Maybe confusion is not the right word?
Basically, the parts that made me go “but whyyyyyy”
(Plus, she should have more social skills than that, but anyway)
(Plus I don’t see why Nina is not included to begin with? She knows all the interactions with Maehara, while Asanagi supposedly knows none of them…)
Based on the chapter so far, the concern seems to be that she’ll gossip to others (kinda legitimate concern with her - they implied during their planning session, this isn’t the first time they’ve shaken her off). But also it makes sense that Amami would go to Asanagi - they’ve been best friends for years. And the more people, the more uncomfortable Maki might potentially be.
More cynically: I think the author just needed an excuse to get them to all wind up at his house, and this was the best he came up with.
Probably a good idea. A number of things will have (eventual) explanations. Not everything of course
I am pretty confident that I won’t find them satisfying. And that’s okay (except if they are so bad that they become rage inducing, but we’ll get there when we get there I guess)
I actually read past week 9 this time. I wanted to read the whole chapter. But its too damn long.
走っているせいか緊張のせいかわからないが、半歩先で俺の手を強く朝凪の手は若干湿っているように感じた
Should be 手を引く.
I already like this chapter more than the last. It doesn’t make much sense, but it’s fun. For example for content from week 7: Holding hands and running away from their friend. Makes no sense, but very cute and fun.
I’ve been considering/wanting to read ahead too - but I figure I’m already compartmentalizing future knowledge enough, and do have other things to progress on.
Thx for the line correction. I thought I’d caught everything, but I guess I’ll have to do a thorough double-check. (I actually forgot that there even were ending lines when I was reading 
)
Glad you’re having more fun with this chapter 
Don’t trouble yourself on my behalf. I don’t think it matters that much. It does it’s job in that you know where to stop, even if there are some errors.
It’s just that I wanted to double check if they actually held hands in that scene or if that’s just a detail I made up and then stared at that ending line for a while, wondering if it confirms my memory or not.
And finished for the week. This didn’t feel that weird. My only gripe is that homeboi is terminally dense, but that’s what being an undersocialised highschooler is like iirc
feel like in a weird place with this book but it’s (relatively) easy enough to read so I’ll just keep going. kinda makes me want to read losing heroines instead and see if that’s less weird feeling
i feel like this book operates on anime logic (or maybe anime operates on LN logic?) so i feel a bit more immune to being shocked by some of the events…
Yeah this book does that a bit. I think future books are better about both of these points (and even the denseness clears up eventually, in this one imo).
Weird in what way/sense?
I feel like that would just be a different kind of weird (tho I didn’t actually watch the anime)
oh makine is definitely a certain brand of weird, but i think it’s more explicitly comedic so it gets away with more. With this, I can’t quite tell how much comedy is meant to be going on. (Language difficulty playing its part here, of course)
mmm, i’m not having a great time reading it outside of the pleasure of deciphering, i guess. I guess, like, if it was in english i probably would have just dropped it by now (assuming I didn’t just speed ahead to get past the awkward parts first, which can sometimes happen before the protagonist gets character development)
That reminds me a YouTube video I saw some time ago saying that media content marketed to men and women is getting so different, people are starting to have trouble interacting across genders due to incompatible behavior expectations. (As in, people are not reacting/behaving the way the other is expecting).
I wish I didn’t completely dismiss it at the time (since I can’t remember the name of the video to check again if it’s as relevant as I remember)
idk if it’s a gender seperation so much as just a target/demo seperation. i often feel this way reading YA work in eng for instance. Or it’s like reading a drama when you expect a slice-of-life. It’s just expectations mismatch
That hasn’t much to do with the plot, but
But the target demographic is literally defined by gender. It’s a 男性向け LN
I can assure you I never had this kind of confusion with a 女性向け LN. In both cases, I can see that they are using tropes that rely on a “common” understanding, but here I’m just incapable of filling in the blanks. I guess it would make more sense if I was more familiar with this type of stories, but if it was not for this book club (and the wish to fill the bingo square “has a number in the title”), I would never read this kind of books. (Technically, I read one other high school romcom years ago based on an online recommendation when I started reading LNs, hated it, and never looked back)
I’m still not sure if that’s the point the video I saw was trying to make, but if enough guys consume a type of media while nearly zero girls do the same, it would make sense that you would get a cultural (?) rift between the two.
Finally caught up with the club!
I’m glad that everyone’s plot confusions line up with mine and it’s not a comprehension thing 
Also, every time I remember her whole name I’m reminded that 新田ニナ is kinda tragic.
やった！おめでとう
What do you mean?
Her first name and last name are similar enough that they sound like a pokemon to me
And that Pokemon is? Or do you mean like pokemonっぽい？
More pokemonっぽい than like a specific Pokemon (I don’t know a ton outside of like Red and Blue, despite having played at least 4 other games ).
Hmm, I don’t really see it but I also have to keep correcting myself from saying ニーナ everytime I read it
Week 8 - Ch 3 (pt 2/5) now
A mix of delicious awkwardness, and more とんでもない plot developments
General impression: I love all the tension, but the conversation at his house seemed a little redundant and anticlimactic, but still good bonding. Tho Amami is really off the walls… I wonder if Maki & Asanagi will take the opportunity to stop hiding their friendship after a bit.
ソファでくつろぐ朝凪がじとっとした視線をこちらに向けてきている。朝凪も、俺の家に来て最初のうちはそれなりに部屋の中をキョロキョロしていたはずだが、今となってはまるで我が家みたいにくつろいでいる
ただ、朝凪もここに来るのは初めて(表向きは)なので、一応注意だけするよう目配せして、天海さんをリビングのテーブルに案内する。
Seriously, what are we gonna do with this girl 
あ、ねえ、海。海はお願いしなくていいの? 前原君、海の分のコーヒーも用意しちゃってるけど」
「…………」
天海さんがそう言った瞬間、俺は二人に背中を向けたまま硬直する。
しまった。いつもやっていたことだったので、朝凪からも好みを聞くだけ聞かなければならないことを忘れていた
Well at least he tried…
「ん? ああ、私は夕が来る前にお願いしてたから。コーヒー砂糖なし、ミルクあり。ね、前原君?」
「!あ、ああうん、そうだね」
焦っていたところに、朝凪からのフォローが入る。先に二人で家にいたので、答えに不自然なところはない。さすがだ。
About as good as a follow as you’ll get
俺たちを見る朝凪の目が細められる。口元は笑ったまま、だが目は全く笑っていない。
I know it’s silly, but I love the trope, and always think of Tohsaka Rin, when I see something like this. Tho less so, when it’s followed by something like this:
言われた通り、俺と天海さん、それぞれ顔を朝凪のほうへと近づける。
と、瞬間、額に鋭い痛みが走った。
「つった〜い･･･………………」
「つつ………………?」
「――はい、お仕置き終わり」
朝凪がやったのはデコピン･･････らしいが、デコピンにしては威力がおかしいような。
実際、今も額がじんじんと痺れて･･････これ、血とか出ていないだろうか。
This (and the rest of the threatening about “next time”) seems rather mean and unnecessary. Maki especially didn’t deserve this - like his hands were really tied there, and he already told her he overheard the confession anyway
こぼさないよう少しずつ食べていると、天海さんがずっとこちらを見てニコニコしているのに気づく。
「あの･･････天海さん?」
「あ、ごめんね。食べてる時の前原君、可愛いなって思って」
「かわっ･･････?」
予想外の一言に、思わずドキリとする。
Well there we have it - confirmation that Maki is indeed cute… And yeah, I’d be blushing too 
朝凪が助け船を出してくれたおかげでなんとか軌道修正できたものの、なぜか朝凪がふくれっ面になっ
――バカ。
朝凪の唇がそう動いた気がしたが、俺、何か不味いことでもしただろうか。
Gee, I wonder what could possibly make her say that… Also, I don’t think she’s ever made him blush(?) or am I just forgetting
「･･････そっか。じゃあ、前原君はその友達のことが大好きなんだね」
「あ、いや・・・それは、その･･････」
「? 前原君、どうかした?」
「い、いやなんでも･･････そういう見方もあるにはある、のかな･･････友達としてはもちろん大切だけど、大好きかどうかは･･････あの、どうだろう」
Bit of a loaded question…
朝凪が大事な友達なのは確かだが、その本人が目の前にいるので、思わずしどろもどろな答えになってしまう。
恥ずかしくて、なんだか朝凪のほうを見ることができない。
That’s probably smart, even if you weren’t embarrassed rn
体をもじもじとさせながら、天海さんは続けた。
「前原君、良ければ私とお友達になってくれませんかっ」
「「…………」」
突然の申し出に、俺と、そして天海さんの隣にいる朝凪は思わず固まってしまう。
なんとか無事に落とし所を見つけたと思ったが、どうやらまだしばらくの間、天海さんとの関係は続くことになるらしい。
友達をゲットしちゃった (yes I’ve been watching Pokemon recently)
Next scene: Interesting contrast between Maki and Asanagi negotiating what to call each other vs Amami just going straight for the 下の名前 + 君, a day after she was calling him 前原君. Also writing convenience, so you can figure out whether it’s Amami or Asanagi speaking
Anyway congrats dude, you’ve got a 2nd friend finally, who seems to really like you
「夕ちん、随分その子と仲良くなったね。･･････やっぱり何かあった?」
「うんっ。私、真樹君と仲直りして、お友達になったんだ。ね?真樹君?」
ざわっ。
太陽のような笑顔で放たれた天海さんの言葉に、教室全体が大いにざわめく。昨日も相当だったが、今日の様子はそれ以上だった。
I can’t tell if she’s this naturally 天然, or she’s doing this on purpose… It seems kinda risky given how much he’s pointed out that he’s shy/socially awkward in front of a crowd
「他の人がどう思ってるか知らないけど、真樹君はとてもいい人だと私は思う。いつもは大人しいかもだけど、ちゃんと自分の考えを持ってるし言えるし、それに頭も良くて･････私的には海みたいな男の子って感じ」
It is kinda cool that she’s trying to get the rest of the class to like him… But this is all very sudden. As an aside, I’m pretty sure this is the book that introduced me to the use of 私的には, which is a pet phrase of mine
ものの考え方捉え方は近いので、そういう意味では朝凪と似ているかもしれないが、それは買いかぶり
すぎのような。
「ね、海? 海ならわかってくれるよね? 昨日一緒にいたし」
「親友でもわからないものはわからない･･････かも」
「ええっ? そうかな~海と真樹君、友達になれば絶対仲良しになれると思うんだけど。連絡先交換すればよかったのに」
Oof that’s rather harsh of Asanagi towards both of them
しかし、天海さんの目から見ても俺と朝凪はそんなふうに映ったのか。天海さんの前ではほとんど会話などしなかったのに。天海さん、意外に鋭いのかも。
だろう！！ Well it is her best friend - so that’s understandable
『そうなんだ。じゃ、今日は二人で一緒にお昼ご飯食べよっか」
―ーふ、二人で！？
天海さんからの発言によって、教室中がさらに騒々しくなる。
「ちょっ、タ―それはいくら何でもまずいと言うか･･････」
「そう? 真樹君、大勢で色々するの苦手だって言ってたし、それなら二人きりのほうがいいかなって。
ダメかな?」
Ok I’m really starting to wonder if she’s attracted to him at this point…
I can’t decide if her logic here is really considerate, oblivious, or just a flimsy pretext, given that she’s asking him in front of the whole class, who keep murmuring loudly
別に俺とご飯を食べたところで面白いことなんて何もないのに……………いい人なのか、それとも単に変わっているだけか。
Yes (to both)
こちらの視線に気づかず依然スマホとにらめっこしている朝凪の横顔が、いつもよりほんのわずかに赤くなっているような気がした。
Eh? What’s that about?
「ったくもう･････ただクラスメイトと昼ご飯一緒するだけだってのに･･････あと、新奈は今すぐスマホをし
「･･････は、は〜い」
朝風が声をかけた瞬間、後ろの席の新田さんの制服の袖の中からスマホがするりと抜け落ちた。油断も隙も無い人だ。
She’s doesn’t seem like a very trustworthy friend…
「あのさ、もし二人が良ければなんだけど･･････」
「ん?」
「なに?」
中庭近くでどうしようかと話している二人に、俺は声をかけた。
こういう時こそ、俺の出番である。
Déjà vu… At least his half a school year (?) of loner status pays off
