[Chapter 188] Kuribayashi, Why Are You Here!?
■Original Japanese version
The lines in parentheses are my translation of the Japanese version into English.
Hi! Are you enjoying Kanokari?
In chapter 188, a man unexpectedly appeared on the scene, and it was a lot of fun!
栗林駿 Shun Kuribayashi
Is he a demon or a hero...!
I'd like to say let's take a look back at Shun Kuribayashi, but since I'm a Chizuru otaku, I can't help but talk about this week's Chizuru. LOL!
Chizuru Can't Hear The Truth
◆KAZUYA AND I WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT! (187)
KAZUYA AND I WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT!
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY "REGRETS" IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT
THE REASON I'M KAZUYA'S GIRLFRIEND IS BECAUSE OF YOU!
She had made Ruka into Kazuya's girlfriend, and before she knew it, she was already having sex with him. Confronted with an irreversible "reality", Chizuru was unable to get up from the doorway without nodding her head ([chapter 187] The Shattered Chizuru's Determination and Heart）.
Chizuru doesn't doubt Kazuya's words. It's okay. She should still be able to believe his words properly.
IT'S NATURAL, RIGHT? HE'S A MAN, AFTER ALL
As she said herself, Chizuru just suspects that Ruka's momentum made Kazuya have sex with her. Even if Kazuya's feelings are towards Chizuru, if they have such a relationship without her knowledge, they are almost like lovers. If that's the case, she can't get close to Kazuya, she can't be his lover anymore. That's what she's worried about. In addition, the simple fact that the person she loves with all her heart has been having sex with someone else must be painful for her.
Then one night passed. It was too short a time to sort out her current situation and feelings.
In the midst of her depression, she bumped into Kazuya.
◆Chizuru standing next to Kazuya (188)
She must have remembered Ruka's words from yesterday and must have felt her heart tighten. Chizuru coudn't look at Kazuya's face properly.
"O-oh, right! I'm sorry about yesterday! every thing just sort of happened" Kazuya says and speak to her.
Is what Ruka said true...?
What is the real relationship between Kazuya and Ruka...?
All these things were running through her head, and Kazuya's words never entered her mind. When she did her best to stop next to him, she must have felt that she had to ask him the truth. She wanted Kazuya to tell her that it was absolutely not true. But at the same time...
If what Ruka said is true...
If what Ruka said is true, it is more painful to know the truth.
◆I… I HAVE TO GO (188)
I… I HAVE TO GO
In the end, she couldn't ask him and ran away from the place. Six months ago, when Ruka stayed in Kazuya's room, she was still able to talk to him a little, although she said, "...lie, it's okay, you don't have to lie..." (Chapter 66). But the situation is too different from that time. For Chizuru now, Kazuya is an irreplaceable person, and she definitely doesn't want to lose him." If Ruka's words are really true..." Chizuru is afraid to know that.
◆…… (188)
KAZUYA AND I WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT!
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY "REGRETS" IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT
THE REASON I'M KAZUYA'S GIRLFRIEND IS BECAUSE OF YOU!
Ruka's words and the "TO REMEMBER OUR FIRST TIME" thrown at her go through her mind over and over again. Until she realizes that this "reality" is just Ruka's bluff, she will be tormented by what Ruka said for a long time...
In the end, a month passed without her being able to ask Kazuya. On the day of the trip...
◆The restraint from Ruka (188)
After meeting up with Kazuya's family, Chizuru tries to play the role of his girlfriend (or rather, almost his wife) as before, but is immediately checked by Ruka.
KAZUYA AND I WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT!
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY "REGRETS" IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT
THE REASON I'M KAZUYA'S GIRLFRIEND IS BECAUSE OF YOU!
Is what Ruka said true...?
What is the real relationship between Kazuya and Ruka...?
"Ah, dad! let me help with the luggage." She quickly gives a reason and distances herself from Kazuya. If Ruka is right, they are almost like lovers, and Chizuru can't come between them. Now, just seeing Kazuya and Ruka together must be hard for her, remembering Ruka's words...
◆ONE THING IS FOR SURE… THIS DEFINITELY ISN'T THE RIGHT VIBE FOR A CONFESSION… (188)
On the other hand, Kazuya was so shocked that Chizuru avoided him that he lost his resolve to confess. After Kazuya's confession, Chizuru tried to get closer to him in her own way, sharing a salad with him, asking him to go home with her. She was verry shy, but she was doing her best. Kazuya sensed the change in her, and it helped him to confess his feelings. Kazuya lost his resolution but it doesn't mean that he's lost his courage, it's more like it's not the right time. Japanese people pay a lot of attention to timing and situation to make a successful confession, so it's no wonder he stopped.
It's okay. He already knows that he doesn't want to lose Chizuru to someone else and that he has to confess. "I can do it! I have to do it!" If he is given a situation where his feelings are motivated like that, he will be able to do it just like his first confession for her (Chapter 174).
Every time I see Chizuru's face when she can't stand up in the doorway, I am filled with bitterness. But this chapter gave me a little bit of relief. Instead of running straight away from Kazuya, Chizuru showed her will to stop in front of him and try to learn the truth. In the end, she ran away, but she showed her will to fight the painful reality as much as she could. Chizuru, don't worry.
As long as Kazuya loves Chizuru, everything will be fine. That's what I believe, and I'm going to watch over them.
Now, let's take a look at Kuribayashi, the main character of this article.
Look Back at Shun Kuribayashi
The story of Shun Kuribayashi begins a year and a half ago, when Kazuya has a very beautiful "girlfriend", Chizuru Mizuhara.
◆実は俺も彼女できたんだ(Actually, I got a girlfriend, too) (20)
He must have been envious that Kazuya, who he thought was unattractive, had an extremely beautiful girlfriend (Chizuru). Kuribayashi got a girlfriend. No, he RENTed a "girlfriend". That's when he met Ruka Sarashina.
【Rental Girlfriend Office Maple】
Ruka Sarashina, a younger sister/idol type girlfriend
Short hair and a trademark ribbon. Her small face and long limbs. A beautiful girl, as beautiful as Chizuru. Maybe he thought that this girl would be as good as Kazuya's girlfriend. But more than that, I guess she was simply Kuribayashi's type of girl. He fell in love with her in an instant (probably).
実は俺も彼女で来たんだ
そうだ こんどダブルデートしようぜ！
(Actually, I got a girlfriend, too. Yeah, let's go on a double date!)
Kuribayashi, who wants to show off that he has a cute girlfriend, invites Kazuya on a double date.
◆栗林とるかの嘘の恋人関係 (False lover relationship between Kuribayashi and Ruka) (21)
Ruka and him have a "temporary" relationship, which is a substitute girlfriend service that he paid for. However, Kuribayashi proudly introduces her to Kazuya.
When Kazuya asks, "How did you get together? "
やっぱ 男らしさ？
るかも俺の男らしいところには ベタ惚れみてーだし
やっぱ 女の子は 男のそういうところに 惹かれるみてーだわ
(I knew it was masculinity? And Ruka seems to be in love with my masculine side. It seems that girls are attracted to that part of a man.)
In order to make himself look good, he tells Kazuya that she is his real girlfriend.
◆大丈夫かい？るかちゃん (Are you okay? Ruka-chan) (21)
Ruka-chan is a rental girlfriend. Even so,
Are you okay? Ruka-chan
Kuribayashi can't resist the urge to be nice to Ruka, to make her like him and show her how cool he is.
Kuribayashi must have been very serious about her. He wanted Ruka to be his girlfriend, even if she was just a rental. That was Kuribayashi's wish. And I'm sure he even had a faint hope that something real would come out of the lie. Just like Kazuya, Kuribayashi's love for her had become unreturnable.
However, his parting with her came suddenly.
◆栗林さん この間は レンタルありがとうございました (Kuribayashi-san, thank you for your renting me the other day.) (25)
When she goes to the university, somehow Ruka-chan is sitting there with Kazuya. Kuribayashi is confused, thinking that the lie he told Kazuya might be exposed.
なにしてんの…？2人で？
（What are you doing...together?）
Kazuya is trying his best to make up a reason. If it turns out that he lied about his relationship with Ruka, he will inevitably be laughed at as an idiot who rented a girlfriend to look good.
Kuribayashi hopes that Ruka will keep the truth from him for the sake of her "boyfriend". But
栗林さん この間は レンタルありがとうございました
(Kuribayashi-san, thank you for your renting me the other day.)
Ruka should have known what was going on, but she was told off in front of Kazuya.
The lie that was supposed to be a secret between them was revealed. To Kuribayashi, this must have been a clear sign from Ruka that she didn't want to be rented by him anymore.
"For Christmas, I want to rent Ruka-chan, go over there, have a great time, and send her a present". I'm sure Kuribayashi would have planned the best date ever. But now that this has happened, there is no way he can rent Ruka from now on.
Ruka-chan was just a rental girlfriend
Even so, I was serious
Holding her hand and smiling at her made me so happy
I wanted to cherish her
I wanted her to tell me how cool I was
But those feelings didn't reach her at all
Ruka didn't care about me at all
Of course not. I'm a lame guy
I rented a girlfriend to make myself look good
Why was I doing such a vain thing?
He was just a client to Ruka, or even an unimportant guy who was not even considered a client. At this time, Kuribayashi must have been shocked that Ruka had revealed the lie to him. It must have been hard for him to accept the reality that she had rejected him, even though he had wished to cherish her so much. It was a love that started as a rental, but for Kuribayashi, it was a serious heartbreak.
Kuribayashi may have spent Christmas alone with his sadness, unable to tell anyone that he was dumped by his rental girlfriend. He may have cheated his loneliness by getting together with his male friends and making a fool of himself. But his heart was never healed because he lost the time he was supposed to spend with Ruka (delusional).
◆もう恋なんてしない (I'm never going to fall in love again) (37)
I'm sure Kazuya is disgusted with me for being so vain and doing something so stupid. How stupid am I? No matter how much I wish, my feelings won't reach her, and I'll just get hurt like that.
もう恋なんかしない
(I'm never going to fall in love again)
Kuribayashi can't help but feel miserable about himself. He vents his helpless pain out on Twitter.
◆恋なんて もう懲り懲りだ (I don't want to be embarrassed anymore. I've had enough of love.) (37)
これ以上 恥晒すくらいなら
恋なんて もう懲り懲りだ
(I don't want to be embarrassed anymore. I've had enough of love.)
Kuribayashi had lost confidence in himself to the point where he thought that even if he fell in love with someone, he would just be rejected anyway, and would only end up embarrassing himself again.
But then an angel appears.
◆こんにちは レンタル彼女の 水原千鶴です (Hello, I'm Chizuru Mizuhara, a rental girlfriend.) (37)
こんにちは レンタル彼女の 水原千鶴です
(Hello, I'm Chizuru Mizuhara, a rental girlfriend.)
Chizuru is at the rendezvous point where Kazuya is supposed to be! Kuribayashi can't swallow the situation. Chizuru's image found in the search. Chizuru didn't answer to his question, "Aren't you Kazuya's girlfriend?” Looking at them, he finally understands the situation. Chizuru, who Kazuya introduced as his girlfriend, was a rental girlfriend!
The date suddenly starts, and Kuribayashi tries to leave, but…
◆じゃぁ ひとりで行こっかな… （Then I'll go alone.…）(38)
じゃぁ ひとりで行こっかな…
（Then I'll go alone.…）
As expected of a professional girlfriend. It was not Kuribayashi who could leave a girl alone when told so with a lonely look on her face.
Kuribayashi is at a loss as he couldn't understand why Kazuya told him that Chizuru was a rental girlfriend and what he wanted to do, but...
◆駿くんって面白いんだね (You're amusing, aren't you, Shun-kun?) (38)
ごめん 私 怖いの苦手で
駿くんって面白いんだね
(Thanks. I'm not good at scary stuff.)
(You're amusing, aren't you, Shun-kun?)
Chizuru-san does her best to play the role of a girlfriend in such a complicated situation. Dating with Chizuru is really fun, and before he know it, he will be reminded of the feelings he had for Ruka that day.
◆男って 馬鹿だよな… (Guys are so stupid...) (38)
…でも 君みたいな可愛い子みると思っちゃうんだ
一丁前に 好きだとか 抱きしめたいだとか
（…But when I see a pretty girl like you, I think, "I like you" or "I want to hug you" like a decent guy.）
"I'm really a child. If someone as lame as me falls in love with someone, I'll just get rejected and get hurt again..." When he was about to think so...
◆傷口に塗る 絆創膏くらいにはなりたいなって (But I'd like to be more like your bandage on your wound.) 38話
私は”男の人”好きですよっ
男好きとかそう言う意味じゃなくて！
確かに子供っぽいなって思うことはあるけど
それって裏を返せばロマンチストってことですよ！
現実的に生きることは 難しいけど
そんな中夢を持つことは きっともっと難しい
(I like "men". I don't mean that I'm easily attracted to men! I do think they're childish at times. But on the other hand, I think they're romantics! It's hard to live a realistic life, but it's even harder to have a dream.)
Saying thet, Chizuru tells him that he is nice, even though he felt he is so childish and lame. She really means it.
レンタル彼女にできることは ”本当の彼女”よりは少ないけど
傷口に貼る絆創膏くらいにはなりたいなって
(There's not much more a rental girlfriend can do than a real girlfriend.
But I'd like to be more like your bandage on your wound.)
A rental girlfriend is a temporary lover. She is a cheerleader for love, filling the loneliness of her clients until they can move on to a new love, and sometimes offering advice. Chizuru-san was truly a professional.
Encouraged by Chizuru, Kuribayashi finds a little more courage to face a new love.
◆…欲しい 彼女欲しい (…I want, I want a girlfriend.) (38)
千鶴さんみたいな彼女がいたら きっと人生薔薇色なんだろうな
…欲しい 彼女欲しい
(If I had a girlfriend like Chizuru-san, I'm sure I'd be happy in life. …I want, I want a girlfriend.)
It was Kazuya who appeared there. He knew it was Kazuya and Chizuru-san who did it to encourage him. Kazuya had also rented Chizuru-san to look good, just like himself.
◆レンカノで恥かいたのなんて忘れて すっかり楽しんじまったよ！（I forgot about the embarrassment because of a rental girlfriend, and totally enjoyed the date!） (39)
でも お前がモテねぇ童貞で 安心したわ
(But I'm relieved that you're a lame virgin)
They both laughed at themselves for their foolishness.
そうか あいつは一言謝りに
黙ってりゃ 気づかなかったのに
全く恥ずかしいやつだぜ 自分からバラしてくるなんてよ
(Oh, yeah. He came to say he was sorry. If he hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have noticed. He's a real embarrassment, revealing himself like that.)
Kuribayashi had been hurt so deeply that he believed he would never fall in love again. He had lost confidence in himself. If Chizuru, a rental girlfriend, hadn't encouraged him that day, if she hadn't reminded him of the happiness of being in love, if Kazuya hadn't cared for him, he might not have been able to truly fall in love forever. Kuribayashi must have really been saved by Kazuya, who was ready to be ridiculed, revealed his true relationship with Chizuru, and tried his best to encourage him.
Chizuru-san takes such an impossible order and has been in a false lover relationship with Kazuya for over half a year. This fact makes it hard for him to believe that their relationship is merely that of a rental girlfriend and a client. Kuribayashi asks Chizuru.
そうは言っても 無いだろ？
客に本気になるなんて…
(In fact, there's no such thing as a rental girlfriend falling in love with a client, right?)
◆HMMMM, FALLING LOVE, HUH? WELL WHO KNOWS? (39)
HMMMM, FALLING LOVE, HUH? WELL WHO KNOWS?
Her answer made Kuribayashi think that such a thing would never happen, but at the same time, he couldn't help thinking about the possibility.
(END)
Now, I wonder if there was any demand for "Shun Kuribayashi's Love Story"...I'm sure you all don't have any moe or anything at all.
Looking back from Kuribayashi's point of view, this episode makes me cry so hard lol. From Kuribayashi's perspective, Kazuya is like a confidant who did the same kind of stupid thing, and I'm sure he sees him as a very caring and nice guy. I'm sure he really respects Chizuru as a professional girlfriend and sees her as a very nice person. I think he will try to help the two of them when they are in trouble.
Kuribayashi heard Chizuru's answer that day, "who knows." From his point of view, since they've been in a fake relationship for a year and a half, it's not surprising that he has some suspicion that they are more than just a rental girlfriend and a client. This trip might make him somewhat aware of their real relationship.
For him, Ruka is probably someone he still can't forget. He will probably still ache in front of her, remembering the words he said when he was dumped. It's awkward, isn't it? Kuribayashi doesn't even know that Ruka is Kazuya's girlfriend right now, or that they even interact, so I'm sure he'll think, "Why is Ruka on this trip? At any rate, he will probably go to Kazuya to ask why Ruka is here. And Kazuya is going to say, "Please don't ask me anything for now". There is no way he can tell Kuribayashi, who was in love with Ruka, that she is his girlfriend.
◆個人的に会って好きにでもなられちゃったら それこそやぶ蛇ですよ (If I meet him personally and he falls in love with me, that would be too much trouble.) (37)
On the other hand, for Ruka, Kuribayashi is a person from the past. Hurting him was a necessary process to become Kazuya's girlfriend. She is completely detached from him. I feel sorry for Kuribayashi.... However, if Kuribayashi, who knows that she was a rental girlfriend, looks at her like, "Ruka-chan, why are you here?", Ruka has no choice but to act as Chizuru's friend. I think it will work well as a deterrent to Ruka's approach to Kazuya and Granny Nagomi.
I also think there is a pretty high probability that Mami is following this trip. She may have suggested this trip when she called Nagomi. Maybe she'll join them after this, but I think she's more likely to hide behind a reason to be late lol (I have high hopes). It's better for her to do what she needs to do at the right time, without being restricted by the eyes around her. In fact, she might be planning something crazy behind the scenes. I can't wait to see what Mami will throw into this chaos.
The Role of Kuribayashi and Kibe
Both Kuribayashi and Kibe were definitely given some role in this trip, since they were brought in on purpose. However, they only came along on the trip because they were invited by Granny Nagomi, not because they had any purpose in mind. So far, I have no idea what they are going to do.
Maybe Kibe will give some advice to Kazuya and Chizuru, and maybe Kuribayashi is there to restrict Ruka's actions and expose her lies. However, I don't think Reiji-sensei would have drawn such a story that could be easily predicted.
What I remembered from Kuribayashi's appearance was Umi-kun. Kanokari is a work that depicts the feelings of the characters, and what Reiji-sensei wants to show more than anything else is the feelings. The story has been very serious about the characters' feelings. Even if Reiji-sensei wants to make a character say or do something, he can't do it unless the character has the will to do it. So by giving them specific situations, he has been able to ignite the characters' feelings and move them forward litle by litle. In other words, by giving the characters specific situations, he has revealed their feelings and shown them to the readers.
The most obvious example is when Umi invites Chizuru to see a play on the last day of the crowdfunding.
I DON'T LIKE HIM, BUT I DON'T NOT LIKE HIM, EITHER. (chapter 127)
◆好きなの？その彼のこと (Do you like him?) (127)
It's the last day of the crowdfunding campaign, so she really wants to go hand out flyers, and she doesn't want to betray Kazuya's desire, but Umi has approached her and she doesn't think he can let her go unless she tells him her true feelings for Kazuya. Chizuru was forced into this situation and finally made the decision to speak her heart ([Commentary] I DON'T LIKE HIM, BUT I DON'T NOT LIKE HIM, EITHER).
Chizuru is a super-duper tsundere*, so there's no way she would tell you her true feelings if you simply asked her ([Introduction] Chizuru Mizuhara's Love Story). In order to get her to say "I like him", he went out of his way to put her in this situation.
◆いえ 何でも… (No, it's nothing.) (186)
Kazuya's girlfriend is me.
It was the power of the situation that made Chizuru decide to go on the trip as "me" instead of a rental girlfriend. By putting Chizuru in a situation where she would never be able to be rented, Reiji-sensei was able to portray her current feelings of "I want Kazuya's girlfriend to be me" and "being Kazuya's girlfriend is more important than being a rental girlfriend". This is the way Reiji-sensei expresses her feelings through "situation" and "action". In fact, he has been using this approach since the first volume, not letting Chizuru Mizuhara speak directly about her true feelings, but expressing her feelings to the reader ([Commentary] Chizuru Mizuhara Doesn't Speak Her Heart: "I Like You" Between The Situation and Her Action!).
*NOTE: "Tsundere" (tsun-dere) is one of the most typical and popular personalities in Japanese manga characters. They tend to be offensive or cold in general, but when they are in the presence of someone they like, they show their affection in a sweet and honest way. The word "tsun" refers to the former attitude, while "dere" refers to the latter, and characters with such duality are called "tsundere".
Chizuru, however, is a very special type of tsundere. Although she has such duality, she can't honestly show her "dere" through words or facial expressions. She is embarrassed that the people she likes would find out about her affection or intrest (especially her love), so she says slightly offensive words, makes a disinterested expression, or turns away to hide her expression. She's usually not shy by any means, but she can't honestly express her true feelings only to Kazuya. Thus, she is a unique tsundere who hides her dere behind her tsun ([Introduction] Chizuru Mizuhara's Love Story).
I'm sure, in this trip, Reiji-sensei will prepared a "situation" to move the characters' feelings. I think the character of Kuribayashi was necessary for that.
I have to reveal to Grandma Nagomi that my relationship with Chizuru is a lie.
I want to end my trial relationship with Ruka.
I need to confess my feelings to Chizuru.
I want to know the real relationship between Ruka and Kazuya
There seems to be a lot of feelings that might move them depending on the situation.
I don't think that Kuribayashi and Kibe will ever solve problems by themselves like heroes, but by talking and acting with other characters, I expect that they will bring about extraordinary situations. Maybe Kazuya and Chizuru will make a big decision after they are forced into that "situation"!
I'm worried that this is a very abstract prediction, but let's fantasize a lot about what exactly will happen and look forward to the future. I have no doubt that Reiji-sensei will outdo us all.
See you in the next article!
You may also be interested in "水原千鶴の恋物語 (Chizuru Mizuhara's Love Story)", a series of articles analyzing chapters 1-175 from from Chizuru's point of view.
