Aisai no Ura Aka

[UROD-PC]

The manga has been following a 3-rule set that, sadly, bypass normal logic, ever since... about chapter 3.

1 - Sousuke's naiveity and dimwits will always mirror Rika's arrogance and overconfidence;
2 - The gimmick of rule 1 will always work with a dual-edge result, of reward and punishment, for both of them;
- For each arc that's passed, Sousuke always ended up with another piece of truth, breaking his lie and making him accept the world for what it is. But in the process, he always ends up in a worse place than the start of the arc itself;
- For each arc that's passed, Rika always ends up as "not guilty"( as in lack of evidence to formally catch her). But in the process, she loses a Point of Interest, knowingly or unknowingly.
3 - Rule 2 can only be broken( or even lightly scratched) if any of the 2 acts outside of the of rule 1's logic;

During Matsuo Jin's scenario:

• Sousuke started thinking he was her affair partner, but ended up finding out she had enough cash to lend 10M( mind you, by today, this would be about a little more than 64K US dollars) yen and say "it's not a problem";
• Rika didn't "lose", but Matsuo Jin became "less pressured" to pay his debt;

During Ryouga Shiratori's scenario:

• Sousuke started going after Kamizaki. He ended up finding Shiratori and dismantling his business, but ended up finding out Rika was Shiratori's advisor in business, and that she was also know in this line of work;
• Rika, again, did not lose something knowingdly, but one of her clients( Shiratori) became compromised;

During the after and happening bar scenario:

• Sousuke sees, in first hand, a side of Rika that he did not know, being cold and manipulative( just like her telling Shiratori about the rape content), and proves her ties with Shingo Mori, but fails to get any evidence, and worse still, is "baby trapped" by her;
• Rika, once more, did not lose anything substancial, except another meeting place;

Now comes the interesting twist...


During Shingo Mori's scenario:

• Sousuke is able to find evidence of adultery and manages to trap and subdue Shingo, but loses the evidence and Rika in the end;
• Rika sees Shingo being compromised, and the damage to her being enough to force her to retreat. This time, is an acknowledged lose.

Throughout the story, Sousuke's M.O has been infuriating to the reader, but predictable to Rika. Because she knows him enough to understand his line of thought through any instance, but the opposite couldn't be farther from the truth. So why is Shingo's scenario so interesting?


Sousuke running to Akiba is predictable to Shingo and his scheme, but the story never acknowledged that it would be predictable to Rika. Sousuke going on Akiba, scheming with Shiratori and even his "outside the box" thinking about Shingo's wig were, even now, not acknowledged to be predictable by Rika. That's where my belief about rule 3 comes from. Sousuke managed to scratch the surface of the unpredictabily.

But that is only due to his evolution from negative character development arc to a positive one. He will still act naively in the future, but probably less predictable from what we saw.

The main proof? Satsuki's "naked assault". During it, Sousuke wasn't thinking about Rika or the ordeal( like he did previously through other situations), but about Akiba. He started lusting about her. His sin's taking place. That's a point of change to him. But that's me being optimist.

You’ve already expressed parts of this theory before, and I agree with your reasoning regarding the internal structure of the narrative.

However, the “evolution” of the character you described - especially the moment with Satsuki - doesn’t indicate his growth as a person, but merely a new form of dependence.

Sousuke has not, even in the slightest, accepted the surrounding world as the author intended it. He has simply found a new form of dependency and a new idol in the figure of Akiba. He remains incapable of independently deciding whether he wants anything or not. His mind is just as unstable as before, and his goals remain vague.

If we recall his internal monologue at the beginning of the new arc, when he blames himself for everything that happened, he was quite close to yet another attempt to “forgive” Rika, just so Shiho could have a complete family. Yes, at the end, his daughter tries to comfort him and dispel his doubts. But on his own, Sousuke is unable to realize this. If his daughter hadn’t guided him once again - just as other characters have done before - then upon returning, Rika would have locked him in that house forever, and no amount of “lust” for Akiba would have helped him escape the situation.

Yes, his lust for Akiba overshadowed the pain of losing Rika, but only in moments when Rika herself is absent from the story. And again, if his “love” turns out to be an illusion or if Akiba disappears from his life just like Rika did, he will completely fall apart.

It’s also worth noting that in both instances where Megumi appears in Sousuke’s memories, the scene is always from their unfinished sexual encounter. He doesn’t recall how Akiba helped him, how she supported him throughout the story - no, it’s purely lust.

Overwhelmed by the fear of dissolving in this lust, he couldn’t even allow himself to open up to her, to share his thoughts, or to seek emotional support. And during the trip, they were close not only physically - yet from his side, there is no full trust, and I think that without trust, love cannot exist.

Akiba was ready to sacrifice her virginity and her safety for him, while he can’t even tell her that he’s okay when he goes on a dubious journey. She doesn’t even deserve to be informed, even though it’s obvious to anyone - even a blind person - that she sincerely loves him. This action makes Sousuke an even more repulsive character in my eyes.

Will he be able to handle all of this on his own and raise his daughter? Would you entrust Shiho to someone like him? What kind of role model would he be for his daughter?

 

[Kalimaman]

You’ve already expressed parts of this theory before, and I agree with your reasoning regarding the internal structure of the narrative.

However, the “evolution” of the character you described - especially the moment with Satsuki - doesn’t indicate his growth as a person, but merely a new form of dependence.

Sousuke has not, even in the slightest, accepted the surrounding world as the author intended it. He has simply found a new form of dependency and a new idol in the figure of Akiba. He remains incapable of independently deciding whether he wants anything or not. His mind is just as unstable as before, and his goals remain vague.

If we recall his internal monologue at the beginning of the new arc, when he blames himself for everything that happened, he was quite close to yet another attempt to “forgive” Rika, just so Shiho could have a complete family. Yes, at the end, his daughter tries to comfort him and dispel his doubts. But on his own, Sousuke is unable to realize this. If his daughter hadn’t guided him once again - just as other characters have done before - then upon returning, Rika would have locked him in that house forever, and no amount of “lust” for Akiba would have helped him escape the situation.

Yes, his lust for Akiba overshadowed the pain of losing Rika, but only in moments when Rika herself is absent from the story. And again, if his “love” turns out to be an illusion or if Akiba disappears from his life just like Rika did, he will completely fall apart.

It’s also worth noting that in both instances where Megumi appears in Sousuke’s memories, the scene is always from their unfinished sexual encounter. He doesn’t recall how Akiba helped him, how she supported him throughout the story - no, it’s purely lust.

Overwhelmed by the fear of dissolving in this lust, he couldn’t even allow himself to open up to her, to share his thoughts, or to seek emotional support. And during the trip, they were close not only physically - yet from his side, there is no full trust, and I think that without trust, love cannot exist.

Akiba was ready to sacrifice her virginity and her safety for him, while he can’t even tell her that he’s okay when he goes on a dubious journey. She doesn’t even deserve to be informed, even though it’s obvious to anyone - even a blind person - that she sincerely loves him. This action makes Sousuke an even more repulsive character in my eyes.

Will he be able to handle all of this on his own and raise his daughter? Would you entrust Shiho to someone like him? What kind of role model would he be for his daughter?

His new form of dependence IS his growth as a character. From the negative character development arc to the positive one, his biggest lie was idolizing Rika, putting her as a victim of other predators( Like Shiratori or Shingo), instead of accepting her failures as a person( which are actually worse than any normal person, actually). This put him in a worse place than the one he started the story in.

In this new arc, the positive one, he's starting to break his full lie about Rika and accept the world for what it is. That's where we, as readers, will start to see more explicit changes in his character.

By the end of the school trip scenario, Rika is now less than a muse, but some spouses do really have serious problems when breaking up, due to the amount of changes not visible from "outside"( in her case, she faked it well for years). That's why, although showed proof, his image of her is still in a delicate situation, demanding he understands more of her and the situation she's him, for him to move on. That he's not fully broken from his emotional dependence to her because, albeit talking about forgiveness, is really him seeking closure.

His lust for Akiba is actually the bringer of 2 important things, regardless:

• For a monogamous person, who treasured his wife above all, to start seeing other women in such a light is no small feature. We're talking about a guy who idolized his wife above any suspicions, and now that is starting to fade, because...
• Megumi Akiba got into his thick as diamond head, finnaly.

Sadly, and Akiba knows it, Sousuke is the kind of person who seeks definitive closure before moving on. She's aware of it, that's why she talked like that with him during their scene in the spa. We, as readers, are fully aware of her feelings, but Sousuke isn't( that's from his naiveity).

As for not trusting anyone about his trip, not even Akiba, it's pretty much Rule's 1 and 2 working again, as always. It's now the perfect opportunity to begin showing us rule 3, from which we barely caught a glimpse.

 

[UROD-PC]

His new form of dependence IS his growth as a character. From the negative character development arc to the positive one, his biggest lie was idolizing Rika, putting her as a victim of other predators( Like Shiratori or Shingo), instead of accepting her failures as a person( which are actually worse than any normal person, actually). This put him in a worse place than the one he started the story in.

In this new arc, the positive one, he's starting to break his full lie about Rika and accept the world for what it is. That's where we, as readers, will start to see more explicit changes in his character.

By the end of the school trip scenario, Rika is now less than a muse, but some spouses do really have serious problems when breaking up, due to the amount of changes not visible from "outside"( in her case, she faked it well for years). That's why, although showed proof, his image of her is still in a delicate situation, demanding he understands more of her and the situation she's him, for him to move on. That he's not fully broken from his emotional dependence to her because, albeit talking about forgiveness, is really him seeking closure.

His lust for Akiba is actually the bringer of 2 important things, regardless:

• For a monogamous person, who treasured his wife above all, to start seeing other women in such a light is no small feature. We're talking about a guy who idolized his wife above any suspicions, and now that is starting to fade, because...
• Megumi Akiba got into his thick as diamond head, finnaly.

Sadly, and Akiba knows it, Sousuke is the kind of person who seeks definitive closure before moving on. She's aware of it, that's why she talked like that with him during their scene in the spa. We, as readers, are fully aware of her feelings, but Sousuke isn't( that's from his naiveity).

As for not trusting anyone about his trip, not even Akiba, it's pretty much Rule's 1 and 2 working again, as always. It's now the perfect opportunity to begin showing us rule 3, from which we barely caught a glimpse.

Perhaps I didn’t express myself clearly earlier.

But for me, real character development wouldn’t be shifting his focus from one woman to another - it would be truly finding himself and gaining independent thinking.
Gaining a clear mind, if you will.
The ability to act of his own will, not for the sake of yet another woman. There is more to this world than lust and relationships with the opposite sex.

Evil, hypocrisy, and crime in life are, in most cases, not connected to sexual relationships at all. So what will Sousuke do, and - most importantly - is he capable of protecting himself and Shiho from other threats and standing strong in this world?

Sousuke is a man in his thirties who has a young daughter, Shiho. He is not a middle-school student.
As a father (and quite possibly a future single father), he can no longer afford to waver. He has responsibilities to care for and raise his child.

A child who will soon reach a “dangerous” age. He must not only support her financially, but also teach her proper behavior and pass on his life experience.

I fully understand that manga is a world of conventions, and in this case the author emphasizes nothing but emotions - emotions that are extremely negative.
Yes, one could assume that the author intends to change the protagonist’s character through a classic method of self-discovery: solitude. And for that, this trip fits perfectly.

Starting a struggle and searching for truth alone, facing enemies one-on-one, the author could finally make this narrative shift.
But I don’t think he will actually take that step.

 

[Kalimaman]

Perhaps I didn’t express myself clearly earlier.

But for me, real character development wouldn’t be shifting his focus from one woman to another - it would be truly finding himself and gaining independent thinking.
Gaining a clear mind, if you will.
The ability to act of his own will, not for the sake of yet another woman. There is more to this world than lust and relationships with the opposite sex.

Evil, hypocrisy, and crime in life are, in most cases, not connected to sexual relationships at all. So what will Sousuke do, and - most importantly - is he capable of protecting himself and Shiho from other threats and standing strong in this world?

Sousuke is a man in his thirties who has a young daughter, Shiho. He is not a middle-school student.
As a father (and quite possibly a future single father), he can no longer afford to waver. He has responsibilities to care for and raise his child.

A child who will soon reach a “dangerous” age. He must not only support her financially, but also teach her proper behavior and pass on his life experience.

I fully understand that manga is a world of conventions, and in this case the author emphasizes nothing but emotions - emotions that are extremely negative.
Yes, one could assume that the author intends to change the protagonist’s character through a classic method of self-discovery: solitude. And for that, this trip fits perfectly.

Starting a struggle and searching for truth alone, facing enemies one-on-one, the author could finally make this narrative shift.
But I don’t think he will actually take that step.

I now uderstand more clearly your point. Whereas i see character growth and development from even simple changes(that could lead to another direction), you belive in more stronger, character-marking changes are noteworthy of development. I agree with both views.

As for "Sousuke is a man in his thirties who has a younger daughter"...you'd be surprised how many struggle with petty issues, and don't actually work on them until later in life.

I know a lot of the type, people who didn't grow past their teenage years properly, people who became like your typical "boomer" figures with even some outdated lines of thought( for instance, believing depression is not a real thing). Lost, overall.

My issue with Sousuke is that, while i've seen people who were broken in this part of their lives, even if i apply suspension of desbelief, i've never seen one so naive and dimwitted. But as you said, it's for plot reasons only.

 

[UROD-PC]

I now uderstand more clearly your point. Whereas i see character growth and development from even simple changes(that could lead to another direction), you belive in more stronger, character-marking changes are noteworthy of development. I agree with both views.

As for "Sousuke is a man in his thirties who has a younger daughter"...you'd be surprised how many struggle with petty issues, and don't actually work on them until later in life.

I know a lot of the type, people who didn't grow past their teenage years properly, people who became like your typical "boomer" figures with even some outdated lines of thought( for instance, believing depression is not a real thing). Lost, overall.

My issue with Sousuke is that, while i've seen people who were broken in this part of their lives, even if i apply suspension of desbelief, i've never seen one so naive and dimwitted. But as you said, it's for plot reasons only.

And I’d also like to clarify something.

I fully agree that in real life you can meet people who have the traits the author gave Sousuke.
I’ve felt these things myself, and I know many people who have gone through failed marriages, and their behavior doesn’t seem to change much even in different countries.

But I don’t see the point of simply reflecting this in a work of fiction - it’s not a documentary.
This is just my personal opinion, and I’m not claiming it to be the truth.

In my view, it’s much more interesting when, while basing situations and characters on reality, the author still offers a way out - when we see a new personality being formed right before our eyes. A personality you want to look up to, someone who can inspire me, or at least make me remember him with an ironic smile and say, “Damn it, Sousuke, all of this wasn’t for nothing - we endured a hundred chapters of the manga for a reason.”

After all, most readers probably don’t come to manga just to see the same picture over and over again that already surrounds them in everyday life.

Yes, realistic psychological types and character traits must be present in a work of fiction - they should make us believe in what is happening and help us immerse ourselves in the protagonist’s role. Without that, the reader won’t be able to feel the emotions the author wants to convey.

But that alone isn’t enough.
A writer’s true talent isn’t in sparse documentary realism. It could be justified if this were purely a detective story, but even in such a genre there is always room for emotional arcs and personal stories.

Maybe I’m a strange person who perceives fiction the wrong way; it’s not enough for me to just see familiar traits in characters and watch their suffering. I want an idea. I want to share not only the protagonist’s moments of downfall - I want to see what rarely happens in real life: a person who finds the strength to overcome hardship and move toward a future they create themselves.

Still, thank you for sharing your point of view - it’s actually very close to mine, if I set aside my expectations and evaluate the work with a cool head.
I hope we’ll continue to be together in the future as well.

 

[XiaoNate]

What are your guys toughts on Rika's love for his daughter, does she even loves his daughter as a mother like every other normally would or even that is a fake ass role ??

 

[Kalimaman]

What are your guys toughts on Rika's love for his daughter, does she even loves his daughter as a mother like every other normally would or even that is a fake ass role ??

So far, Shiho has showed us that Rika only has 3 points of interest torwards her:
1 - Baby( emotionally) trap Sousuke into a marriage. Help with the delusion of a happy family. Probably keep an eye on him for Rika;
2 - An excuse to censor their family photos( as per safety guide to kids in social media), to hide her identity;
3 - An excuse to put her in that school, creating ties with other parents, teachers and members of the PTA, to further her business strategy/expansion;

So even if i added a theory that "Rika thinks her life's so messed up, she at least wanted to leave behind a piece of her, a proof she existed", in the end, it all just sounds like Rika's love for Shiho is merely functional, or better yet, to guarantee her offspring survivability.

 

[XiaoNate]

I f...... hate her guts bro, she remembers me very much of a women of a manga already finished called impossible divorce/Rikon Shinai Otoko part 1, she was the wife of the MC.
I never hated a fictional character more than i hated that disgusting women, dude, she was basically a much worse version of rika, shameless till the end, having to read that manga every week was a painful experience, you guys should try it, the end is very satisfatory and the manga itself is short, you can read in one day, and comeback with a feedback, dif POV

 

[UROD-PC]

What are your guys toughts on Rika's love for his daughter, does she even loves his daughter as a mother like every other normally would or even that is a fake ass role ??

If we proceed from the facts currently described in the manga, Mr. Kalimaman has already given an exhaustive answer to this question.

However, if we speculate on this topic, there are a couple of points that require further development within the work.

1) A deep emotional bond between mother and daughter is not shown.

Another important element at this stage is an additional ambiguity: Sousuke never discussed his daughter’s relationship with Rika with her.
Of course, this point may never be addressed in the future, but judging by how quickly Shiho shifted her focus to caring for and supporting her father, as well as by the fact that she does not publicly express longing for her mother, this is notable.

At no point in the manga did she ask the main character about the reasons for her mother’s departure or about the situation in general.

Many claim that the daughter participated directly or indirectly (for example, through Misato) in Rika’s activities.
However, in my view, her own story may turn out to be even darker, which is what forced her to grow up early.
This is especially worth considering given the fact that the wife brought complete strangers into the house (possibly when Sousuke was not present).

2) In the latest volumes of the story, it is clearly no longer the infidelity itself that comes to the forefront, but rather a full bridge toward revealing Rika’s “true” personality.

Judging by the current hints, she could not truly have “cheated” on Sousuke in the conventional sense, because all of her feelings were most likely a lie from the very beginning. It is quite possible that her public persona had been a facade since her school days.

Answering the question of Rika’s love for her daughter: everything depends on the final reveal. I am partially inclined to believe that Rika Miyase has a serious narcissistic personality disorder, and if this is confirmed, then there can be no talk of love for anyone other than herself.
This would be especially true if it is ultimately supplemented by an unfavorable family role model that Rika may have inherited from her own parents.

On the other hand, Shiho may become the key factor in Rika’s downfall. If Rika does indeed experience strong attachment and love toward her own daughter, this could ultimately provoke her into taking even more risky actions that are detrimental to herself.

 

[master-34]

How many chapter's are Their?

 

[Kalimaman]

How many chapter's are Their?

The RAWs go up to chapter 65. That's excluding other 5 omakes( special chapters) that came out with the tankobons.

 

[XiaoNate]

Weeks without chapters are so boring ZzzZzzZzzZZZZZ

 

[UROD-PC]

Mr. Kalimaman , what do you think about the final panel of chapter 66? I clearly see a mole on the inner side of Misato’s shoulder it stands out distinctly against the shadow.

 

[Kalimaman]

Chapter 66 dropped. Sorry for the bad translation( again).

Spoiler

• Sousuke and Misato start gathering information about Rika and the "House of whores";
• The first person "doesn't know" and asks to forget about the story of Miyase;
• They can't get any info from other residents;
• At the end of the day, when returning home, Sousuke notes a general feeling of discomfort when adressing anything related to this story, towards the locals;
• He asks Misato what does she think about it. She thinks someone related to Rika who lived there was the source of the gossips;
• Sousuke thinks it's possible...but not so.
• A person who left the town 10 years ago is still talked about, but to have people not talk about it, even after 10 years since they left the town, means something that could probably stain the community's reputation...
• Moreover, if the name is still "taboo" even after 10 years, it means the name itself brings so much discomfort, it could be tied to bad things...
• Misato asks Sousuke if he thinks Rika could do such bad things;
• Sousuke denies, and explains that Rika is the "mood maker" of the house, uniting the 3 of them( both and Shiho);
• However, he isn't sure anymore, he doesn't know what she's thinking or looking forward to. That's why he needs to meet her;
• The reunion is next day, so they go back to the trailer to rest for the day;
• In there, Satsuki seems to have gone for another jog, regardless of the wild dogs;
• Misato panics when seeing she forgot her smartphone, and sees that Rika called her in the afternoon;
• Sousuke and Misato drinks, while we learn she's a high school teacher;
• When thinking about it, Sousuke starts thinking about Akiba, but quickly tries to regain himself;
• While drinking Sake, Sousuke passes out( drugged, apparently);
• Chapter ends with Misato, in her underwear, taking a photo of Sousuke and saying she's sorry;

Minor points of interest and some nitpicks:

Spoiler

- I was gathering my thoughts, and trying to write( i'll do so later) about Rika's bussiness strategy from the first arc. The "whore house" gave me the idea of some rules that i've seen through some..."fieldwork" in this area myself. One such is the discerniment between personal and professional personas. If there isn't, your life's pretty much busted in high levels;

- The phone screen changed again, but there's one interesting thing this time...while Rika's call is stated as 16:18, and the connection on top is changed from 5G to Wi-fi...the clock on top did not change from 20:48 since the first time. This doesn't make sense, regarding sync-connections-time of the call. Only if that thing at the top was fake;

- At this point in time, i'm inclined to believe the "wild dogs in area" discourse is a myth. Satsuki continues to jog and Misato only adressed this to Sousuke. When he mentioned this in chapter 66, when getting back, Misato didn't seem changed( shocked, embarassed, shamed) from it, even the sweat drop is absent. This was probably to get him to forfeit his idea of camping and trap him in the car with her( Satsuki attacking him, while in heat, was another thing on it's own).

 

[UROD-PC]

Chapter 66 dropped. Sorry for the bad translation( again).

Spoiler

• Sousuke and Misato start gathering information about Rika and the "House of whores";
• The first person "doesn't know" and asks to forget about the story of Miyase;
• They can't get any info from other residents;
• At the end of the day, when returning home, Sousuke notes a general feeling of discomfort when adressing anything related to this story, towards the locals;
• He asks Misato what does she think about it. She thinks someone related to Rika who lived there was the source of the gossips;
• Sousuke thinks it's possible...but not so.
• A person who left the town 10 years ago is still talked about, but to have people not talk about it, even after 10 years since they left the town, means something that could probably stain the community's reputation...
• Moreover, if the name is still "taboo" even after 10 years, it means the name itself brings so much discomfort, it could be tied to bad things...
• Misato asks Sousuke if he thinks Rika could do such bad things;
• Sousuke denies, and explains that Rika is the "mood maker" of the house, uniting the 3 of them( both and Shiho);
• However, he isn't sure anymore, he doesn't know what she's thinking or looking forward to. That's why he needs to meet her;
• The reunion is next day, so they go back to the trailer to rest for the day;
• In there, Satsuki seems to have gone for another jog, regardless of the wild dogs;
• Misato panics when seeing she forgot her smartphone, and sees that Rika called her in the afternoon;
• Sousuke and Misato drinks, while we learn she's a high school teacher;
• When thinking about it, Sousuke starts thinking about Akiba, but quickly tries to regain himself;
• While drinking Sake, Sousuke passes out( drugged, apparently);
• Chapter ends with Misato, in her underwear, taking a photo of Sousuke and saying she's sorry;

Minor points of interest and some nitpicks:

Spoiler

- I was gathering my thoughts, and trying to write( i'll do so later) about Rika's bussiness strategy from the first arc. The "whore house" gave me the idea of some rules that i've seen through some..."fieldwork" in this area myself. One such is the discerniment between personal and professional personas. If there isn't, your life's pretty much busted in high levels;

- The phone screen changed again, but there's one interesting thing this time...while Rika's call is stated as 16:18, and the connection on top is changed from 5G to Wi-fi...the clock on top did not change from 20:48 since the first time. This doesn't make sense, regarding sync-connections-time of the call. Only if that thing at the top was fake;

- At this point in time, i'm inclined to believe the "wild dogs in area" discourse is a myth. Satsuki continues to jog and Misato only adressed this to Sousuke. When he mentioned this in chapter 66, when getting back, Misato didn't seem changed( shocked, embarassed, shamed) from it, even the sweat drop is absent. This was probably to get him to forfeit his idea of camping and trap him in the car with her( Satsuki attacking him, while in heat, was another thing on it's own).

Regarding their refusal to engage in conversation, it seems to me that this is more connected to the fact that Misato is accompanying him - maybe the locals are afraid and don’t want to talk in front of her?
It was perfectly obvious that all of Misato’s actions were directly leading Sousuke into a trap from the very beginning; the stray dogs thing was just ridiculous.
Alternatively, they may be trying to hide information for their own benefit what if the blame lies with the entire settlement rather than with Rika herself? What if they are all connected or have committed a crime?

 

[Kalimaman]

Mr. Kalimaman , what do you think about the final panel of chapter 66? I clearly see a mole on the inner side of Misato’s shoulder it stands out distinctly against the shadow.

I think it was more of a drawing mistake...though, i'm tempted to believe she shares blood with Rika( as a possible illegitimate child) and is being manipulated into helping her.

 

[UROD-PC]

I think it was more of a drawing mistake...though, i'm tempted to believe she shares blood with Rika( as a possible illegitimate child) and is being manipulated into helping her.

Most likely, that’s exactly how it is.

It’s just that the mole is in that exact spot, and it’s highlighted against the shadow. Other characters rarely have distinctive features like earrings or moles at all, so the chance is still there.

 

[eren760]

Chapter 66 dropped. Sorry for the bad translation( again).

Spoiler

• Sousuke and Misato start gathering information about Rika and the "House of whores";
• The first person "doesn't know" and asks to forget about the story of Miyase;
• They can't get any info from other residents;
• At the end of the day, when returning home, Sousuke notes a general feeling of discomfort when adressing anything related to this story, towards the locals;
• He asks Misato what does she think about it. She thinks someone related to Rika who lived there was the source of the gossips;
• Sousuke thinks it's possible...but not so.
• A person who left the town 10 years ago is still talked about, but to have people not talk about it, even after 10 years since they left the town, means something that could probably stain the community's reputation...
• Moreover, if the name is still "taboo" even after 10 years, it means the name itself brings so much discomfort, it could be tied to bad things...
• Misato asks Sousuke if he thinks Rika could do such bad things;
• Sousuke denies, and explains that Rika is the "mood maker" of the house, uniting the 3 of them( both and Shiho);
• However, he isn't sure anymore, he doesn't know what she's thinking or looking forward to. That's why he needs to meet her;
• The reunion is next day, so they go back to the trailer to rest for the day;
• In there, Satsuki seems to have gone for another jog, regardless of the wild dogs;
• Misato panics when seeing she forgot her smartphone, and sees that Rika called her in the afternoon;
• Sousuke and Misato drinks, while we learn she's a high school teacher;
• When thinking about it, Sousuke starts thinking about Akiba, but quickly tries to regain himself;
• While drinking Sake, Sousuke passes out( drugged, apparently);
• Chapter ends with Misato, in her underwear, taking a photo of Sousuke and saying she's sorry;

Minor points of interest and some nitpicks:

Spoiler

- I was gathering my thoughts, and trying to write( i'll do so later) about Rika's bussiness strategy from the first arc. The "whore house" gave me the idea of some rules that i've seen through some..."fieldwork" in this area myself. One such is the discerniment between personal and professional personas. If there isn't, your life's pretty much busted in high levels;

- The phone screen changed again, but there's one interesting thing this time...while Rika's call is stated as 16:18, and the connection on top is changed from 5G to Wi-fi...the clock on top did not change from 20:48 since the first time. This doesn't make sense, regarding sync-connections-time of the call. Only if that thing at the top was fake;

- At this point in time, i'm inclined to believe the "wild dogs in area" discourse is a myth. Satsuki continues to jog and Misato only adressed this to Sousuke. When he mentioned this in chapter 66, when getting back, Misato didn't seem changed( shocked, embarassed, shamed) from it, even the sweat drop is absent. This was probably to get him to forfeit his idea of camping and trap him in the car with her( Satsuki attacking him, while in heat, was another thing on it's own).

Smart move from satsuki that she didn't pick up the phone.If she did they would be aware of satsuki knowing about them.Satsuki now knows her sister is lying and trapping sousuke and she will save him in the end.
So in the end rika,sinho and misaki are allies and sousuke still thinks that rika would not do something like that.How stupid is he?
If misata doesn't tell sousuke that rika had called her,satsuki Will understand that her sister is working with rika so right now she didn't tell anything to sousuke.

 

[Kalimaman]

Regarding their refusal to engage in conversation, it seems to me that this is more connected to the fact that Misato is accompanying him - maybe the locals are afraid and don’t want to talk in front of her?
It was perfectly obvious that all of Misato’s actions were directly leading Sousuke into a trap from the very beginning; the stray dogs thing was just ridiculous.
Alternatively, they may be trying to hide information for their own benefit what if the blame lies with the entire settlement rather than with Rika herself? What if they are all connected or have committed a crime?

The first old guy ended the conversation saying to forget about this whole story with Miyase. Wouldn't it be simpler to just feign ignorance and deny it upfront? Why acknowledge it in front of Misato?

We know it was obvious, but the thing about this particular lie is how bad it was specified( Sousuke not even talking with Satsuki abot this), and also...to keep him from leaving at night. Tactically good, so Rika could know where he was, or even just restrain him in a fixed place and time.

Remember how we talked about this one? That it was probably Rika's mother or grandmother who engaged in such acts with men from the settlement? I've know the story of a famous Madam who had a bussiness like this and got arrested. The arrest was overruled in less than 6 hours, because the amount of big shots she knew, and that could've been jeopardized by blackmail from evidence regarding her if things went too far on investigations, well... rendered her free. So it's not impossible they're afraid of it either.

 

[UROD-PC]

The first old guy ended the conversation saying to forget about this whole story with Miyase. Wouldn't it be simpler to just feign ignorance and deny it upfront? Why acknowledge it in front of Misato?

We know it was obvious, but the thing about this particular lie is how bad it was specified( Sousuke not even talking with Satsuki abot this), and also...to keep him from leaving at night. Tactically good, so Rika could know where he was, or even just restrain him in a fixed place and time.

Remember how we talked about this one? That it was probably Rika's mother or grandmother who engaged in such acts with men from the settlement? I've know the story of a famous Madam who had a bussiness like this and got arrested. The arrest was overruled in less than 6 hours, because the amount of big shots she knew, and that could've been jeopardized by blackmail from evidence regarding her if things went too far on investigations, well... rendered her free. So it's not impossible they're afraid of it either.

Yes, this looks very realistic - I’ve been thinking about it myself.

However, an important point cannot be ruled out: who exactly they approach with their questions.

Sousuke is completely unfamiliar with this settlement. Misato, for example, could be leading him only to those streets or houses where people have an extremely limited understanding of the essence of the problem. Some of them may genuinely know nothing; others may be afraid not of the house itself or of Riki, but of the actions of their clients. In any case, Misato fulfilled her main role - she did not allow Sousuke to do this alone.

Misato accompanies him from the train car, and at the very end we see that she consciously takes a risk and mixes alcohol with the psychotropic substances already present in Sousuke’s bloodstream, which speaks to her extremely dangerous nature.