self, no? It's just my hobby! To take a bus for a change of pace...

Risa: Really? Kuma-san... Shall we go to the Stabi over there? There's... something I want to talk about.

Hikari: ...It's about Oohira, right? ...I don't want to talk about it.

Risa: Kuma-sa...

Hikari: Amakawa-san, don't worry, alright? Oohira doesn't care about me one bit. Be it now or before.

Hikari turns away from Risa and boards the express bus. On the bus, Hikari turns her head to look at Risa and sees Risa walking away. She proceeds to sit down on the bus, looking sad and lonely.

Girl Time

In the bus, the driver announces that the bus will be departing shortly and will stop at Momogaoka station 40 minutes later.

Suddenly, Risa plants herself in the bus seat next to Hikari, with a paper bag in her hands. Hikari is surprised.

Hikari: Amakawa-sa-... Why?

Risa: I'm also taking a change of pace! Here, take this.

Risa holds out a cup of the Stabi drink. 

Risa: Strawberry Mochi-something-something Frappe. We promised to drink this together before. We haven't drunk it yet. I don't want to say goodbye like this.

Hikari looks emotional when she accepts the drink from Risa. Both girls take a sip from their cups.

Hikari: It's sweet.

Risa: Yeah.

Hikari: Somehow, it's different from what I imagined...

Risa: ...Me too. I thought it'd be more of the type to pop in your mouth...

Both girls: ......

They burst out laughing together.

On the Bus

Hikari: To date, I've transferred schools 6 times.

Risa: Six?!

Hikari: Yeah. Regardless, it was lonely every single time to have to say goodbye to my friends. While exchanging texts, my feelings hadn't changed.

Hikari recounts one of the times she was exchanging texts with her previous schoolmates. Her friends were discussing about visiting a cafe on Saturday and Hikari said that she wanted to go, too. Her friends said to come, and that they wanted to see Hikari.

Hikari shares that in the summer of her 3rd year of middle school, she took the express bus for the first time to meet up with her friends from her previous school. However, upon arriving at the cafe, her friends were surprised to see her. They thought that Hikari was just kidding when she said she wanted to go and didn't expect for her to show up. They didn't get a ticket for Hikari to go to the cafe.

Hikari had laughed it off awkwardly, saying that she just wanted to surprise them, and that she actually came with her parents, so she had to leave. Her friends then expressed surprise and relief.

On the bus back home, Hikari saw one of her friend's posts on social media. Her friends had gone to do a manicure together, using a cute bottle of nail polish. The post had hashtags like: #matchingtriomanicure #BFFtrio #besties

Hikari shares that after seeing that post, she and those friends gradually texted less. The friendship eventually faded away. Those friends, as well as her friends from the previous school, all forgot about her. When she thought about that, she started to wonder if she really existed.

Still in her middle school days, Hikari was in a cosmetics shop one day and saw a bottle of nail polish which reminded her of the nail polish her friends did their manicure with previously.

On impulse, Hikari pocketed the bottle of nail polish. However, someone grabbed her wrist. It was Zen. He was going to get her to leave the store, but the storekeeper stopped them.

Risa and Hikari (continued)

Hikari shares that after that incident, her father immediately decided on the next school that she was going to transfer to. Then, she found out that Zen had been suspended from school for a month. She thought that Zen would definitely hate her.

However, when Hikari met Zen again in high school, he said to her, "Don't worry about it. Be it that time or now, I don't have anything against you, Kuma."

Hikari: He said, "It's fine to just forget about it"... Oohira probably didn't forget about me... only because I did such a terrible thing to him... It's okay to hate me... I was the worst, after all.

Hikari: ...I wanted to become someone like Amakawa-san. Strong, not easily swayed by others... able to clearly express your own thoughts... I can understand why Oohira likes you.

Risa: ...That's not true. I'm actually a huge coward. I was very concerned about your relationship with Zen, but I just didn't have the courage to ask. To tell you the truth, I imagined that Zen in middle school must have liked Kuma-san.

Hikari: Eh?! There's no way Oohira liked me!

Risa: That's not the case, because... I like you, Kuma-san... You're attentive, and just by being around, you brighten up everyone's day. ...It made me happy. 

Risa narrates that Hikari is a girl who is the exact opposite of herself - Risa being someone who wasn't good at building relationships with people.

Risa (tearing up): When you noticed me giving my best, when you invited me to hang out after school, and when you called me by my name... it made me feel excited, because I thought I made my first friend--...

Hikari: Amakawa-sa...

Risa: I don't think I'll forget. Even if we can't be friends, even if you transfer schools, Kuma-san, you'll always be dazzling to me--...

Hikari (tearing up): Thank you, ...Risa-chan.

Zen and his Motorbike

Zen arrives somewhere. He's stopped in the middle of the road and it looks like he's in the outskirts.

We see his text exchange with Risa.

Zen: Where are you?

Risa: I'm riding the express bus for some reason. I'll be alighting at a bus stop called Momogaoka in XX city.

Zen: Hah? What? I don't get it, but I'll go to pick you up, so wait for me.

Zen notices a bus stop nearby and approaches it. When he peers into the bus stop, he sees Risa and Hikari seated on the bench, huddled together and sleeping on each other's shoulders.

Zen goes, "What's with this set up...?"