[chapter 245] Kibe Faced the Unacceptable Reality
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[ch 242] I Want to Be with You So...
Hi! this is Korakuone. Are you enjoying Kanokari?
Kazuya and Chizuru have been in a good mood for the past few chapters, well, I would say that it is practically equivalent to being in a relationship. They've told the Kinoshita family and their friends on campus that they're really dating, and Chizuru can continue to be Kazuya's "girlfriend," and she keeps moving forward to become his real girlfriend.
Kazuya and Chizuru-san's relationship as lovers was a lie. Kazuya has been lying to me all this time. In chapter 245, Kibe's state of mind was described after he found out so.
The lie Kazuya told everyone out of vanity. Kibe believed the lie that Mizuhara was his real girlfriend and wished for his and Mizuhara's happiness all along. In spite of knowing this, Kazuya was unable to tell the truth. All along, he had involved Kibe in his own selfish lies.
◆IT WON'T EVER BE THE SAME... OUR RELATIONSHIP... (245)
IT WON'T EVER BE THE SAME... OUR RELATIONSHIP...
When the lie was exposed to everyone at Hawaiians, Kibe warned him not to repeat the lie any more. All of this was done to prevent Kazuya from becoming a lousy liar, and it was done out of his care for Kazuya. It is all his fault that he made Kibe angry, that he deceived him and made him go along with his lies.
KIBE! I'M SORRY!
FOR LYING TO YOU... ABOUT CHIZURU, ALL THIS TIME...!
Kazuya bows his head to Kibe and apologizes. It is not unreasonable if Kibe thinks Kazuya is a big liar and an idiot. Kazuya may not remain best friends with Kibe as he has in the past.
However, Kibe did not blame Kazuya any more.
◆IF YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING MORE PRECIOUS THAN A CHILDHOOD FRIEND... THEN SO BE IT. SEEING IT LIKE THAT, I COULD MAKE PEACE WITH IT. (245)
◆BUT IF YOU BREAK UP NOW... I'LL DISEMBOWEL YOU WITH A CHAINSAW. (245)
IF YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING MORE PRECIOUS THAN A CHILDHOOD FRIEND... THEN SO BE IT.
SEEING IT LIKE THAT, I COULD MAKE PEACE WITH IT.
BUT IF YOU BREAK UP NOW...
I'LL DISEMBOWEL YOU WITH A CHAINSAW.
Saying this, he showed understanding to Kazuya, who had lied to him, and supported his relationship with Mizuhara as he had always done.
Kibe wishes for the happiness of Kazuya, his childhood friend, and speaks clearly and leaves words like life lessons for him. Some people may have seen in him the image of the "ideal friend. However, to me, Kibe seemed to be an ordinary person, too. I saw him as a normal human being who, despite the reality that is hard to accept, tries desperately to come to terms with it, to convince himself, and to go on with his life.
This time, for the first time, I would like to look back at Kanokari from Kibe's point of view. If you look at the world spread outside of him from his point of view, you may encounter the Yoshiaki Kibe you do not know.
Kibe Continued to Wish for a Happy Future for Chizuru and Kazuya Together
Like the Kinoshita family, Kibe was one of those who strongly wished for Kazuya and Chizuru's happiness. This is because Kazuya is a childhood friend and a "good guy" to Kibe.
When Kibe learned that Kazuya and Chizuru were breaking up at the beach in Shimoda, he said about him in this way.
◆BUT... SOMETIMES I THINK MAYBE IT'S SOME SORT OF A TALENT... HOW HE'S ABEL TO FOLLOW HIS DREAMS BLINDLY LIKE AN IDIOT... (13)
BUT... SOMETIMES I THINK MAYBE IT'S SOME SORT OF A TALENT...
HOW HE'S ABEL TO FOLLOW HIS DREAMS BLINDLY LIKE AN IDIOT...
That was the story when Kazuya and Kibe were in elementary school. Kibe accidentally knocked over a pot of morning glories that Kazuya was growing and the seeds have gone somewhere. Sure enough, what emerged from the pot was obviously not a morning glory sprout, but just a weed. Even the school teacher told Kazuya that it was not a morning glory and that he should give up on it.
However, Kazuya believed it would one day flower and kept watering it. As a result, the "morning glory" that Kazuya grew produced more beautiful flowers than anyone else's.
At first glance, Kazuya may appear to be a bum, stupid and indecisive, relying solely on others and insisting that he can "make it work. But he is a very nice person who can keep dreaming without letting reality get in the way. One might even say that Kibe has a lot of admiration and respect for Kazuya.
◆WHEN YOU SPOKE UP FOR KAZU-CHIN AT THE PUB, I THOUGHT... (13)
WHEN YOU SPOKE UP FOR KAZU-CHIN AT THE PUB, I THOUGHT...
HE HAD FAINALLY FOUND SOMEONE WHO APPRECIATES THE GOOD PARTS OF HIM.
From Kibe's point of view, who wanted someone to realize Kazuya's goodness and wanted Kazuya to be happy, he was happy that someone who could realize and appreciate his goodness became his girlfriend, and Chizuru seemed like a really nice person.
So when Kazuya betrayed Chizuru, who said 'I believe Kazuya-san' (Chapter 10) and tried to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Kibe couldn't allow him to do it (Chapter 12).
◆HE'S NOT A BAD PERSON Y'KNOW, I'M SURE HE'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY IN THE END. (13)
BUT IF IT'S JUST YOU GETTING TIRED OF HIM BEING A SCUMBAG...
WHY DON'T YOU GIVE HIM ONE LAST CHANCE?
IF HE PISSES YOU OFF AGAIN I'LL PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE FOR YOU, SO...
HE'S NOT A BAD PERSON Y'KNOW, I'M SURE HE'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY IN THE END.
Kibe asks Chizuru-san, who says she plans to break up with Kazuya, to try again with him.
◆OF COURSE, I'M YOUR GIRLFRIEND, AFTER ALL. (15)
OF COURSE I'M YOUR GIRLFRIEND, AFTER ALL.
Kibe's wish was granted and Kazuya ended up continuing his relationship with Chizuru-san. Kazuya jumped into the sea to save Chizuru-san and Chizuru-san, who had said she would break up with him, declared herself his "girlfriend. Kibe must have been relieved to see this.
◆I CAN ALREADY SEE YOU IN A SUIT, STANDING IN A CHURCH WITH CHIZURU-SAN NEXT TO YOU AS YOUR BRID. WOULDN'T BE THAT STRANGE, REALLY. (181)
From Kibe's point of view, his childhood friend Kazuya may be stupid and indecisive, but he is a good guy who is straight-forward, never gives up on his dreams, and is even willing to risk his life for the sake of what is important to him. Chizuru-san, on the other hand, is not only a beautiful girl, but also a wonderful person who notices Kazuya's good qualities and likes him. It is because they are such two people that Kibe scolds the unworthy Kazuya and wishes them a happy future together.
Kazuya and Chizuru's Happiness Was an Illusion
For more than a year, Kazuya and Chizuru-san continued to be lovers without incident. But suddenly, Kibe's wish vanished like a bubble. Kazuya and Chizuru-san were never together.
◆Chizuru-san is a renatal girlfriend!? (220)
Both the Chizuru-san who realized Kazuya's good qualities and defended him and the Chizuru-san who said she believed him were all made-up acting. Both the Kazuya who jumped into the sea to save Chizuru-san and the Kazuya who looked happy to have the best girlfriend were also fake acting.
◆YOU'RE TELLING ME... THOSE WERE ALL RENTAL JOB, TOO!? (223)
CHIZURU-SAN, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY HIS GIRLFRIEND?
THERE'S NO WAY... YOU TWO ARE LITERALLY ALWAYS TOGETHER.
Both Kibe and Nagomi-san had been dancing like clowns in their lies. Nagomi-san just wanted Kazuya to be happy and she was happy that her grandson had a wonderful girlfriend. That's why she was seriously worried about Chizuru-san when Sayuri-san died. And yet, they have been lying to her for a long time.
What Kibe sees in front of him is not the straightforward Kazuya whom he had known before, who could never tell a lie, but a big lying bastard who has been deceiving Nagomi-san and him. It is not the nice Chizuru-san who noticed Kazuya's good qualities, but a rental girlfriend who helped him with that lie just to make money.
Kibe punches Kazuya and raises his voice in anger.
◆KAZUYA, WHAT THE HELL HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU!? NAGOMI-SAN ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL OVER THIS, FOR GOD'S SAKE! (223)
KAZUYA, WHAT THE HELL HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU!?
NAGOMI-SAN ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL OVER THIS, FOR GOD'S SAKE!
ALL BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE COUD DO FOR CHIZURU-SAN AFTER SAYURI-SAN HAD PASSED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DEPRESSED SHE WAS!?
Still, Kazuya tries to hide his lie.
◆WE'RE ACTUALLY... SEEING EACH OTHER FOR REAL! (224)
WE'RE ACTUALLY... SEEING EACH OTHER FOR REAL!
It is obviously a lie. Kazuya refuses to admit his fault, and is trying to deceive everyone with yet another lie. Kibe gets even more indignant.
◆KEEP SPEWING YOUR BULLSHIT LIKE THAT, AND IT'LL ALL BE OVER, EVERYTHING! YOU HEAR ME!? (224)
LISTEN, YOU. DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF?
DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW!?
KEEP SPEWING YOUR BULLSHIT LIKE THAT, AND IT'LL ALL BE OVER, EVERYTHING! YOU HEAR ME!?
Kibe cares about Kazuya. That's why he didn't want him to lie to Nagomi-san and to him, he didn't want him to lie any more, and didn't want him to become such a stupid bastard.
A Reality that Kibe Had to Accept
The truth, however, was not as Kibe imagined. Kazuya was not lying again. Now Kazuya and Chizuru-san were really dating (that is, of course, how it appears from Kibe's point of view).
◆The kiss. (227)
◆I GENUINELY AM... KAZUYA-SAN'S GIRLFRIEND NOW! (227)
Kazuya defends Chizuru-san with tears and says he loves her. Chizuru-san also kisses Kazuya and tells everyone how she fell in love with him and that she is now his genuine girlfriend. The kiss is clearly beyond the scope of a rental girlfriend's job, and everyone has no choice but to believe that the two are dating.
Chizuru-san was not lying to Sayuri, and now they are together because they really love each other. Nagomi-san learns of this fact and eventually decides to forgive them for having not revealed the truth to everyone.
Chizuru-san and Kazuya met as rental girlfriends and customers, and now they are really dating. Everything is as it has always been. At first glance, everything seems fine.
However, it was not so easy for Kibe to let bygones be bygones. It's still the same thing that he lost what he believed in for a long time.
◆TO BE HONEST, IT WAS EXHAUSTING. THINKING THAT I'VE BEEN LIED TO ALL THIS TIME... (245)
TO BE HONEST, IT WAS EXHAUSTING. THINKING THAT I'VE BEEN LIED TO ALL THIS TIME...
I WAS JEALOUS OF YOU, WALKING AROUND WITH A BOMBSHELL, BUT I WAS HAPPY FOR YOU, TOO.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE A GOOD MATCH.
I BELIEVED THAT I COULD BE MORE THAN "HONEST" AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT STUFF ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MY CORE...
SO HOW WEIRD DO I LOOL NOW, NEVER EVEN THINKING TO GOOGLE "CHIZURU MIZUHARA"?
It was true that Kazuya, who he thought was his best friend and a straight shooter who could never lie, and whom he even admired and respected, had been lying and deceiving him for a long time. He wanted Kazuya to trust him and tell the truth rather than lie to him. He believed that he and Kazuya had such a strong relationship of trust. However, the fact is that Kazuya did not confide in him the truth. It would be natural that Kibe wonder if to Kazuya, he was such a tiny person that he did not care if he lied.
Kibe still faces Kazuya.
◆IF YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING MORE PRECIOUS THAN A CHILDHOOD FRIEND... THEN SO BE IT. SEEING IT LIKE THAT, I COULD MAKE PEACE WITH IT. (245)
BUT, SHE'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND, ISNT SHE? SO THE BOND YOU TWO HAVE IS REAL.
IF YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING MORE PRECIOUS THAN A CHILDHOOD FRIEND... THEN SO BE IT.
SEEING IT LIKE THAT, I COULD MAKE PEACE WITH IT.
WELL, IT'S NORMAL FOR PEOPLE TO LIE ABOUT WHAT'S PRECIOUS TO THEM. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAD BAD INTENTIONS.
IT JUST MEANS YOU WEREN'T A GUY WHO COULDN'T TELL A LIE LIKE I THOUGHT. THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'VE STRAYED FROM THE DEFINITION OF A GOOD PERSON.
There is a limit to the number of things anyone can protect. Even if you sacrificed me, your childhood friend, in order to protect your precious girlfriend, it was inevitable. Sometimes it is necessary to lie to protect what is important to you. Saying this, Kibe hits a reality that he does not want to accept, but he convinces himself. It's all because he wants to believe Kazuya is a good guy, he doesn't want to lose his childhood relationship, and he wants Kazuya to be happy.
◆BUT IF YOU BREAK UP NOW... I'LL DISEMBOWEL YOU WITH A CHAINSAW. (245)
BUT IF YOU BREAK UP NOW...
I'LL DISEMBOWEL YOU WITH A CHAINSAW.
Then, as if to tell not to make Chizuru-san sad, Kibe says this. Even after learning that Kazuya had deceived him, he still wishes to be Kazuya's childhood friend, tries to understand his feelings, and wishes him happiness all the same.
Kibe's feelings toward Kazuya are similar to a parent's wish for their child's happiness. It would be ideal if they could honestly accept their children as they are, but in reality, parents tend to force their own ideal image on their children. For example, they want their children to go smoothly through high school and college, get a job, marry a nice person, and lead a stable life, but when their son (or daughter) suddenly confides in them that he or she is going to move to Tokyo to become a manga artist, they cannot accept the fact and cannot honestly support him or her. Or, their son (or daughter) who loved soccer and said he/she would become a soccer player in the future, started saying he/she wanted to quit the soccer club, and they could not forgive him/her and scolded him/her saying, "You cannot become a soccer player by doing that. Because they do not want to see their son (or daughter) unhappy and want to see him/her happy, they sometimes impose their own image of "happiness" on him/her without much discussion.
Kibe wished for Kazuya's happiness, but at the same time, it was true that he had imposed his own ideal image on him, and he was deeply hurt when he found out that it was an illusion. Kibe's resentment when he learned that Kazuya and Chizuru were not really dating and that they didn't love each other can be said to have been created by the gap between "ideal" and "reality. For example, it may be similar to how parents feel when they find out that their son, whom they thought would go on to college and have a stable job, has stopped going to college on his own and is spending his tuition money on YouTuber activities that they are not sure if he can even make a decent living. I think you can somewhat imagine Kibe's feelings when you compare it like this.
To be honest, personally, Kibe was not my favorite character. No, to be precise, I didn't like him so much before I looked back on him this time. As a Kazuya fan, I had a negative impression of Kibe, who beat Kazuya in anger and refused to listen to him. I also wanted my family and friends to accept me as I am, so I even felt that Kibe was selfish for imposing his ideal image of Kazuya on him.
However, when I reread the story from Kibu's point of view, I could understand why he was angry, and I reminded myself that humans are like that. There is no one who doesn't expect someone else to do what he or she wants. In fact, just like Kibe, I had imposed on him my "ideal image of a friend" that I wanted Kazuya's friends to be like. Still, I believe that in order to protect what is truly important, people try to understand the other person or make up some reason to convince themselves and face the reality that is hard to accept. This time, Kibe seems to be coming to terms with reality in order to remain friends with Kazuya as before and to wish him happiness.
Some people read chapter 245 and say that Kibe is an "ideal friend," but to me, Kibe seems more like a normal person who, like everyone else, cannot easily accept the reality that is hard to accept, but still tries hard to accept it. I now think of Kibe-chan as a nice guy who wants to be friends with Kazuya in that way.
So that's how I look back on Chapter 245.
Finally, Chizuru invited Kazuya to stay with Grandma Sayuri, but where exactly is that? Is it the house where she lived with Grandma Sayuri until she was in high school, or is it her grave?
For example, if Chizuru invited Kazuya to her grandma's house to sort out her belongings, Kazuya is already treated as her boyfriend, right? I wonder what kind of relationship they would have if she casually asked him to do some troublesome errands, since Kazuya is not a free anything-for-all worker. LOL.
Chizuru heard Sayuri say that she wanted to tell Kazuya how grateful she was to him for making the film, shortly before she passed away. So maybe she wants to tell Kazuya about it and express her gratitude again. Chizuru also regrets that she betrayed Sayuri's feelings by not confiding her true feelings to Kazuya. Maybe she will talk to Sayuri in heaven and feel again that she has to become Kazuya's girlfriend (my delusion). Let's look forward to it.
See you next time!