Summer break is over and it’s now their second term in school. The chapter started with Hotaru and her classmates taking pictures while preparing for their school festival. Shibamu told Hotaru to show up to Hananoi wearing bunny ears and to also check on his class since they heard they’re doing a cosplay photo studio.
There they saw Hananoi wearing a prince costume (courtesy of Kyo for the wig and makeup haha). Of course, Hananoi immediately got energetic when he saw Hotaru in bunny ears haha. She told Hananoi and Kyo that they’re doing an Alice in Wonderland character hunt.
Hananoi was still happy and surprised looking at Hotaru when he heard some of his classmates talking about how Hotaru is kind of cute so he was kind of in a bad mood. Our Hananoi getting all jelly haha. Hotaru also asked him why he agreed to dress up as a prince since she figured he wasn’t a fan of stuff like this. Turns out Kyo talked him into it with the idea that Hotaru might think and say he’s cool if he wears a prince costume. Knowing him, he’d obviously agree to whatever ways he can get Hotaru to fall for him LOL.
It worked, though. Hotaru asked to get a picture of him which Hananoi gladly obliged. Kyon even joked that he should princess carry her since he’s wearing a prince outfit and our lovely Hananoi really did it!! Eeekkk!!!
Rumors?
Their class and friends are chatting up when their teachers, Ayako and Hozumi-sensei, came and told them to go home once they’re finish setting up. The students were joking with Hozumi-sensei when Ayako-sensei told him that they still have a meeting to attend.
After that, they heard their other classmates talk about how it looks like Hozumi-sensei isn’t interested in students (I mean, it make sense since he’s a teacher if you think about it realistically LOL). Someone even wondered why he became a teacher. Shibamu answered that question in her thought that it’s because you can only use Kendo as a profession if you’re a teacher or police.
The girls continued talking about Hozumi-sensei about how good-looking he is behind his glasses, and there are even other girls who like him. They also mentioned how they’re sure their other teacher, Ayako-sensei also likes him. Shibamu invited Hotaru and Kyo to hang out after that but stopped walking when she heard someone say Hozumi and Ayako-sensei are getting married.
Shibamu and Hozumi-sensei
Kyo brought up the rumors about their teachers while eating ice cream silently. Hotaru asked Shibamu if she knows anything since she’s aware the two are close. Shibamu said she has no idea since he doesn’t tell her something personal like that. Hotaru remembered what Kyo told her in the previous chapters because of how Shibamu reacted. She remembered Kyo say that Shibamu might have someone she likes.
From there, Kyo bluntly asked her if she likes Hozumi-sensei and Shibamu didn’t deny it. She asked if she can ask more and Shibamu indulged her saying “it’s not really a big deal”. Shibamu didn’t just describe him as some brother at the Dojo she goes to. She said he’s also someone she’s known ever since she was a kid and admitted that she has one-sided love.
Kyo asked how she was still in love with him when she’s dated other guys before and she told her how she dated others because she thought she might just have a crush on him since he’s older. In the end, she stopped dating others when she realized her feelings towards Hozumi-sensei didn’t disappear.
She also shared to them that she confessed and got rejected already. Shibamu’s aware that she needs to give up on him, but she’s clinging to the hope that she’d have a chance once she’s older. Thus, she’s still holding on to her feelings until then. Their conversations ended with Shibamu reassuring the two not to worry about her.
Anothe rumor?
Hotaru was still worried about Shibamu even while at work when Hananoi checked on her. He asked her if Shibamu likes Hozuki-sensei which caught Hotaru by surprised. He said he figured it out when he saw Shibamu’s reaction when their classmates were talking about the rumors.
She told him how she wants to help Shibamu but she also doesn’t want to look like she’s prying too much. With that, Hananoi told her she can also wait until Shibamu actually depends on her and that there’s nothing wrong with waiting on the sideline to offer help. She also said she wants to be like Hananoi who can easily notice when the person they love is having a hard time. At that time, Hananoi was thinking he can do that because Hotaru’s the only one he pays attention to.
The next day, a new rumor blew up. They said someone heard Ayako-sensei talking to the vice-principal about Hozuki-sensei resigning. They also tried to connect that with the idea that it’s because Ayako and Hozuki-sensei are gonna get married.
Hozuki-sensei came to their classroom to remind them of the opening ceremony when someone asked him if the rumors about him resigning were true. Sensei on the other hand just answered them with a question of where they heard that news. Because of that, the students are even more convinced that he’s really quitting and getting married since he didn’t deny it.
He assured the class that nothing’s decided yet. Sensei said he’s gonna tell his class if there’s something that needs to be announced. He also told them that the leading actor of that day are the students since it’s finally their cultural festival so they shouldn’t think about him and just enjoy the day.
Friends
After that, Hotaru and Kyo chased Shibamu to try and console her. Hotaru quoted how their teacher said nothing’s final yet but Shibamu still felt like an outsider in Sensei’s world. She tried to convince her that she can still ask Sensei since she’s not just his student, but Shibamu quickly shut her idea down.
She said he’s still aware that she likes him so there’s no chance he’d let the two of them be alone in school. Shibamu also thinks that him, not denying things also serves as somewhat true and his way of telling her to give up on her feelings.
Kyo still tried to convince her to talk to him, since resigning and getting married are two different things. Kyo told her how she won’t be able to confess again once he’s married and then Shibamu told them to drop the topic. Hotaru told her she can be selfish and not hold back during these times and that they’re here for her.
Shibamu called Hotaru out because of that and told her she changed. She said it’s because Hotaru was never the type who wouldn’t pry about love before. She also described her friendship with the two, about how they could talk about anything. They also don’t force stuff on each other and wouldn’t hold back talking about things they want. But Shibamu said that’s just all their friendship is about.
She mentioned she doesn’t know how Kyo and Hotaru’s friendship works but for her, this is what her friendship with them is. Kyo got upset but Shibamu assured them that she didn’t mean those in a bad way.
She explained that that’s just the way how she handles things and she’d prefer the two let her deal with her love life by herself. At this part, Hotaru realized that Shibamu’s drawing a line between the there of them, and thus their cultural festival begins.
