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I would not want to cross him like this
I love when Kei smile like this.๐
I just read the new SS from Ichinose's character book and I'm very pleased with it. I was hoping we'd get a Kei mention, and we didn't just get one โ we got two, and I think both are much more significant than they initially appear.
I wanted to share some thoughts, starting with the gift scene.
1. Ichinose's reaction to Kiyotaka's answer is REALLY interesting
Ichinose asks:
โHave you ever bought a gift for someone important to you, Ayanokouji-kun?โ
Kiyotaka simply answers:
โOf course.โ
And immediately after that, we're told that Ichinose's expression stiffens slightly and her grip on the handrail tightens.
That's a pretty specific reaction and what catches my attention is the way Ichinose phrases her question.
She doesn't simply ask:
โHave you ever bought someone a gift?โ
She specifically asks whether he's bought a gift for โsomeone important to you.โ
That makes me wonder if Ichinose already had some knowledge of Kiyotaka buying gifts for someone โ potentially Kei โ and was trying to determine what that person meant to him emotionally.
And I don't think she expected such a straightforward โOf course.โ
If Ichinose's understanding was that Kiyotaka's relationship with Kei was something relatively superficial, or that Kiyotaka didn't genuinely view Kei as emotionally important, then his answer would challenge that assumption.
He doesn't hesitate. He doesn't qualify it. He doesn't say โI supposeโ or give some detached Ayanokouji answer.
He just says:
โOf course.โ
And Ichinose immediately stiffens.
That makes me think her reaction isn't simply jealousy. It could be jealousy, obviously, but there's potentially something else happening here: she's realizing that her understanding of Kiyotaka's relationship with Kei may have been wrong.
And this would also fit really nicely with her earlier statement in Y3V4:
โI thought it was Karuizawa.โ
That line becomes even more interesting in hindsight because there must've been something that gave Ichinose that impression. And it was most likely moments like these.
2. Then comes the part about whether the gift actually made her happy
Ichinose asks:
โDid the gift you chose make that person happy?โ
And Kiyotaka responds that he isn't entirely sure.
He says that although the person seemed quite happy, he couldn't tell whether it was genuine.
This is REALLY interesting when you consider Kiyotaka and Kei.
Because one of Kiyotaka's biggest problems with Kei has always been his inability to properly understand the authenticity of her feelings toward him.
3. AND THEN WE GET THE โKARUIZAWAโ TEXTBOOK LINE
Kiyotaka says:
โGetting involved with Ichinose was merely an extension of a textbook I had already finished studying, one titled โKaruizawa.โโ
๐
A textbook titled โKaruizawa.โ
I know Kiyotaka has a habit of reducing human relationships to analytical concepts, but this is still such a funny and revealing way to describe it.
Because what does that actually tell us?
Kiyotaka is essentially saying that his experience with Kei became the reference point through which he approached another romantic relationship.
Kei isn't just some irrelevant relationship that he moved on from and discarded. His experience with Kei is literally the reference he's using to understand what comes next.
And this is especially important because the passage immediately establishes that associating with Ichinose has obvious practical benefits:
โFrom a purely objective view... associating with her brought numerous benefits.โ
He understands all the rational reasons for being with Ichinose.
He even acknowledges that dating the most popular girl in school could make for a fulfilling high-school life.
But then he immediately brings up Karuizawa.
That's the interesting part.
He doesn't say:
โIchinose would be beneficial, therefore I'll date her.โ
Instead, Kei is still part of the equation.
And more importantly, he says that it โcouldn't be weighed purely on a scale of pros and cons.โ
That seems significant to me because Kiyotaka is literally someone who loves evaluating things in terms of utility, benefits, costs, and rationality.
Yet when it comes to this particular relationship, he acknowledges that a purely objective calculation isn't enough.
I'm so happy about this SS. We're getting closer guys I can feel it. Little by little.๐
Edit: I forgot to mention also about the Y3V4 confession scene when Ichinose switched her sights from Kei to Hiyori. This is just more evidence that part of the reason was to protect Kei from Ichinose because as we've got this SS from Kiyotaka's pov, it shows us that he was noticing Ichinose's jealous behaviours and probably knew that Kei would have been in danger.
A blue butterfly is a quiet symbol of transformationโthe soul shedding its old wounds and learning to fly toward healing
Cinderella and Prince Charming + Kiyokei