[chapter 199] Ruka Sarashina Can't Get out of the "Trial"
■The Original Japanese version
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[ch 198] Mami Nanami, the Ideal Ex-Girlfriend
Hello! Are you enjoying Kanokari?
I KNOW... THAT I'LL PROBABLY NEVER GET MY CHANCE.
BUT YOU JUST CAN'T HELP... LOVE LIKE THIS.
◆I KNOW... THAT I'LL PROBABLY NEVER GET MY CHANCE. (199)
In chapter 199, It's been a while since we've had a Ruka-chan episode. Once again, it was explained that she's in a difficult situation, or rather, that she can't go left or right and is heading towards an unfulfilled love.
And
◆HEY. WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? THEN WHAT? (199)
HEY. WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? THEN WHAT?
Mami finally started to move. The first card was Ruka. Considering Ruka's current situation, she would probably go along with Mami's proposal.
Mami Finally Started to Move
Mami has started to move in a concrete way. The first card is to suggest to Ruka how she can become Kazuya's girlfriend.
WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? THEN WHAT?
Mmm-hmm. "All set," Mami tweeted on Twitter, and she really was all set, wasn't she? Mami has definitely done a lot of preliminary research before embarking on this trip.
Mami has seen Ruka declare herself as Kazuya's girlfriend at karaoke. So she must have had a reasonable idea that Ruka is the one that Kazuya is really dating, or that Ruka is in love with him. However, she must not have known that Ruka was Kazuya's trial girlfriend. The idea that Ruka had a trial relationship with Kazuya would never have occurred to her unless she had looked it up somewhere. The way she said, "If I said you could be his real girlfriend," is a way of saying that she knows what Ruka is going through right now. Ruka is his trial girlfriend, and she's having trouble getting him to turn her into his real girlfriend. It means that Mami has done her research meticulously enough to arrive at that fact behind the scenes.
If so, Mami might know more. It isn't just the fact that Kazuya was making a movie with Chizuru that she knows about. It is the fact that Kazuya and Ruka are in a trial relationship, that Ruka wants to be his real girlfriend, and that Kazuya and Chizuru have a false lover relationship so Ruka can't be his real girlfriend. Mami knows all this. Maybe she even knows that Kuribayashi and Ruka were in a relationship as a rental girlfriend and a client.
Kuribayashi has gotten some information about Ruka during this trip. That's why he asked if Ruka was still working as a rental girlfriend (chapter 191). Kuribayashi had a serious expression on his face as he knew something while looking at his phone screen, and Mami was operating her phone at the same time. If Mami was doing a thorough preliminary investigation, it's quite possible that she was giving Kuribayashi some information about Ruka at this time and trying to use him in some way ([ch 191] Three Stories that Began to Run). Let's keep an eye on Kuribayashi.
However, it does not necessarily mean that Mami has any ill will towards Kazuya. Rather, it is probably a sense of justice she feels. From the reader's point of view, it appears that Chizuru and Kazuya have definitely developed trust and love through their relationship as a rental girlfriend and a client. Both Chizuru and Kazuya really enjoy their uniform (Seifuku) and cheer-up dates, and they are aware of each other as lovers during their dates. Both of them have been thinking how good it would be if this person was their real lover. It's a truth. So, from Chizuru's, Kazuya's, and the reader's point of view, it is no wonder that Mami seems to be trying to destroy their relationship out of resentment and envy. However, from Mami's point of view, you can find a quite different story. Chizuru, a rental girlfriend, is like a staff member of a bar offering a pseudo-romance, and cannot be Kazu-kun's lover in the first place. Imagine if your ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, or your dearest friend became obsessed with such a non-romantic service and spent a lot of money on it. Imagine the staff trying to win the hearts of their customers with fake smiles, making them fall seriously in love with them, and making them pay tribute to them forever. Chizuru has been deceiving Kazu-kun (making him fall in love with her) and making him pay her tribute with her act. Because of Chizuru Mizuhara, the person she loves no longer feels the same way about her. If she had been deprived of the person she loved by his real girlfriend, it might have made sense. But Chizuru Mizuhara has no intention of becoming Kazu-kun's real girlfriend. She is determined to keep his feelings as a rental girlfriend and continue to make him pay her tribute. When Mami asked Chizuru if she was in love with him at the donut shop (chapter 195), Chizuru replied that she is not in love with him. You make Kazu-kun pay so much money and even get him to make a movie for your dream, and yet you don't want to reciprocate his feelings! You're going to continue to tie Kazu-kun down and make him pay for you! It wouldn't be surprising if Mami felt this way. It is difficult to grasp her feelings exactly, but if you follow the story from her point of view, you will find feelings similar to this.
◆I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY. (198)
I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY.
I'D NEVER DO ANYTHING TO UPSET YOU (I'd never do anything to make you unhappy)
Sorting through what Mami went through in this story, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she was planning this trip because she really wanted to save Kazuya [ch 198] Mami Nanami, the Ideal Ex-Girlfriend).
And Mami finally made her move.
◆HEY. WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? THEN WHAT? (199)
HEY. WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? THEN WHAT?
Mami suggested this to Ruka. As someone who lost Kazuya to Chizuru Mizuhara, Mami may have had some empathy for Ruka.
Mami had prepared a number of cards at the donut shop, and explored Chizuru's weaknesses ([ch 183] Five cards from Mami). In this trip as well, she would have prepared multiple cards from Plan A to B, C, and D. We still don't know if Mami plans to make Ruka and Kazuya lovers in the end. It's possible that she's okay with that outcome, or she may be aiming for a different goal by manipulating Ruka well. She may want to make Chizuru's attitude clearer by putting more and more pressure on her. We'll have to keep an eye on Mami in the future.
Ruka Sarashina Can't Get out of the "Trial"
HEY. WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? THEN WHAT?
That's what Mami suggested to Ruka, and she would probably take her up on the offer. Indeed, after Ruka finds out at karaoke that Mami is Kazuya's ex-girlfriend, she is very wary of Mami. But the more important fact is that Ruka has been suffering from the fact that she can't be Kazuya's real girlfriend.
Now let's look back at the story from Ruka's point of view.
Seeing Kazuya's hard work for his rental girlfriend, Chizuru, Ruka felt in love with Kazuya and learned about the "world of heart pounding". To Ruka, Kazuya is a straightforward, hard-working, wonderful person who gives her a lot of heart pounding happiness. He is someone she would never want to lose.
Some people might say that what Ruka wants is "heart pounding" and that you don't call it "being in love". But that's wrong. For example, if you have a wonderful partner, why did you choose that person? It could be, for example, because you have the same hobbies and enjoy spending time together, or because you can rely on him/her to be on your side when you are in trouble, or because you feel relieved when you are with him/her. There must be no one who says that what you want is something that you can have fun with, something that you can rely on, something that makes you feel safe, and that's not love. Ruka is attracted to Kazuya, who gives her a heart pounding feeling, just like we are attracted to people we like, people who are dependable, and people who are kind.
◆私 更科るかは宣誓します！(I, Ruka Sarashina, do solemnly swear!) (25)
Ruka, who really wants to be Kazuya's girlfriend, threatens him and Chizuru that she will reveal the fact that Chizuru is his rental girlfriend and that their relationship is a lie, and asks him to make her to be his "trial girlfriend" (chapter 25).
◆彼女です (I'm his girlfriend!) (34)
At the beginning of her relationship with Kazuya, Ruka thought that if she told Grandma Nagomi everything and told her that she was his real girlfriend, then both Grandma Nagomi and Kazuya would accept her as his girlfriend. She thought that as long as she could get rid of Chizuru-san, his false girlfriend, she would be able to take the vacant seat. So, she was abele to declare herself his girlfriend. That's what happened on New Year's Day (chapter 34). But in reality, that wasn't the case. It's not okay to have any girl. What Kazuya and Grandma Nagomi wanted was not a "girlfriend" or a "daughter-in-law" for her grandson, but Chizuru-san.
違う この人が欲しいのは 千鶴さん 「千鶴さん」なんだ
(I was wrong. What this person wants is Chizuru-san.)
◆違う この人が欲しいのは 千鶴さん 「千鶴さん」なんだ (I was wrong. What this person wants is Chizuru-san.) (36)
Sure, it would be easy to end their relationship if she revealed that Chizuru was his rental girlfriend. However, there is no guarantee that Kazuya will choose her as his girlfriend at that time. In fact, if she did that, Kazuya would hate her for breaking her promise, Ruka would lose her material to threaten them, and she wouldn't even be able to be his trial girlfriend.
If I can't get Kazuya to choose me,
I can't be his real girlfriend.
◆「持久戦」で行きます 覚悟してください (I'll set up an endurance battle. Please be aware of this.) (36)
「持久戦」で行きます 覚悟してください
(I'll set up an endurance battle. Please be aware of this.)
That's why Ruka didn't expose their lie. Ruka chose to make Kazuya fall in love with her, instead of revealing their lie.
Later on, Ruka tells Kazuya that it is not enough to just force "I love you" on him and that she has to make him like her.
◆だって本当に 好きになって欲しいからっ (Because I want you to really love me.) (46)
私学んだんです！
本当に好きになって欲しい人には
自分の「好き」を押しつけるばっかりじゃダメだって
だって本当に 好きになって欲しいからっ
(I've learned! That you can't just force your "love" on someone who you really want to love you. Because I want you to really love me.)
The reason why Ruka said this is not because she is a very understanding and witty girl. Ruka is the kind of girl who can't see what's going on around her when it comes to Kazuya (although she is intelligent and very understanding when it's not about Kazuya). It's not that, it's because during her first visit to the shrine, she found out that if she reveals Chizuru-san is his rental girlfriend, he won't make her his real girlfriend, and the only way to become his real girlfriend is for Kazuya and Grandma Nagomi to like her.
In Kanokari, characters don't suddenly change their minds without explanation. If you carefully sort out the characters' situations and read the flow of their feelings, you will always find the trigger for their change in thinking.
Ruka has come to believe that in order to become his real girlfriend, she needs to get Grandma Nagomi to like her and to get Kazuya to fall in love with her. Indeed, at Kazuya and Chizuru's joint birthday, she was able to break the stigma of being a liar and win the heart of Grandma Nagomi. She has always told Kazuya with her best smile that she loves him. She even kissed Kazuya and started to call him "Kazuya". Her relationship with Kazuya became more and more like a real boyfriend and girlfriend. However, Kazuya's feelings, which should have been the most important, never turned to Ruka.
The reason for this is all due to Chizuru-san.
◆千鶴さんみたいに 大人の女じゃないし… (I'm not a grown woman like Chizuru-san...) (65)
千鶴さんみたいに 大人の女のじゃないし…
多分 色気もないから
きっと和也君には ガキが背伸びしているようにしか見えなくて…
(I'm not a grown woman like Chizuru-san... and I'm probably not sexy either. To you, I'm sure I just look like a kid trying to look taller...)
From Ruka's point of view, Chizuru must look like an enviably nice woman, mature, beautiful, and with dreams of becoming an actress. Because she was like that, Kazuya fell in love with her. Whenever they go on a date, Kazuya's head is always full of Chizuru-san. She probably thinks she can't compete with her. Furthermore, in front of Kazuya's family, his girlfriend is not her but Chizuru-san, and Kazuya rents Chizuru on a regular basis with the reason that he supports her acting career. As long as Kazuya continues to rent Chizuru, his feelings will never turn to Ruka.
Ruka needs Kazuya to be in love with her in order for her to become his real girlfriend. However, as long as Kazuya continues to rent Chizuru-san, she can't get him to love her. That said, even if she were to force him to stop their relationship by revealing that Chizuru is a rental, Kazuya would still end up rejecting her because he doesn't love Ruka.
Ruka is just in a trial relationship for a long time, and in her eyes, there is no future where she can be his real girlfriend. It's like playing a soccer game forever, where only the opponent gets a point.
Mami-san's Proposal
◆HAAAHN... WHY DID I HAVE TO FALL FOR A GUY LIKE HIM? (199)
HAAAHN... WHY DID I HAVE TO FALL FOR A GUY LIKE HIM?
HE'S SCUMMY, HE'S THICK HEADED, HE'S INSENSITIVE,
HE'S A PSYCHOPATH WITH NO REGARD FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND'S FEELINGS...
Ruka complained that. Of cource, Kazuya is not a scum or a psychopath at all. He's a very caring and nice guy. If he actually had a real girlfriend, I'm sure he would take very good care of her. However, with Ruka, he has kept her in a good mood so that she wouldn't explode with frustration, and has kept her away from him so that he wouldn't have a deep relationship with her as much as possible. So he has been trying to avoid doing anything that would be considered boyfriend-like, and not responding to Ruka's selfishness as much as possible. This is because Kazuya really loves Chizuru and it's her who he wants to be his girlfriend. Ruka has a lot of things she wants to do with Kazuya as his girlfriend, but he didn't answer her. Furthermore, even though he's dating Ruka, his mind is always on Chizuru and now he's about to confess to her. From Ruka's point of view, Kazuya must seem like a bad boyfriend who doesn't listen to his girlfriend's requests and also doesn't understand his girlfriend's feelings. Rather, it would be better to say that she knows Kazuya is a good person, but her frustration is overflowing in the form of bad words.
As long as the relationship between Chizuru and Kazuya continues, Ruka will never be able to make him fall in love with her, and if she forced their relationship to be revealed as a lie, she wouldn't even be able to stay his trial girlfriend. Right now, Ruka has no way to get him to turn her into his real girlfriend.
◆I KNOW... THAT I'LL PROBABLY NEVER GET MY CHANCE. (199)
I KNOW... THAT I'LL PROBABLY NEVER GET MY CHANCE.
Ruka felt this situation more than anyone else, as she could not see any future at all. But still...
◆BUT YOU JUST CAN'T HELP... LOVE LIKE THIS. (199)
BUT YOU JUST CAN'T HELP... LOVE LIKE THIS.
She can't become his real girlfriend and remain in a trial relationship. Kazuya won't treat her as his girlfriend. Her frustration only grew. Even so, she doesn't want to lose her heart pounding feeling she gets when she's with Kazuya, and because she loves him so much, she wants to stay his trial girlfriend.
Just then, she hears a sweet whisper.
◆HEY. WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? THEN WHAT? (199)
HEY. WHAT IF I SAID YOU COULD BE HIS REAL GIRLFRIEND? THEN WHAT?
If there was really a chance to be his girlfriend, Ruka would definitely take the proposal.
However, it doesn't mean that Ruka will easily take Mami's proposal. Depending on the conditions, she may have a hard time deciding or may even refuse. So, what kind of proposal would Ruka accept?
It would be a proposal that can be expected to result in Kazuya wanting Ruka to be his girlfriend or having to make her his girlfriend.
Whether Ruka can be Kazuya's girlfriend or not is, at the end of the day, all about Kazuya's feelings. If Mami were to propose that Ruka help end the relationship between Chizuru and Kazuya, Ruka would not take it easily. At the very least, she would have to think once about whether to accept it or not. Just because their relationship is over, there is no guarantee that Kazuya will choose Ruka as his girlfriend. Right now, Kazuya is about to confess his feelings to Chizuru-san, and Ruka knows that his feelings are not towards her. It's easy to imagine that once the two of them lose their relationship as a rental girlfriend and a client, there will be no more obstacles in their way, and they will rapidly approach each other. If that happened, Ruka would just lose her position as a trial girlfriend. The risk is too great. In order for Ruka to become his real girlfriend, it is absolutely necessary for Kazuya to think that he must have her as his girlfriend. If she were to take Mami's proposal, it would be something that was able to bring her and Kazuya into that situation. This is a bit too short-sighted, but I'd imagine that Ruka might try to turn her bluff into the truth.
If Mami's proposal was of that sort, then Mami herself would have to put in very little effort, and the risk of being blamed would be small. It should be enough to simply railroad Ruka into spending the night with Kazuya, and leave everything else to Ruka. I don't know what specific proposal Mami will make to Ruka after this, but let's look forward to it.
So that's how I looked back at chapter 199. Actually, I'm also writing a series of articles called "Sarashina Ruka's Love Story," which is the story from Ruka's point of view. I hope to post it later on. Looking back at the story from Ruka's point of view and sorting out her situation, I think it's natural that she feels the difficulty of her current love life. She is frustrated with Kazuya who doesn't respond to her requests, but she is still happy to spend time with him where she can feel her heart pounding and doesn't want to lose him. As well as Chizuru, Ruka wants to be by Kazuya's side because it's Kazuya, not anyone else, who makes her happy. I can't wait to see how Ruka will react to Mami's proposal.
See you in the next article!
