BROTHERS CONFLICT Vol. 5

A lot of people seem to be craving for more Rui, and he finally receives his own spotlight here in vol. 5. On the other hand, things are starting to get even more dangerous with our dear Iori..

The sparks of conflict among the brothers, combined with the truth about her real identity, are causing Ema to feel confused about everything. She wonders what a family truly means.. but in the end, the one who helps clearing that confusion is none other than her family. In the fifth volume, the bond between Ema and the brothers grow stronger, everyone enjoys going to the summer festival, Iori reveals what he truly feels, and something is happening to Azusa’s body.

Chapter 15: ここがいるべき場所だから
[ Because I belong here ]

In the morning, Ema wakes up in Natsume’s room and borrows his kitchen to make breakfast.. only to be greeted by the sight of sexy half-naked Natsume walking out of the bathroom, with only a single towel covering his waist area. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ He quickly apologizes and runs off to wear some clothes, explaining that he went jogging when she was still asleep. Natsume also says he actually jogs regularly because he loves running, though he doesn’t participate in any games anymore. He mentions that he’s Subaru’s predecessor, but he doesn’t explain anything and changes the subject instead. Natsume makes some toast while Ema cooks an omelette for him, then he hugs her shoulder saying he’s jealous of his brothers because they can eat her cooking everyday. ♪ﾟ+.ｏ(*萌´д`从´д`萌*)ｏ.+ﾟ♪ Natsume then asks if Ema is feeling better, and when she says yes, he tells her to come to him whenever she has any problems — he will do anything he can to help her. Ema starts feeling ﾄﾞｷ(*´・ω・`*)ﾄﾞｷ upon noticing that Natsume is looking at her, and they stare into each other’s eyes.. until cat Tsubaki and cat Azusa come to ruin their ラブラブ time by scratching poor Natsume’s feet LOL.

Just before they eat breakfast, Rui comes to pick Ema along with Juli. Natsume actually called the mansion last night, and he informed them that Ema is staying in his apartment. Ema notices that Rui looks rather messy and tired, but when she apologizes, he smiles saying she doesn’t have to apologize — he’s just glad that she’s alright. The moment Natsume calls Rui to come in and have breakfast with them, Juli suddenly leaps forward and brutally attacks Natsume with all his might. Juli calls Natsume a demon who kidnapped Ema and forced her to cook breakfast for him, but he eventually stops when Rui explains that it’s only a misunderstanding.. because Natsume was the one who saved Ema. Rui then brushes Juri’s messy fur after apologizing to Natsume, and Ema can only watch in disbelief as Juli obediently curls up in Rui’s arms LOL.

After eating breakfast together, Natsume is planning to drive them back to the mansion, but Rui refuses saying Natsume doesn’t understand a girl’s feeling. Ema’s uniform is dirty and her hair is a bit messy, and Rui knows their brothers will only get worried if she returns home in such a sad condition. Based on Rui’s request, Natsume then drops them off at Rui’s salon — where he gives Ema a cute frilly dress to wear, as well as arranging her hairstyle. Rui also tells Ema that the “Protect Chii-chan Club” normally doesn’t have any activities, but they will surely move out whenever she needs help. (人´∀`)☆゜’・:* They return to the mansion after that, and they find Ukyou waiting for them along with Yusuke and Wataru — both are skipping school just to wait for Ema to come back. After Ema explains that she’s actually adopted, Yusuke stands up and makes it clear that they won’t throw her away just because she’s not related by blood to Rintarou. Ukyou, on the other hand, completely understands why Ema is shocked. He asks if she’s still feeling unwanted and she says no, but she doesn’t have the confidence to say that they’re a family.. and she falls into silence instead. Noticing Ema’s feelings, Rui asks Ukyou to let them talk in private for a while.

Rui then takes Ema to ride a boat in the park, and he rows the boat to the middle of the lake so they can talk in peace. Since Ema doesn’t realize that she’s feeling insecure, Rui explains that she feels that way because she’s not related to anyone. He tells her that blood relations isn’t absolute, and her mind instantly objects thinking someone who has 12 brothers like him won’t understand her feelings.. but his next words completely shocked her: “I understand, because I’m the same. I’m also adopted.” Σ(・д・ﾉ)ﾉ Rui used to live in an orphanage, and Miwa came to adopt him when he was 2 years old. The only ones who knew about this are those who are older than him, so Subaru and those who are younger don’t know that he’s actually adopted. When he was younger, Rui used to feel insecure too. He noticed how his brothers all share a similar habit, but he’s different because he’s not blood-related to them. However, all of those insecurities eventually vanished as he grew up. He came to accept Miwa as his mother, and he can think of everyone as his family. It took time, but Rui has never felt insecure again ever since. That’s why he wants Ema to know that the most important thing isn’t blood relations — it’s their hearts that keep them connected. Even though he doesn’t remember his real parents, Rui has a lot of memories with everyone in the Asahina family.

Rui then leans forward to hug Ema, and he gently tells her that she’s a part of his family.. so he wants her to accept him as a family too. When he asks her to return home together, Ema suddenly feels a lot better and hugs Rui back. She doesn’t feel unwanted anymore, because she finally realized that she has family and a place to belong. She has a lot of memories with Rintarou and everyone, and that bond is stronger than blood. Ema whispers “thank you” into Rui’s ears, and Rui answers by kissing Ema on the cheek — thanking her for accepting them as her family. |壁|ｮ･_･*)ｷｭﾝｯ+｡*

Chapter 16: 愛を請うものが嗤い
[ The one who asks for love is sneering ]

One evening, Ukyou asks Ema to bring dinner to Azusa’s room. Since Ema is still washing the dishes, Yusuke decides to help so they can finish faster and play game together after that. It appears that Azusa has caught a cold, and since everyone seems busy with their own plans lately, Masaomi sadly says they might have to cancel their overseas trip. Ukyou also feels bad because Ema wouldn’t find out about her identity if they didn’t tell her about making a passport, and when Ema says it’s not their fault, Ukyou says that she’s too kind — just as Natsume told her before. Based on his experience as a lawyer, Ukyou knows that too much kindness only brings misfortune.. both for other people and for Ema herself. He tells her that sometimes they have to blame people too. It might seem cold, but it’s necessary in order for people to improve.

Soon Masaomi informs Ema that she’s got a call from Africa, and Ema finally has the chance to talk to Rintarou. When she calls him “papa”, Rintarou says he’s glad that she still calls him that way. Masaomi already explained what happened to Miwa, and the news quickly reached him as well. Rintarou apologizes for not telling Ema about her real identity, and he explains that he was actually planning to tell her the truth someday. He just couldn’t find the right timing yet. He promises to explain everything when he returns from Africa, and for now he can only tell her that her real parents already passed away. Ema is actually the daughter of Rintarou’s senior, and her mother died soon after giving birth to her. Ema’s father always left Ema in Rintarou’s care whenever he went on an adventure, until eventually he died due to an accident at work. Both of Ema’s parents didn’t have any relatives, and Rintarou gladly adopted Ema since she’s the only thing his senior left for him. Even though they’re not related by blood, Rintarou wants Ema to know that he really thinks of her as his own daughter.

Not too long after Ema returns to the living room, Kaname comes bringing a flyer about “Club Buddha”. It looks exactly like a flyer for a host club — complete with pictures of sexy monks, including Kaname himself — but he explains that it’s just a memorial service event during the upcoming summer festival. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.’:;ﾌﾞｯ Kaname wants Ema to come and see him during the event, and despite her coldly refusing his invitation, he keeps flirting with her until Ukyou eventually smacks his head with a frying pan. Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒Y⌒(。A。)ｱﾋｬﾋｬﾋｬﾋｬ!! However, Masaomi notices that Kaname is actually trying to make Ema feel better, and so he encourages her to go to the festival too — much to Ukyou’s dismay. Just then Yusuke returns to the living room, and Kaname asks him to take Ema to the festival. Tempted by the thought of seeing Ema in a yukata, Yusuke also joins his brothers to convince Ema.. and eventually she agrees to go to the festival, though she has no intentions to call Kaname during the event. xD

After changing into her yukata, Ema finds Azusa in the kitchen. He’s hungry and doesn’t look well, but he assures her it’s nothing serious. Despite his health and the awkward atmosphere between him and Tsubaki, Azusa says he wants to do his best when the time comes for him to voice the role Tsubaki has entrusted in his hands.. even though he lost his focus for a brief moment upon seeing Ema in a yukata. (❤ฺ￫艸￩) Ema goes to the summer festival with Yusuke after that, and he buys an anzu candy for her as they walk around the temple. They decide to get some rest when the festival gets even more crowded, and the candy started to melt along the way.. but Yusuke quickly wipes the melting candy with his finger before it falls onto Ema’s yukata. Yusuke then licks the melted candy on his finger and happily whispers that it’s a good day today, but sadly the good time ends when Wataru suddenly comes and forces Yusuke to take him to the toilet. Wataru got separated from Masaomi earlier, and he would only drag Ema to the toilet if Yusuke refuses.. so Yusuke has no choice but to leave Ema’s side for a while.

While Yusuke takes Wataru to the toilet, Ema waits for them to return on a bench nearby. Just then a handsome young man suddenly comes to hit on her, and she notices that he’s holding a “Club Buddha” fan. Ema then asks if he’s Kaname’s workmate, but before the man could give her an answer, Kaname comes to greet them. At first Ema is surprised to hear Kaname calling her “Chii-chan”, but it turns out he’s not referring to her. “Chii-chan” is the young man in front of them LOL. Kaname introduces him as Chiaki — a fellow monk in the temple — and Chiaki’s attitude instantly changes upon learning that Ema isn’t a potential “customer”. xD Ema explains that she’s only here by coincidence, but Kaname decides to take it the positive way by saying coincidence is blessing them by bringing them together. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵ Kaname still has a guest to serve though, and he asks Ema to wait here until he’s done.

Soon after Kaname goes inside the temple, Ema meets Iori — who comes to the festival alone. Iori then sits beside Ema, and he apologizes for subtly forcing her to take the entrance exam to Jouchi University before. Iori realized that he’s pushing his wish onto Ema, and it bothered him a lot. He admits that he does want her to enter Jouchi University, but he doesn’t mind even if she picks a different university. When the event inside the temple begins, Ema follows Iori to the tree lane so they won’t be disturbed by the noise. Iori says that ever since he heard about Ema’s real identity, he’s been thinking of staying by her side as much as possible.. because he knows how it feels when life suddenly takes everything away from you. Iori wants to spend time together with Ema so he can “ease her pain” — thinking she’s now struggling in the dark like he used to be — but Ema then tells Iori that she’s not feeling down anymore. It’s true that she was shocked at first, but Rui already cleared her insecurities away.

Upon hearing this, Iori’s expression turns gloomy. He then admits that he’s been faking himself all this time, because he actually hasn’t gotten back onto his feet yet. He only locked all of his past memories deep inside his mind and pretended not to see them, but he knew that he’s still stuck in the past. The one who needs help is actually him — not Ema. As he puts his hands on Ema’s shoulder, Iori says that he probably won’t be able to forget what happened in the past.. but he needs to move on. Iori then hugs Ema, and he says that he doesn’t have any strength to forget his past yet. He can’t start moving forward alone, but he might be able to endure the pain if he’s with her. Before Ema could say anything, Iori suddenly leans in and kisses her on the lips. He notcies something right after that, and he sneers as he calls Kaname’s name. The moment Ema turns around, she finds Kaname standing behind them.. with a grim expression.

Repeat #016 – Side Kaname: 愛を説く者は焦がれる心を捨てて
[ The one who speaks love is throwing away his burning heart ]

After sending Ema and Iori back to the mansion, Kaname is blaming himself for what happened between them. Kaname tried telling Iori that he’s misunderstanding Ema’s kindness as a sign of affection, but Iori wouldn’t listen at all — because Ema didn’t resist when he kissed her earlier. Iori refused to believe that Ema doesn’t love him, and he accuses Kaname of trying to pull them apart out of jealousy. Iori also revealed that he actually knew about what happened between Kaname and Ema back in summer vacation, because he overheard them talking about the kiss after he left her room. He doesn’t really care about their kiss though, because he believes that he already won her heart.. and now he wants Kaname to admit his defeat, then go away and stop interfering with their relationship. Before leaving, Iori told Kaname that he will forget what happened today, but he can’t say what will happen if Kaname tries to disturb them again.

Upon returning to the temple, Kaname leaves his remaining guests in Chiaki’s hands and goes to think alone in the inner garden. There he runs into Ryuusei — the most popular monk in the temple — who can tell that he’s worried about his family. Despite Kaname’s attempt to hide it, Ryuusei can easily read him like a book. There are various kinds of people, but the source of their worries are usually the same. It’s either about themselves or about other people, which can be either their family or the person they love. Ryuusei knows that Kaname always finds his own path in life and will never worry that much about himself, and since he’s a pro when it comes to women.. it only leads to one conclusion. Kaname tries to protest saying he’s not a womanizer anymore, but Ryuusei calmly replies that people worry when they have to choose between choices which are equally important. Ryuusei asks if Kaname can throw away one of them to save the other one, and he takes Kaname’s silence as a no. Ryuusei then points to the tattoo on Kaname’s right collarbone, asking if he hasn’t forgotten about that.

This reminds Kaname of Ema’s question last summer, because she’s actually right. The tattoo was made to look like a sword, but it’s actually a cross.. and nobody realized the meaning of that tattoo until Ema came into his life. Kaname then closes his eyes for a while, and he finds the answer he’s been looking for. If he keeps his love burning — in its true meaning — he will be able to save both Iori and Ema. Kaname opens his eyes and thanks Ryuusei for the advice, but Ryuusei is already gone.

Several days after #016 – Side Fuuto: 発達した熱帯低気圧は不機嫌つき
[ The tropical cyclone comes with a bad mood ]

Despite his good grades in exams, Fuuto has to attend supplementary lessons during summer vacation because of his insufficient attendance. He’s clearly not interested though, since he’d rather use the time to practice acting instead. Recently he received an offer to act as a guest character in a popular TV drama series, and he’s been working really hard on his acting ever since. Fuuto knows that he can’t be an idol forever, but he wants to stay in the entertainment world even after graduating — as an actor. The job is really important because it’s the start of his acting career.. and yet he needs to attend supplementary lessons instead. Since he feels sleepy in class, Fuuto tells the teacher that he’s sick and escapes to sleep in the infirmary.

The infirmary looks empty when Fuuto enters, but soon he notices that someone is sleeping in one of the beds.. and that someone is none other than Ema. The school is open for third-year students who wants to study, but for some reason she’s sleeping here instead of studying in her class. When Ema kicks the blanket in her sleep, Fuuto thinks about how careless she is to sleep in the infirmary without locking the door.. and he remembers that she did the same thing by sleeping in their living room. Fuuto then decides to give Ema a “lesson” by lying beside her and starts poking her body, but she’s not waking up at all. Even when he unties her uniform’s ribbon, she only talks about food in her sleep. (○´ﾟωﾟ｀):;*.’:;ﾌﾞｯ The “lesson” actually backfires when Fuuto notices Ema’s nape peeking out from her loose collar, and the sight instantly turns him on. (*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ｲﾔﾝ Fuuto climbs on top of Ema and leans closer to kiss her neck — saying it’s her fault for being so tempting — but sadly the AC decides to break the mood by blowing cold air straight onto his head. ( ﾟ∀ﾟ)ｱﾊﾊ八八ﾉヽﾉヽﾉヽﾉ ＼ / ＼/ ＼ Fuuto is obviously pissed, so he quickly leaves the infirmary and goes to cool himself in the library instead. (。-∀-)ﾆﾋｯ♪

Chapter 17: 12-2 = 苦渋の選択を 1/2+1/2 = 寄り添う魂と
[ 12-2 = the bitter choice, 1/2 + 1/2 = the soul that draws close ]

Based on Azusa’s request, Ema wakes up earlier than usual and makes breakfast for the two of them. Azusa has to leave early for work today, and Ema also has a supplementary class at school in the morning. However, Ema notices that Azusa looks tired and doesn’t eat much. He assures her that it’s just a normal cold, but he starts breathing heavily when he tries to stand up. Ema asks him to get some rest for today, but Azusa refuses saying he can’t do that since the people he’s working with have their own schedule as well — he doesn’t want to ruin their plans just because of his health. Azusa then forces himself to stand up, which causes Ema to fall on top of him when she tries to prevent him from collapsing. Just then a long-haired man in a formal suit appears by the living room’s door, and he comments about how Ema is being so bold by pushing Azusa down so early in the morning. At first Ema doesn’t recognize him and says she’ll call the police, but the man then reveals himself to be Hikaru — minus the make-up. After checking Azusa’s condition, Hikaru forces him to get some rest for today. He also tells Azusa to get some delicious porridge from Ema and recover soon, but since Azusa blushes and stutters upon hearing this, he chuckles and says the “last fort” of the Asahina family has fallen into Ema’s hands.

Ema runs late to school after taking Azusa back to his room, and as the result, she has to take an extra class after school. On the way home, Ema runs into Kaname — who says he’ll drive her home. At first Ema refuses the offer, but she eventually agrees when Kaname asks her to get into his car.. because this will be the last thing he asks from her. He also asks her to trust him — even if it’s just for today — and takes her to the beach, because he wants to talk to her in a place where their brothers will never find them. As they gaze at the sea, Kaname informs Ema that Hikaru described their current condition as “0 wins, 12 losses and 1 watcher”.. with the victories being in Ema’s hands, and the “watcher” being Hikaru himself. However, Kaname says the situation has changed to “0 wins, 11 losses, 1 watcher and 1 quit.” He doesn’t say it clearly, but the one who quit is none other than Kaname himself.. and at this rate there will be “2 quits” in the future.

Kaname then asks if Ema loves Iori, and Ema honestly answers that she’s not sure. The kiss was so sudden, and Ema can’t deny that she actually had no intentions to kiss Iori, so Kaname asks her not to approach Iori if she doesn’t love him. Iori is still struggling in the dark right now, and he’d only drag her along if she’s not prepared to save him. Love is when you understand and accept someone else, but right now Iori is only seeking for someone who can understand and accept him — it’s not love. Kaname knows that Ema is kind and caring, but that kindness just won’t work on Iori. It would only cause her to drown along with him. Kaname asks Ema to leave Iori to him, and he also asks her to give her kind heart to someone else. (ノД`)・゜・。Then he hugs her saying she’s his precious sister, and Iori is also his precious brother.. that’s why he’s going to protect both of them with everything he has.

Kaname drives Ema back home after that, and she receives a mail from Rintarou when she’s waiting for the elevator. The mail informs her that Rintarou is still in Tanzania right now, and it will take a while before he can return to Japan because the road to the city is being repaired at the moment. Rintarou apologized since he can’t return and talk to Ema yet, but he attached a really old picture of Ema’s father. His name is Himi Kenji, and Rintarou respected him a lot as a senior. Rintarou feels happy to be able to raise Kenji’s daughter, and at the same time, he also thinks of Ema as his own daughter. He would be happy if Ema can accept both Kenji and him as her fathers. The mail makes Ema feel really touched, knowing that on the other side of the world, Rintarou is thinking of her. She realizes that families always have troubles, but as long as one of them is trying to keep them connected, their bond will never break.

The moment Ema walks into the living room, Tsubaki suddenly hugs her from behind and says he’s worried since it’s already late. Unfortunately, Tsubaki notices that Ema smells like the sea breeze. He asks if she went to the beach with another man, but she keeps quiet because she knows mentioning Kaname’s name means she will need to explain about Iori’s issue as well. It only causes Tsubaki to get even more insecure than he already is, and he admits it feels really painful to see Ema being so vague. Tsubaki says he can’t wait any longer, and he asks Ema to give him an answer. Ema knows she can’t let Tsubaki take control again, but just when she’s about to stop him, Azusa comes and tells Tsubaki to let go of her. Despite Azusa’s attempt to explain that he’s only hurting Ema, Tsubaki refuses to listen to him — eventually yelling that he doesn’t want to hear anything from Azusa anymore. Azusa falls into silence for a while, and the next second, he suddenly collapses onto the floor while whispering Tsubaki’s name. Just then Masaomi comes into the living room, and he quickly asks Ema to call an ambulance before calling the head doctor.

Azusa is taken to the hospital after that, and Ema stays at home with Tsubaki — who is now drowning in guilt. Tsubaki doesn’t answer when Ema calls him, and eventually he tells her that twins who were born together share the same soul. Tsubaki can feel Azusa even when they were apart, but right now he can’t feel anything. It’s just like Azusa is no longer around, and it makes Tsubaki feel really scared. When Ema tries to comfort him, Tsubaki says her kindness feels so painful right now. He finally realized how desperate he was in order to make her his, and that Azusa was trying to stop him from ruining his relationship with Ema.. but he refused to listen and shoved Azusa away. Since Tsubaki won’t stop blaming himself, Ema then asks him to see Azusa in the hospital. If he can’t do it, then she’s going to see Azusa and ask how he feels. If Tsubaki and Azusa share the same soul, it means Azusa must be wanting to see Tsubaki too right now. At first Tsubaki refuses, but finally he gives in and hugs Ema — asking her to help so he can talk to Azusa again.

One week later, Ema goes to see Azusa in the hospital after school. He comes to see her by the reception desk, and he takes her for a walk at the hospital garden — where he explains that he’s suffering from meningitis. Luckily they discovered the disease at an early stage, so Azusa will recover completely with proper medical treatment. The timing is really bad because he won’t be able to work for a while, but after consulting with his manager, he knows that the only thing he can do for now is to focus on his recovery. When Ema tells him that Tsubaki is feeling guilty, Azusa says it’s not Tsubaki’s fault at all.. but Ema can understand why Tsubaki is blaming himself. Tsubaki must be thinking that he’s causing a lot of problems for Azusa. Like the anime role.. and also about Ema. Azusa then asks if Ema loves Tsubaki, and she answers that she does. As a brother, that is. She admits that she can’t answer Tsubaki’s feelings, and she feels thankful that Azusa came to save her. However, Azusa says she’s wrong.

Azusa then admits that as a man, he couldn’t allow what Tsubaki was trying to do to Ema — because he loves her too. He admits that he’s not that good at dealing with people, and so he didn’t really pay attention to her at first.. but everything changed when she encouraged him to accept the role. It was the trigger that caused Azusa to look at Ema in a different way, and he can’t take his eyes off her ever since. While he accepted the role because of Tsubaki, Azusa admits that he’s been working hard because he wanted Ema to hear his voice too. Right now Ema is a special person for Azusa, and nobody can replace her in his heart. Ema is surprised upon hearing the confession.. and her tears start flowing out before she knew it. This causes Azusa to regret confessing to her, and he apologizes for not holding back, but Ema says it’s not his fault. All of these conflicts happened because she didn’t do anything about everyone’s feelings, and she knows that she can’t let things continue this way. Ema then tells Azusa that she accepts his feelings — along with everyone else’s — but she needs some time to sort out her thoughts. As the answer, Azusa smiles and thanks Ema.

When Ema tells him that Tsubaki actually wants to see him, Azusa asks her to tell Tsubaki that he can come to visit anytime.. because he wants to meet Tsubaki as well. Azusa also realizes that Ema actually came to see him for this reason, and when Ema tries to deny it, Azusa says she should learn to be more selfish. If she’s being too kind to everyone, someday she’s going to lose sight of her real self. When the wind blows, Azusa looks up at the sky and says that autumn is coming, and Ema asks him to come home before then.

Several days after #017 – Side Tsubaki: 今すぐ会いたいけど
[ I want to see you right now, but.. ]

Back in the mansion, Tsubaki receives a call from his manager. Since Azusa is sick, now they have to look for another seiyuu to fill in his role.. and they’re asking Tsubaki to replace Azusa as the main character of the anime. Normally Tsubaki would accept because it’s the role he’s been dreaming to get, but he can’t do it since it’s Azusa’s role. The fact that they’re looking for Azusa’s replacement so fast irks Tsubaki to no end, and he falls asleep in the living room only to see a series of nightmares. In his dream, Masaomi informs him that Azusa died. Tsubaki is devastated and begs Masaomi to save Azusa’s life, but Masaomi suddenly changes into Ema.. who leaves him after saying she hates a rough person like him. Tsubaki wakes up calling Ema not to leave him, and his head bumps into Natsume’s chin. Natsume says he’s just dropping by after visiting Azusa in the hospital, but before he could finish his sentence, Tsubaki suddenly pinches his cheek to make sure that it’s not another dream. ﾌﾟｯ(※థэథ)∵.*.∵

When Tsubaki asks about how Azusa is doing, Natsume replies that he’s actually doing better than expected. Natsume finds it weird since it sounds like Tsubaki hadn’t visited Azusa for a long time, and he’s surprised to hear that Tsubaki actually hasn’t visited Azusa at all. Natsume asks if Tsubaki feels bad about getting chosen as Azusa’s replacement for the anime, and he believes that Azusa will surely understand.. but Tsubaki snaps and blames Natsume instead. Tsubaki says Natsume was the one who drove him towards desperation by attracting Ema’s attention, and it was that desperation that created the tension between him and Azusa. Upon hearing all of these accusations, Natsume only says he understands. He won’t say anything, but he wants Tsubaki to know that Azusa is thinking about him too. After Natsume leaves the mansion, Tsubaki whispers that he’s the worst for taking out his anger on Natsume. He needs to pull himself together, and answer Azusa’s feelings properly. Realizing that his voice is the only thing he has, Tsubaki finally calls his manager and accepts the role.

Congratulations, Ema. Aside from Hikaru, you have captured the hearts of the Asahina family! (*´∀`*) ..or at least that’s what I wanted to say. I cried a river of tears when Kaname decided to give up on Ema, and my love for him suddenly explodes in this volume. I’m sorry for judging you as a stereotypical flirt, Kaname. ヽ(；▽；)ﾉ Rui’s chapter made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and I’m so glad he’s looking at her as a sister. At least for now. On the other hand, the conflict between Tsubaki and Azusa has finally reached the climax.. and I think this should be enough to get Tsubaki back on the right track. Iori is a different case though. He believes Ema is in love with him, and it doesn’t seem like he will listen until something major occurs.

Get well soon, Azusa. ｵﾐﾏｲﾉｵﾊﾅ♪(*´ー`)ﾉ轡 o(´0`||)ｺﾞﾎｺﾞﾎｯ