Aisai no Ura Aka

[UROD-PC]

He doesn't need to. It would probably lead to a dead end anyway( he doesn't even know if the present land owner are her parents, and they could have lost their phone numbers along the way).

Not really, it depends on culture and proximity. Both my parents's families know each other, but rarely meet( in fact, when they do, is by some great event, or even by chance. Heck, last time, both my uncles met( my mother's brother and my father's brother) was while travelling abroad, by sheer chance. That didn't happen even with they living in the same city for decades).

True, but since it's public, it would be difficult to not believe people who knew them otherwise wouldn't be able to find out. For instance, they could've censored the pics in a new account after Shiho was born, to keep her identity safe( not uncommon in japan).

It still sounds too far-fetched; the main character is excessively indifferent toward his wife.
He is blind in every aspect related to her.
But it’s clear why it was written this way - otherwise the story wouldn’t work at all.

This raises another question: everything we were shown would have come to light sooner or later.
I don’t quite understand why she needed to separate her husband from her own family. And where was the hope supposed to come from that Rika would ever return to her hometown?

Even if we accept that the protagonist is an extremely convenient character for Rika - someone who doesn’t ask unnecessary questions - for example, when Shiho grows up (she might start asking questions, judging by her personality), this information could easily be exposed. From this I conclude that Rika never planned to use Sousuke as a cover forever. And the disappearance of her parents looks somewhat frightening - wasn’t she planning to kill him eventually? Save up money so that, once she lost her source of income in the form of her husband, she could become a free widow surrounded by the aura of a respectable woman who has endured tragedy?

 

[Kalimaman]

It still sounds too far-fetched; the main character is excessively indifferent toward his wife.
He is blind in every aspect related to her.
But it’s clear why it was written this way - otherwise the story wouldn’t work at all.

This raises another question: everything we were shown would have come to light sooner or later.
I don’t quite understand why she needed to separate her husband from her own family. And where was the hope supposed to come from that Rika would ever return to her hometown?

Even if we accept that the protagonist is an extremely convenient character for Rika - someone who doesn’t ask unnecessary questions - for example, when Shiho grows up (she might start asking questions, judging by her personality), this information could easily be exposed. From this I conclude that Rika never planned to use Sousuke as a cover forever. And the disappearance of her parents looks somewhat frightening - wasn’t she planning to kill him eventually? Save up money so that, once she lost her source of income in the form of her husband, she could become a free widow surrounded by the aura of a respectable woman who has endured tragedy?

My take, since a while, is that: Sousuke is oblivious, pure, and therefore the perfect spouse for a social image laundy( you know, like money laundry?).

While i had my personal experiences, i agree with you, in any possibility, he would gor for her parents sooner or later. He just never seemed to care about it until now.

Sousuke's job is to help provide a cover for her, to show the image of a perfect wife, while she engages her activites unnoticed, whithout raising suspicions.

That's why we also think she's trying to trap Sousuke in a leash. The illusion of a perfect family for him. And the "second baby" helping it, by taking his mind of unnecessary thoughts of her.

If he has a Physical affair, that's even better, because she can use it to blackmail him, and even if he found out about her, she could still pressure on his affair to keep him at bay.

That's why Akiba's role in the story is important. She wants to have en emotional affair with Sousuke, evolving to physical, and maybe a full relationship. That would lead to a divorce between him and Rika( as Sousuke comdemns cheating). And that could raise suspicions towards her.

Now, when baby trapping and keeping Akiba away failed, and Shingo became compromised, shen ran away. I think of it as more of a tatical retreat. She may have a backup plan for this, but it has not been show until now.

 

[UROD-PC]

My take, since a while, is that: Sousuke is oblivious, pure, and therefore the perfect spouse for a social image laundy( you know, like money laundry?).

While i had my personal experiences, i agree with you, in any possibility, he would gor for her parents sooner or later. He just never seemed to care about it until now.

Sousuke's job is to help provide a cover for her, to show the image of a perfect wife, while she engages her activites unnoticed, whithout raising suspicions.

That's why we also think she's trying to trap Sousuke in a leash. The illusion of a perfect family for him. And the "second baby" helping it, by taking his mind of unnecessary thoughts of her.

If he has a Physical affair, that's even better, because she can use it to blackmail him, and even if he found out about her, she could still pressure on his affair to keep him at bay.

That's why Akiba's role in the story is important. She wants to have en emotional affair with Sousuke, evolving to physical, and maybe a full relationship. That would lead to a divorce between him and Rika( as Sousuke comdemns cheating). And that could raise suspicions towards her.

Now, when baby trapping and keeping Akiba away failed, and Shingo became compromised, shen ran away. I think of it as more of a tatical retreat. She may have a backup plan for this, but it has not been show until now.

Regarding reputation laundering, this gave me an idea, although again not quite in the direction you described.
Sorry if I’m bothering you with this.

It seems to me that the following version is plausible.

Riki’s family was involved in financial fraud, and she herself participated in criminal activities. In the end, the business collapsed, and she had to urgently get rid of the stigma of being a criminal’s daughter. Sousuke was perfect for that role.
This also explains why she agreed to marry him so easily at the time of selling the house—a simple way to change her documents and surname. But you can’t hide your face, especially when it has a distinctive feature like a mole.

Most likely, she doesn’t even know the whereabouts of her parents. It is extremely important for her to maintain her status and avoid appearing in court so that, under no circumstances, facts about her former surname come to light.


Given this, it’s clear where her manipulative skills come from - for example, she and her family deceived elderly people, involving them in fraudulent schemes (and elderly people are extremely vulnerable and trusting, just like Sousuke).
It also explains why she is so obsessed with finances if we accept such a past.

However, in this version, the townspeople would know about her parents’ crimes, and she definitely wouldn’t have returned there.

---

 

[Kalimaman]

Regarding reputation laundering, this gave me an idea, although again not quite in the direction you described.
Sorry if I’m bothering you with this.

It seems to me that the following version is plausible.

Riki’s family was involved in financial fraud, and she herself participated in criminal activities. In the end, the business collapsed, and she had to urgently get rid of the stigma of being a criminal’s daughter. Sousuke was perfect for that role.
This also explains why she agreed to marry him so easily at the time of selling the house—a simple way to change her documents and surname. But you can’t hide your face, especially when it has a distinctive feature like a mole.

Most likely, she doesn’t even know the whereabouts of her parents. It is extremely important for her to maintain her status and avoid appearing in court so that, under no circumstances, facts about her former surname come to light.


Given this, it’s clear where her manipulative skills come from - for example, she and her family deceived elderly people, involving them in fraudulent schemes (and elderly people are extremely vulnerable and trusting, just like Sousuke).
It also explains why she is so obsessed with finances if we accept such a past.

However, in this version, the townspeople would know about her parents’ crimes, and she definitely wouldn’t have returned there.

---

You're not bothering me. I really enjoy reading this kind of conjecture/theory, especially since the manga can pull a bizarre plot twist out of the blue and that's that.

I have a question about this one, however: if the townspeople knew about her bussiness dealings, wouldn't Sousuke's parents be, at least, a little knowledgeable about them as well and not push their son to marry her?

Or even if they knew and had been blackmailed into letting this happen to him by her, wouldn't they at least pose as uncomfortable around her, so much that Sousuke himself noticed?

And his mom even let him go to search for her in ch 62, so she's unaware about Rika's dealings.

Or we could infere that her family bussiness was only know to some people around town. In a way, Shiratori said that she was well know into this bussiness, so i think someone smarter than Sousuke( not difficult to find, sadly) would have thought about it and went after her earlier for revenge.

Or( and that cliche, but i like novellas and some drama)...

Her parents were schemers and had ties with Sousuke's family( who themselves may had shady dealings). Her parents died due to revenge and Sousuke's father decided to take her into their family in a less traditional way: having her marry him. Sousuke already liked her, and that would be easy. It also would lay low the heat on her. However, he( Sousuke) was deemed too much naive to continue his family's shady bussiness, so his parents choose Rika to deal with it.

 

[Kalimaman]

But anyway, i think Sousuke went, is, and will be, going through the 3 character development arcs, respectively.

Negative character development arc:
( a character knows how the world works, but decides to believe in a lie towards his views of it, and ends up in a worse place than the one he started in.)
The one so far. He knew she cheated on him because of Momonga, and the lie he built was "if i catch her lover, i'll make him pay and bring her back to me".
For each mini-arc we go through, however, he finds out he's way farther from the truth of a simple affair.

• After Matsuo's, he found out she had way more to hide, especially about lending 10M yen like it was nothing;
• After Shiratori's, he found out his wife was popular in the social media bussiness of this kind of bussiness, with costly sessions and shady dealings;
• After the happening bar, he found out how cruel and cold she could be, due to her talk with Shiratori( about emotional break and rape on videos, how that could rise views as people enjoyed it);
• After Shingo's, he not only knew that she was the one who approached baldy herself, she was the one who proposed the bussiness of Momonga.

In the end, Sousuke found out his wife was the villanous one, and she managed to escape from direct confrontation. Thelie that she was "stolen" finally rupturing into his views of the world, However, he ended up worse than when he found out about Momonga.

Positive character development arc:
(a character believes in a lie to shade him from the world views. The lie is broken,and he begins to see the world from what it is, and in turn, evolves into a better person, ending up in a better place than the one he started in)
The actual. His lie is that "He can reach Rika, physically and emotionally, and understand her motivations".
My take is that Misato will be his call to action in this arc, serving as a bridge from him to the people in his past.
As i stated befor, we saw how Rika talks and acts, but never how she thinks, and not( in a solid way) how she's perceived through others( Sousuke seemed to objectify her as a good wife lead to a mistake, Matsuo just that she lended him money, Shiratori saw her as a master of social media bussiness in their dirty scheme, and Shingo as a golden-egged goose for his addiction).
Through the lens of other people from their town, Sousuke will find out how much different she's from his views, and eventually break the lie that "he can reach her". She was unreachable from the start, and he couldn't see it because of his blind love for her.
The lie broken, he begins to see her from what she is, and decides that, even if he has some lingering feelings, downing her bussiness is still the best course of action for a "greater good".

Neutral character development arc:
(a character who has no lie. He understands the world for what it is, matures, and eventually change the people around him for the better, while keeping his essence)
In the last arc, finally understanding what he has been dealing with until now and the lies that blinded him, Sousuke departs to stop other bussiness of Rika, mainly for damage control, but primarly to understand how deep the whole thing goes.
He still keeps his pure heart and naiveity, but after fixing relationships, and making them better people since Matsuo Jin's arc, Sousuke begins gaining more allies to help him on this last part.

The moral dilemna of the series being the Dark VS Light.

The Dark: Rika's views that cheating is inherent to humans as a species, and eventually people will succumb to their addictions and desires. Lust is a strong sin to carry, but the pleasure itself overcomes the guilty.

VS

The Light: Sousuke's views that cheating happens because people fail to communicate with or understand each other. They search for an easy way out, and delve themselves into lust, and unless properly treated, it will evolve into self-destruction to the person and those close to them.

 

[UROD-PC]

But anyway, i think Sousuke went, is, and will be, going through the 3 character development arcs, respectively.

Negative character development arc:
( a character knows how the world works, but decides to believe in a lie towards his views of it, and ends up in a worse place than the one he started in.)
The one so far. He knew she cheated on him because of Momonga, and the lie he built was "if i catch her lover, i'll make him pay and bring her back to me".
For each mini-arc we go through, however, he finds out he's way farther from the truth of a simple affair.

• After Matsuo's, he found out she had way more to hide, especially about lending 10M yen like it was nothing;
• After Shiratori's, he found out his wife was popular in the social media bussiness of this kind of bussiness, with costly sessions and shady dealings;
• After the happening bar, he found out how cruel and cold she could be, due to her talk with Shiratori( about emotional break and rape on videos, how that could rise views as people enjoyed it);
• After Shingo's, he not only knew that she was the one who approached baldy herself, she was the one who proposed the bussiness of Momonga.

In the end, Sousuke found out his wife was the villanous one, and she managed to escape from direct confrontation. Thelie that she was "stolen" finally rupturing into his views of the world, However, he ended up worse than when he found out about Momonga.

Positive character development arc:
(a character believes in a lie to shade him from the world views. The lie is broken,and he begins to see the world from what it is, and in turn, evolves into a better person, ending up in a better place than the one he started in)
The actual. His lie is that "He can reach Rika, physically and emotionally, and understand her motivations".
My take is that Misato will be his call to action in this arc, serving as a bridge from him to the people in his past.
As i stated befor, we saw how Rika talks and acts, but never how she thinks, and not( in a solid way) how she's perceived through others( Sousuke seemed to objectify her as a good wife lead to a mistake, Matsuo just that she lended him money, Shiratori saw her as a master of social media bussiness in their dirty scheme, and Shingo as a golden-egged goose for his addiction).
Through the lens of other people from their town, Sousuke will find out how much different she's from his views, and eventually break the lie that "he can reach her". She was unreachable from the start, and he couldn't see it because of his blind love for her.
The lie broken, he begins to see her from what she is, and decides that, even if he has some lingering feelings, downing her bussiness is still the best course of action for a "greater good".

Neutral character development arc:
(a character who has no lie. He understands the world for what it is, matures, and eventually change the people around him for the better, while keeping his essence)
In the last arc, finally understanding what he has been dealing with until now and the lies that blinded him, Sousuke departs to stop other bussiness of Rika, mainly for damage control, but primarly to understand how deep the whole thing goes.
He still keeps his pure heart and naiveity, but after fixing relationships, and making them better people since Matsuo Jin's arc, Sousuke begins gaining more allies to help him on this last part.

The moral dilemna of the series being the Dark VS Light.

The Dark: Rika's views that cheating is inherent to humans as a species, and eventually people will succumb to their addictions and desires. Lust is a strong sin to carry, but the pleasure itself overcomes the guilty.

VS

The Light: Sousuke's views that cheating happens because people fail to communicate with or understand each other. They search for an easy way out, and delve themselves into lust, and unless properly treated, it will evolve into self-destruction to the person and those close to them.

Thank you for the interesting analysis.

Regarding the previous post - yes, the classic scenario of a marriage of convenience or the hidden involvement of Sousuke’s parents in someone’s life is a fairly common theme in Japanese novels.
Such a plot development creates a solid foundation for Sousuke eventually reconciling with himself, but at the same time gives the author even more opportunities to drag him further down, when the people responsible for his suffering turn out to be those closest to him - his father and mother.

As for the second point:
The first option is the most classic one. It’s predictable and often found in manga.

Regarding Shingo, his role still feels extremely vague and unfinished. Even the fact of his connection to Sousuke’s wife wasn’t stated to him directly, and there was no shown interaction with him after the revelations. I understand why this was done from a sales/serialization perspective, but this could become an important element for a final twist.

As for Rika seeing infidelity as a normal part of human life - that also looks realistic.
But in my opinion, she could have found a much simpler and safer way to satisfy human lust.
And I have a hard time believing that Shingo could play the role of a proper lover in her life. Can she really get enough primal satisfaction from someone as dependent and pathetic as Shingo Mori?
In their affair she is the initiator, and the only “fun” seems to be the filming of video content - but even that looks rather limited in variety and depth. Is that really supposed to be interesting? I’ve seen much more engaging content.

In any case, the story contains many clues that could lead to almost any possible reveal of Rika’s past - from the most fantastical options to rather mundane ones. The author could easily tie her past to Shiratori’s storyline, specifically the part about the school principal who created an entire network exploiting women.

All we can do is wait.

 

[Kalimaman]

Thank you for the interesting analysis.

Regarding the previous post - yes, the classic scenario of a marriage of convenience or the hidden involvement of Sousuke’s parents in someone’s life is a fairly common theme in Japanese novels.
Such a plot development creates a solid foundation for Sousuke eventually reconciling with himself, but at the same time gives the author even more opportunities to drag him further down, when the people responsible for his suffering turn out to be those closest to him - his father and mother.

As for the second point:
The first option is the most classic one. It’s predictable and often found in manga.

Regarding Shingo, his role still feels extremely vague and unfinished. Even the fact of his connection to Sousuke’s wife wasn’t stated to him directly, and there was no shown interaction with him after the revelations. I understand why this was done from a sales/serialization perspective, but this could become an important element for a final twist.

As for Rika seeing infidelity as a normal part of human life - that also looks realistic.
But in my opinion, she could have found a much simpler and safer way to satisfy human lust.
And I have a hard time believing that Shingo could play the role of a proper lover in her life. Can she really get enough primal satisfaction from someone as dependent and pathetic as Shingo Mori?
In their affair she is the initiator, and the only “fun” seems to be the filming of video content - but even that looks rather limited in variety and depth. Is that really supposed to be interesting? I’ve seen much more engaging content.

In any case, the story contains many clues that could lead to almost any possible reveal of Rika’s past - from the most fantastical options to rather mundane ones. The author could easily tie her past to Shiratori’s storyline, specifically the part about the school principal who created an entire network exploiting women.

All we can do is wait.

Character arcs appears in any form of media, actually. You can even get a negative development one form the Avengersm infinity war, for instance( how they believed they could stop Thanos, only to fail and see half the people in the universe disappear in the end).

There is...a catch, when working with lust. While it is most commonly associated with sexual desire, it IS, in its base, a strong craving, powerful longing for things. It's intense, selfish drive to satisfy oneself.
Now, we see it, in almost all stances, as sexual, in this story, with a vast amount of people engaging in adultery. However, that's where Shingo differs. He seems less interested in sex as Shiratori, for example. BUT, his lust, his addiction, was his social media media attention. And Rika preyed on it with Momonga.

But why would she do that?
As she's still so open to interpretations, we can presume some things. Basic greed for another bussiness opportunity( a rational decision)?

Maybe Shingo is a study case( where she can shift the dynamic of a person to cheat, and then take them under her bussiness, not an uncommon situation for coaches. Create a problem and show that you have the solution).

Or maybe( and that's bland, but acceptable), she enjoys seeing people fall for their lust and self-destruct along their loved ones? Derivates pleasure from this, all while gaining money from this deal.

 

[UROD-PC]

Character arcs appears in any form of media, actually. You can even get a negative development one form the Avengersm infinity war, for instance( how they believed they could stop Thanos, only to fail and see half the people in the universe disappear in the end).

There is...a catch, when working with lust. While it is most commonly associated with sexual desire, it IS, in its base, a strong craving, powerful longing for things. It's intense, selfish drive to satisfy oneself.
Now, we see it, in almost all stances, as sexual, in this story, with a vast amount of people engaging in adultery. However, that's where Shingo differs. He seems less interested in sex as Shiratori, for example. BUT, his lust, his addiction, was his social media media attention. And Rika preyed on it with Momonga.

But why would she do that?
As she's still so open to interpretations, we can presume some things. Basic greed for another bussiness opportunity( a rational decision)?

Maybe Shingo is a study case( where she can shift the dynamic of a person to cheat, and then take them under her bussiness, not an uncommon situation for coaches. Create a problem and show that you have the solution).

Or maybe( and that's bland, but acceptable), she enjoys seeing people fall for their lust and self-destruct along their loved ones? Derivates pleasure from this, all while gaining money from this deal.

Hi.

I agree with your interpretation and your predictions regarding her motives.
Though, judging from the author’s other works, he usually leans toward a neutral - karmic ending, where the protagonist ultimately wins but ends up deeply traumatized.

All three versions you proposed are very logical and accurately reflect how people behave in reality and what drives them.
I genuinely like your reasoning and the approach you consistently demonstrate in your posts here.

However, it’s frustrating that all the common options and interpretations leave me with no sense of satisfaction in the end.

Could it really be that, in the finale, the slogan “It’s not just adultery” turns out to be nothing more than a pathological craving for manipulation and the fulfillment of primitive desires?
Is that truly all her sharp mind is capable of - the mind of someone gifted with relentless persistence and an ability to achieve her goals? It is realistic, I agree.
But my god, how pitiful it feels; it doesn’t seem spectacular at all, and in the end it leaves the whole story feeling meaningless as a work of art.

I hope that you, sir, can give me some hope for a better outcome - grant me a fairy tale, or at least a spectacle worthy of all this endless tension and intrigue.

 

[eren760]

If Rika didn't plan this whole misato thing then Rika will definitely be surprised seeing sousuke there because she clearly didn't want him to find her.She already made sure that sousuke won't be able to find her if her lie got exposed and i don't know the people that came to sousuke's house were Rika's actual parents or not.If i were sousuke i would disguise myself at the reunion and tell misato not to reveal my identity to anyone.Then we will see what rika is upto and maybe we can also get a chance to see her actual boyfriend or affair partner and follow her to her actual house then confront her.

 

[UROD-PC]

If Rika didn't plan this whole misato thing then Rika will definitely be surprised seeing sousuke there because she clearly didn't want him to find her.She already made sure that sousuke won't be able to find her if her lie got exposed and i don't know the people that came to sousuke's house were Rika's actual parents or not.If i were sousuke i would disguise myself at the reunion and tell misato not to reveal my identity to anyone.Then we will see what rika is upto and maybe we can also get a chance to see her actual boyfriend or affair partner and follow her to her actual house then confront her.

It’s not entirely clear why Rika would return to her hometown at all, considering that she has distanced herself from it - at least in front of Sousuke.

I tend to think that Rika won’t show up at the reunion and won’t appear in this arc.
The protagonist’s entire trip will probably be focused on the sisters and their problems, possibly involving their families. As a result, new information about Rika may be revealed, or it may give Sousuke a new opportunity to move closer to the source of information.

And this would fit well with the current narrative dynamic. I expect the main story to end up being around 85–95 chapters in total.

 

[eren760]

It’s not entirely clear why Rika would return to her hometown at all, considering that she has distanced herself from it - at least in front of Sousuke.

I tend to think that Rika won’t show up at the reunion and won’t appear in this arc.
The protagonist’s entire trip will probably be focused on the sisters and their problems, possibly involving their families. As a result, new information about Rika may be revealed, or it may give Sousuke a new opportunity to move closer to the source of information.

And this would fit well with the current narrative dynamic. I expect the main story to end up being around 85–95 the sd chapters in tot

I think she will come since she didn't reject the invitation and she doesn't know that sousuke knows about the reunion.She has no way of knowing that sousuke would appear at reunion so she will come to meet her partner from middle school.She will think sousuke probably wil go home since he can't track her.
Although it's only viable if she didn't plan the misato thing herself and if she did ,she probably won't come.

 

[UROD-PC]

I think she will come since she didn't reject the invitation and she doesn't know that sousuke knows about the reunion.She has no way of knowing that sousuke would appear at reunion so she will come to meet her partner from middle school.She will think sousuke probably wil go home since he can't track her.
Although it's only viable if she didn't plan the misato thing herself and if she did ,she probably won't come.

As far as I remember, this invitation doesn’t require any reply from the recipient.
And it was sent by email, so there’s no guarantee that the address the sender used is still valid - especially if Rika once again decided to break with her past, just like she did with her hometown.

In any case, it seems to me that this would make it easier for the author to prolong the situation with searching for clues. Let’s wait for the author’s updates.

 

[Kalimaman]

Hi.

I agree with your interpretation and your predictions regarding her motives.
Though, judging from the author’s other works, he usually leans toward a neutral - karmic ending, where the protagonist ultimately wins but ends up deeply traumatized.

All three versions you proposed are very logical and accurately reflect how people behave in reality and what drives them.
I genuinely like your reasoning and the approach you consistently demonstrate in your posts here.

However, it’s frustrating that all the common options and interpretations leave me with no sense of satisfaction in the end.

Could it really be that, in the finale, the slogan “It’s not just adultery” turns out to be nothing more than a pathological craving for manipulation and the fulfillment of primitive desires?
Is that truly all her sharp mind is capable of - the mind of someone gifted with relentless persistence and an ability to achieve her goals? It is realistic, I agree.
But my god, how pitiful it feels; it doesn’t seem spectacular at all, and in the end it leaves the whole story feeling meaningless as a work of art.

I hope that you, sir, can give me some hope for a better outcome - grant me a fairy tale, or at least a spectacle worthy of all this endless tension and intrigue.

Thanks!
I feel kinda funny because of your compliment, haha.

While i do have some ideas about the ending, and how they'll be uniting all the points in this story...as i said earlier, i grew up watching a lot of telenovellas and dramas, so my final judgement would be clouded by melodrama in the last stretch.

I do, however, want a clash between the 3 POVs in the final part.

Black: Rika's view of the world. How adultery is part of humans, both as a species and in the society. How people Succumb to lust and self-destruct along with their loved ones. It's importance towards societal management. It has a bigger role.

White: Sousuke's view of the world. How love is more than a chemical reaction in your brain, and that adultery occurs in humans because we grew to not talk about our problems with other people, supress emotions, and the lack of communication leads to desperate measures. Lust can be controlled by will( as seen with Shiratori), and overall relationships can be restored.

Gray: Akiba's view of the world. That love and relationships aren't so Black or White, nuances and maturity can shift the scenario and make people change theirs views, ideas...and feelings. Rika can't prove that some of her clients(and/or victims) didn't genuinely love their affair partners and were too scared to break their previous relationships. Sousuke also can't prove someone falls out of love for their spouse and can't face it properly either, while learning to love again someone else( it's not so definitive as a comcept).

For instance, Shiratori didn't care about breaking relationships. On the contrary, he thrived on it until his own was jeopardized. Akiba, on the other hand, loves Sousuke( to the level of obsession), but didn't try to directly break his marriage, she choose to accompany him until every feeling he had for Rika was settled as gone, so she could directly approach him. Even in the spa she didn't take his advance on her. She's playing his game, respecting him. However, while doing it, she's not excusing herself from having an emotional affair with him.

In the end, it's not just adultery, it's far more complicated, nuanced, and raw in feelings.

The main tragedy being that Sousuke loves Rika, and hurts himself by doing so. Meanwhile, he has one amazing person who's into him to the level of obsession, but doesn't approach him phisically in fear of rejection. Maybe Sousuke's final understanding is just to let go and redo himself?

 

[Kalimaman]

If Rika didn't plan this whole misato thing then Rika will definitely be surprised seeing sousuke there because she clearly didn't want him to find her.She already made sure that sousuke won't be able to find her if her lie got exposed and i don't know the people that came to sousuke's house were Rika's actual parents or not.If i were sousuke i would disguise myself at the reunion and tell misato not to reveal my identity to anyone.Then we will see what rika is upto and maybe we can also get a chance to see her actual boyfriend or affair partner and follow her to her actual house then confront her.

I don't believe she planned the Misato Scenario. An interesting pattern we see in this series is how her plans( aside from the SD card one) seems to lean less on pre-emptives and act more as countermeasures.

She had just about any involvement to Matsuo and Shiratori to just not appear publicly.

The happening bar could belong to someone she knows, so it would be easier to erase videos of her appearing there.

The fake pregancy could be dealt later as a miscarriage, but it was to prevent more afinity between Sousuke and Akiba.

The SD card plan was to truly find out who was after then, but the "Fake SD card" scenario was to put less heat on her.

I think she will be surprised, but will be having a countermeasure in case Someone else she knows manages to find her there.

 

[UROD-PC]

Thanks!
I feel kinda funny because of your compliment, haha.

While i do have some ideas about the ending, and how they'll be uniting all the points in this story...as i said earlier, i grew up watching a lot of telenovellas and dramas, so my final judgement would be clouded by melodrama in the last stretch.

I do, however, want a clash between the 3 POVs in the final part.

Black: Rika's view of the world. How adultery is part of humans, both as a species and in the society. How people Succumb to lust and self-destruct along with their loved ones. It's importance towards societal management. It has a bigger role.

White: Sousuke's view of the world. How love is more than a chemical reaction in your brain, and that adultery occurs in humans because we grew to not talk about our problems with other people, supress emotions, and the lack of communication leads to desperate measures. Lust can be controlled by will( as seen with Shiratori), and overall relationships can be restored.

Gray: Akiba's view of the world. That love and relationships aren't so Black or White, nuances and maturity can shift the scenario and make people change theirs views, ideas...and feelings. Rika can't prove that some of her clients(and/or victims) didn't genuinely love their affair partners and were too scared to break their previous relationships. Sousuke also can't prove someone falls out of love for their spouse and can't face it properly either, while learning to love again someone else( it's not so definitive as a comcept).

For instance, Shiratori didn't care about breaking relationships. On the contrary, he thrived on it until his own was jeopardized. Akiba, on the other hand, loves Sousuke( to the level of obsession), but didn't try to directly break his marriage, she choose to accompany him until every feeling he had for Rika was settled as gone, so she could directly approach him. Even in the spa she didn't take his advance on her. She's playing his game, respecting him. However, while doing it, she's not excusing herself from having an emotional affair with him.

In the end, it's not just adultery, it's far more complicated, nuanced, and raw in feelings.

The main tragedy being that Sousuke loves Rika, and hurts himself by doing so. Meanwhile, he has one amazing person who's into him to the level of obsession, but doesn't approach him phisically in fear of rejection. Maybe Sousuke's final understanding is just to let go and redo himself?

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Yes, all three paths have the potential to serve as the basis for the finale.

But it seems to me that, judging by the current arc, the essence will be that the story is not about adultery itself, but about Sousuke realizing that from the very beginning he loved and cherished not Rika, but her mask - and the author partially plays on this idea.
The fear that the smile you see every morning is not part of reality, but the same as watching a TV drama or a video on a secret account.
The realization that his wife never truly existed. In the end, he will practically experience the pain of losing a loved one, as if she had actually died.

Of course, in NTR stories there is always room for deception and lies - at the very least to hide the “crime.”
But in this story it is not just the cover for a fleeting affair.
Here, this deception is the very core of his personal tragedy and, in my opinion, the main meaning of the work.
Their entire marriage and their “love” appears false from the start and in fact exists only through his eyes.

That’s why, I think, the author made Sousuke so blind and so unaware of his own wife - to reveal her true face to us anew through the protagonist’s perspective.

And in the end, after he comes to this realization - will Sousuke be able to understand and love the person named Rika Miyase?
Is he ready to give another ten years of his life for that?
That is indeed a very difficult question.

Setting that aside, there is another thing that bothers me.

In the Shiratori storyline, there is the scene with the rabbit lock-screen image on the phones of everyone involved.
As I understand it, the image set as the home-screen wallpaper is used to identify those participating in the scheme of receiving “recommendations” through filming those disgusting videos with Shiratori. And as it’s stated after the scene with the banker, they only change the wallpaper after payment.
So why did Rika set it?

Shiratori claimed he met Rika three times, had no sexual contact with her, and their interaction was purely consultative. Because of this, I don’t understand the meaning of the scene with that image on Rika’s phone.
The only explanation I could think of is that on the day of the sports festival Rika planned to involve Shingo Mori in this disgusting act and force him to film her sexual encounter with Shiratori - knowing that Shingo is madly in love with her - and thus break him as well and completely dominate him.
But since Sousuke intervened that day, she couldn’t carry it out.

But it’s also quite possible that all of this will end up having no explanation at all, and that moment existed merely to fuel the protagonist’s suspicions and his jealousy toward the banker.

 

[eren760]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Yes, all three paths have the potential to serve as the basis for the finale.

But it seems to me that, judging by the current arc, the essence will be that the story is not about adultery itself, but about Sousuke realizing that from the very beginning he loved and cherished not Rika, but her mask - and the author partially plays on this idea.
The fear that the smile you see every morning is not part of reality, but the same as watching a TV drama or a video on a secret account.
The realization that his wife never truly existed. In the end, he will practically experience the pain of losing a loved one, as if she had actually died.

Of course, in NTR stories there is always room for deception and lies - at the very least to hide the “crime.”
But in this story it is not just the cover for a fleeting affair.
Here, this deception is the very core of his personal tragedy and, in my opinion, the main meaning of the work.
Their entire marriage and their “love” appears false from the start and in fact exists only through his eyes.

That’s why, I think, the author made Sousuke so blind and so unaware of his own wife - to reveal her true face to us anew through the protagonist’s perspective.

And in the end, after he comes to this realization - will Sousuke be able to understand and love the person named Rika Miyase?
Is he ready to give another ten years of his life for that?
That is indeed a very difficult question.

Setting that aside, there is another thing that bothers me.

In the Shiratori storyline, there is the scene with the rabbit lock-screen image on the phones of everyone involved.
As I understand it, the image set as the home-screen wallpaper is used to identify those participating in the scheme of receiving “recommendations” through filming those disgusting videos with Shiratori. And as it’s stated after the scene with the banker, they only change the wallpaper after payment.
So why did Rika set it?

Shiratori claimed he met Rika three times, had no sexual contact with her, and their interaction was purely consultative. Because of this, I don’t understand the meaning of the scene with that image on Rika’s phone.
The only explanation I could think of is that on the day of the sports festival Rika planned to involve Shingo Mori in this disgusting act and force him to film her sexual encounter with Shiratori - knowing that Shingo is madly in love with her - and thus break him as well and completely dominate him.
But since Sousuke intervened that day, she couldn’t carry it out.

But it’s also quite possible that all of this will end up having no explanation at all, and that moment existed merely to fuel the protagonist’s suspicions and his jealousy toward the banker.

shiratori said he didn't knew who rika was having an affair with and the account is owned by shinjo but in the happening bar rika asked shiratori if he watched their park bathroom video as if shiratori knew rika and shinjo were making video together which is confusing.

 

[eren760]

So rika's house known as whore house.Thats probably why they left that place 10 years ago.something must have happened to rika in University days.
Sousukue and misato will meet someone to know about rika and the blonde girl will take rent payment through sex.Sousuke do it bro.

 

[Kalimaman]

CH. 64 dropped. We saw it coming, we didn't saw it coming and at least a point of interest was touched.

Spoiler

It starts with some casual talk, how they make sure to show Sousuke that both sisters are polar opposites.

Misato is shy and calm, Satsuki talks loud and in a raw tone.

Misato takes care of what she's talking about, Satsuki blurt thing out without care.

Misato is virgin, Satsuki is very sexually open.

When talking about the house, Satsuki explains that the people around refers to it as the "Whore House". Why, neither sisters knows.

Sousuke's monologue has him contemplating that, from high school until they meet again, there's a blank period in wich he admits he doesn't know what happened with Rika.

Satsuki goes for a jog( despite the threat of wild dogs), and Misato agrees to go with Sousuke to the class meeting.

Sousuke later falls asleep thinking if any of the neighbours will know something abot the "Whore house".

Satsuki comes back and, instead of money, she wants Sousuke to help her with her body heat( AKA sex) as compensantion for his staiyng there.

Interesting points:

Spoiler

-Sousuke is starting to acknowledge that he doesn't have much info about Rika in his life. Also, according to her story about his confession, when meeting with Akiba, they were in college, with 22~23 years of age. That's about the time the house was sold.

- The term Used here, Paita 売女 is a derogatory term for prostitute, with the english equivalent being Whore. Both kanji means "Sell" and "woman", respectively, meaning a woman who sells her body, but not in the same formality/conotation as a prostitute per see.

 

[eren760]

CH. 64 dropped. We saw it coming, we didn't saw it coming and at least a point of interest was touched.

Spoiler

It starts with some casual talk, how they make sure to show Sousuke that both sisters are polar opposites.

Misato is shy and calm, Satsuki talks loud and in a raw tone.

Misato takes care of what she's talking about, Satsuki blurt thing out without care.

Misato is virgin, Satsuki is very sexually open.

When talking about the house, Satsuki explains that the people around refers to it as the "Whore House". Why, neither sisters knows.

Sousuke's monologue has him contemplating that, from high school until they meet again, there's a blank period in wich he admits he doesn't know what happened with Rika.

Satsuki goes for a jog( despite the threat of wild dogs), and Misato agrees to go with Sousuke to the class meeting.

Sousuke later falls asleep thinking if any of the neighbours will know something abot the "Whore house".

Satsuki comes back and, instead of money, she wants Sousuke to help her with her body heat( AKA sex) as compensantion for his staiyng there.

Interesting points:

Spoiler

-Sousuke is starting to acknowledge that he doesn't have much info about Rika in his life. Also, according to her story about his confession, when meeting with Akiba, they were in college, with 22~23 years of age. That's about the time the house was sold.

- The term Used here, Paita 売女 is a derogatory term for prostitute, with the english equivalent being Whore. Both kanji means "Sell" and "woman", respectively, meaning a woman who sells her body, but not in the same formality/conotation as a prostitute per see.

Rika is 31 so when their house was sold she was 21(same time she graduated college or university).Till high school she was 18 so sousukue have to find out what happened to rika between 18-22 years.
Sousukue didn't meet her in college Days,they met when they were working their jobs.
I don't know maybe she was forced to have sex for money by her parents with many people or she willingly did that.I think it was willingly since she lent money to matsuo and in chapter 9 or 10 she said"thanks to him I can still have fun, it's not over yet".
The words she said at happening bar makes her a person who have a high sexual libido.

 

[Kalimaman]

Rika is 31 so when their house was sold she was 21(same time she graduated college or university).Till high school she was 18 so sousukue have to find out what happened to rika between 18-22 years.
Sousukue didn't meet her in college Days,they met when they were working their jobs.
I don't know maybe she was forced to have sex for money by her parents with many people or she willingly did that.I think it was willingly since she lent money to matsuo and in chapter 9 or 10 she said"thanks to him I can still have fun, it's not over yet".
The words she said at happening bar makes her a person who have a high sexual libido.

Some interesting paths opened up after todays chapter. What if the "whore" is not her, but instead, her mother? Basically:

• Rika's the child of an adultery case;
• When her father found out, he abandoned both her and her mother;
• Without a proper income, her mother started whoring herself to pay the bills;
• The main target/public of whores are married man;
• Rika eventually starts to whore herself in high school( she needed money for herself, and at school age...there's a "market" for these things in Japan, even if denied);
• She advances towards Social Media( funningly, while not stating in which year the story occurs, Shingo's backstory makes me think Social media was a little more advanced then by what i believe would be chronologically accurate if it happened noawadays-2025);
• Her bussiness grows into more than just physical sex, but also content creator for this kind of thing.
• She somewhat becomes compromised, and her image, whle not all, is partially stained;
• She doesn't know how to proceed, and that's when she meets Sousuke again;
• She marries him in order to promote an image cleaning and get rid of any suspects towards her;
• She has Shiho to babytrap Sousuke and keep up appearances;
• Steadily, but surely, she regains her bussiness and now upgrades it with Advisory;
• Thanks to Sousuke, it's not over to her and her bussiness.

As for her Libido: i was talking with @UROD-PC about the issue with Lust. While it is more fixed as a sexual thing, it can mean a strong craving, longing for something. For example: Shingo's craving is way less about sex and more about attention. Rika's could be she receives pleasure from not only sex, but rather from seeing people self-destruct along their loved ones, because they're consumed by lust. Maybe from trauma about what happened to her mom and/or whoring in her life( regardless of the timeline i used)?