Imasara desu ga, Osananajimi wo Suki ni Natte Shimaimashita - Ch. 38 - Happy End

[story645]

I think "Yami going for the kiss cause she want to be back together with Yuu but Yuu reject her and decide he wanted to confess to Hikari, instead of going with the flow again like we have seen him do previously" is a more likely scenario

Yeah, that's the route I've been advocating for b/c it'd show growth & Yuu is in desperate need of some growth. Also I think could go towards redeeming him a bit in the eyes of some readers.

 

[timotheus_rex]

Well as long as she had a good reason to assault him I guess

Her assaulting him was uncalled for, rejecting him and calling him out was justified

 

[andy106]

First, for those who aren't aware, the author accidentally leaked the chapter of the novel last week. Here's an MTL of the chapter:

Spoiler: Chapter 38

Chapter 38: It's a Little Late, but About My Childhood Friend...

A Saturday in late September.
A day I would never forget.

Yuu: "I... I've liked you for a long time, Hikari!"

Behind the stage in the gymnasium.
Two of my friends are hiding in the shadows, peeking out and silently freaking out in excitement.
And in front of me, standing stiff as a board, face beet red, my childhood friend struggles to force out his words.

Yuu: "It's true... since middle school... no, since we first became friends."

It was unmistakably my “childhood friend Ta-kun” that I knew.

A boy who was a little unreliable, shy, pure, and kind.
And now, he was squeezing out every last bit of courage he had to say these words to me.
More than the words themselves, it was his attitude that made it so incredibly convincing.

Yuu: "I'm not lying... I’ve never been able to give up."

It was exactly how I had always imagined it, ever since I first started noticing him—
"If Ta-kun ever confessed to me, I bet it would feel just like this."

Hikari: "Since... a long time ago?"
Yuu: "Since a long time ago."

Finally, I managed to find my voice.
But... it still wasn’t my answer to his confession.

Hikari: "Then, then... why did you always act like everything was normal...?"
Yuu:"Well... I was desperately trying to hold it back."
Hikari: "Why did you need to hold it back?"
Yuu:"Because we were close..."

I stood on tiptoe to get closer to his face, pouting as I pressed him for answers.

I mean, this confession was way overdue. Seriously, only now?
And even then, only after everyone else basically set the stage for him? Talk about being a massive chicken!

Yuu: "B-but if I had been all obvious about how much I liked you... and you didn’t feel the same way, the atmosphere would’ve gotten super awkward, right?"
Hikari: "Ugh..."
Yuu: "And then if you stopped coming around to my place... if we started drifting apart... I couldn’t handle that."

Hikari: "Wait, hold on a sec..."

When I was desperately pretending to act normal...
he was doing the exact same thing?

Hikari: "You thought I wasn’t thinking about you at all, Ta-kun?"
Yuu: "I didn’t think it was nothing, but... I wasn’t sure if it was that kind of feeling."
Hikari: "Come on! Ta-kun, seriously, you have no confidence!"
Yuu: "But it’s you, Hikari! Do you really think I'm good enough for you!?"
Hikari: "I do!"
Yuu: "That’s just you being mistaken! No one knows how amazing you are better than I do!"

I feel like a boomerang just keeps smacking me right in the head.
What is with this coward!
It’s so painful, like watching all my own embarrassing behavior from the past six months!

Hikari: "But, but! Lately I’ve been super obvious about how much I liked you, haven’t I?!"
Yuu: "How was I supposed to believe that! You’re naturally way too close to people! You’ve made me think the wrong thing so many times before!"
Hikari: "That's so mean!"

Seriously, Ta-kun...
I basically just confessed to you right now!
Why can’t you realize that!?

Yuu: "That's why I kept being so careful, watching for the right moment..."

You're telling me... you were that serious about confessing?

Yuu: "I wanted to wait until I was 100% sure... and then finally, with everything lined up, I could do it."

You're saying... my feelings mattered that much to you?

Hikari: "...Did you reach 100%?"
Yuu: "I’m not sure, but..."
Hikari: "But?"
Yuu: "But today... today, I just felt like I had to tell you."

Hikari: 'Why did you think it had to be today?'

I desperately held back the words that had been slipping out nonstop until now.

I pressed my lips tightly together, holding everything back.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Then, keeping that pressure, I forced the corners of my mouth up into a big smile.

Hikari: "So... that's how it is... huh..."

Still standing on tiptoe, right in front of his face,
I showed him a beaming smile.

Along with all the overwhelming feelings inside me.

Hikari: "I'm really, really happy, Ta-kun."
Yuu: "...!"

Those were the honest words from the bottom of my heart—no lies, no exaggeration.

I was happy. Really, truly happy.

That he had been trapped in the same dilemma as me.
That he had been carrying the same feelings as me.
That he had been hiding the same feelings as me.

And that today, everything finally been resolved.

Hikari: "I love you too... I really, really love you!"
Yuu: "Hikari..."

...Everything?

Hikari: "Maybe... no, I'm sure I realized it after you did..."

No, it’s everything.
Everything has been resolved.

Hikari: "But my feelings now are the same as yours... no, even stronger than yours."
Yuu: "That's not true... I've been in love with you for ten years!"

Honestly, I was supposed to be the one to confess first.
The future I'd been dreaming of for so long was now right here in front of me.
How could I not accept such a wonderful, miraculous accident?

Hikari: "In other words, right now, I love you more than ten times as much as you love me!"
Yuu: "There's no way that's possible..."

Yeah...
I'm sure that "thing earlier" was just a small misunderstanding.

Something tiny.

If I don't say anything, this is a happy ending...

"Heh..."
"Haha..."

So I’ll laugh.
And I’ll accept it.
Accept his feelings.

Hikari: "It doesn’t even matter, really."
Yuu: "Yeah... you're right."
Hikari: "..."

He embraced my pure feelings.

His arms wrapped around my back, holding me close.
So I wrapped my arms around his back too, grasping at the empty air above.

Yuu: "Hikari..."
Hikari: "Yeah..."

He looked deep into my eyes.
And before I could get swallowed up in his gaze, I closed mine.

It’s okay. I won’t ask anymore. I won’t look. I won’t say anything.
Because this is for being together with the person I love more than anything.

A little compromise...
should be acceptable, right?

Hikari: "...!"

Compromise?

Why do I have to compromise...
with Ta-kun?

With the first person I ever loved,
the person I love the most...
why should I ever have to compromise?

Hikari: "———!"
Yuu: "Whoa...!"

A loud crash echoed backstage.
It was because he knocked over some equipment when he fell backward onto his butt.

...No, that's not exactly right.
Because the one who pushed him was...

It was me.

Yuu: "Hi... Hikari...!"

Still sprawled on the ground, he looked up at me.
His gaze, his expression—
they said it all.

...He knew.
He knew why I did it.

Hikari: "I love you, Ta-kun! I really love you!"

Yes, it was a Saturday in late September.
A day I would never forget—
and a day I never wanted to remember.

Hikari: "But! But! I hate liars!"

Shirasaka Hikari, sixteen years old...

I just rejected my childhood friend.
...At this late stage.

...

...

...

...

I see... I knew it.

I did think Hikari was acting a little differently than usual.

She saw it.
She found out about that...

I didn’t lie.
I’ve loved Hikari, for so long, ever since way back.

But still, there’s no denying it—
today, I was the worst.

Takamura Yuu, sixteen years old...

Today, I experienced my fourth heartbreak.
And my third heartbreak with the same girl—Hikari.

---

Second, from the author on X:

So no Yuu POV—at least not in the next chapter. That one should be from Yami's perspective. Hopefully, we’ll finally get to see what happened when she and Yuu met at the school.

---

Third, since the chapter leaked last week, I’ve had time to write down my thoughts on the situation:

Yuu’s Lack of Honesty Was a Conscious Choice, and His Reasons Aren’t That Important

• He knew Yami could be at the school.
• He chose not to be honest with Hikari, even though he had multiple chances.
• He lied about his phone dying and Hikari caught it immediately.
• He still confessed after all this, fully aware he was hiding things from her.

This wasn’t a mistake — it was deception by omission. He had every opportunity to be honest and chose not to. I get it — he has his issues, and the situation is complicated. But at the end of the day, intent doesn't erase impact.

Why Forgiveness Feels Impossible (And Might Stay That Way)

Yuu’s actions create a triple betrayal for Hikari:

• The Kiss: Witnessing Yami kiss Yuu is a soul-crushing moment.
• The Lie: Yuu’s flimsy excuse about his phone compounds the hurt, making it clear he’s hiding things.
• The Hidden Past: The fact that Yuu's ex-girlfriend goes to the same school as her—and he never told Hikari—undermines years of trust.

Hikari’s rejection isn’t just anger. Her rejection comes from a place of deep emotional pain. She was prepared to confess her feelings, to open her heart, and in return, she witnessed a moment that shattered her world. She tried to force herself to accept his confession, but her emotions screamed "This isn’t right."

Why Yuu’s Confession May Feel Hollow to Hikari

• “I’ve liked you for 10 years” clashes with “You’re hiding things from me and kissed my ‘best friend.’”
• His words don’t match his actions. If he truly loved her for so long, why the secrecy? Why not just be honest?

For someone like Hikari, trust is everything. Yuu didn’t just break it—he shattered it in the moment she was most vulnerable (her planned confession).

Could Yuu Ever Be Forgiven? Realistically, It’s Unlikely

• The Foundation Is Already Cracked: Yuu chose to hide his past, meaning their childhood friend bond was never fully honest. Hikari might wonder: What else hasn’t he told me?
• Yuu’s Lack of Honesty Shows He Doesn’t Trust Her: If Yuu couldn’t be honest after multiple opportunities, how could Hikari ever trust him in the future?
• Yami’s Role Makes It Messier: This isn’t just about Yuu; Hikari’s “best friend” betrayed her too. Even if Yuu tries to fix things, Yami’s presence will always haunt their dynamic.

Even if Yuu were to explain everything now, it wouldn’t undo what happened. He let Hikari walk into a painful situation blind, lied to her face afterward, and made his confession without giving her the full picture. Hikari’s pain came not only from the betrayal itself, but from being denied the agency to make informed choices. That’s a deep wound, and it may never fully heal.

The Possible Path to Forgiveness (If It Exists)

For Hikari to even consider forgiving him, Yuu would need to:

• Be fully transparent—no excuses, no omissions—about his past and his lack of honesty.
• Prove he’s changed—not just apologize, but show through actions that he won’t hide things again.
• Give Hikari space—if reconciliation ever happens, it has to be her choice, in her own time.

But even then? The trust is gone. And what’s the value of honesty after the fact? Close to none. Some wounds don’t heal, especially when the betrayal involves multiple layers of secrets and lies.

My Verdict: Yuu Doesn’t Deserve Forgiveness

Yuu’s actions weren’t just small mistakes—they were a chain of deliberate deceptions that led to Hikari’s heartbreak at the worst possible moment. He broke her trust, ignored her emotional well-being, and acted only when it served him.

Yuu may have had fears, insecurities, or even reasons he thought were justified—but none of that changes the fact that he broke her trust. And without trust, even the most heartfelt love can fall apart. Forgiveness isn’t owed just because someone feels regret. Yuu had every chance to do right by Hikari and chose not to. He doesn’t deserve her forgiveness.

Disclaimer

Yuu bros, before you jump in to defend him, I want you to think about this: impact > intent.

Thanks for the chapter!

AI lol.

 

[NotSomeone]

Yeah, that's the route I've been advocating for b/c it'd show growth & Yuu is in desperate need of some growth. Also I think could go towards redeeming him a bit in the eyes of some readers.

At the same time, that would paint Yami in a TERRIBLE light. Idk how her character would recover from trying to get back with Yuu knowing who he is and how Hikari likes him and that this is the day Hikari will make a move.
Well, there's always the "She's a trauma-ridden mess who's missing the support Yuu gave her" argument I guess.

 

[HellJester]

Yuu confessing to Hikari only because he was told to by Yami wouldnt make sense to me. Granted, i can see a scenario where Yami does tell Yuu that Hikari likes him or something along those lines, but i just cant see Yami outright tell Yuu to confess to Hikari.

Its been discussed in prev chapter threads before, but i think "Yami going for the kiss cause she want to be back together with Yuu but Yuu reject her and decide he wanted to confess to Hikari, instead of going with the flow again like we have seen him do previously" is a more likely scenario than Yami telling Yuu to confess to Hikari.

I think it's less that Yami told Yuu to confess and more likely that she told him that Hikari likes him and confirmation of that fact is the push Yuu needed to stop being such a coward and take a chance.

I really think the time Yami and Hikari have spent together has fundamentally changed how Yami interacts with people and who she is internally. I believe she truly cares for Hikari and is willing to "fall on her sword" in regards to Yuu. I don't believe Yami would jeopardize her future with Hikari by attempting to get Yuu back. I really think the kiss was more of a farewell thing than I want you back thing.

But I'm excited to be proven wrong when we're finally shown what happened in that classroom....cause the author better freaking show us.

 

[D3V1L15H]

Y'all gotta realise that he went to Yami first. Only after that fell through did he come to confess to Hikari.

Did we read the same story?

 

[story645]

Well, there's always the "She's a trauma-ridden mess who's missing the support Yuu gave her" argument I guess.

Meh. I'd argue that Yami deciding you know what she does deserve Yuu and therefore is gonna fight for it is good actually. It's selfish sure but it's also her not being a coward and running from things that could hurt her.

I think it's less that Yami told Yuu to confess and more likely that she told him that Hikari likes him and confirmation of that fact is the push Yuu needed to stop being such a coward and take a chance.

Yes she could have told him after he rejected her as some parting info, but I think the power move for him is confessing w/o confirmation.

 

[D3V1L15H]

I must be on some drugs because I can't figure out how Yuu is the bad guy here.

He gets rejected 2x times before
Find someone to fill the hole in his heart just to get ghosted
Realizes that he still loves Hikari
Tries to confront the ex that ghosted him
Gets kissed? (Since we do not know who did what it is a moot point to discuss)
Tries to confess anyway
Gets shoved to the ground

People make up this whole scenario in their head without anything to back it up.

We do know, as it is stated in the win in hikaris pov that ayami pulled him in

 

[HellJester]

Y'all gotta realise that he went to Yami first. Only after that fell through did he come to confess to Hikari.

Playing devil's advocate here but we don't know 100% exactly what happened once Yuu left Hikari's classroom while she was working up to him showing up and apologizing to Hikari. Nor do we 100% know what was going on in his head or his motivations.

I can see the side of people who are saying Yuu left the classroom to track down Yami and get answers. That would make sense if he was still pining for Yami and wanted to get back with her. Perhaps the discussion in the classroom that lead to the slap/kiss was Yuu confessing to Yami and her rejecting him because she didn't want to betray Hikari. And now that Yuu doesn't have a shot he falls back to his old reliable crush Hikari. I don't buy that though. If Yuu really wanted answers he could have gotten them before this. Yes, Yami has him blocked but nothing is stopping him from waiting nearby the school for Yami to leave and confront her there. He could have done this without running into Hikari.

Another possibility is that Yuu left because 1) he was getting teased by Hikari's friends and he gets embarrassed easily (as seen in multiple previous chapters) and 2) he has to wait for Hikari to finish her shift before they can do anything so he might as well take a look around. What happens after that, who knows until we're shown. I think he wandered around a bit and then made his way back to the classroom which is when he runs into Yami. Maybe I'm being naive here but there is a chance that it was a coincidence they found each other. Yami purposely made herself scarce so as to not run into Yuu and I'd like to think Yuu's reluctance into going to the festival is that he didn't want to run into Yami either.

Were we ever given an exact timeline of how long Hikari's shift was and how long she looked for Yuu before she saw the slap/kiss? I know the time frame from the slap/kiss to Hikari and Yuu dancing in the gym was 30 minutes. I want to say Hikari had something like 30 minutes left on her shift. I think the timeline was enough that it would make sense for Yuu to wander around to kill a bit of time and then head back to the classroom and he mistimed it and missed Hikari as she left to look for him.

 

[story645]

And now that Yuu doesn't have a shot he falls back to his old reliable crush Hikari. I don't buy that though.

I agree that I don't think the author is going this route but I'm curious how low the ratings would drop if they did (or is it baked in?)

 

[story645]

I believe she truly cares for Hikari and is willing to "fall on her sword" in regards to Yuu.

Thing is Yami justifies her initially ghosting Yuu as falling on her sword for her mom, so the "throw away relationship for someone else" isn't new for her. I read it more as the excuse she uses to push people away/not fully commit.

 

[GennArc]

I mostly agree with your logic, but

If Yuu really wanted answers he could have gotten them before this. Yes, Yami has him blocked but nothing is stopping him from waiting nearby the school for Yami to leave and confront her there. He could have done this without running into Hikari.

Even assuming he knew Yami started attending school again (which he probably did), how can that waiting without running into Hikari happen? He has his own school to attend, which is in a different place, and even if he skipped classes and waited, how could he avoid running into Hikari?

I think he wandered around a bit and then made his way back to the classroom which is when he runs into Yami. Maybe I'm being naive here but there is a chance that it was a coincidence they found each other. Yami purposely made herself scarce so as to not run into Yuu and I'd like to think Yuu's reluctance into going to the festival is that he didn't want to run into Yami either.

That's likely what actually happened, but there are two things that might support the other hypothesis:
1. Yami saying "Why did you have to find me, Yuu" (in manga TL) or "Why do you always manage to find me, Yuu?" (in WN TL). Probably "find" is just another word for "run into", but who knows.
2. If Yuu was so reluctant to meet Yami, wandering around the school doesn't sound like the best idea.

Were we ever given an exact timeline of how long Hikari's shift was and how long she looked for Yuu before she saw the slap/kiss?

More or less:

Could he have already gone home?
It's about to rain, after all. And I did keep him waiting for over an hour.

So her shift lasted for more than an hour.
At the end of the shift, Yami came to their classroom:

Technically, there was still cleanup left to do in the classroom, but out of nowhere, Aya-chan had swooped in with a cheerful, Don't worry, I'll handle all the cleanup! Like some kind of savior.

...Okay, so maybe it wasn't completely selfless. She'd been slacking off for most of the shift and vanished who-knows-where, so everyone was more than happy to dump the entire cleanup duty on her and scatter.

So it's almost a given Yami and Yuu didn't meet until then.
And here is an estimate for how long Hikari was looking for Yuu:

"Attention from the student council: Heavy rain is forecasted to start within 30 minutes. Classes with outdoor exhibits, please end your displays early and begin packing up..."

The sky was getting darker.
Sure, it was already getting close to evening, but that wasn't the main reason. Massive clouds were rolling in from the west, spreading quickly and swallowing the sky.

[...]

And in the middle of all this I was probably the most frantic-looking person here, running around the school grounds like my life depended on it.

Remembering how it was already raining during the classroom confrontation, she was most likely looking for him for half an hour or so. I know it says "within 30 minutes", but by the time of the announcement she was already running around looking for him.

TLDR:

• He wandered around for over an hour without running into Yami
• Hikari's shift ended and Yami came to the classroom at the same time
• Hikari spent around 30 minutes looking for Yuu, and in that time, Yuu came to the classroom too

 

[story645]

That's likely what actually happened, but there are two things that might support the other hypothesis:
1. Yami saying "Why did you have to find me, Yuu" (in manga TL) or "Why do you always manage to find me, Yuu?" (in WN TL). Probably "find" is just another word for "run into", but who knows.
2. If Yuu was so reluctant to meet Yami, wandering around the school doesn't sound like the best idea.

There's always the Yuu looking for Yami for closure (rather than reconciliation) thesis, which would tie into Yuu finally gaining some courage and might be why 2. even if he initially didn't plan to. He could have also assumed that since he hadn't seen Yami yet, she either had ditched or was in a different part of the school/busy so wondering around near Hikari's class was safe (which I think fits with Yuu prioritizing immediate problems, in this case the classmates teasing).

 

[HellJester]

I mostly agree with your logic, but

Even assuming he knew Yami started attending school again (which he probably did), how can that waiting without running into Hikari happen? He has his own school to attend, which is in a different place, and even if he skipped classes and waited, how could he avoid running into Hikari?

Yeah, I was reaching with that. I'm still shocked that Yami and Yuu dated for so long and he apparently doesn't know where she lives and really has no way to contact her once she blocks his number. It's like, come on dude.

And it's not like all they did was hook up either. They went out to places like the manga cafe. So they hung out and talked too. It's just bizarre that Yuu seems to not know that much about Yami.

 

[HellJester]

TLDR:

• He wandered around for over an hour without running into Yami
• Hikari's shift ended and Yami came to the classroom at the same time
• Hikari spent around 30 minutes looking for Yuu, and in that time, Yuu came to the classroom too

What I find interesting is Yuu's note to Hikari to text him when her shift is done. Presumably, Hikari would have texted him right as she left the classroom after talking to Yami. We know Yuu's phone wasn't dead so I'm curious as to how soon after Hikari left that Yuu ran into Yami. Perhaps almost immediately since otherwise he would have presumably answered Hikari right away.

It would be super interesting, when the author hopefully shows it, if Yuu saw Hikari and Yami talking in the classroom and purposefully ignored Hikari to go talk to Yami. That would paint Yuu in a horrible light and I'm kinda hoping for that as I just want to watch the world burn lol.

 

[GennArc]

Yeah, I was reaching with that. I'm still shocked that Yami and Yuu dated for so long and he apparently doesn't know where she lives and really has no way to contact her once she blocks his number. It's like, come on dude.

And it's not like all they did was hook up either. They went out to places like the manga cafe. So they hung out and talked too. It's just bizarre that Yuu seems to not know that much about Yami.

It makes sense that he doesn't know where she lives, because she always kept her family problems to herself and didn't want to involve Yuu in her own mess. And other than the school he knows she was skipping at the time, I'm not sure what other info could help him find her.

What I find interesting is Yuu's note to Hikari to text him when her shift is done. Presumably, Hikari would have texted him right as she left the classroom after talking to Yami. We know Yuu's phone wasn't dead so I'm curious as to how soon after Hikari left that Yuu ran into Yami. Perhaps almost immediately since otherwise he would have presumably answered Hikari right away.

Good point. Makes me want to see Yuu's POV even more.

 

[AssassinLJ]

So you weren't joking...
And when the novel chapter and manga chapter come out simultaneously as usual, does that mean Yom finishes the chapter in a flash?

No Yom cant just make it in a flash,probably he is told when the chapter comes out or they give him the draft before the release to start working on it and when the release comes out,if they agreed to be sunday or whatever the chapter will come out.

 

[story645]

And it's not like all they did was hook up either. They went out to places like the manga cafe. So they hung out and talked too.

Manga cafes are classic hook up spots in manga & that chapter has Yami initiating making out...

Eta: Aya probably also hasn't been to his house 'cause there was a parallel chapter of Hikari and him reading in his room so the author has already shown this as an "at home" activity.

 

[YourDeadNanForever]

So what if he lied to her? It wasn't her place to know. She doesn't deserve any of that information at this point of their relationship. If she really want to know about it, she should've been upfront about it with him and see if he lies to her then.

And? A lie is a lie. Just because she doesn't need to be aware doesn't make it any less scummy. There are plenty of ways to confess or get your feelings across, that doesn't involve a bold face lie.
Point of the matter is that she would have wound up finding out somehow, and he'd still have to answer to it.
He can date or do whatever he wants, just don't pretend to be who you're not lol.

 

[Shaser0]

YEEEEEESSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!

OH THAT FELT GOOD.

Peak trash romance, I'm so invested in this shit.
Yami still best girl.