Issue 72, published in Volume 8, is the 72nd chapter of the manga.
Page Titles[]
- Interest
- An Important Matter
- Questions Gush Out
- Colleague Investigation
- Sports Club Complex
- She Won't Betray Me
- Otaku Senpai
- It's As Mikoshiba-senpai Says
- Telephone Complaint
- The Best Heart Thumping Moment With These Two Arms
- Please Let Me Say One Thing
- A Capable Woman, Sakura
Summary[]
Wakamatsu, staring at the new manuscript for 'Let's Fall in Love', asks Nozaki whether 'the person in charge of flowers' came over yesterday. Nozaki says yes, which sparks Wakamatsu's sudden interest in this particular assistant. When Nozaki decides to tell him that this assistant is also his model for Mamiko, however, Wakamatsu turns back around and resumes cutting screentones without a word. This leads Nozaki to worry that his character is so unappealing that Wakamatsu would lose interest at her very mention.
All of a sudden, Mikoshiba bursts through the door asking for the manuscript so that he can fix the flowers. Wakamatsu and Nozaki, who were sitting in silence, suddenly stand up and bombard him with questions. Stunned, Wakamatsu asks Mikoshiba whether he is the flower assistant while Mikoshiba asks him whether he is the screentone assistant. On the other hand, Nozaki is dejected that 'perhaps Wakamatsu has no interest in Mamiko...!' This only leaves Mikoshiba confused.
When everyone has calmed down, Nozaki decides to formally introduce Mikoshiba and Wakamatsu to one another. Kneeling on the ground, they awkwardly say hello. Wakamatsu is in awe that a 'really popular, handsome guy' like Mikoshiba would be a mangaka's assistant, while Mikoshiba is in awe that a basketball club starting player like Wakamatsu would be a mangaka's assistant. Nozaki is distraught that the two of them would talk about his work as if it were of the lowest standard.
Mikoshiba wonders whether Wakamatsu is secretly an otaku like him. He decides to ask him whether he reads manga, to which Wakamatsu says 'yes' and starts rummaging in his bag for a volume. Mikoshiba assumes that he will be able to judge his 'otaku levels' by seeing whether he pulls out an obscure book or a popular shounen manga. However, the manga he pulls out is so obscure that not even Mikoshiba recognizes it, therefore, he is unable to judge whether Wakamatsu is an otaku. Wakamatsu begins to flip through the pages in search of his favorite part, and Mikoshiba concludes that his memory is 'crazy' either way.
In the end, Mikoshiba is not able to figure out whether Wakamatsu is an otaku. However, he comments that Wakamatsu 'seems slow', therefore it will be easy to become friends with him. Yet his assumptions are disproved when Wakamatsu, sparkling with sweat and holding a basketball, asks him whether he is going home afterwards. This leads Mikoshiba to brand him as 'one of those cool sports club bastards'. Excitedly, Wakamatsu talks about having started practicing a screentone technique known as a 'tone flash'. Blinded by his sporty exterior, Mikoshiba assumes that he is referring to a basketball technique and backs away.
Sakura walks past and starts talking to Wakamatsu. Mikoshiba is relieved since he and Sakura are both bad at sports, yet he wonders how she could converse with a sporty guy like Wakamatsu so confidently. Observing Sakura, Mikoshiba notices that she is getting excited as she talks. He wonders whether Sakura is the type who actually likes watching sports. However, on further inspection, Sakura is merely telling Wakamatsu about the fact that Nozaki had bed hair today.
Sakura asks Mikoshiba why he had revealed his assistant status to Wakamatsu despite previously keeping it a secret. Wakamatsu is shocked to find out that he had been hiding this fact. Blushing, Mikoshiba says that being a manga assistant is 'kind of otaku-ish and embarrassing'. Intending to be helpful, Wakamatsu adamantly denies that Mikoshiba is an otaku and compares himself to the same situation ('If that's the case, I also help out with the manga and I read manga, so that would make me an otaku!") Infuriated, Mikoshiba tells him that he cannot call himself an otaku 'at that level'.
Mikoshiba tells Wakamatsu that he must stay silent on this subject and never tell anyone about their jobs as manga assistants. Wakamatsu diligently obeys. When Seo walks by asking him whether he is free after school, he replies that he is busy. Seo probes further and asks him what his part-time job is ("Do you work at a convenience store?") Careful to keep his promise with Mikoshiba, Wakamatsu decides to tell her: "It's an embarrassing job!!!"
Nozaki and Seo are standing by an open window at school. Seo tells Nozaki that she wants to make Wakamatsu quit his part-time job, and Nozaki immediately panics. He asks her whether she had heard any complaints from him about his workplace. Seo replies that 'apparently it's an embarrassing job.' This makes Nozaki panic even more.
Sakura happily walks down the corridor, looking forward to lunch, when she comes across Nozaki standing dejectedly by a cupboard. Depressed, he asks her whether he 'should just become a part of this wall'. Sakura wonders whether he is stuck inside the cupboard, and Nozaki proceeds to ask her whether she thinks his job is embarrassing. Despite being unsure of the situation, Sakura reassures him that his job is great since he can make 'so many girls' hearts go wild with just his right hand'. Moved, Nozaki envelops her in a tight hug.
Having heard about the situation from Nozaki, Sakura confronts Mikoshiba and Wakamatsu. She is furious, warning them that Nozaki's feelings will get hurt if they do such a thing. She scolds them to 'think a little before you say anything.' Despite her scolding, however; she was happy that their careless words led to Nozaki hugging her, so she shook their hands while saying, "Thank you!!!"
After school at Nozaki's apartment, Mikoshiba, Sakura and Wakamatsu are working alone together since Nozaki is out shopping. Mikoshiba realizes that even if they have nothing to talk about, Sakura will just keep talking about Nozaki. He concludes that there is no need to get worked up about being forced into a conversation with Wakamatsu. However, despite his attempts to strike up a conversation with Sakura, Mikoshiba is ignored as she refuses to tear her focus from the manuscript. Wakamatsu offers to brew some coffee, and the two of them grow closer to one another in the end.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
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