Kusunoki-san wa Koukou Debut ni Shippai Shite Iru - Ch. 44.1 - Why Do I Even Like Him? (First Part)

[MangaDex]

 

[PrototypicalLurker]

Wow, the manga got a little bit of self awareness. Yeah why do you like him? I mean except hormonal teenager stuff.

 

[bejad007]

side heroines are usually more appealing to read since most authors not trying to make them perfect woman like the main girl. but those struggles actually what makes them interesting

 

[drakenation]

You' re definitely a push-over, little losing heroine.
Your name is not on the title, so give MC up and maybe have a go with the random guy, he might be cooler than you'd expect. And then you might win on your own little side story.

 

[UdenEmpati]

So - I guess the line here is Kusunoki had a friendship fall apart due to an unrequited confession.
I'd have to go back and read everything again to see if that was explicitly referenced before this point, but.
If that is what happened, then maybe that's her rationale with Keisuke: she's afraid their friendship would evaporate if romance got involved, so she's shut down the mere thought of it even to herself, to the point she looks clueless and ignorant of the concept whenever it's broached.
Or, taking the chapter where she meets up with those three girls as a clue, she actually is clueless about romance, but knows that it did ruin a relationship in the past, and so she stays away from it entirely, and doesn't really do any introspection into her own feelings (or, doesn't let herself).

Either way, Otobi actually having no real basis for liking Keisuke was actually more aware of her character than expected, because I too thought something big had to have happened off-screen for her to actually like him enough to be occupied about it.
Turns out, not the case. She might just have latched onto the first guy who was nice to her in close proximity, or she likes the idea of romance, as she said.

I personally think she should try going out with the the Confessor Friend. Even if it doesn't work out, it would give her some valuable insight into how she feels about relationships and dating and romance, and she's friends with him already; it's not unheard of to see that be a solid foundation for a relationship.
And that could potentially give her another perspective on Keisuke and her feelings toward him. Are they just surface-level? Is there something deeper she just hasn't hit upon yet?

Guess we'll see, depending on what Keisuke says next (because of course).

 

[felis_sapiens]

ok so kusunoki once had a bestfriend who stop being friend with her because she reject him maybe?

 

[felis_sapiens]

still rooting for snake tho

 

[razorshaleh]

first love and unstable teenage romance drive you dizzy

Thank you for translating

 

[kodakato]

Not like confessing to someone just because you saw them in a maid costume is any better.

 

[UdenEmpati]

Not like confessing to someone just because you saw them in a maid costume is any better.

but it is about what I've come to expect from school-age kids in manga.

 

[soulhunterz]

WHERE MAH SNEK 🐍🐍🐍

 

[jonnywarlock]

Oh, tiny tomboy...

 

[CulR]

Too scared to get rejected so she offloads the entire process to her crush

---

Meanwhile....

There was a tweet where the author was shocked that everybody voted for Hebikawa.

 

[UdenEmpati]

Meanwhile....

There was a tweet where the author was shocked that everybody voted for Hebikawa.

Surprised the author of a popular manga doesn't understand that people will gravitate toward dynamic, "interesting" characters with faults, over the one who's written to be literally perfect at everything she does the moment she tries it, including making friends and has been shown to aggressively turn down even the notion of romance - in a romcom high school manga.

Seems like the sort of thing you'd want to know about, if you write characters for a living.

 

[ThunderKnight]

Snek 🐍 not in the chapter, sad

 

[Darklight99]

See the problem with Moe is that she isn't even the main rival, Hebikawa is. Hebi is far more interesting than you.

 

[ciera]

Thanks for the release

 

[UdenEmpati]

ok so kusunoki once had a bestfriend who stop being friend with her because she reject him maybe?

dunno if we can say "best friend" as of yet, but certainly some experience where a friend confessed, she rejected him, and he stopped being friends with her.

The bigger question for me is, if that is the case, what Kusunoki cited as her reason for the rejection. Because that would likely illuminate why she seems so...I guess foreign to the notion of romance?

still rooting for snake tho

Gotta keep an eye on the prize, agreed.

 

[Hcoregamer]

There was a tweet where the author was shocked that everybody voted for Hebikawa.

Manga-ka who doesn’t understand why a certain character is popular even if she isn’t the main girl and imperfect. A tale as old as time.

 

[Kababman]

I want Moe to win so bad, man. Too bad she's "losing heroine" personified.