Honestly, this chapter was very interesting because we got to see a unique contrast between all four girls.
Lili spent most of this arc worried about losing Hiromi, afraid he might move on without her. So when she finally reconnects with him and says she wants to see the places he grew up, it fills her with joy just to spend time with him again.
Mio, on the other hand, has gone so long in this series hating men that she didn’t even realize she was in love with one. It takes her friends pointing it out, saying, “Hey, you’re here to see Hiromi,” for her to finally realize she does have feelings for him.
Tsubasa feels trapped within herself, often turning to alcohol just to relax. When it comes to love, she holds herself back, so at the end of this chapter it’s powerful to see her finally admit to Hiromi that she misses him and wants to be with him forever.
And then there’s Anju, who in my opinion stands out the most. Last chapter, her boldness helped the other girls relax. While they were making excuses about why they came to Wakayama, she directly admitted, “I’m here to see Hiromi,” which encouraged the others to do the same. But in this chapter we learn that her boldness is really just a shell hiding her insecurities. She sees that Lili and Nonoka are exactly Hiromi’s type, and she starts to see Lili as a threat. I didn’t notice this before, but now it’s clear. She admits to herself that Hiromi tends to go for girls like Lili and Nonoka, which makes her question if she’s good enough for him.
Out of all the girls, I think Anju may actually have the best shot. I know some of you might be thinking, “Why?” but hear me out. The times she’s made a move on Hiromi have mostly been physical, trying to sleep with him instead of expressing her real feelings. That’s not how Hiromi operates, at least from what we’ve seen. But if she were to openly confess that she has genuine feelings for him, it could push Hiromi to see her in a new light and explore who she is romantically.
That’s why this chapter really stands out to me. We have Lili, happy to reconnect with Hiromi. Mio, realizing she’s in love with him. Tsubasa, finally breaking free from her fears and declaring she wants to be with him forever. And Anju, who shows us her facade of confidence but also reveals her doubts, wondering if she’s truly good enough.
Even though all these girls are close, each one has her own unique struggles when it comes to love, and that contrast makes the story so compelling. Moving forward, I think it’ll be fascinating to see how each of them pursues Hiromi and what choices he makes. Yes, Lili might seem like the one he’s gravitating toward right now, but I still believe Anju is the dark horse in this series. Tsubasa is the wild card, and Mio, while she may not have a real chance, could still come to see Hiromi as her first love.