I\u2019m moving (still Kyoto, but better for commute) in three days. I\u2019m exhausted, and swamped. Posts have to be a bit curtailed. But yeah, there are certain things I have to address after that one.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>OK, first of all \u2013 yes, I do feel bad for Hina. Sucks to be her in this situation. But it most be said, unequivocally, she brought this on herself. She confessed to Taiki, knowing full well he was in love with someone else. She transparently did it hoping to confuse him (mission accomplished) and scotch his chances of confessing to Chinatsu. And she flat-out admits her that she enjoys messing with him and making him uncomfortable. Well \u2013 you make the bed, you lie in it. That\u2019s how it works. None of this makes her a bad person but\u2026 that\u2019s just how it is.<\/p>\n<\/a>Next, Taiki \u2013 and I can\u2019t stress this enough \u2013 did nothing wrong<\/em> here. As I noted last week, he should have cut this off with Hina sooner. But \u2013 as she again basically admits here \u2013 she was doing everything in her power to keep him from doing so<\/a>. In point of fact, he showed a lot of integrity \u2013 a quality Hina notes herself that she admires in him \u2013 in finally forcing the issue. It would have been easy to keep being strung along by Hina and left in limbo in the process. But Taiki did some growing up here. He realized how bad that was for both of them in the long run, and Hina is someone he genuinely cares about.<\/p>\n<\/a>The next point is that there are two (well, three) very obvious reasons why this is really neither of their fault. First, the heart wants what it wants (as Emily Dickinson said). We don\u2019t choose who we fall in love with, and we don\u2019t choose that falling in love makes us do dumb things. Second, both Hina and Taiki are infants \u2013 15 (him for sure). First-years in high school. Context is something they both lack when it comes to romance. She at least tries to mine some from shoujo manga<\/a>, but I\u2019m not sure if that makes things better or worse. The only thing they have at their disposal is trial and error. And sometimes they do emotionally level up, as Taiki did this week in being the adult in the room (well, gym).<\/p>\n<\/a>It also must be noted that Ayame is absolutely awful. I\u2019ll fight anyone on this, sorry. Her constant interference reminds me of a certain incredibly annoying mask-wearing character from Bokuyaba<\/em>, except that Ayame isn\u2019t utilized or written nearly as well. Hina\u2019s pain this week is Ayamer\u2019s fault, make no mistake about that. She just can\u2019t butt the fuck out, and she thinks she knows best for everyone despite her own shambolic romantic life. It\u2019s ironic, certainly, that her sabotage wound up making something positive happen. As brutal as this was for Hina<\/a>, it\u2019s better than the alternative. And Taiki, at least, no longer has to bear the uncertainty (though now he has to carry the guilt over making Hina cry).<\/p>\n