Chapter 30 is the 30th chapter of Kodocha, the fifth chapter of the sixth book in the Tankōbon Release, and the first chapter of the fifth book in the Kanzenban and Bunkoban releases.
Summary[]
After hearing about the trouble Sana's had because of the rumors, Naozumi spills the whole truth on a talk show -- including a fact that will make only Akito know that Sana has feelings for him. Sana is furious Naozumi did this, and tries to avoid Akito in an attempt to avoid learning if he watched the show or not.
Plot[]
Sana goes home, dwelling on how hurtful it is that they believed the rumors about she and Naozumi. Back with the Jinbou Junior High kids, Akito comes back to the table with Sana's hand print still outlined on his cheek. Fuka feels stupid for believing the rumors given she'd been hurt by rumors at her previous school, and she and Akito split from Tsuyoshi and Aya soon after. Fuka insecurely asks how Akito feels about Sana not going out with Naozumi, but he responds apathetically. She off handed complains about how he hasn't given back a CD he borrowed, and Akito runs off to Fuka's confusion -- only to return a moment later with the CD in hand (having run all the way home and back to grab it). Fuka thinks about how she only asked him out because she felt bad for him, but now she's actually fallen for him. She feels insecure about their relationship given Sana's position in the picture, but chooses to keep having faith in him.
At the Kurata household, her mom notices she'd been crying, but decides to give her the space. Rei reminds Sana there's a big meeting for Child's Toy, expecting her to not want to go, but she's delighted to have the distraction.
At the studio, they run into Naozumi's manager, and Sana is happy to see Naozumi. She sees that the burns he got filming the finale of Mizu no Yakata have healed into scars, and feels guilty, and thinks about how much easier it'd be if she did go out with him instead. After asking if it's alright, she tells him about the drama she's had going on during school thanks to the rumors of them going out. He then has to go to film a talk show that will be aired the next day, and Sana learns she'll be filming tomorrow for Child's Toy.
At school the next day Fuka takes notes for Sana since she's absent again, and Sana has a great time on Child's Toy. She thinks about how she'd like to focus on work as opposed to school, but doesn't want to tell Rei in fear he'll book her too many roles. She gets home to Naozumi's talk show appearance from the day before airing, where he bluntly dispels the rumors of he and Sana going out by telling the full truth (that he has feelings for her, that he confessed, that she turned him down, and that she has feelings for someone else who isn't an actor). Sana is furious. This mounts even more when Naozumi says that the person Sana has feelings for came to see her off the day they left to film the movie. Akito, watching the talk show, spills his drink hearing this. Sana meanwhile is so mad at Naozumi that she has Rei drive her to his house.
Naozumi is in good spirits, meanwhile Sana yells at him. He tells her that he was hurt when she turned him down, and that he feels like he should be allowed to do a little teasing because of it. He also assumes Akito still has feelings for Sana, but Sana refuses to accept that unless he tells her himself. Sana makes a big todo about how she's never going to speak to Naozumi again, and who plays his trumpet to calm down after she leaves. Rei, who waited out in the car, wishes he saw the fight.
Sana tries to skip school the next day, but her mom forces her to go. Rei reassures that Akito is the only one who would know what Naozumi meant (since no one else knew Akito saw her off). Sana takes this as a chance to play a game with the goal being to not see Akito all day. She sees the following events as levels, attacks, and other game related terms. The first level is Fuka, who she learns watched a VHS the night before with her family so didn't see the talk show. In gym, a group of classmates ask her about the talk show, but she plays Naozumi's words off as unreliable. She hurts her fingers hitting a ball wrong (distracted by the conversation), so she goes to the nurses office. She gets her fingers bandaged, and sees it as an opportunity to avoid further classes, and lays down. She wakes up someone else laying down in the nurses office though, who turns out to be Akito.
He's tired and out of it because he didn't get any sleep the night before, so when he sees her he doesn't say much. Sana tries to flee, but Akito comes to his senses and catches up to Sana. He confronts her about the talk show, saying that he won't believe the idea she's had feelings for him unless he hears it from her. Sana is at a loss of what to say, and the chapter ends.
Characters[]
Author's Notes[]
Big Changes: "To Sana, it seemed like Akito got gigantic overnight! (Hee-hee!) But sometimes people really can grow up to four inches a year when they're at that. age. And people change in other ways, too-sometimes people's whole attitude can change during just a single month away on vacation. And when you see them again, it's like, "What happened to you?" When I came back for the second semester of high school, that's what everyone said to me! I think the main reason Akito grew so fast that year is because he slept a lot. Also, up until the sixth grade, he really didn't eat well at all. So when things got better at home and he started to eat properly, his body suddenly got all the nutrition it had been needing! Eating well is very important- especially during a growth spurt. Sometimes, girls start dieting while they're still growing. But please don't do that to yourself! You shouldn't worry about diets at that age anyway, because just being young makes you automatically cute! (Hee-hee!) And besides, it's what's inside that counts! Although I have to confess that for eight years now, I've been planning to go on a diet.... but I still haven't done it!"
Thank you❤❤❤: "This is my last space in this volume. Thanks for reading everything! As I told you in this volume, from book 7 on, things are going to get a lot more serious in Kodocha. I'm a little nervous about it because I know a lot of you have said you don't want things to get too dark! But I think that I have to write it my own way and see what happens. I've done some serious storylines in Kodocha before, but not quite like this- when things as serious as a person's "true love" come along, it's very easy to sympathize with what's happening...and I'm sure the readers will be anxious and worried along with the characters. I feel that way, too! When Sana is feeling blue, I start getting depressed myself! But, well, it wouldn't be a good story if it didn't have some serious parts, right? So it'll be okay. Please keep following the story of Sana and her friends for just a little while longer! And... 🌼"
Trivia[]
- This chapter was adapted into The Truth Has to Be Somewhere.