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

[Laparoscopic]

I’m torn between wanting my fluff (Joe & Kanna happy together) and wanting Joe’s (in)actions to have some real consequences…

 

[crimeone]

The uncle better do something about their relationship before it’s too late

 

[Mir4cu1ous1y]

kanna darling, you're not going anywhere! come back here

 

[Kleptocracy]

It’s his fault because he’s the man. And even mentioning that kind of comment will make people so angry.

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.

 

[Panino]

What? It's like they had a divorce, the mother went away prioritizing her work and the father chose to stay with their daughter.
Don't come crying now.

 

[Serenata]

Oof... This was hinted at sooo long ago that I already forgot. Ya done goofed big time, Joe. Big, big time.

She might take Mitsuki with her too, that was hinted as well

 

[mgRdr]

Mitsuki will always be number one priority for Joe, and he will evaluate everything from the position of how it would benefit his niece. Him carelessly spouting that Kanna's influence on Mitsuki is like that of a mother is a direct consequence of that. Kanna was not there to change that, she was not there to start a family with Joe and Mitsuki back then, so it is all on her if she gets hurt when she comes back and tries to inject herself into their family while Joe still prioritizes Mitsuki's happiness over anything else.
She says, "you did not wish for us to become a family", but from what I remember, for Joe, it was a binary choice - either he stays with Mitsuki, or he goes with Kanna, so unless there's some other circumstance which made Joe disregard a third, better choice, I can't sympathize with Kanna, nor do I approve of her framing it like that was something he should feel guilty about.

 

[Zejfi]

in Bob the Builder's voice
Can Joe fix it?!

 

[MathMols]

Poor Kanna… Joe you trash!

 

[lya200000000]

I'm seeing some of the comments and I'm asking you guys to see joe side too. I know what he said was bad but from my understanding the reason they broke up was a difference in their priorities. Kana wanted to move out, but joe wanted to stay because of mitsuki. I believe he never stopped loving kana, so the time she stayed with them must made it look to him that that was the normal, especially because of the way kana is with mitsuki, because we can see that all this time joe loves mitsuki just wanted to give her a good live. I know what he is wrong but i don't think he had any bad intentions

 

[Rafalga]

Mitsuki will always be number one priority for Joe, and he will evaluate everything from the position of how it would benefit his niece. Him carelessly spouting that Kanna's influence on Mitsuki is like that of a mother is a direct consequence of that. Kanna was not there to change that, she was not there to start a family with Joe and Mitsuki back then, so it is all on her if she gets hurt when she comes back and tries to inject herself into their family while Joe still prioritizes Mitsuki's happiness over anything else.
She says, "you did not wish for us to become a family", but from what I remember, for Joe, it was a binary choice - either he stays with Mitsuki, or he goes with Kanna, so unless there's some other circumstance which made Joe disregard a third, better choice, I can't sympathize with Kanna, nor do I approve of her framing it like that was something he should feel guilty about.

Problem was, he didn't ask her to stay. He just said "k, take care" like he didn't really care. So she left. Now after she comes around to visit, he had a shoe in mouth moment and practicly said "your presence is so important" to her face which is confusing if not straight up insensitive this late in to the game so she blew a fuse.

 

[DoboDoboDobo]

Is their relationship supposed to represent the worst case for Mitsuki and Aya?

 

[Kurro]

TLDR.

Communiction is OP when you learn to use it....but this is a manga so most of the times it's not used. Yay...

 

[Jferrer0]

It was nobody's fault the first time, now it is on Joe to do something to actually go after her, the first he had a responsibility to look after someone who no one else, and I am pretty sure that as much as it hurt Kanna that he stayed in Japan she understood why, but now he doesn't have the same responsibility anymore at least not to the same extent as before, he could define their relationship again and promise her that he can now follow her to America soon, he is now being the one in the wrong for stringing her along without taking responsibility for the feelings he is stirring up in her due to the fact that they did have romantic relationship in the past.

 

[Thrembs]

Wait, did she just say “I wanted us to be like family, but you wouldn’t abandon a child!”, start crying and storm out?
Go grow some bangs!

 

[outinthegardener]

It's the dreaded miscommunication trope! Part of the evil trilogy of tropes, alongside "Strict Parents" and "Economic Austerity." Together they ruin relationships and tank the birthrate.

This is Joe's fumble, but I don't think it's unrecoverable. There's still time for them to talk it over. After all, the first thing Kanna did upon returning was seek out Joe and Mitsuki. They can figure out if their mutual feelings are worth some life compromises, or if their situations are different enough now that Mitsuki is older.

 

[N2O]

What is this.. Feels like it came out of absolute nowhere I don't care about this person or her drama, get me back to the cute yuri story

 

[flowsthead]

Joe saying to Kanna that she's like Mitsuki's mother now, with the implication that Joe is like Mitsuki's father, is hurtful. Even if they're ok now after their breakup, this is a level of intimacy that touches on that wound. Joe isn't courting Kanna. He has feelings for her still, as evidenced by chapter 83, but he isn't doing anything about it. So him leaving their connection implicitly through Mitsuki is taking advantage of Kanna and is cowardly. And he even acknowledges it himself in the thought bubbles in this chapter, that he had been living without thinking.

The whole situation is too much for Kanna. It's like seeing a vision of the life you wanted to have, but not actually be able to have it. It would probably be simpler if she just asked if he wants this to be something more, but it's likely that she's feeling too fragile to do that. If she gets rejected again it might just break her. I agree with other people that communication would do wonders here, but I kind of feel for Kanna in the situation. It's hard to play the emotional backbone for someone you have feelings for and be reminded that they don't have feelings for you (even if she might be wrong about that).

This also nicely parallels Mitsuki and Aya. Aya isn't communicating her feelings explicitly enough for Mitsuki (although she did communicate them), and Mitsuki, like her uncle, is going with the flow too much and living without thinking.

 

[flowsthead]

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.

You're right that Aya hasn't told Mitsuki explicitly, but she has basically done so in chapters 75 and 78. She's done much more verbally and through action to let Mitsuki know she is special to her, especially compared to Mitsuki who doesn't share anything about her feelings with Aya. It's not so much that there is an expectation on Joe and Mitsuki to drive the relationship, but when someone goes partway there for you, there is some expectation that you meet them in the middle. If you lean in for a kiss, if the other person wants to kiss you usually they start leaning in as well. Aya and Kanna have been leaned in, Joe and Mitsuki are standing still. At some point they have to make a decision and do something.

 

[Zhulok]

Sometimes you just have to ask yourself.
"Are they worth the trouble?"
Joe made the right call the first time.