# 木曜日にはココアを Week 5 & 6 ☕ **URL:** \ **Category:** Book Clubs\ **Created:** [May 10, 2025, 12:56am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241 "2025-05-10T00:56:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mara](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/mara/32/3002_2.png) [@Mara](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Mara)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 12:56am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/1 "2025-05-10T00:56:13Z")
# 木曜日にはココアを [木曜日にはココアを Home](http://forums.learnnatively.com/t/book-club/15553) [癒系 Book Club Home](http://forums.learnnatively.com/t/book-club-next-book/6801) ## Week 5 & 6 ![image](https://do4ryrayvtpwi.cloudfront.net/original/3X/0/1/01ca361e6587c2b2406398d4a38399a4151e0277.jpeg) **Start Date** : May 10 **Previous Part** : [木曜日にはココアを Week 4 ☕](http://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-4/16133) **Next Part** : [木曜日にはココアを Week 7](http://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-7/16435) ### Reading: | Week | Chapter | Page Count | | --- | --- | --- | | 5 | 4 (Blue) | ~21 | | 6 | Catch up week | | ### Character name readings | kanji | reading | | --- | --- | | | | | | | ### Discussion Guidelines - Please use spoiler tags for major events in the current chapter and any content from future chapters. - When asking for help, please mention the page number. If your version doesn’t have page numbers some other point of context could be helpful. - Don’t be afraid to ask questions! All of us are here to learn and help each other. - Please join in the conversation, and let’s have fun! ### Participation _Poll ([view on site](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/1))_ _Poll ([view on site](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/1))_ **Don’t forget to set this thread to Watching in order to keep up with the discussion!** ---
**Author:** ![Mara](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/mara/32/3002_2.png) [@Mara](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Mara)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2025, 5:54pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/2 "2025-05-12T17:54:02Z")
> **first page of chapter 4** > > Book: 師走 > Me: WHAT ---
**Author:** ![snowwater](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/snowwater/32/3958_2.png) [@snowwater](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/snowwater)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 8:25am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/3 "2025-05-13T08:25:30Z")
> **Reply** > > > [@Mara](#): > > > > 師走 > > Jisho even says it’s a common word… making me feel ignorant 😂 never heard it before! ---
**Author:** ![snowwater](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/snowwater/32/3958_2.png) [@snowwater](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/snowwater)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/4 "2025-05-15T11:50:01Z")
> **First few pages of chapter 4** > > Was anyone familiar with the so called _something four_? It’s the first time I hear about it, but apparently, according to google: > > > The famous wedding recipe comes from the Old English rhyme, **Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe** > > Wondering if it’s a cultural thing to specific countries. ---
**Author:** ![Mara](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/mara/32/3002_2.png) [@Mara](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Mara)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 1:15pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/5 "2025-05-15T13:15:15Z")
I didn’t know the name of it, but I’m definitely familiar with the rhyme and the concept. ---
**Author:** ![shitsurei](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/shitsurei/32/3578_2.png) [@shitsurei](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/shitsurei)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 6:32am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/6 "2025-05-17T06:32:16Z")
> **Something four** > > I’m pretty sure “something four” is just the Japanese term for it, but otherwise I was familiar with it. iirc, my aunt made me put a penny in my shoe to stand in for the sixpence at my wedding. I hadn’t heard that part of it and only had my “something four” prepared 😂 ---
**Author:** ![Akashelia](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/akashelia/32/2799_2.png) [@Akashelia](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Akashelia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 5:01pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/7 "2025-05-20T17:01:45Z")
(just a heads up @Mara , a link to this thread is missing from the first post in the main thread) > **The cast so far, that is up to and including chapter 3** > > Alright, by now it seems obvious that the characters are connected to each other. > It’s been a while since I have read chapter 1 and I feel like I will be missing out on something if I don’t get it sorted out before continuing the reading! > > So here’s what I remember that we know so far, please correct me if I’m wrong or forgot something 🙂 > > Chapter 1: (from ワタル’s point of view) > > - Young male waiter, ワタル, just got a job at the cafe マーブル・カフェ > - Young girl, customer at the cafe, likes to drink cocoa, has an English speaking pen-pal called Mary > > Chapter 2: (from 朝美’s point of view) > > - 朝美, working mom, usually full time, not housewife type > - 拓海, her son, goes to kindergarten (5yo) > - 輝也, the dad, is a stay at home dad, also an artist, also did some daytrading > - えな, teacher at the kindergarten > - 添島瑠々, one of the kids at the kindergarten > > Chapter 3 (from えな’s point of view) > > - 萌香, kid at the day care > - 泰子, teacher who’s been her for 15 years > - マコ, cousin of えな, studied in Australia during highschool, now an English conversion teacher ---
**Author:** ![shitsurei](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/shitsurei/32/3578_2.png) [@shitsurei](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/shitsurei)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:11pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/8 "2025-05-20T18:11:11Z")
> **characters** > > You’re also missing 恭子 (I think that’s her kanji, やすこ) in chapter 3, another teacher at the preschool and the chapter 4 point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Akashelia](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/akashelia/32/2799_2.png) [@Akashelia](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Akashelia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/9 "2025-05-20T18:22:47Z")
> **Reply** > > She’s the second one on my bullet list for chapter 3, and I haven’t read chapter 4 yet 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![shitsurei](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/shitsurei/32/3578_2.png) [@shitsurei](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/shitsurei)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/10 "2025-05-20T18:33:46Z")
I somehow totally missed her on the second line 😂 I even looked twice 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![xnd521](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/xnd521/32/13923_2.png) [@xnd521](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/xnd521)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/11 "2025-05-25T02:01:03Z")
Thank you @Akashelia This is so useful. I’ve forgotten the names of the characters by the time I started Chapter 4 Blue yesterday haha. 😂 I’ve just finished chapter 4.I feel that the author kept using the same formula of making a mountain out of a molehill, and then ending the story to prove that it was indeed a molehill. ---
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/mitrac/32/6503_2.png) [@mitrac](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2025, 7:17pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/12 "2025-06-02T19:17:18Z")
> **first page 師走 comment** > > > [@snowwater](#): > > > > > [@Mara](#): > > > > > > 師走 > > > > Jisho even says it’s a common word… making me feel ignorant 😂 never heard it before! > > I learned this from my friend in the early days of our conversation practice and it was so odd I remembered it all these years. But I’m not sure I’d say it’s common, I’ve not heard it from her again or ever seen it in anything I’ve read until now! > > She said it’s one of the traditional names for months. I don’t remember the details anymore, I think she said most aren’t used anymore, but I seem to remember she said April might still be relatively common (from their perspective) > **first few pages サムシング・フォー** > > > [@snowwater](#): > > > > Was anyone familiar with the so called _something four_? It’s the first time I hear about it, but apparently, according to google: > > Ooh, thank you! I was googling it expecting an idol group 😅 > > Regarding the poem, I only knew the first 3! It’s fun reading everyone’s stories about that. > > I did not know there were 4 when I got married, my mom told me the rhyme with the first three and sewed in something she wanted back to fasten my dress. I had a new necklace, and oddly enough my shoes were too big (my BF bought them for me the day before and her feet are bigger 😂) so I had a green hair tie holding the slippers on my feet. Which at the time I thought, close enough to blue! (Funny enough, way before I know a Japanese person might actually call that shade of green - 青) ---
**Author:** ![Mara](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/mara/32/3002_2.png) [@Mara](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Mara)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/13 "2025-06-04T17:20:56Z")
The end of this chapter really sucked me in! I’d been only getting through 2 pages a day for a few days, then all of a sudden today I read 9 pages in order to finish the chapter. 🥳 I kind of just loved the kookiness of Yasuko racing out to the handmade lingerie shop across the way to find blue panties for her friend, and then telling her: “be greedy. make lots of love. make a baby. congratulations.” 😂 It was simultaneously very touching and kind of hilarious. Does anyone else think that the lingerière (not sure if this is a real word – just wanted a fancy way to say lingerie-maker 😛) could be Cocoa-san?! After all she named her 自信作 Maria … @Akashelia thanks for the character overview! It would be fun to keep this up throughout the book. Would you mind if I add it to the OP for future weeks? > [@xnd521](#): > > I feel that the author kept using the same formula of making a mountain out of a molehill, and then ending the story to prove that it was indeed a molehill. I think I can see what you mean. I think the reason it doesn’t feel too repetitive for me is that each scenario is so different. I get to learn about what it might be like to be a working mom, or a kindergarten teacher, or how monogamous values might affect a friendship … But also, the resolution, even though it’s always been an honest conversation between two people, always feels a little different to me. One thing I’m finding that I love about Aoyama-sensei’s work is how she represents the way that people can feel and be different from those around them, but they’re always able to find a resolution that doesn’t require them to change who they are. Like at the end of this chapter when Yasuko’s like “got a problem with that?” and then feels bad about it, but Risa just laughs and their happy resolution continues. ---
**Author:** ![Akashelia](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/akashelia/32/2799_2.png) [@Akashelia](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Akashelia)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/14 "2025-06-04T17:27:22Z")
> [@Mara](#): > > @Akashelia thanks for the character overview! It would be fun to keep this up throughout the book. Would you mind if I add it to the OP for future weeks? No problem! I let you decide on the formatting 🙂 I have kept up! 😃 Will post what I have so far in the thread for chapter 6 but let me know if you want something in chapter 5 too ---
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/mitrac/32/6503_2.png) [@mitrac](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/15 "2025-06-10T15:35:25Z")
33% into the book and fairly early into this chapter still: I’m at the part where 泰子 and 理沙 just finished their argument before parting ways and getting out of touch for a year > **Summary** > > I don’t have much to say, but it is relatable in how conversations around major life events can turn into hurt feelings due to giving advice and showing the underlying assumptions we make about each other. Oops! I’m looking forward to seeing how they patch things up (hopefully) Edit: I’ll keep adding to this. 16 June: The chapter ends at 40.7%, so seeing as a week has gone by and I’ve made it to 34% I think I’ll try to speed up. I haven’t been totally consistent on reading this everyday, even though that’s my intention so… that would help as a start. The problem is I do other challenging but more bite size reading first and sometimes run out of time for this novel. ---
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/mitrac/32/6503_2.png) [@mitrac](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/16 "2025-06-24T14:11:04Z")
> [@Mara](#): > > The end of this chapter really sucked me in! I’d been only getting through 2 pages a day for a few days, then all of a sudden today I read 9 pages in order to finish the chapter. 🥳 Yes, that is exactly what just happened to me 😅 > **ending** > > > [@Mara](#): > > > > “be greedy. make lots of love. make a baby. congratulations.” 😂 It was simultaneously very touching and kind of hilarious. > > I’m like - did that just happen? 😂 checks club … yes 🤣😂 > > A very quirky ending. > > I was sitting there the whole time waiting for Yasuko to apologise to Lisa, so the end took me w a y by surprise ---
**Author:** ![Shiori](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/shiori/32/5896_2.png) [@Shiori](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Shiori)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 7:43am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/17 "2025-09-16T07:43:13Z")
I really enjoyed reading everybody’s “something blue” stories! > **Thoughts** > > Firstly, when Ena was talking about the “older”, experienced head of school, I was picturing late 40s/early 50s; not 35 💀 My brain had to do some serious recasting for Yasuko. > > Also, > 「私だったら、結婚してる男を好きになったりしない。」 > I found this really interesting. Not “I would not fall in love and get married”, its “I would not love the man I’m married to,” > I know it’s a significant cultural difference, but I cannot wrap my head around getting married just to tick off a societally accepted box. That mixed with her saying the idea of living with her friend didn’t sound bad, her strong, shock/betrayal adjacent feelings towards her friend dating…I wonder if the author is maybe hinting at her being gay? > Or maybe I’m reading too much into it! 😅 ---
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/mitrac/32/6503_2.png) [@mitrac](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 5:28pm UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/18 "2025-09-16T17:28:08Z")
> **thoughts reply** > > > [@Shiori](#): > > > > Firstly, when Ena was talking about the “older”, experienced head of school, I was picturing late 40s/early 50s; not 35 💀 My brain had to do some serious recasting for Yasuko. > > 😅 well done, she remained in her 40s in my head despite that sentence > > > [@Shiori](#): > > > > 「私だったら、結婚してる男を好きになったりしない。」 > > I might be wrong - I think she’s rather saying she wouldn’t fall in love with a married man, as in the man is married to someone else (since there was the whole opening argument based on her being judgmental that that the guy was married at the time Lisa and him started their relationship) ---
**Author:** ![Shiori](https://deyr2qldo994j.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.learnnatively.com/shiori/32/5896_2.png) [@Shiori](https://forums.learnnatively.com/u/Shiori)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://forums.learnnatively.com/t/week-5-6/16241/19 "2025-09-17T00:55:27Z")
> **Thoughts reply reply** > > > [@mitrac](#): > > > > I think she’s rather saying she wouldn’t fall in love with a married man, as in the man is married to someone else > > That makes waaay more sense, given the themeing and central conflict of the chapter! Thank you for clarifying.