Coco sure knows how to make me hate Chiyo. And it looks like Chiyo has found her new boyfriend. In a few short chapters, Coco is doing her best to make us believe that Ookuma is Chiyo's Knight in Shining Armor and that he is, by comparison, far better boyfriend material than Igarashi could only imagine being. Sad thing is, Chiyo also believes this. She sees Ookuma as a sophisticated, cultured man whereas she sees Igarashi as nothing more than a worthless buffon. I doubt Coco will ever be able to make me like Chiyo again. What could she possibly do to redeem her character?
During chapter 205, in a foiled attempt to talk to Chiyo again in the school cafeteria, he accidentally spills water on her and she exclaims, once again, "I Hate You!"
In the very next chapter, after talking to Youhei where she was comparing Igarashi to him and what a much nicer guy Igarashi would be if he was more like Youhei, she "coincedentally" runs into Ookuma at a book store. She spends the whole next chapter, 207, with him, even going to a coffee shop where he buys her cake. Like the moron she is, she tells him all about Igarashi. At the end of the chapter, Ookuma gives her the business card of his new employment, a bar, and invites her to visit him there. Of course, at home at the beginning of the next chapter, she ponders whether she should visit him or not.
As for Igarashi, during chapter 210 he heads out on a train journey by himself to get his mind straightened out. In chapter 211, Chiyo and her cronies celebrate Christmas Eve by going to karaoke. While walking on her way home alone, she overhears couples being lovey-dovey and has a flashback to when she was with Igarashi. When she gets home, she finds his Warriors t-shirt and convinces herself that she should return it to him just to get rid of it. She goes to Igarashi's place, still holding to the conviction that it's not because she wants to see him but that she's just returning something he left behind. To her consternation (and my great amusement), she was not greeted by Igarashi, but by Shishijima who was staying over at Igarashi's place. He informs her that Igarashi has left on a journey, probably back home, and Chiyo is visibly shocked. Continuing into chapter 211, Shishijima invites Chiyo in (it's finally his chance to get her alone), she refuses and hands over the t-shirt. In the mean time, Igarashi is still on his journey of self-discovery, though he is still contemplating the situation with Chiyo and Subaru.
In chapter 213, two-faced Chiyo has apparently forgotten that she wanted to see Igarashi, and goes to see Ookuma at his workplace, pretending that she's "just killing time." On to chapter 214 and where she's so delighted with the food he serves her that she agrees to go to the movies with him (it's a date, right?), the whole time trying to convince herself that it's perfectly fine since, "Shun is gone and I'm alone, that's why I'm ok with this person and the movie." Really, Chiyo, you're alone because you broke up with Igarashi and told him multiple times that you hate him, right? Face the facts, you're with Ookuma because you want to be. You're still stuck in your Middle School crush.
