“So long as the people close to me understand, I’ll be fine.”
Impression
I felt like this episode ended up delivering something slightly different from what I thought I’d ordered. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing -I’m still recovering from the mini-heart attack I got from that sultry Iroha scene- but last week left off indicating that we’d be exploring Yukinon, be that her childhood or her familial relations. So when there emerged a rapidly inflated rumour that Yukinon was dating Hayato, I thought we’d finally get to know what their relationship was like in the past and how it broke down. But Hayato quickly defused the issue by thanking Irohasu and Yumiko in person at his little speech, implying that there were no other prominent girls in his life – and instead, the episode focused on Hayato himself as well as the idea of social groups inevitably falling apart when everyone goes their separate ways.
I don’t know about you, but I’m more inclined to agree with Hikki and not Hayato on the notion of whether your current friendships will last as everyone walks off down different paths. I think a lot of people would – I mean, you obviously keep in contact with a few good friends, but it’s unrealistic to expect there to be no lack of contact or drifting apart at all. I’m reminded of a scene from the summer camp arc in the first season – when a forlorn Rumi asks Hikki whether he still kept in touch with his friends from elementary school. Hikki can’t have been the most representative example, but upon consulting Yui, she too revealed that she currently retained hardly any of them. I think Hikki even said something along the lines of how ‘this was Yuigahama we’re talking about – she’s friends with everybody‘. We can assume Hayato will only regularly contact a few of his current friends – if he’s as much of a social butterfly as he’s been portrayed, he’ll make loads of new ones quickly either way. Now, in wanting to do whatever Hayato wants to do in further education, Yumiko wants to be one of those ‘few’.
In light of the reasons Yumiko gave to the Service Club, I really do understand why Hayato decided to hide his choice from everyone. I found it kind of hard to believe that someone would be popular to the extent that they have to hide their future choice of field in order to prevent romantic admirers from making rash decisions, but it was not the wrong choice. It’s ultimately for their own good – they shouldn’t pick liberal arts just because that’s what Hayato is doing. It’s a terrible way to make a major life decision, and it’s even more terrible given how it’s implied that many of these girls merely have an infatuation with either him or their ideal of him – girls like Irohasu, for example. If you take a step back, it’s some pretty hardcore devotion these girls are showing, although sometimes I think it’s subtly implied that Yumiko does actually love him, or at least has deeper feelings for him than the rest of the female student population – she got awfully dere at times this episode, and it’s a real contrast to how she barely kept her anger in check when arguing with Yukinon. But if there’s even a grain of truth in Yumiko being a repellent for Hayato to keep the other girls away, then I pretty much just feel sorry for her.
I also have to wonder whether Hayato is actually pulling one over on Hikki. Is he actually going to do what he said he will, and pick not-sciences because that’s what Hikki recommends? It was a great idea to ask Totsuka for help and to get the tennis club to set the pace for the marathon so that Hikki could corner Hayato again when he was physically exerting himself – I did think Haruno would do something, and I was already uncomfortable when she turned up all of a sudden, but thank god she didn’t stay for too long. As usual, she delivered several well-aimed jabs at Yukinon – I really hate how she tries to provoke her on purpose every single time they meet. It might end up being good in the long run if Yukinon stands on her own two feet, but I didn’t see it like that. Yukinon has been trying her best to do exactly that for the entire series. And to me, it was a scene where Yukinon swallowed her pride and asked someone else for help -her sister, of all people- which is something she would normally have difficulty doing anyways. Haruno spat all over that determination, so fuck her.
Oregairu is the sort of show where shipping and deciding on a best girl are things I’d rather keep separate. Usually, one influences the other – part of the reason a character is best girl might be because they have a great dynamic with a main male character, for example. But this week, even though I love Irohasu the best, I have to admit that SS Yukinoshita is pretty incredible. Ever since the ‘genuine’ speech, I’ve really grown to like the way she treasures people like Hikki and Yui – in the confrontation with Yumiko, all she said she wanted was that the ‘people close to her understood’. And she also shows that she cares. It would have been amazing had they actually kissed during the infirmary scene, but it would have been odd given their shared antisocial nature and general awkwardness. I do feel extremely sorry for Yui, though, and as someone who’s really liked all the Hikki x Yui scenes so far, I felt a little conflicted. I’m pretty sure she knew what was going on.
But Iroha, as a character, is undoubtedly the most entertaining. I defected to her so hard after the train scene last week, and that hasn’t changed. Yukinon is nice as well, but she can’t beat how Irohasu clings to Hikki and whines adorably all the time (only to detach herself and look embarrassed when she realizes Yukinon and Yui are right behind him). And oh god, that scene when she stared at him wantingly was too cute. Even Hikki almost had a heart attack. Look at her!
