Let’s hope so, because the competition for Kyoko is getting fierce.

——

This chapter starts off with Ren leaving his shoot after hiding his anger about Kijima’s crush on Kyoko.  He and Yashiro head off to a dinner with the director, when Kijima comes out of the building and stops Ren, asking him about Kyoko’s birthday. We find out that Ren knows her birthday; and he shames Kijima by saying that he would talk to the girl he likes on the phone, not through text. Kijima ends up figuring out that Ren likes Kyoko, too. Ren and Yashiro discuss Kyoko in the car and they decide that they need to protect her from other guys who aren’t as committed as Ren (seeing as Kyoko is kinda dumb about judging people). The scene then shifts to Kyoko, who is still in Sho’s car. She’s eating fast-food. They begin to fight over food and when the chapter ends, Kyoko and Sho see Ren outside the car—and he has seen them as well.

This chapter was a bit filler-esque, but there was some nice confirmation of Ren’s love for Kyoko: he remembers her birthday and bravely tells Kijima that he likes her.  I was relieved to see the old Ren after so many chapters involving Kain Heel. I like to be reminded that he still has Kyoko on his mind despite his bigger problems. It gives me comfort because Kyoko might be the key to helping Ren out of his slump.  I also appreciate the presence of Yashiro, if only so he can explain what is going on to the reader.  He is the best at explaining Ren’s actions.

I’m pretty worried about how Ren is going to react to seeing Kyoko with Sho. I would feel pretty angry if the girl I loved kept going back to the guy who treated her like dirt. Kyoko is hurting herself by simply talking to Sho, even if she is just yelling at him, because it prevents her from letting go of the past. I really hope that she can realize this soon because I hate the smug satisfaction Sho gets from keeping her from moving on. I want Kyoko to realize that she loves acting more than revenge and right now seems like a good time to me.

I’m looking forward to the confrontation in the next chapter as well as the show that Sho and Kyoko are attending. I wouldn’t mind a nice little Sho/Ren showdown, especially to add some excitement to this arc. It seems to be winding up for something big, possibly even a series ending, so I hope things begin to change for the better. Wake up and smell the good boyfriend material Kyoko!

GO Rating: 3/5

[mangahere]