Episode 22: “Otani’s Catastrophic Revelation!!”
Summary: Koizumi is relating what has happened since last episode. Nobu received her acceptance letter from the university in Hokkaido and has been even more lovey-dovey with Nakao than before. Otani is planning continue his studies onto university and has started attending prep classes, studying seriously for the entrance exams. Koizumi says she doesn’t like studying or taking tests, so she decided not to go to a uni and will try for a technical college instead. As they are walking home, Koizumi then asks Otani if he’s planning to go to the Umibozu concert. Otani says he would unfortunately not be able to go to the concert this time since he needs to study. Koizumi is shocked to hear this. Otani wonders why she’s following him towards his prep class. Koizumi says she isn’t following him, but is going this way too since she’s applying for a part time job at the restaurant opposite his prep school. Otani asks her why she suddenly wanted to work. Koizumi cheerfully tells him that this way, she could at least walk with him halfway home.
Koizumi got accepted for the job and has a pretty strict boss. As her boss is talking to her, the boss notices one of the other part time employees, Kohori, who’s late. She then goes to Kohori and tells him off for being late. Kohori apologizes. Koizumi blushingly thinks that Kohori is kinda cute. She then notices the Umibozu wristband he’s wearing and rushes up to Kohori, raving about Umibozu. They become instant friends, cheering on about Umibozu and how great he is. In school, Koizumi, Nobu and Chiharu are trying out Nakao’s new, delicious dumpling recipe. Nobu asks Koizumi what her younger kitchen-hand co-worker is like (referring to Kohori). Koizumi says Kohori is kind of cute and he’s about as tal as Otani. Nobu mocks Koizumi that she has a chibi fetish, which Koizumi angrily denies. Speaking of Otani, Chiharu tells them that Otani is working really hard and actively participating in class, even solving problems on the board and getting it right.
Meanwhile, at work, Koizumi thinks to herself that she needs to decide what she wants to do after high school, and wonders if she’d do waitressing full time. Just then, she loses her grip on her tray and breaks a couple of glasses. She screams out in surprise and panic. She then tries to clean up her mess, but gets a cut on her finger while trying to pick up the broken glass (this scene made me laugh so bad). She later gets a one-on-one talk courtesy of her boss telling her off for being clumsy and noisy. In school, Koizumi greets her classmates but nobody seems to notice her as everyone seems to be caught up in their own concerns. Nobu and Nakao are trying out more of Nakao’s recipes for their family business while Chiharu and Suzuki are helping each other out in studying. Koizumi notes that they all seem to be ready to face life after high school. This makes her feel a bit depressed since she hasn’t really thought much about her own future, compared to her friends. Otani notices that Koizumi’s mood seems down.
After school, Otani. Nobu and Nakao drop by the restaurant Koizumi works in, which surprises Koizumi. She asks them what they are doing there and wonders if they just came to laugh at her. Otani and Nobu sort of mock her for her unfavorable behavior towards them, and asks if that’s how she treats customers like them. Koizumi learns that Otani also has prep classes on Sundays. Nobu then asks Koizumi where the cute co-worker, Kohori, is. Koizumi says he’s not on duty today. Otani then asks who Kohori is. Nobu tells him Kohori is Koizumi’s next target with regard to her chibi fetish. Otani concludes that this Kohori guy is also short like him. Koizumi tells him that’s not the point and says that Kohori is also a huge Umibozu fan. A bit later, Otani tells Nobu and Nakao that Koizumi seems a lot happier than he expected. Nakao and Nobu then teases Otani, commenting that Otani said he wanted to come to the restaurant to laugh at Koizumi but was actually worried about her since she seemed a bit down earlier, noting that it’s really sweet and cute. Otani blushes then angrily tells them them that a busy examinee like him has no time to think about things like that. Nakao tells him that if he keeps saying that, Koizumi will hook up with that cute short kid behind his back. Nakao, Otani and Nobu eventually leaves the restaurant later. Koizumi sadly thinks that she was planning to go out with Otani next Sunday since it’s her day off, but now she can’t do that since it turns out he had prep classes on Sundays.
The next day at school, Koizumi notices that Otani is very gloomy and asks what’s wrong. Otani snaps back and tells her to shut up and leave her alone. Nobu tells her that Otani did terribly at the practice exams. Otani then yells out in panic and wonders why he did terribly when he even sacrificed sleep for study. Koizumi tries to comfort him and tells him not to worry to much since he still has some time left, and that she’s worried about him. Otani angrily snaps back again telling her to leave him alone. They then start to bicker. At work, Koizumi is angrily thinking about what happened and wonders if she’s getting in Otani’s way. She is on the verge of tears while thinking about Otani being snappy and mean about it. Just then, Kohori calls out her name and cheerfully tells her that he’s glad they have the same work schedule today. This makes Koizumi smile, but then panics a bit when she notices Kohori’s bleeding finger. It turns out that he was cleaning the knives and accidentally got his finger cut and was wondering what to do about it. Koizumi then gets the first aid kit and puts a bandage on his wound. They then talk for a bit with Koizumi being her usual funny self. Kohori notes that Koizumi is funny and kind and a great person. This makes her blush. Kohori tells her that he’s been working there for 6 months now, but it’s the first time he met someone like her. Koizumi is a bit glad to hear Kohori laugh and thinks to herself that she feels much better now.
After prep class, it starts to rain. Otani notes that it’s a good thing he brought his umbrella. He then remembers Koiuzmi and thinks she probably didn’t bring an umbrella with her, and decides to go to the restaurant and walk home with her. At the restaurant, Koizumi is trying to memorize the restaurant menu. Her boss tells her that if she doesn’t memorize the entire menu tonight, she won’t let Koizumi go home since she makes a lot of mistakes at work because she doesn’t know the menu. Koizumi then thinks of Otani and wonders if she should get something for take-away for Otani to have for dinner. Meanwhile, Kohori is about to leave the restaurant and go home. He then notices a sleeping Koizumi in one of the tables. Apparently, she fell asleep while memorizing the menu. Kohori calls out her name, trying to wake her up. Seeing Koizumi’s sweet, sleeping face Kohori somehow gets drawn to her and is about to kiss her. With their lips just a few centimeters away from a kiss, Koizumi suddenly wakes up from her sleep and is surprised to see Kohori so close to her. Kohori panics and apologizes for his behavior.
Apparently, a shocked Otani was standing outside the window and saw the “kiss.” Otani then starts to walk away when Koizumi notices him outside. She runs out after him in the rain and tells him that what he saw was not what he thinks it is. Otani stops in his tracks and guesses that that guy was the chibi one Nobu was talking about. He faces Koizumi and tells her that she’s a chibi fetishist. Koizumi is shocked to hear this.
The next day, at school, Koizumi is trying to talk to Otani. Otani brushes her off and tells her that he’s studying. Nobu then appears and greets, then asks what’s going on. Otani goes on telling her that Koizumi cheated on him with the chibi guy she works with. Koizumi then yells that he’s mistaken and that’s not what happened. Nobu and Nakao are shocked to hear that Koizumi “kissed” Kohori behind Otani’s back. Otani and Koizumi start to bicker again, with Otani accusing her that it doesn’t matter who it is she likes as long as he’s short. Koizumi yells at him and denies this. Even Nobu and Nakao voice their disappointment with Koizumi. On the way to prep school and work, Koizumi explains to Otani what really happened, that she fell asleep and that there’s nothing going on between her and Kohori at all. Otani then tells her that she might say that, but Kohori did something like that and they don’t know what he was thinking. Koizumi stresses to Otani that she honestly isn’t two-timing him. Otani then tells Koizumi to tell Kohori that the next time he tries to lay a hand on her, Otani will give Kohori a hook so hard that his nose will be crooked. Koizumi is taken aback by this, then mumbles that maybe Otani shouldn’t punch him in the nose. Otani says he’s serious and that he’ll really do it, and that he should have hit Kohori when he had the chance. This makes Koizumi smile, thinking that seeing Otani that upset over her makes her kind of happy.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Kohori repeatedly apologizes to Koizumi for the moment of weakness he displayed yesterday and for the trouble he caused her with Otani. Koizumi accepts his apology and that she’s not mad. Kohori is relieved to hear this. He then gathers his guts and invites Koizumi if she would like to go with Kohori to an exclusive Umibozu radio event that he won. Kohori tells her that he would like to go out with her even if its just this once and he won’t do anything that will be trouble for her. Koizumi is in a dilemma. She thinks that taking into consideration everything that has happened recently, she shouldn’t go. Even if she doesn’t have feelings for Kohori, it would seem awkward if she went especially after the incident. However, she really wants to go see Umibozu. Kohori realizes the dilemma Koizumi is facing and sadly notes that she may answer “no” and makes a sad face. Koizumi, affected by this, suddenly says she’ll go with him, which makes Kohori happy.
Koizumi thinks to herself that she’s not cheating anyway since they’re only going to a concert and she’ll go straight home after. Meanwhile, Otani was at home, listening to the radio broadcast of the Umibozu concert and recorded the entire thing for Koizumi. He happily notes that this will make Koizumi happy when he gives it to her since he knows she was at work and wasn’t able to hear this invite-only Umibozu concert. He then makes his way onto Koizumi’s house to give his present. Apparently, it was also around the time that Koizumi and Kohori are on the way home from the concert. Koizumi thanks Kohori for inviting her to the concert and says she had a lot of fun. Kohori is glad to hear this and says he’s glad he was able to ask her out. He was about to tell Koizumi his feelings, when Otani suddenly shows up and sees them together.
It looks really bad for Koizumi. She tries to laugh it off but Otani gets all serious and asks Koizumi what she’s doing. Koizumi couldn’t answer straight away, so Kohori goes to her defense and says it isn’t what Otani thinks it is and tells him that he was the one who pressured Koizumi to go with him to the concert and that she didn’t do anything wrong. Otani realizes that they went to the Umibozu concert together. Koizumi tells him that she was the one who made the mistake so Otani should direct his anger at her and not Kohori. Otani brushes off her hand and walks away with his bike, telling Koizumi that he doesn’t care anymore and that he is breaking up with her.
~ end of episode
My Impression: Ironically, despite the sad ending, I really enjoyed this episode overall. There were so many hilarious comments and situations that made me laugh so much, like that part where Koizumi absentmindedly breaks the glasses and accidentally cuts her finger; another is at school when Otani is calling her a chibi hentai while Nobu and Nakao are shocked that she apparently cheated on Otani; and that part where Kohori is asking her out to the concert… the sad face with matching “Chu!” and Koizumi’s reaction with matching “Oh My God!” comment ~Lol.
Ahem. Moving on, Otani was a bit snappy in this episode, although he was also sweet in his own way especially that part when he recorded the radio event for Koizumi. He was so happy to do so and anticipating her happy face when he gives it to her, not knowing that Koizumi is actually enjoying the concert firsthand with Kohori. Crap. I was quite annoyed with Koizumi when she said she’ll go with Kohori even when she knew that she shouldn’t after all the misunderstanding that recently happened. That was really unwise of her. I think she should’ve come clean with it and told Otani about the invite. That way at least he knew about it and that would probably make things less complicated than what had happened in the end. Heh, It also didn’t help at all when she was saying that if Otani will be mad, he should be mad at her and not Kohori when she went to the concert. I was quite disappointed with her behavior. I was also a bit annoyed with Otani, acting a bit like a jerk and pushing Koizumi away since he’s busy with prep school. He could’ve been a bit nicer and less snappy. But hey, stress and pressure can really make one act on instinct and do something rashly before thinking (I can attest to that). Anyway, I think he blurted out he wants to break up because he really got hurt by what Koizumi did behind his back regarding the concert. Oh, and despite the awkward role Kohori is introduced to us, I think he’s a good guy and I kinda like him. He seems to be a nice guy who just genuinely has a crush on Koizumi. It’s not like he has bad intentions or any ulterior motive to steal Koizumi away, right? We’ll know sooner or later when the next few episodes air.
Speaking of which, 2 more episodes to go before this series ends (it’s slated for 24 episodes). I wonder how they’ll wrap things up. The manga is already completed, so I’m curious if they’d be able to follow through with the manga ending (although I’m not really sure about how exactly it ended since the manga available to me at hand is in Japanese, but it seems to be a happy ending).
Next episode: Did they really break up? Will Koizumi manage to sway Otani’s decision?
Leave a comment