Imasara desu ga, Osananajimi wo Suki ni Natte Shimaimashita - Ch. 26.5 - My Happy Date ("Wholesome" Version)

[story645]

She says "normal girl" there, not "normal girlfriend". Same in the manga TL.

That doesn't change what I'm trying to get at, which is that if it was only that she's saying she'd go anywhere with Yuu than either:
a) the outdoor things would just be clobbered onto fireworks (no normal girl preface)
b) the snippet on "if I was a normal girl" wouldn't exist b/c it's not necessary to the narrative.

I think the reason these things are stacked together is for Maruto to get across that the way they've been dating doesn't fit into her notions of what "normal girls" do and therefore hasn't helped her feel normal/good enough for Yuu. Because going by her fireworks statement, she would had said yes if Yuu had asked her to go shopping.

This is a scenario where his parents never met her and know pretty much nothing about her, so both her existence and her disappearance will only be revealed to them through his words and nothing more.

That's more than they currently know, and they'd know that she's an important enough person in their son's life for him to tell them about her. Which that's the part that matters. Plus her disappearance would also likely be revealed by the lack of dates - Yuu wouldn't have to lie about who he's out with during the day - and his moodiness when they break up.

There's also that in 25.6, Aya is so smiley that she can't hide it even when she kinda tries. And from Aya and Hikari's POV, Yuu pretty much wears his emotions on his face. So Yuu keeping up the lies for 6 months reads as his feelings for Aya aren't so strong as to be uncontrollable, in contrast to Aya's feelings for Yuu.

 

[GennArc]

I think the reason these things are stacked together is for Maruto to get across that the way they've been dating doesn't fit into her notions of what "normal girls" do and therefore hasn't helped her feel normal/good enough for Yuu. Because going by her fireworks statement, she would had said yes if Yuu had asked her to go shopping.

My last attempt, after which I will stop because we will go on another circle.
When she mentions "becoming a normal girl" the first time, she provides it with a specific context:

I have to get it together soon.
I need to protect this life I have now.

No, not just protect it.
I need to reclaim it.

The normal, happy life I had before, back in middle school.

-snip-

Go home every day.
Go to school... well, maybe.

Wake up in the morning, sleep at night.
Meet up with Yuu regularly like this.
And if I can, maybe even... find some friends.

-snip-

I don't have to become the perfect, overachieving me from back then.
But I do want to go back to being just a normal girl.

A normal girl who can stand beside Yuu without feeling out of place.

Her becoming a normal girl comes with a specific set of things she herself must do. There's nothing she demands from Yuu in this context. Is she simply inconsistent in her description of normalcy over time?

His activities would presumably change too, and he'd no longer be lying about their daytime dates, and there's his sadness when they break up. Everyone probably suspects something - Hikari's question about an ex - but confirmation means they have a name to the activities, an actual rather than a hypothetical.

I doubt anyone suspected anything: his own mom was talking in a more or less joking way about Hikari marrying into their family and about her getting stolen away if he doesn't hurry:

Mrs. Takamura: “Ahh, you’re such a lifesaver. Hikari-chan, hurry up and marry into our family already!”
Hikari: “Eh…”
Yuu: “Don’t say embarrassing stuff like that, Mom! We’re not little kids anymore.”
Mrs. Takamura: “Oh, this boy is just so shy. If you keep that up, Hikari-chan’s going to get stolen away by some other boy, you know?”

And Hikari only asked about ex because she overheard his conversation with Seki.

There's also that in 25.6, Aya is so smiley that she can't hide it even when she kinda tries. And from Aya and Hikari's POV, Yuu pretty much wears his emotions on his face. So Yuu keeping up the lies for 6 months reads as his feelings for Aya aren't so strong as to be uncontrollable, in contrast to Aya's feelings for Yuu.

This isn't the Hikari situation where he's afraid of getting rejected (and even then, everybody else knew he liked her) this is supposed to be a situation where he's supposed to be immensely happy and there shouldn't be any shame in revealing the existence of a girlfriend.

These situations are pretty different I'd say.
Yami isn't trying to hide the existence of a new boyfriend, as opposed to Yuu. She is shown talking to her friend, while Yuu only needs to hide it from his parents which is way easier for teens.
As for his own reasons to hide her, aside from everything we discussed already, I think it'd still feel very awkward for him to tell Hikari about getting a girlfriend. First love is first love, I think many people would have mixed feelings when discussing new love interests with someone who has\had a special place in their hearts.

 

[peortega1]

My prejudice that I believe the narrative when Aya says it's an act, that she's always deflecting by pretending to be the "cool, carefree, live for the moment girl"? It's unhealthy in this instance cause Aya is using dominance to avoid being vulnerable with Yuu, which leads her to not getting the support (reaching out) she really wants.

This is very different from her being dominant. They are two very different things. Ayami's natural personality is dominant, and that's why she's so compatible with the submissive Yuu. It's another thing entirely that she expresses that dominant personality in a way that involves putting on a mask and partially hiding her true emotions. These communication problems are the real weakness.
As I said, she wants to have her cake and eat it too, and this is what's not entirely healthy. She expects Yuu to always see through her mask, and Yuu criticizes her for that in this very chapter 28 ("Are you sure? Don't lie to me, okay?"). Yuu is giving her the support she wants, and she's aware of that, and yet she still maintains distance and struggles to communicate with him. The unhealthy thing isn't that Ayami is dominating, it's that Ayami lies. Again, there's a reason Maruto emphasizes that Yami is being sincere now when she claims everything is fine at home. That Yuu's efforts to gain Yami's trust and encourage her to gradually open up to him are, despite everything, yielding positive results, and that's why it takes significant external problems —which Yuu warns about and Yami recklessly dismisses— for the relationship to derail so completely.
This is precisely why the relationship doesn't even have a closure in the first place, and why there's so much emphasis on the geographical distance between them. If Yuu had been at the same school, like Hikari, he would have been able to find Yami and force her to speak honestly with him, using brave words. That's why she runs away so completely and utterly. Just like Kazusa Touma did, and just like Ai Kamiya planned to do.
That's the point. Ayami failed as a senpai, as a leader, as Yuu's teacher. And she carried them both down a path that led to their ruin.

This is fine......
No, this is what I decided from the start.
So why am I wavering now?

She refers here to her roleplay of the "cool, carefree, live for the moment girl". Not to her deciding leaving Yuu, even if, of course, this is a moment of Ayami being legitimally upset with him.

She would if he was a friend w/ the same fandom interests b/c they're fictional characters. Which cosplay (and even gyaru fashion) is like wearing a slutty Halloween costume - it's a costume for safe self expression.

First, dudes are almost never fujoshis. Second, Gojo is definitely NOT "a friend with the same fandom interests". Even if he certainly doesn't disapprove of Marin, it doesn't change the fact that she throws all that stuff at him before she even really knows him as person, in a way that makes it clear she's hypersexual and that Gojo is one of the few people capable of tolerating that hypersexuality. And he's not the only dude she does this with, by the way. Marin falls for Gojo because of the tolerance, respect, and interest he shows in her tastes, but she definitely wasn't looking for "safe self-expression" with him. She went for it knowing she might be rejected. Marin is brave and doesn't have Ayami's fear, and that's why she's grateful that Gojo doesn't reject her.
Ayami's personality, on the other hand, fits much better with that being her way of "safe self-expression" with a guy she already knows she can trust. She definitely wasn't making sex jokes on that "date" with Yuu at the restaurant in chapter 23. She first tests the waters with Yuu and then sees that the ground is fertile and that he's attracted to her (and she to him, even though she doesn't want to admit it yet).

Where the reason Hikari is hedging - sounds so convincing - is precisely b/c this isn't a thing girls usually talk about in such detail.

Because, as I said, they are ambiguous stories. If they're ambiguous stories, they have to be about things that could have actually happened. Aya recounts her real experiences, but with a plausible underlying denial if the girls get too inquisitive (this is indeed a form of "safe self-expression" among women), which is why she maintains the ambiguity of "maybe it happened, maybe it didn't." Even more so considering that she undoubtedly altered details to avoid implying that there was always only one boy as the sole MC of all those stories.

"Oh, come on, Takamura, tell us about you two!"

I said "not necessarily." The guy thinks Yuu probably passed the exam, but he leaves the door open to another... development of events that ended with Hikari and Yuu "together."
Not really. It implies that Yuu hasn't failed his parents and true friends... it only implies that he hid things from an insensitive Hikari who never directly asked about it, never asked if Yuu had or has a girlfriend, which is why he can rightfully say that he has never lied to Hikari. That's why he has always been ambiguous with her (and not only out of fear of being rejected by her, but too). The only time she directly asks is in chapter 18 about Seki, and the story makes it clear that she never would have done so if it weren't for how she secretly overheard Yuu and Seki's conversation in chapter 12. Even then, he doesn't refuse to answer or evade the question, even though he makes it clear that talking about it makes him uncomfortable and he wants to put it behind him as quickly as possible.
This, in any case, implies that the story begins at a point where Yuu and Hikari aren't even really friends, just neighbors. They're so distant that in order to get close to Yuu, Hikari must first repair their broken friendship before she can even try to court him romantically. That's why she's grateful that he finally tells her about the exam at the fireworks in chapter 17. That's precisely what the whole thing about the failed exam is about, which the parents and even the random dude in chapter 16 knew about, even if they all only heard a toned-down version of Yuu's despair. If Yuu went to such lengths to hide something that wouldn't change anything if Hikari found out, then yes, someone like him definitely didn't want to close the door on Hikari and wanted to keep it open, especially considering the fears he openly expresses about being abandoned by Yami during his arc, fears confirmed in his omake chapter 4. And anyway, I stand by my point. If Yuu told his parents, IT'S BECAUSE THEY PRESSURED HIM, just like Haru did, and even worse, like what happened with the protagonist of Shikimori-san.
Izumi was actively pressured by his parents, and they practically forced him to tell them he had a girlfriend and was dating her. Should I repost that panel?

 

[peortega1]

I think Haru has/had a long-term boyfriend so she's experienced, but there's no indication she's promiscuous.

Are you meaning about Haru or Yuki? Haru is the black-haired girl who expresses disgust at sex while talking to Yuu in chapter 43 or during Aya-chan's "detailed stories." Haru is openly prudish and uncomfortable with sex, which is part of why she's Hikari's real best friend. Yuki fits much better with what you've said; she could have/had a boyfriend. Yuki, in case you forgot, is the short-haired blonde girl and the OTHER girl who, along with Yami, encourages Hikari to have sex with Yuu and/or confess directly.
And so far, she's the closest thing to Miyako Shikimori we've had in this manga and the theoretical ideal woman for Yuu Izumi/Yuu Takamura's tastes, that theoretical midpoint between Hikari and Yami, between light and darkness, between passivity and dominance.

Hiding Aya from everyone could be because he's insecure about the relationship or thinks it's very casual; hiding Aya only from Hikari strongly implies he's trying to keep that door open

Well, yes, it's quite obvious that he wanted to keep the door open with Hikari, which is why Seki, who doesn't know any of the girls involved, so bluntly calls it "accidental two-timing".
But even more importantly, Yuu is definitely the type of person who feels entitled to keep his private life to himself because, obviously, it's private for a reason. The type of person who usually answers questions honestly, but won't talk unless you ask.
And again, Hikari accepts this, partly because of her own callous selfishness and passivity that prevent her from asking, and partly because she knows she's just his friend and that he's not obligated to share his life and past with her. And anyway, she knows, or should know, that he has never refused to answer her questions or evaded them. That's why it's unfair for Hikari to attribute to Yuu in chapter 38 the attitude that Yami has actually had towards her all this time.
Yuu is only obligated to tell Hikari about his relationship with Yami AFTER finding out that Hikari and Yami are now best friends —news that undoubtedly horrified and frightened him. There's a reason why Maruto put so much effort into making it seem like Yuu never suspected that Hikari and Yami not only already knew each other, but were such close friends that "Aya-chan" was even telling Hikari about how she had sex with "Taa-kun" (when Hikari tells him this, poor Yuu is going to have a fit). And yes, this reinforces the fact that Yuu just wanted to go home in chapter 36, and it was Hikari who dragged him to the dance, actively taking the initiative for once.

Aya is saying to use sex to make him fall in love.

She never says that using sex will make Yuu fall in love. At most, she says that using sex serves to guarantee Yuu's loyalty. Using sex serves to CONTROL Yuu. A very different thing.

Seki says this many chapters after 13.5, Aya is unaware of Seki saying this

The point is that if someone like Seki can figure this out just by hearing Yuu's story, without ever having directly interacted with Hikari or Yami, Yami undoubtedly figured it out much faster.
In fact, in chapter 39, she thinks polygamy is surely the solution to her problems and that she loves both Yuu and Hikari. What makes it even more ironic is that instead of simply being honest and proposing it to both Yuu and Hikari, knowing that they would at least listen to her sincerely, she chooses to do the exact opposite, destroying or at least seriously damaging her chances of achieving what she wants. Very typical of Yami.

and many folks cheat w/o loving both (or either) of the girls they're with

Yes, this is the point; Aya knows that Yuu isn't that kind of person.

And this doesn't disprove my original claim that Aya thinks Yuu loves Hikari and would prefer Hikari if given a choice. I think Aya thinks Yuu's too nice to dump her for Hikari, but not that she (Aya) holds a larger place in his heart

Yes, at the beginning of their relationship, that was certainly the case. Yuu still loves Hikari and would prefer Hikari if she reciprocated his feelings in this point. Ayami's stated objective is to prevent this and become Yuu's number one, making him stop loving Hikari and see her only as a friend. She achieves the first but not the latter (which she would have achieved if not for the ghosting).
At the moment of their farewell in chapter 29, Ayami definitely succeeded in making Yuu choose her over Hikari, and the subsequent search in his omake confirms this for the readers. That's why that final victory tastes so bittersweet to her, because she knows she's about to completely self-destruct it after learning that her mother attempted suicide. And of course, after a year of ghosting and Hikari's actions in her own arc, Hikari has managed to regain the advantage, and Yuu has chosen her over Yami again.
Yami herself knows this and accepts that it's her fault. That's why she doesn't want to see Yuu and hides in the living room; she's sacrificing herself for Hikari. But seeing that her fears are indeed true, and that not only is Yuu choosing Hikari over her when she asks him to do exactly that, but that it's also her fault because of how she abandoned him, is what causes her to mentally collapse.

which is reinforced by his and Haru's characterization of the relationship as mutual wound licking

Haru's characterization is very despised and disgusting, reflecting, again, her prudish personality and rejection of sex. Yuu definitely doesn't consider his relationship with Yami as "mutual wound licking".

Yuu wouldn't be done with the dynamic if it was a truly healthy, mutually enjoyable dynamic

Or if that dynamic hadn't been destroyed by entirely external factors, like her mother's suicide attempt. After more than a year of ghosting and avoidance, it's actually quite remarkable that they're able to return to that dynamic so easily, and that Yami has to make the effort to break it by saying, "I got bored from you, Yuu", something she definitely never said in her original interactions as Yuu's girlfriend. The only moment even remotely comparable is the ending theme. It's only from that point on that Yuu becomes more distant.
As I said, that's the only thing Hikari surpasses Yuu in for Yami: Hikari is more of an enabler of her insults and aggression —the very same ones Yuu so skillfully tries to avoid. That's the real dynamic, which is absolutely not "a truly healthy, mutually enjoyable dynamic". That cycle of "anger-lashing out-regret-forgiveness" was obviously going to end badly, and it only took "Taa-kun" sticking his head out for five minutes for screwing up everything (again, compare this to YAMI'S MOTHER'S SUICIDE ATTEMPT), seeing as being almost whored to a dirty old man (chapter 33) and the attempted stolen kiss (chapter 5) weren't enough for Hikari, among other things.

Yeah so that doesn't count as Yuu reaching out b/c

I didn't say "reaching out." I said he "interlaces his fingers". It's a metaphor that perfectly symbolizes their relationship. She takes the initiative, she makes the first move, but he squeezes her hand, interlaces it—symbolizing not only physical but also emotional intimacy—and presses her to assure her that he's there for her and that she can trust him. This is what allows the relationship to work.
Ayami herself actively acknowledges this: "That strong, gentle grip steadied my heart, just when it had started to waver". He is indeed making the effort to respond to her and maintain the relationship that occurs in these kinds of female-domination stories, as you and I said before.

Aya wants Yuu to look past it in 40 (don't believe that, read the nuance)

Yes, that's the point; she lost the right to demand this from Yuu after a year of ghosting, as she herself acknowledges. And she realizes he really understood her and is following her desire of "doesn´t make things more difficult to me" in the moment she shouts: "do you want to make a good memory from this, Yuu?"
This is the moment she realizes Yuu noticed she lied for the sake of Hikari, and he decided accept it.

And Aya lets it down in 35 to tell Hikari she wants to be in the same class next year

If you are going to count that, also tell how Yami expresses his desire to always want to be with Yuu in chapter 28 from the first lines. But again, you cherry-pick and take only what suits you:

"But seriously, isn't this nice? Talking when we want, doing it when we want, sleeping when we feel like it... and when we wake up, we're right beside each other."
"The way you say it is so... vivid."
"Because that's how much I've dreamed about this."
And I'll never let him go. I tangle my fingers with his, deeper, tighter, until it's impossible to tell whose fingers are whose.
"It doesn't have to be just on trips like this... We can do this even when we're back."
"Think so?"
"Especially since it's summer break. We can meet every day if we want."

Compared to this, "I want to be in the same class with you next year" is a pale and weak reflection. And again, you conveniently ignore all the criticism and resentments that Ayami expresses about Hikari.

40 is also very much a callback to this scene

Precisely for this reason, the metaphor Yami uses is "he LETS GO of my hand", meaning she's accusing him of doing what she did. She was the one who let go of his hand; she was the one who let him fall. And that's precisely why the metaphor Yami uses is "he lets go of me", not "he doesn't take my hand," since you insist so much on the metaphor of Hikari extending her hand. She has no problem taking his hand; she prefers to be the one to take the first step, and it doesn't bother her at all; on the contrary, she likes it. Her anger stems from what she believes is Yuu letting go of her hand. AFTER she took his hand.
And yes, to be fair, this is definitely a callback to the "do you want us to live together?" moment. As I said, Yuu did make a mistake there, and that certainly upset Yami, but it's still not nearly enough to explain the radical change she undergoes between chapters 28 and 29. Which, again, as we know, happens for reasons completely unrelated to Yuu.

Spite and resentment are a negative feedback loop. She's being spiteful here because of long-standing resentments

The point is that these resentments aren't rational. These resentments come from a Yami who knows she has no right to ask Yuu to do the things she demands. As I said, that's the only thing Yami considers Hikari better than Yuu: her masochism and enableriness.
That Hikari is more willing to actively let herself be mistreated by her and forgive her everything. Yuu ironically ends up setting more limits and trying to be her moral compass, the angel who tells Yami to do the right thing. (And this is why Yami always resorts to sex in these moments.) Hikari is more permissive with Yami, and we've all seen where that led, as Haru and Yuki suggest in chapter 42.

She's afraid of what he's going to say—either excuses for why he didn't look for her or telling her she's wrong he did look for her

So, you're starting to acknowledge that Yami is aware that Yuu might have tried to look for her?

 

[peortega1]

This is a scenario where his parents never met her and know pretty much nothing about her, so both her existence and her disappearance will only be revealed to them through his words and nothing more. I think this is not a part of being a "normal girlfriend" at all.

It's also a scenario where Yuu's parents tell him they want to meet his new girlfriend. He tells Yami that his parents want to meet her, and Yami responds in one of two ways:
1) She refuses, and Yuu has to reluctantly convince her—just like in chapter 26.5 with the movie date. Yami meets Yuu's parents, but she's definitely not keen on letting them adopt her as a second daughter, as they practically did with Hikari years ago.
2) She refuses, Yuu fails to convince her, and Yuu's parents either never meet Yami and only know about her from what Yuu told them, or they literally follow Yuu and show up unannounced at one of his dates to force Yami to talk to them.
All of this would definitely fit with parents interested in Yuu getting over Yami after the ghosting and "taking advantage" of the fact that Hikari is now actively reciprocating his feelings.

I doubt anyone suspected anything: his own mom was talking in a more or less joking way about Hikari marrying into their family and about her getting stolen away if he doesn't hurry:

Or could be precisely a way of Yuu mom to call him to follow forward, forgot Yami and look more to Hikari now. Precisely this can be considered as a foreshadowing or a way to say subtly to Hikari about the fact Yuu was already "stolen" before and he can be "stolen" again -as happened in chapters 21/40-.
That scene happens several months AFTER the ghosting. As much, this scene would imply Yuu parents, as Yuu himself, prefers Hikari over Ayami.

Not obvious to me at all. We don't really know what kind of person she is besides a few lines here and there, and we haven't even seen them talk properly.

She definitely has her dialogues with Hikari and Yuu in the novel; you posted one, here's another:

This morning, as I was leaving for school, my mom gave me a little something and said, Take this over to the Takamuras.
So, I reluctantly (putting my feelings aside) went next door to deliver it. As I opened their front door, I saw Ms. Takamura in the hallway, yelling upstairs, Yuu! How much longer are you planning to sleep?!.
Caught up in the morning madness, Auntie was like, Perfect timing, Hikari! That kid just won't wake up! Go wake him up for me, would you? Then she just turned around and went back to the kitchen without even waiting for my reply.

Yami herself describes Yuu mother in this way:

We'd spent all of yesterday together, and now half of today was already gone too.
I mean, I don't mind at all, but Yuu's family...
He just failed his entrance exams, (and even if he let them know), what kind of parent wouldn't worry about their kid staying out all night and not coming home the next day?
...Well, okay, maybe my family wouldn't care that much.
But still, looking at the kind of person Yuu is -- how he was raised, how good-hearted he is -- it's obvious.
His parents must be kind, responsible, and truly love him.
The thought of messing up a family like that, turning them into something broken like mine... It just doesn't feel right.

A mother like that definitely feels like the kind of person who would undoubtedly notice that her son has a girlfriend, that there's a reason he's going out so much and spending so much time away from home on his days off, and that he's constantly on the phone talking to someone. And that person is obviously not Hikari.
And I'll say it again, "Shikimori is not just a cutie" is a valid comparison since it's a rom-com series (like Insomniacs After School) where the MC theoretically has nothing to hide and yet tries to hide his relationship with a classmate girl from his parents.
Someone like that would undoubtedly pressure him to talk during what, let's remember, were six long months. Without a doubt, and under pressure, I can see Yuu giving his parents what story645 called the "PG version" of his story, which he also later gave to Haru and Yuki.
Again, considering we're talking about the guy who had no problem telling some random guy he hadn't seen in years about the exam, but never said anything to Hikari, it would fit him perfectly.

Or she didn't call any friends to check and just believed him.

It's still prudent that Yuu texted Kaneda, either that night or the next morning, precisely to make sure their stories matched up. The boy is that cautious, even paranoid.
And I think Yuu's mother did call Kaneda, especially considering how late he must have gotten home that day, when he'd promised to be back in the morning.

Nothing in 28 suggests that. And there's nothing definitive in 24 either.

In chapter 24, Yuu is literally telling his mother a lie right in front of Yami, who is watching him with an approving expression. It's obvious that the boy is following Yami's orders and scripts. In chapter 28, it's more implicit, but even there, it feels like Yami gave him the idea and script during all those days they "spent planning this trip via text messages and calls".
Both lies are too good for Yuu, who has proven to be incredibly incompetent when he tries to lie on his own (the "dead phone" in chapter 36 or "I have to take my friend to the hospital" in chapter 26.6).

So your scenario is the following: the moment Yuu realizes he can't show up in front of the two families, Hikari just miraculously happens to call him (asked to do so by Yuu's mom, I assume) to inquire if he's gonna show up - even though he is not even late yet and the dinner hasn't started

So again, this is how Hikari and Yami describe Yuu's parents: overprotective of their son, especially after the illnesses and accidents Yuu Takamura suffered in the childhood flashbacks of Hikari. There's a reason why Yami never went to Yuu's house to have sex and instead chose to take risks in love hotels time and time again, something she undoubtedly noticed when, at the beginning of chapter 24, Yuu probably babbled something about his parents, as we see him do in chapter 12 when Seki tries to have sex with Yuu at his house —and Yuu notices it.
And in chapter 3 of the web novel, we see Yuu's mother running these errands for Hikari. It's also worth consider the posibility of Yuu chose to call Hikari instead of his own mother to tell her (and noticing this triggers Yami's jealousy). As I said, Hikari is definitely more... gullible and naive. A 15-year-old girl should definitely be much more naive and less willing to ask awkward questions than a grown adult woman.

Yuu starts talking to Hikari, and Yami, knowing who is on the other side of the phone, starts kissing his neck and sexually arousing him, but then suddenly starts feeling guilty because he is lying to Hikari

Honestly, this fits Yami better than "I'm going to kiss his neck and sexually arouse him while he's talking to his mom because I'm a bad girl". It's more likely due to a moment of jealousy towards Hikari.

In the process Yuu also asks Hikari if he should apologize "to the other family" (meaning his own parents, apparently)

More or less, yes.

as if he thinks Hikari could also apologize to his parents in his stead. And finally Yuu decides that he should keep in contact with his mom because otherwise during their family dinner she will ask Hikari to call him again (instead of doing it herself for some reason)

As I said, that's what Yuu's mother does in chapter 3, sending Hikari to wake Yuu up instead of making up herself, especially if she's still busy preparing or getting dinner ready.

Did I miss something? Because this doesn't sound like a plausible scenario to me.

Why not? I definitely find it more plausible than "Yami wants Yuu's parents to know or at least suspect that he's a bad boy who's having sex around with a girl".

 

[story645]

First love is first love, I think many people would have mixed feelings when discussing new love interests with someone who has\had a special place in their hearts.

Sure, but it's been six months and Yuu didn't think it was ending. Presumably at some point he would have to introduce her to his parents, and likely Hikari. So what is he waiting on six months in?

Yuu can't be waiting on Aya's plans to make herself more palatable* b/c he doesn't know them. Aya's keeping up the carefree attitude and shutting down discussion of her home life. So is he waiting on Aya to ask him to tell his parents about her? It's not about permission b/c Aya's never asked him to keep her a secret.

So put yourself into insecure guided by emotion Aya's shoes. How would you feel if you had to ask a partner of over six months who you were over the moon serious about to let their parents and former crush who they see all the time know about your existence?

* Also they probably wouldn't work - divorce is heavily stigmatized in Japan and she's repeating a year of high school (at Hikari's school, where everyone knows she's been gone a year) and presumably his parents would ask why she was gone for a year.

Her becoming a normal girl comes with a specific set of things she herself must do. There's nothing she demands from Yuu in this context. Is she simply inconsistent in her description of normalcy over time?

I think it grew, just like her demands on Yuu grew over time. When she started dating him he was enough, and by the time she ghosted he wasn't reaching out when it counted most. So too, her idea of going back to normalcy started with friends, which Hikari gave her despite their friendship starting when Aya was still feeling like she needed to be punished for hurting her mother.

Which I mention again - Aya moved her goalposts of "this is what I need to feel normal" b/c fundementally Aya doesn't think she deserves it (someone like me) which is the other reason why her friend is predicting that the relationship is doomed while Aya is still hopeful.

 

[story645]

The unhealthy thing isn't that Ayami is dominating, it's that Ayami lies.

They're inseperable though given that "dominating" is the method through which she lies.

Second, Gojo is definitely NOT "a friend with the same fandom interests"

He's making her cosplays and she's explaining the context for those costumes.

You told me your Aya/Yuu first time fic on me despite my not being a fan of the ship - does that make you hypersexual?

Aya recounts her real experiences, but with a plausible underlying denial if the girls get too inquisitive (this is indeed a form of "safe self-expression" among women),

As a woman, no, absolutely not. There is no universe where a "normal" teenage girl living in a remotely slut shamey culture wants people to think she's a slut. That's about as unsafe as a girl can get. Which is why in manga, the girls who are openly bragging about the sex they are having are often portrayed negatively. I'm flagging bragging b/c sharing stories to ask for advice is a different ballgame. The only girls I knew in high school who went into the kind of graphic detail Hikari says Aya does were in deeply screwed up relationships that didn't last.

Izumi was actively pressured by his parents, and they practically forced him to tell them he had a girlfriend and was dating her. Should I repost that panel?

No b/c this is a different manga. Like Jane Austen's stories often have similar bones and character sheets, but smart sensible Elizabeth is a fundementally different character from smart sensitive Elinor.
ETA: just to be clear, I don't think Maruto is anywhere near the same league as Austen. I just used her as an example b/c she's one of the most well known authors in the world and her books look similar on the surface.

Even then, he doesn't refuse to answer or evade the question,

"C'mon, spill it already~! You totally dated that junior, didn't you~?"
"Seriously, stop..."
"Ehhh? Why not? Why not?"

<snip>

"H-Hey, Hikari..."
"Hm?"
"You're... a little close."
"Oh, trying to change the subject again, huh?"
"No, I'm serious, it's just..."
"......"
"......"

Chapter ends at Hikari apologizing for being annoying. Which you bring up Haru as an "if only Hikari pushed", but Haru and Yuki don't have to push. Haru asks if Yuu will talk and he spills. If anything, Hikari pushes more by asking Yuu and then flagging that he's evading.

Haru is the black-haired girl who expresses disgust at sex while talking to Yuu in chapter 43

I guess I misrembered about the boyfriend but Haru is very eagerly egging Hikari on in the early chapters. In 43 she's dismayed about the situation but what gives you the impression she's disgusted at the sex?

Yuu is definitely the type of person who feels entitled to keep his private life to himself

Which is why he spills everything to a total stranger? And tells Hikari about Seki? And there's a world of difference between keeping your private life to yourself and hiding a girlfriend b/c you think it'd bomb your chances w/ your dream girl. The latter is horribly unfair to the girlfriend and I think out of character for "decent honest" Yuu.

At most, she says that using sex serves to guarantee Yuu's loyalty.

My point is that Aya thinks this b/c this is how Aya thinks that's how Aya tied down Yuu. But what Aya wanted was that once tied down, Yuu would fall in love with her.

Yami undoubtedly figured it out much faster

Or Aya thinks she's the side-piece, which is kind of true if Yuu's hiding her from Hikari to protect his chances with Hikari.

That's why that final victory tastes so bittersweet to her, because she knows she's about to completely self-destruct it after learning that her mother attempted suicide.

I agree that she's ghosting to self destruct, but I think the attempted suicide was the excuse rather than the reason and that's why her friend predicted the ghosting long before the attempted suicide.

On thinking she's won? Maybe, but only until Yuu dissapoints her by not looking for her. Which she's maybe right - Yuu looks for her until he sees Hikari and then he stops. At that moment, hiding the existence of Aya from Hikari is more important than finding Aya.

Yuu definitely doesn't consider his relationship with Yami as "mutual wound licking".

Where are you reading disgust in Haru's thoughts?

Yuu describes the relationship as starting from a place of hurt/comfort:

She comforted me with her whole body after I lost what was basically my first gamble in life.
And she let out her own sadness and pent-up feelings, too.

Yami: “Yeah… I’ll keep being your convenient woman, always.”

We were both people who’d been hurt…

There's nothing in his POV about Aya protecting him.

Or if that dynamic hadn't been destroyed by entirely external factors, like her mother's suicide attempt

It was creating problems earlier though, like the exchange in 28 where Yuu flags that she's always lying and Aya is hurt that Yuu doesn't believe her about moving in together.

and presses her to assure her that he's there for her and that she can trust him. This is what allows the relationship to work.

Up until she trusts him enough to tell him she wants to move in together and he completely doesn't get it.

also tell how Yami expresses his desire to always want to be with Yuu in chapter 28 from the first lines.

We know that Aya can't be taking remedial classes b/c she's not in school, which means it's Yuu taking the classes. Working out from that, Yuu's the one talking about being together, not Aya:

Yuu: "It doesn't have to be just on trips like this... We can do this even when we're back."
Aya: "Think so?"
Yuu: "Especially since it's summer break. We can meet every day if we want."
Aya:"You've got remedial classes though."
Yuu: "W-Well, yeah, but we'll still talk on the phone every day."
Aya: "That's not enough for me..."
Yuu: "Okay, okay! I'll make time, somehow... I promise."

Aya's pretty non-committal here b/c she's already planning on ghosting.

So, you're starting to acknowledge that Yami is aware that Yuu might have tried to look for her?

I think she's mad he didn't, but a part of her is holding out for a .01% chance he went to look for her. I would call that hope rather than awareness.

 

[GennArc]

Sure, but it's been six months and Yuu didn't think it was ending. Presumably at some point he would have to introduce her to his parents, and likely Hikari. So what is he waiting on six months in?

For them to have a talk about this?

So put yourself into insecure guided by emotion Aya's shoes. How would you feel if you had to ask a partner of over six months who you were over the moon serious about to let their parents and former crush who they see all the time know about your existence?

You're creating a new character here. We have seen her thoughts, they never included anything about his parents except for worrying that he had to lie to them. The anxieties that you attribute to her do not exist in the story, or at the very least nothing suggests she has them.
So what you're proposing here is to make an assumption in a hypothetical scenario. "How would she feel if she wanted him to tell his parents about her, if he didn't have a clue about that and if she had to ask him about it". I mean, yeah, if she wanted it and if he didn't have a clue and if she had to ask him, she would feel hurt. But that's way too many nested ifs for me.

I think it grew, just like her demands on Yuu grew over time. When she started dating him he was enough, and by the time she ghosted he wasn't reaching out when it counted most.

Which I mention again - Aya moved her goalposts of "this is what I need to feel normal" b/c fundementally Aya doesn't think she deserves it (someone like me) which is the other reason why her friend is predicting that the relationship is doomed while Aya is still hopeful.

So chapter 26 (with that monologue about becoming normal) happens in early May, which is halfway through their relationship, and she is more than happy. Then we have chapter 27 taking place at the end of June, where we learn that she was unable to meet him for 2 weeks in a row and wouldn't be able to do it for another week. So did their relationship deteriorate that much in those 1.5 months? Is your idea that she was demanding for him "to reach out" (btw I still believe you're overthinking that quote big time), even though she was refusing to meet him herself because of the home situation?

It's still prudent that Yuu texted Kaneda, either that night or the next morning, precisely to make sure their stories matched up. The boy is that cautious, even paranoid.

When they met after a year, he had no clue and thought Yuu was dating Hikari. No indication that he was aware of anything.
Upd. Now that I think about it, in chapter 17 Kaneda thought Yuu managed to get into the same school as Hikari. Which means Yuu didn't tell him anything.

It's obvious that the boy is following Yami's orders and scripts

it feels like Yami gave him the idea and script

something she undoubtedly noticed

I've had my share of "it's obvious that..." in my uni course, doesn't work on me. In 28 he even gives her the line of reasoning he used to convince his parents, why would he do it if it was "scripted" by Yami?

Both lies are too good for Yuu, who has proven to be incredibly incompetent when he tries to lie on his own (the "dead phone" in chapter 36 or "I have to take my friend to the hospital" in chapter 26.6).

I don't see how "I have to take my friend to the hospital" is worse than "we're having a too-bad party at my friend's place till morning".

this is how Hikari and Yami describe Yuu's parents: overprotective of their son

Where's the overprotectiveness? They are just described as good parents, Yami says he was raised well, that's it. All his mother says in response to that party cover-up story is to do his best on public school exams

 

[story645]

For them to have a talk about this?

To tell his parents (and Hikari) about his girlfriend who he is very serious about.

Except for worrying that he had to lie to them.

I think guilt mixed with worry. She chases the question of him lying to his parents by asking if he regrets being with her:

"Right, you lied to your parents the first time we stayed together too."
"Don't bring that up..."
"...Do you regret being with me?"

That's why I think his hiding her makes her feel bad. I think it's about more than just the lies he has to tell b/c she feels like this:

The thought of messing up a family like that, turning them into something broken like mine... It just doesn't feel right.

This is the begining of the relationship and it's only been one lie, which makes me read this as Aya worried that she (more than the lie itself) is what she's worried will mess up his family. And the easiest way to prove that she's wrong is for him to let her know that his family didn't break when they found out about her.

(btw I still believe you're overthinking that quote big time),

I don't think pointing out that Maruto is using this same motif at key points - break up, crash out, meeting Hikari - is overthinking, I think it's just pattern recognition/brute topic modeling.

So did their relationship deteriorate that much in those 1.5 months?

Yeah? Their relationship accelerated ridiculously fast - she was telling her friend he's all she needs within a few weeks at most - so it's reasonable it'd fall apart just as fast b/c the infrastructure isn't there for stability.

Is your idea that she was demanding for him "to reach out", even though she was refusing to meet him herself because of the home situation?

Yeah, that's been her pattern. She wanted Yuu to go look for her even though she ghosted him. She wanted Yuu to read the nuance when she was telling him it's all fine. She was hurt he didn't take her seriously when she suggested something lightly and deflected with a joke. Hell current chapter -

Spoiler

Aya blew everything up and said good bye to Yuu and provoked Hikari and Aya still wants them to go look for her at the station near her house.

 

[GennArc]

To tell his parents (and Hikari) about his girlfriend who he is very serious about.

I mean, if they have a serious conversation about things like that, they could talk this through as well. It's just not a given that either of them felt that it was necessary at that point of the relationship.

That's why I think his hiding her makes her feel bad. I think it's about more than just the lies he has to tell b/c she feels like this:

This is the begining of the relationship and it's only been one lie, which makes me read this as Aya worried that she (more than the lie itself) is what she's worried will mess up his family.

But it's precisely because it's just a beginning of the relationship you can tell that it's the lie she's worried about. He hasn't even started hiding her or anything. She's worried that lies will pile up in his family just like they did in hers, because, as you might remember, her family life was absolutely fine before her real father died.

Yeah? Their relationship accelerated ridiculously fast - she was telling her friend he's all she needs within a few weeks at most - so it's reasonable it'd fall apart just as fast b/c the infrastructure isn't there for stability.

And Maruto just happened to fast-forward through that whole deterioration without showing it? No conflicts, no doubts, no Yami's internal complaints about Yuu not meeting her demands, just skipped it all and went from her being happy with the relationship to her being unhappy with it in one chapter?

She wanted Yuu to go look for her even though she ghosted him. She wanted Yuu to read the nuance when she was telling him it's all fine.

Are you not seeing the difference? Her ghosting him doesn't prevent him from going looking for her, it even kind of calls for it. But not having them meet is preventing him from "reaching out". She was unreasonable in chapter 40 (and she thinks that herself), but not that unreasonable.

Aya still wants them to go look for her at the station near her house.

That didn't happen.

Spoiler

I waited at a nearby station until the first train, and then, this time, I finally headed home.

What if he or she accidentally showed up to school early in the morning?
...My heart was torn between such fear and a faint hope.

 

[story645]

It's just not a given that either of them felt that it was necessary at that point of the relationship.

I think Aya bringing it up would break the image she's trying to cultivate of "the carefree girl", which is why I think she does it obliquely by asking him if lying about her is causing him to regret dating her. I think Yuu would never bring it up first b/c he's deferring to Aya to set the pace of the relationship, which I think backfires into Aya thinking he's not as committed/serious/etc.

She's worried that lies will pile up in his family just like they did in hers

That's b/c the lies that tore apart Aya's family were hiding something shameful, something bad enough to tear apart the family. Constantly lying about Aya, even when he doesn't have to, reinforces that she's also something shameful - especially as the lies start piling up. That's why six months in she's asking if he's regretting being w/ her, someone he feels he has to hide. Which I think ties into the big theme Maruto is going for of light/truth/good & darkness/lies/bad. The manga is currently at a place where Aya/Hikari/probably Yuu are miserable b/c of the culmination of the lies they told.

No conflicts, no doubts, no Yami's internal complaints about Yuu not meeting her demands

We've discussed this on repeat, but I think she passive aggressively communicated her resentments throughout the relationship and Maruto exploded those in the crash out. Which was entirely about Yuu's failures despite Aya's claim that she ghosted Yuu b/c of guilt towards her mother.

Her ghosting him doesn't prevent him from going looking for her, it even kind of calls for it.

As the folks defending Yuu not looking for her pointed out, him looking for her can read as stalkery since ghosting and blocking is a pretty clear "goodbye, I don't want you in my life anymore" message.

That didn't happen.

Spoiler

My heart was torn between such fear and a faint hope.

 

[GennArc]

I think Aya bringing it up would break the image she's trying to cultivate of "the carefree girl"

I think she'd get rid of that image if she thought she's getting there to being normal.

I think Yuu would never bring it up first b/c he's deferring to Aya to set the pace of the relationship, which I think backfires into Aya thinking he's not as committed/serious/etc.

I mostly agree, but Yuu does bring up serious topics from time to time, so it's not like there's no chance he wouldn't do it with this.

As the folks defending Yuu not looking for her pointed out, him looking for her can read as stalkery since ghosting and blocking is a pretty clear "goodbye, I don't want you in my life anymore" message.

That's beyond the point, the difference is between being able to do something and being unable to.

a faint hope.

There's no trace of "I want them to look for me" in there. She literally spells it out, "I have a faint hope they accidentally showed up at the station early".

 

[story645]

I think she'd get rid of that image if she thought she's getting there to being normal.

If I understand you correctly - that she'd drop the image if she felt closer to normal - then I agree. But that's why I think her keeping up the facade is indicative of the underlying issues in the relationship.

so it's not like there's no chance he wouldn't do it with this.

Aya gave him the perfect opportunity to by bringing up his lying to his parents and he didn't bite. Which goes back to what's he waiting for? I harp on six months b/c that's forever in teenage first relationship time.

That's beyond the point, the difference is between being able to do something and being unable to.

Huh? Yuu went to look for Aya and was still surprised that she actually wanted him to look for her b/c the message he had taken from the ghosting is that she was done with him.

She literally spells it out, "I have a faint hope they accidentally showed up at the station early".

Ok, I agree that it's not an active they look for her, but she wants to be found. Like Yuu and Hikari find her at the bus stop(?) or in the classroom. She's again waiting for them in a place where they could find her. After she spectacularly broke with both of them.

 

[peortega1]

They're inseperable though given that "dominating" is the method through which she lies.

False. Their strongest chemistry moments are precisely when she dominates him by telling him the truth; those are precisely the moments where they truly connect, like in chapters 24-25, or even 26, or this very chapter 26.5.
She doesn't need to lie to dominate Yuu; that's what he tells her repeatedly, even in chapter 28—again, Maruto emphasizes that Yami is honest in believing everything was resolved at home. She doesn't need to lie to play the flirtatious senpai/shy kouhai game with him.

He's making her cosplays and she's explaining the context for those costumes

Yes, that's the point. She doesn't need to explain that context or go into so much detail, nor did Gojo ask her to. "Just make me this cosplay, that's all". Gojo is mainly interested in the clothes, not in the character´s story. Marin talks about these things and speaks so openly about them because she is hypersexual and obsessed with eroge games; in fact, it's something that caused her problems in the past. Gojo accepts Marin as she is, just as Yuu does with Yami.

You told me your Aya/Yuu first time fic on me despite me not being a fan of the ship—does that make you hypersexual?

We are literally in a thread discussing this series. It's very obvious you are following Imasara in first place.

As a woman, no, not at all. There's no universe where a 'normal' teenager living in a culture that opposes promiscuity would want people to think she's promiscuous. That's the most insecure thing a girl can be.

Yes, that's the point. Marin is anything but normal; there's a reason her father took almost 100 manga chapters to appear and is almost never home because of work, and her mother is dead. A "normal" girl doesn't dress so revealingly at a public convention, implying she's promiscuous. Gyaru culture is precisely about girls who want to be seen as promiscuous (being really or not), and Marin certainly plays into this reputation, even if she isn't. There's a reason she identifies with Shizuku Kuroe, a character who had sex with 17 men in her eroge.

That's why, in manga, girls who openly brag about their sex lives are often portrayed negatively. I'm denouncing bragging because sharing stories to ask for advice is a different story

Aya isn't bragging or showing off. As I said, she tells these stories in a way that may or may not have happened; she changes many details to make them less plausible (hence her turning Yuu into several men), and above all, she doesn't say it in public, but rather at a sleepover with girls she supposedly trusts—as Ayami repeatedly told us about Hikari. She does so, in any case, as if it were "my glorious past that will never return," like someone who wants to present herself as a repentant sinner.

The only girls I knew in high school who went into such graphic detail as Hikari says Aya does were in very complicated relationships that didn't last

You're not Japanese, and you're applying Western rules to a culture very different from our own.

No, because this is a different manga. Jane Austen's stories usually have a similar structure and character profiles, but the intelligent and sensible Elizabeth is a fundamentally different character from the intelligent and sensible Elinor

Takamura remains being an Expy of Izumi, and everything we've seen of him —not least his chapter with Haru, a complete stranger who nevertheless spends the entire chapter scolding him and extracting information from him, as if she were his mother—is definitely proof that he's just like Izumi in this respect and that his parents surely forced him to talk to them about Yami at some point in their relationship and give them what you called the "PG version"
The only thing he managed to hide from Haru, mostly out of fear of legal repercussions, is sex.
And Haru is by no means the first time we've seen this in Yuu. Chapter 3 of the omake, where his parents interrogate him about why he wants to take the entrance exam for Hikari's school, is another example of how interested they are in his life and how they will pressure him to talk—and Yuu did talk on that occasion. Someone like Yuu Takamura is incapable of withstanding real pressure, especially when he knows he's lying, and this is a trait in which he is identical to Yuu Izumi.
If someone like Yuzuka was able to notice it so quickly with Aya, when she doesn't even really know her well—as I said, if Yuzuka truly understood Ayami, she wouldn't call her by her hated abussive stepfather's last name in first place; this is something Yuu did understand quickly in chapter 22— Yuu's parents should have noticed it much faster with their son, especially without being able to use Hikari as a cover.
There are ways to prove that Elizabeth and Elinor are different characters and not Expies. With Yuu Takamura and Yuu Izumi, it's not so much the same anymore, because, as I said, Takamura is directly an Expy of Izumi. Even so, on this specific issue, there's no indication that Takamura is better at hiding things from his parents than Izumi was. All the evidence points to him talking very easily under pressure, and he probably spoke as soon as his parents started pressuring him.

The chapter ends with Hikari apologizing for being annoying. You mention Haru as 'if only Hikari had pressured him,' but Haru and Yuki don't have to pressure him. Haru asks if Yuu will talk, and he vents. If anything, Hikari pressures him even more by asking Yuu and then pointing out that he's avoiding the issue.

Haru definitely pressures Yuu several times during the conversation, especially when Yuu utters the (in)famous "Yami-senpai didn't nothing wrong." At that point, Haru reprimands him mercilessly, completely unconcerned that Yuu whimpers and begs for forgiveness, and she never apologizes for treating him the way she did.
If Hikari is incapable of enduring Yuu whimpering or crying for more than 5 seconds, even though Yami could, and this is why she avoids Yuu —because she's a coward unable to withstand his puppy-dog gaze and voice— then she deserves where she is now if she lacks even that minimal own willpower.
Yuu isn't avoiding the conversation with Hikari. He denies once that Seki is his ex-gf and clearly states that he feels uncomfortable and doesn't want to continue the conversation. Instead of asking other questions—as Haru does— Hikari persists with the same question, believing that Yuu is lying to her. That "you're trying to change the issue again" is nothing compared to Haru's dismissive "if you say that, you'll only make things worse" comment to Yuu in chapter 43. In fact, Yuki is actually much kinder to him in comparison.
Hikari simply never pressured Yuu. Real pressure involves risking whining and crying. She also never asked the right questions, plain and simple. She never asks, "Did you have an ex-girlfriend?" And most importantly, what bothers Hikari isn't that Yuu has an ex-girlfriend, nor that he's uncomfortable talking with Hikari about her. What bothers Hikari is that "Aya-chan" turned out to be that ex-girlfriend. That's what broke the unspoken agreement between Hikari and Yuu on the matter.

"I guess I misremembered the boyfriend thing, but Haru enthusiastically encourages Hikari in the early chapters. In chapter 43, she's dismayed by the situation, but what makes you think she dislikes sex?"

Not, Yuki was who did it. Haru encouraged Hikari to kiss Yuu, very different. She supports Hikari when Ayami and Yuki talks about Hikari has to directly have sex with Yuu.

And that's why she tells everything to a complete stranger?

If by "complete stranger" you mean Yami, we return to the point already made. Yuuu falls in love with Yami at first sight; he feels that she's protecting him. That doesn't mean he's stopped loving Hikari. But he loves both girls at the same time, even though he chose Hikari over Yami in chapter 40. That's why Seki calls him that, and that's why Yami herself says she feels the same way in chapter 39.
Also, the scene where Yami pressures Yuu if he is in love with "that girl of our school" in chapter 23 is other scene practically copied word by word from Shikimori-san, where there is an almost identical scene with Kamiya directly asking Izumi if he got a girlfriend and who is the girl and how they became a couple (anime episode 7).

And she tells Hikari about Seki? There's a huge difference between keeping your private life private and hiding a girlfriend because you think she'd ruin your chances with the girl of your dreams. The latter is terribly unfair to the girlfriend, and I think it's unbecoming of a 'decent and honest' Yuu

Well, that's what we had with the exam. He never told Hikari anything about it, but he did tell a classmate he won´t seen in years after the failure. His parents never told Hikari either. This is much worse than him hiding a relationship with an ex-girlfriend that ended catastrophically and traumatically for him, and which included things that could land Yuu in jail.
Yuu tells Hikari about Seki because he's opening up now to her. Hikari manages to repair their friendship, and Yuu feels that she's finally showing more interest in his life (omake 5).
Yuu "hides" Yami not because he thinks she'll "ruin my chances with the girl of my dreams." At this point, he's already decided to give up on Hikari. He "hides" Yami because his cowardice prevents him from completely closing the door on Hikari, which is very different.

"What Aya wanted was that once tied down, Yuu would fall in love with her"

I mean, this was exactly what happened, with love public confession included. The only doubt is about the FIDELITY of Yuu.

"Or Aya thinks she's the side-piece, which is kind of true if Yuu's hiding he "Hikari's way of protecting his chances with Hikari"

What chances? Yuu himself told Yami in chapter 24 that he thinks Hikari will never reciprocate his feelings. This is his own pain, which he'll believe the next morning when Yami comforted him, and Haru confirms this in chapter 43. This fits better with Ayami knowing she's the "plan B," "you're with me because Hikari friendzoned you." And even though she knows Yuu is loyal to her, she's still bothered by being haunted by Hikari's ghost.

that's why her friend predicted the ghosting long before the attempted suicide

The girl never met Yuu or the efforts he made to maintain the relationship. She only knew Yami's side and has no way of knowing who Yuu is or what his motivations are for dating Yami. The suicide attempt was indeed a strong reason, and real, and that's why considering it a mere "excuse" is fool. Yami genuinely feels guilty about what happened.

Yuu looks for her until he sees Hikari and then he stops. At that moment, hiding Aya's existence from Hikari is more important than finding Aya

You're going with your headcanons without any textual basis. Nothing suggests the point Yuu renounced still looking for Yami is when he saw Hikari and hid from her. He continued searching after that, and nothing in the text suggests that was the last time. Nor would Yami have any way of knowing that Yuu hid from Hikari at this point, unless she is actively hiding from Yuu at this point and knows he's looking for her and decides to avoid him.

"Where are you reading disgust in Haru's thoughts?" Yuu describes the relationship as starting from a place of hurt/comfort.

Yuu's words are a very different and more favorable description than "two dogs licking each other's wounds". Haru is dismissive here, and her mental image of Aya naked as an ugly, cold, and anorexic woman emphasizes this, when the actual image of Aya during that first time with Yuu, which we see in omake 4, is very different and much more vibrant.
Here, Haru represents the pro-Hikari audience that thinks Yami is practically a slut who slept with the first person who came along during her bad moment. Haru is disgusted by the idea of Yuu being the boy from Yami's stories and that those stories were actually real. Haru doesn't buy the tragic romance narrative that Yuu offered her.

There's nothing in his POV about Aya protecting him

This is in omake 3, right when he meets her:

The cold wind blowing in front of the station pierces my ears, which I can't hide behind my knees. Compared to my right ear, which is about to lose feeling, my left ear doesn't feel as cold. It's as if there's something next to me on my left that's protecting me from the cold wind...
I felt a little warmth and sensation in my left ear. A cold, slightly sharp voice...but also a very pleasant one, flowed in.
"It's annoying when you're just whining in a place like that"

So...

It was creating problems earlier though, like the exchange. In chapter 28, where Yuu flags that she's always lying,

Well, here he's complaining because she hid her family problems from him, and he rightly thinks she's underestimating her issues at home. Once again, it's external pressure that's really causing problems between them.
And anyway, as I already said, their dynamic is good as long as they're honest with each other. The problem is that Yami lies instead of trusting and opening up more to Yuu. If only she had been more honest with Yuu, as he asked her to be in that same scene, the relationship wouldn't have collapsed.

Aya is hurt that Yuu doesn't believe her about moving in together

Still not enough to justify such a radical change between chapters 28 and 29. It's obvious that Yami got a call during the mini time-skip between those two chapters.
"Up until she trusts him enough to tell him she wants to move in together and he completely doesn't get it."
I didn't say that dynamic was perfect or that he always could see through her mask, Hikari couldn't either —otherwise, she would have noticed the change Yami underwent in the last few months, which Yuki mentions in chapters 42 and 43. And again, it's still a scene where Yami could have made it clear she was serious, and Yuu would have responded seriously.
That's the point. If Yami hadn't actively lied, she surely would have saved her relationship with Yuu.

 

[peortega1]

Um, where does Yuu tell Hikari or Aya that he does not like being called Ta-Kun.

Is literally in chapter 1:

Yuu: "I can't even remember how many times I've told you this, but my name isn't Ta-kun, it's Yuu. Can you stop calling me that?"
Hikari: "I could~, but you know what? I've been saying it for 10 years already, I just can't stop it now."

This is a perfect example of Hikari being selfish and only being more empathetic where the other person is literally crying or screaming

Working out from that, Yuu's the one talking about being together, not Aya.

You conveniently omit the lines where Yami actually says she wants to be with Yuu all the time, and you also ignore the "that is not enough for me" where she emphasizes again that she does want to spend more time with Yuu:

Aya: "But seriously, isn't this nice? Talking when we want, doing it when we want, sleeping when we feel like it... and when we wake up, we're right beside each other."
Yuu: "The way you say it is so... vivid."
Aya: "Because that's how much I've dreamed about this."

This is why Yuu gets the point and promises that he will try hard to get more time so they can be together even with remedial classes. The fact that he only wrote two messages to Yami after his promises in chapter 29 makes one suspect that perhaps he did receive a scolding or reprimand from his own parents, and that's why he didn´t respond.
And yes, this is the theory. That it's here, after the 3-day trip, that Yuu's parents learn he had sex with Ayami. This is when the hotel called them and told them the truth about what was still two UNDERAGE students having sex in "a prestigious and respectable hotel" (as Ayami said), which is prohibited by Japanese laws.

"Aya's pretty non-committal here because she's already planning on ghosting."

And we continue with your statements without textual basis neither reading comprehension.

"I think she's mad he didn't, but a part of her is holding out for a .01% chance he went to look for her."

.01%! You definitely have a bias against Yuu.

 

[GennArc]

But that's why I think her keeping up the facade is indicative of the underlying issues in the relationship.

The difference is that I think it's the result of not meeting her own normalcy conditions because of the family stuff.

Huh? Yuu went to look for Aya and was still surprised that she actually wanted him to look for her

Was he? But that's still beyond the previous point. It's about ability or inability to do something.

Ok, I agree that it's not an active they look for her, but she wants to be found. Like Yuu and Hikari find her at the bus stop(?) or in the classroom. She's again waiting for them in a place where they could find her.

Why passive? Why "wants to be found" instead of "wants to meet them"?
I think what you wrote before about "wants them to look for her" is kinda indicative of the difference between how you view the character vs. how the character is presented. It's also similar to that discussion we had before about chapter 39. I think her hope and fear that she will run into Yuu / into Yuu or Hikari is irrational but perfectly understandable. On the other hand, the way you view it as "she wants them to look for her" makes it sound very self-centered.

 

[story645]

I think it's the result of not meeting her own normalcy conditions

I think Aya thinks she doesn't deserve normal - calling herself a hopeless loser in 25.5 - and that's why Aya's conditions are an ever shifting goal post . She achieved the goal post of divorce, then things with her mother stabilized after a month, so she moves her goal post to atonement for her mother's loneliness. That's why the outreach has to come from other people.

Was he? But that's still beyond the previous point. It's about ability or inability to do something.

He looks pretty surprised to me in 40 that she's so worked up about him not looking for her. And also I don't get your point - my argument is that Aya pushes away when she wants people to grab hold. Ghosting is a pretty strong pushing away, especially combined with her last words being that he should go fall in love, blocking his number, not telling him where she lived, and not telling him if she was planning to go back to school.

Why "wants to be found" instead of "wants to meet them"?

B/c she's waiting at the station for the chance they might show up rather than going to Hikari's house and ringing the bell. And b/c it's similar to her waiting at the station for Yuu, where she yelled at him for not looking for her. And being in the classroom and telling Yuu he found her. And b/c in 45 she's waiting to see the boy and girl who rescued/saved* her.

*the Russian translation uses the same word for both of them so now I'm curious what words are used in Japanese.

Also since I think your Russian is better than mine, can you help me w/ 26.6 b/c it's driving me bats. I'm not sure if the conjugation means that the "older girl" is getting ready to "give herself to you" or to "give you away" (MTL gives me both cause I don't think it can conjugate):

 

[story645]

.01%! You definitely have a bias against Yuu.

I'm just calling back to 13.5 when Aya says there's 0.01% chance Yuu isn't referring to Hikari.

And we continue with your statements without textual basis neither reading comprehension.

You are welcome to disagree w/ me, but it is reasonable to interpret the following text as Aya was planning to ghost:

Even thinking about the trip back, about saying goodbye... I hate it.
<snip>
This is fine......
No, this is what I decided from the start.
So why am I wavering now?

Where that goodbye is referring to this goodbye:

Ayami: "Goodbye..."

I didn't say it, did I? That word, next.
I didn't make a single promise, did I?

Good. Perfect.
Mission accomplished.

Now I can move forward, no strings attached...

You conveniently omit the lines where Yami actually says she wants to be with Yuu all the time, and you also ignore the "that is not enough for me" where she emphasizes again that she does want to spend more time with Yuu:

B/c Aya is talking in present tense and it's in keeping with the carefree live for the moment dere attitude she's been showing him the whole time. I agree she's being vulnerable, but this is like when she tells Yuu she loves him in 27. It's as the character she's playing rather than with her walls down.

his is a perfect example of Hikari being selfish and only being more empathetic where the other person is literally crying or screaming

My mistake but also I think the take away here isn't supposed to be that Hikari disrespects Yuu by not using his preferred name. I think Maruto puts it in chapter 1 b/c this exchange is the underlying dynamics of their entire relationship. Yuu doesn't want Hikari to call him "Ta-kun" b/c Yuu wants Hikari to see him as more than just her childhood friend b/c Yuu thinks that's why she's not interested in him:

And that’s how my life as “Ta~kun”, the childhood friend, began
<snip>
It felt… not quite like she was seeing me as just a childhood friend.

While, as the narrative says, Hikari can't get away from thinking of Yuu as her childhood friend. It's not that she's willfully dismissing his request, it's that his identity as a person is inextricably linked to their 10 years together. Which is what Aya is referencing when she makes the distinction between Yuu and Ta-Kun.

The problem is that Yami lies instead of trusting and opening up more to Yuu. If only she had been more honest with Yuu, as he asked her to be in that same scene, the relationship wouldn't have collapsed.

Sure, but I think it's a failure of their relationship dynamic that Yami closes up and lies. It's not Yuu's fault but his actions contribute to her behavior.

Haru is dismissive here, and her mental image of Aya naked as an ugly, cold, and anorexic woman emphasizes this,

To me, the Aya on page 11 of chap 43 (I think that's what you mean by mental image) just looks sad and lonely. Which is how Yuu described their initial meeting. I don't think it's judgement on the sex - which Haru does not comment on - but that Haru is viewing this relationship through the lens of knowing Aya as the girl who ditched school and then became her friend w/ the messed up home life rather than the dere girlfriend Yuu knows her as. Haru expresses compassion for Aya over this situation on page 15.

This is in omake 3, right when he meets her:

Here's another translation:

Almost like... something—or someone—was next to me, shielding me from the wind...

Which I'm pulling up b/c I think the symbolic connotation here of protecting/shielding here is how Aya takes him away from the temporary badness (wind, the exam, etc), not that she'd go to war for him (shield vs sword metaphors), which ties into her role as comforter.

Nothing suggests the point Yuu renounced still looking for Yami is when he saw Hikari and hid from her. He continued searching after that, and nothing in the text suggests that was the last time.

Pulled up the quote and it doesn't contradict my point that he's choosing Hikari over Aya even when searching for Aya by only searching for Aya so long as Hikari doesn't find out.

After summer break ended, I went several times to the train station nearest her school—Hikari’s school, too—but I never saw her.

Once, I even spotted Hikari and hid in a panic, but in the end, I never caught sight of that distinctive braided hair—or of the short-haired figure she must have become.

She only knew Yami's side and has no way of knowing who Yuu is or what his motivations are for dating Yami.

She got enough out of Yami's description of herself as a hopeless loser and Yami's unrealistic expectations of Yuu being "more than enough" to figure out that this relationship wasn't helping w/ Yami's insecurity and it was gonna fall apart.

He "hides" Yami because his cowardice prevents him from completely closing the door on Hikari, which is very different.

🤨 Yeah, so how'd you feel if your girlfrienf hid you b/c she wanted to "keep the door open" w/ her dream guy? That's the point, right - slamming that door is the best proof of fidelity.

This is much worse than him hiding a relationship with an ex-girlfriend

I don't think it's worse by any stretch, but he didn't tell Hikari when he told his classmate cause he was planning to surprise her by passing - it wasn't supposed to be something he was gonna hide forever. Then he was ashamed but also apologizes to Hikari for hiding it from her b/c he feels he did something wrong by hiding it.

Haru encouraged Hikari to kiss Yuu, very different. She supports Hikari when Ayami and Yuki talks about Hikari has to directly have sex with Yuu.

Haru understanding that Hikari is not ready to have sex w/ Yuu does not mean that Haru inherently thinks sex is bad.

Yuuu falls in love with Yami at first sight

I don't think that's true simply b/c I don't think he'd break down telling her about Hikari if he was already in love with her, b/c he won't talk about Hikari unless she prompts him after they start dating.

Haru definitely pressures Yuu several times during the conversation, especially when Yuu utters the (in)famous "Yami-senpai didn't nothing wrong."

That's after he's spilled everything, as is your other example, so how can that be a prompt to spill anything?

f Hikari is incapable of enduring Yuu whimpering or crying for more than 5 seconds

Their entire childhood is characterized as Yuu idolizes Hikari b/c Hikari saves crybaby Yuu.

are different characters and not Expies.

Even expies don't mean identical. CLAMP's multiverse is literally shared soul and CCS Sakura & Syaroan are still different from TRC Sakura & Syaroan. I forgot the name but there's an expie version of the Genshiken characters where they've got similar personalities and still some huge fundemental differences.

You're not Japanese, and you're applying Western rules to a culture very different from our own.

Aren't you trying to do the same? Japen is more culturally conservative than the US and the norms I'm describing are present in just about every mainstream shoujo manga. Even in straight up smutty manga, the "good" girls don't go into detail about the sex they're having.

Aya isn't bragging or showing off.

From Hikari's POV, reads like Aya is doing it for her shock value rather then b/c she wants feedback. And nothing in Hikari's POV indicates they're not supposed to believe what Aya is saying:

it was Aya-chan's blunt and shockingly unfiltered anecdotes about her vast male experience that turned the tide.
Her stories left everyone else too flustered or stunned to respond, they were my saving grace.
<snip>
Tales like that... stories no one knew how to react to... came pouring out one after another.
Thanks to her oversharing,

A "normal" girl doesn't dress so revealingly at a public convention, implying she's promiscuous. Gyaru culture is precisely about girls who want to be seen as promiscuous (being really or not), and Marin certainly plays into this reputation,

Revealing cosplay is pretty much a norm within the cosplay community. Gyaru culture is about rebelling against the idea of the "yamato nadeshiko", similar to Western goth and punk aesthetics.

She doesn't need to explain that context or go into so much detail,

Yes she does b/c the outfit is for the character she's embodying, not for herself, and she wants Gojo to understand who he's making clothes for. Understanding the context makes Gojo's art better, which is why the climax is a piece where he understands the work so well that he makes something even the creator acknowledges.

She doesn't need to lie to play the flirtatious senpai/shy kouhai game with him.

The flirtatious senpai is the lie.

 

[GennArc]

I think Aya thinks she doesn't deserve normal - calling herself a hopeless loser in 25.5 - and that's why Aya's conditions are an ever shifting goal post

25.5 happens in February, 26 (where she sets those goals and talks about becoming normal) happens in May. I don't think the conditions are shifting, and I don't think they could shift in just 1.5 months between 26 and 27.

She achieved the goal post of divorce, then things with her mother stabilized after a month, so she moves her goal post to atonement for her mother's loneliness.

Aren't you forgetting that a few things happened between the first and the second points? Things that could potentially influence her state of mind.

He looks pretty surprised to me in 40 that she's so worked up about him not looking for her. And also I don't get your point - my argument is that Aya pushes away when she wants people to grab hold. Ghosting is a pretty strong pushing away, especially combined with her last words being that he should go fall in love, blocking his number, not telling him where she lived, and not telling him if she was planning to go back to school.

He looks surprised with the whole outburst + revelation, not with anything from it.
My argument is that when she refused to meet with him for a few weeks, there was no way for him to "reach out", he was just unable to do anything. In contrast, when she ghosted him, he was able to go look for her at least in places he could think of, and he did exactly that.

B/c she's waiting at the station for the chance they might show up rather than going to Hikari's house and ringing the bell. And b/c it's similar to her waiting at the station for Yuu

Maybe it's semantics already, but "wants to be found" sounds to me like Hikari or Yuu actually making a conscious effort to find her. In this case all she's hoping for is a lucky (?) chance, because she doesn't think she can just go meet them after what she's done, and she just creates conditions for that lucky chance.
And what do you mean by her waiting at the station for Yuu?

I'm not sure if the conjugation means that the "older girl" is getting ready to "give herself to you" or to "give you away" (MTL gives me both cause I don't think it can conjugate):

It's the former.
Russian to English TL would be something like this:
"Don't just give in to an older girl who is ready to give herself to you"
"Не поддавайся" is "don't give in" in this context, "готова отдаться" is "ready to give herself to you".

 

[story645]

. I don't think the conditions are shifting,

In 26 she lays out her definition of normal, but her conditions for giving herself permission to be normal shift:

• In 26 it's about getting her act together. It's already at this point that she could go back to school - same chapter mentions how her parents are leaving her tuition money.
• In 27 she's deciding it's her burden to "have to keep Mom calm, get Dad out of here peacefully, and finally restore the normalcy I've been longing for"
• In 28 her thoughts are it's all good, mission accomplished: "So yeah, everything's back to normal. It'll be just me and my mom, living happily... like before."
• in 29 the reader learns her mom's been in the hospital the entire time so 28 can't be accurate:
  

  To pick up my mother, who had been staying here longer than originally scheduled, an extension I'd begged the hospital for.
  All so I could take that final trip.

  Which as an aside is an example of how Aya sometimes lies to herself about how she's feeling (things aren't going swimmingly if her mom's hospitalized).
• End of 29 she's decided normal is impossible:
  

  Punishment for trying to abandon my family, a sin so immense that I could never atone for it in a lifetime.

• Reinforced in 30:
  

  I guess I really can't ever be a normal girl.

• And in 31:
  

  This life we're living... it's supposed to be a punishment. If I start feeling comfortable in it, then what's the point?

But yeah on the flip, if we agree that her conditions are just:

have to keep Mom calm, get Dad out of here peacefully

The Mom calm condition isn't met (Aya can't engineer it) but Aya starts regaining her normality anyway b/c Hikari "saved" her:

All she does is vent her frustrations and rant about pointless stuff, wearing me down bit by bit, every single day.
<snip>
and now I go to school every day, I've got a stable life, and even a few friends.

Aren't you forgetting that a few things happened between the first and the second points? Things that could potentially influence her state of mind.

I didn't say the shift was capricious, just that she holds onto a new reason to not be normal even when the universe is giving her an out - things stabilizing enough that she can go back to school.

when she refused to meet with him for a few weeks, there was no way for him to "reach out"

In 40, it's specifically Yuu's acceptance of her lies about her family where Aya first thinks Yuu is "always letting go of her when it counts". Yeah Yuu tells Aya not to not hide stuff sure, but reaching out would be backing up his words w/ the actions/offers that would convince her that he truly wants to hear about all the bad things because he cares about her and not just because he's kind. That's stuff like Yuu explicitly calling out her lies - "look I know that noise isn't your neighbors, why don't you want to tell me what's going on?". Which yeah isn't remotely Yuu's personality - he thinks he's being respectful by not prying.

And what do you mean by her waiting at the station for Yuu?

We've had this discussion before but Hikari runs into Aya in 32 sitting where Aya first met Yuu (which is why the chapter is called "not over there").

In this case all she's hoping for is a lucky (?) chance, because she doesn't think she can just go meet them after what she's done, and she just creates conditions for that lucky chance.

Finding isn't always active? Like if I see a wallet on the ground I'd say I "found it" even if I wasn't looking for it. Aya describes how Yuu "always finds her" even though he doesn't find her the one time he's actually looking for her. Which I think Aya is waiting to be "found" b/c the way Yuu and Hikari "saved" Aya was originally by stumbling onto ("finding") her at the bus stop/station/whatever.

And thanks for the translation!