Ame to Muchi - Ch. 7 - Dad and Mom

[MangaDex]

 

[AloneSCAN]

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[UdenEmpati]

welp.
Meari falls harder and harder to the point it's not even sugar dating for her, at this point.
Sayoko's situation is clearly more complex, being in an active marriage and all. But her domestic life is anything but satisfying, as I'm assuming that "I'll be home late today" was her husband's lie to try and cover another affair.

And Meari doesn't know how to push through her own feelings or the wall she perceives Sayoko's personal situation to be. Which, understandable, especially as I imagine Sayoko would suffer if their relationship were to come to light, as hypocritical as her husband would be in calling her out. (Though, if she's using her husband's money to pay Meari, that's an additional wrinkle; I'd have to re-read to see where all this financial bequeathment is coming from.)
I'm guessing next chapter will be Sayoko's in-laws, which might give another clue & another look into her situation, and add some texture to her life. She's still a fairly big enigma, for Meari and for the reader both. So something focusing on her and what's going on, on her end, will be good to flesh out the story.

Thanks for the TL work as always.

 

[Colonel-Picquart]

Meari has fallen for Sayoko hook, line, and sinker. And more power to her! I think next time she sees Sayoko in person she'll probably be able to take thefinal step and confess to Sayoko properly.

The only problem is I do not think Sayoko returns her feelings in the same way at all. At least right now. That black speech bubble "Why?" Is really ominous, the real question almost becomes is she deliberately toying with Meari, or is she trying to keep the relationship transactional for other reasons related to her long term revenge scheme on her husband that she has going on?

 

[BasedYuri]

Something I noticed, in chapter 1 Sayoko claims Meari doesn't even know her real name when taken to the hotel.


But in this chapter, we hear someone call for Sayoko during the video call (presumably her husband) indicating that Sayoko is her real name. I'm guessing this is some sort of mistranslation in chapter 1? Like real name actually meant full name? (Meari doesn't know Sayoko's last name)

 

[Hauberk1800]

Meari has fallen for Sayoko hook, line, and sinker. And more power to her! I think next time she sees Sayoko in person she'll probably be able to take thefinal step and confess to Sayoko properly.

The only problem is I do not think Sayoko returns her feelings in the same way at all. At least right now. That black speech bubble "Why?" Is really ominous, the real question almost becomes is she deliberately toying with Meari, or is she trying to keep the relationship transactional for other reasons related to her long term revenge scheme on her husband that she has going on?

I think there is something there to keeping it transactional but I think it's more of a gut reaction at this point. Till now it has seemed liked Sayoko is scheming something using Meari, but this call made it seem like she is using her for some sort of emotional satisfaction.
Husband announces he is off presumably cheating >
Sayoko asks for a video call and even got greedy twice on the call. Once when she asked for the undies and another if she was missed>
Then almost seemed to immediately withdraw when Meari makes an emotional bid in response to Sayoko-san's.

My theory right now is that her marriage is transactional and the "relationship" with Meari is transactional so keeping it that way feels more safe??? Idk, that or she is still planning something and needs the transactions for later, maybe framing her husband. That why was def a threat.

Thanks for the tl

 

[UdenEmpati]

Meari has fallen for Sayoko hook, line, and sinker. And more power to her! I think next time she sees Sayoko in person she'll probably be able to take thefinal step and confess to Sayoko properly.

The only problem is I do not think Sayoko returns her feelings in the same way at all. At least right now. That black speech bubble "Why?" Is really ominous, the real question almost becomes is she deliberately toying with Meari, or is she trying to keep the relationship transactional for other reasons related to her long term revenge scheme on her husband that she has going on?

My personal take (also hopeful wish) is that Sayoko is refusing to let the relationship go past transactional.
She's almost certainly unhappy in her marriage and is angry at her husband's (seemingly) persistent adultery. But Sayoko can't break it off--for reasons we don't know, though if this next chapter is "meeting the in-laws" maybe we'll get a clue or hint--and so she keeps Meari at arm's length, effectively using her to satisfy Sayoko's fantasy and insisting on payments to "retain the facade", as it were.

Maybe she's actually unhinged and purely using Meari to some nefarious end. I just personally want some sort of actual emotional bond between them that could see a happy ending (even if it means destroyed family relationships and whatnot), but I admit that the potential for Sayoko to turn out to be some sort of monster would be intriguing and worth reading.

 

[shemper]

Thank you for your work!

 

[John_Smith10]

I wish they were more explicit in what Sayoko is planning or the current state of her relationship/marriage, but I guess that's the hook they want readers to keep latching onto

 

[UdenEmpati]

I wish they were more explicit in what Sayoko is planning or the current state of her relationship/marriage, but I guess that's the hook they want readers to keep latching onto

it would undo a lot of the tension that currently carries the series, I think.

The moment we find out Sayoko's intentions, it becomes less of a guessing game about how much potential danger/misery Meari is in/in for, and a becomes more of a question of "how do these two resolve the obstacles in their way to achieve their ends?"
That feels more like an Act II sort of question, where we're still effectively in Act I (though the latter half I would argue), wherein Meari has internalized that she's growing more and more attached and dependent on Sayoko, beyond her former capacity of compensated dating. This isn't about money anymore for Meari; it's about the need she has for Sayoko, and the nascent feelings she's developing and realizing.
Sayoko remaining an enigma who is giving conflicting signals to Meari keeps the uncertainty surrounding their dynamic intact. The moment we get Sayoko's actual internal narrative, and her goals/intentions are made clear, the narrative will have to move forward into further establishing the conflicts surrounding Sayoko and her reasons pertaining to Meari, and it would progress their dynamic as they push and pull against one another.

That all said - I think we're nearly there, and we may even be entering it starting with this next chapter, which I think will have a dinner/party with Sayoko's in-laws given the beginning and ending. (And the chapter title as well, though I thought it also could refer to Meari seeing her "papas"(dad), and now Sayoko as her "mama"(mom). I'm leaning more toward it referring to the imminent future chapter for Sayoko, though.)
So "Act II" will be getting the other lead's side of the story, in effect. With Meari's desired goal of "needing & getting Sayoko" becoming established, we move to Sayoko's POV, flesh out her side of things, and establish her reasoning for targeting Meari and why she's continuing to hold Meari at arm's length.
And then the rest of Act II would be their conflicts playing out, as the tension mounts and things trend downard for them both and they see problems arise and exacerbate.



I could be wrong, or at least off in my timing of when we'll shift perspectives and start gaining insight, but that's at least how I sorta see the narrative trending, from a storywriting perspective anyway.