The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All - Ch. 109 - Pretend Family

[Kirin-kun]

Well, if he had said "Stay with me", it would have been shackling her to him and destroying the career of stylist she dreamed of abroad. Did he have the right to? I don't think a long distance relationship was an option either.

Their decision to break up was perfectly logical. It wasn't a messy break up, just that the path they walked diverged because of the presence of Mitsuki.

As for the situation NOW, they both obviously have regrets because their feelings are still there, but Kanna was the first to wake-up and see that they won't have a "redo". Her life isn't in Japan anymore. And not in a shabby CD shop with an old tattooed rocker.

Joe abandoned his dreams for the sake of Mitsuki. Which is perfectly respectable.

 

[Thrembs]

You posted the most malicious interpretation of what they meant. And typed a question mark at the end, which I guess makes it into a question.

At whatever it is that she is trying to achieve, becoming a musician/songwriter maybe? The author does not go into details, but everyone in the story believes that moving there is the best opportunity to succeed at what she wants to do. Mitsuki knows this, Joe knows this, Kanna knows this from her own experience.

She is about to graduate, I don't assume Kanna expects Mitsuki to abandon everything right this moment.

Kanna is not kidnapping her, Kanna is giving her an opportunity that she may decide not to act upon. Kanna could not have both romance and career, Mitsuki may very well succeed at both, like inviting Aya with her, or having a happy long distance relationship in the age of communications?

You’re a person of very little quality.

 

[mgRdr]

You’re a person of very little quality.

I expected ad hominems from you, I guess I should've expected it to be the only thing to come from you.

 

[Thrembs]

Well, if he had said "Stay with me", it would have been shackling her to him and destroying the career of stylist she dreamed of abroad. Did he have the right to? I don't think a long distance relationship was an option either.

Their decision to break up was perfectly logical. It wasn't a messy break up, just that the path they walked diverged because of the presence of Mitsuki.

As for the situation NOW, they both obviously have regrets because their feelings are still there, but Kanna was the first to wake-up and see that they won't have a "redo". Her life isn't in Japan anymore. And not in a shabby CD shop with an old tattooed rocker.

Joe abandoned his dreams for the sake of Mitsuki. Which is perfectly respectable.

I really don’t get her lashing out because HE WANTED TO RAISE A CHILD, and really don’t get people shittin on him.

Y’all have clearly never raised a child.

The needs of our child vs my personal needs is a huge strain in my marriage right now.
I can’t deal with where we live, but it’s the best place for our child.

I am not about to tell my wife “let her father who works nights handle it, come with me.”
If this goes as bad as it could I’d lose my stepchild that I’ve helped raise for most of her life, but THE KID IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.

Her to even suggest “abandon the kid” is INSANE.

 

[MaCl0wSt]

Damn that was sudden.

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[StormSen]

I thought it was obvious what he didn't say for everyone who can read. What he really didn't say was "stay with me". You don't need to approach every exchange in such a literal way. This is a story. He didn't say "stay" so its pretty much "ok cool, take care" in her eyes which means he didn't even think about asking her to stay.

That's your interpretation, what you are reading into it. Based on the manga text, I can just as easily claim: she didn't say, "I'll stay." so in his eyes, she's saying "Cool. Well, you neither you nor your niece are that important to me, so... Ciao!"

Again, the point here is that what you or I read between the lines should be distinguished from what the lines actually say.

What do you think "you didn't wish for us to become a family" mean? His refusal to leave Mitsiku and go to US with her?

From past scene, we know that they were BF/GF. And it's clear that she wanted to be with him. But although she wanted that, it wasn't what she wanted most. What she wanted most was to follow her dreams and go to LA. We know that's what she wanted most to do, because that's what she chose to do.

You're acting like Joe is somehow responsible for her decision because (in your mind) he didn't push for her to stay. That's disempowering her own decision making about her own life.

 

[TanyaTheEvil]

I love that panel that said, "Strive to become the person you always wanted to be"... Thank for the chapter and translation

 

[krisdreemurr]

christmas break up 💔

 

[splatsoni]

stop edging me author and make them get tg (even tho the chances r low asf)

 

[definitionofinsanity]

Wait, wasn't the reason that Joe and Kanna broke up because she wanted to go live abroad in America and Joe didn't because he wanted to take care of Mitsuki?

It's been awhile, so I can't remember for sure, but if that's the case... saying that was him deciding to not be a family isn't exactly fair to level on him.

 

[definitionofinsanity]

I was feeling some sympathy for Kanna, but only because I couldn't remember why they broke up. Went back and re-read the flashback chapter about it, and it's because Joe decided to stay in Japan for Mitsuki rather than go to America with Kanna. And I have to say he was 100% right to make that call, especially since it doesn't seem like Mitsuki has any other family.

Kanna walked out on them to do her own thing, then walks back in years later, starts acting like family, and then gets angry at Joe for being happy she's acting like family? I'm not unsympathetic to her, but I think she's in the wrong here.

I also feel like there's a lot of expectation on both Joe and Mitsuki to be the drivers in the relationship. Kanna's previous advice to Aya about not sitting around waiting for someone is fine, but also Aya hasn't told Mitsuki she has a romantic interest in her. It's not good to just pine for someone and then get upset when they don't get it and act first. People aren't mind readers. If you like someone, tell them. If you're unhappy about something, speak up. Don't just pretend everything is cool while acting passive aggressive to them or suddenly blowing up at them.

This. I think people are forgetting that Joe didn't break up with Kanna. Kanna left to go live abroad while he took care of Mitsuki.

I don't really think it's fair for Kanna to put all this on Joe.

 

[definitionofinsanity]

She could, but it would have been unfair to her. She had her own ambitions. I don't see why she should have given up on them.

...Except that the only other option (other than breaking up like they did) was Joe dropping his life and either abandoning Mitsuki or dragging her with him to a completely foreign land away from everything she knows.

The problem is, Joe doesn't blame Kanna for leaving. Kanna blames Joe, however, for staying. And THAT is not fair to do to him.

 

[cuttlefishcatnip]

She could, but it would have been unfair to her. She had her own ambitions. I don't see why she should have given up on them.

To note, their break up was a mutual agreement. There's no real bad blood between them. But it's obviously a bitter memory for her, because he somewhat led her on to finally chicken out. She loved him and thought they would build something together, but life didn't let them.

I wouldn't say it's Joe's fault either, because he had to take care of Mitsuki (for yet unexplained reasons). That's just life.

But in the present time, Kanna came back temporarily and Joe kind of took her for granted, conveniently forgetting that she had to go back eventually and had a life over there, that he's not part of.

Maybe she even has a man there (seeing that panel where she's talking with a man with glasses who looks at her gently).

So, as she says, it's too late. She needs to leave, because the longer she stays, the more they look away from reality, the more painful it becomes.

extremely well said!!!

 

[cuttlefishcatnip]

Literally all I ever see on your brain is "woman hate man," like there's no other alternative. Go to therapy. Or stop hurting yourself and go read yaoi.

the solution is always to read yaoi

 

[cuttlefishcatnip]

You’re a person of very little quality.

don't be a dick over people disagreeing with your manga opinions, it's dumb

 

[Thrembs]

don't be a dick over people disagreeing with your manga opinions, it's dumb

Bye, sock.

 

[cuttlefishcatnip]

Bye, sock.

tf is that supposed to mean