Chapter 38 is the 38th chapter of Kodocha, the third chapter of the eighth book in the Tankōbon Release, and the second chapter of the sixth book in the Kanzenban and Bunkoban releases.
Summary[]
Sana's acting career takes a hit due to her absence during the live show. Fuka breaks up with Akito at the hospital. Akito learns his hand has been paralyzed as a side effect of his injury.
Plot[]
Sana is facing controversy due to her absence during the majority of the live show. She apologizes to reporters, but refuses to elaborate on what caused it. Rei tells her that maybe they would have understood more if she shared that a friend of hers was in the emergency room, but she explains that she's worried that the tabloids would dig into it and pull Akito into the public eye. Rei talks to the hospital and updates Sana on how Akito's doing. He assumes she'll want to see him, but instead she's just happy to hear that he's doing better.
At the hospital, a police officer leaves, having gotten Akito's side of the story. His sister comes in, and Akito thanks her for donating blood to save him. She says the doctors are shocked he's alive, and this reminds Akito of the experience of meeting his mom, so he asks - a question about their mom, and this jars Natsumi. He decides no one will believe him, and notices for the first time that somethings wrong with his right hand.
Fuka then comes to visit, saying all his friends at Jinbou Junior High wanted to come, but they worried that would be overwhelming - so she came to represent them all. She explains how the press is pestering Sana, and explains how it was because she refused to leave the hospital until she knew he was alright. Fuka blabbers on aimlessly, and then apologizes for doing so - admitting she's just nervous to be talking to him. She goes on to say that it's time to cut off their relationship, but is hesitant to say "we're breaking up." Akito tells her that he wants her to know that he really does like her, but for some reason unknown to him, he has to be with Sana. Fuka talks about how previously she assumed a broken heart never heals, but has changed her mind, so she assures him she'll be fine. She finally feels comfortable bluntly saying that they're breaking up, tells him he's too much for her anyways, and tells him to focus on getting better. She leaves, and Akito alone feels guilty for how everything went. Outside, Fuka cries.
Akito's dad visits him, and gives him an update on Kazuyuki, which is that he's in police custody and is likely going to need to go to court. Akito is confused, since he doesn't want to press charges and was the one hurt, but his dad explains how it was still a violent crime.
Later that night when Akito's sleeping, he has some sort of attack where he spasms, has trouble breathing, and starts vomiting. Doctors treat him, and call his family explaining it. They assume it's emotional, due to dealing with a lot of stress at a time where he needs to relax and heal. Mr. Hayama assures Akito that he doesn't need to worry about Kazuyuki, that he did everything he could. Meanwhile while Akito is asleep, thinks about how he doesn't care what happens to him, there's things that are more important. Concurrently, Kazuyuki gets counseled, and explains how he started having dissociative episodes at the start of the school year, but have stopped since talking to Akito in the woods.
Back at the hospital, hospital staff have a hard time with Akito. He keeps getting up when told not to, sneaking junk food, and has continued to have those attacks (and they can't figure out why). Tsuyoshi, Aya, and Yunchi visit him.
Later, Fuka shows up announced at Sana's house (to her surprise). Sana hasn't visited him, under the impression he's fine. Fuka explains what she heard from Tsuyoshi and co: the attacks he's been having, and that his right hand is completely paralyzed. Sana thinks of when she lent Akito her watch, placing it in the palm of his right hand, and how she assumed everything was okay since he was alive, but is worried now. Fuka encourages her to see him, and tells her she's not dating him anymore.
At the hospital, Akito has another attack. Natsumi speaks to a doctor, who again says it's likely stress related, and then asks if he knows anyone named Hana, Ana, something like that, because he keeps mumbling a name similar to that while having the attacks. Natsumi is confused, until Sana arrives just then, and she connects the dots. Sana enters the room, the attack thankfully over, and she cries seeing him, and the two embrace. She says she'll be here by his side as he gets through this, and he thanks her. They continue to embrace.
Characters[]
Author's Notes[]
An Irrelevant Story: "The picture on the opposite page is a drawing I did for the inside cover of Ribon magazine in 1997 (the September issue-pages 37 to 75 of this book ran in that month's issue). I was really proud of that drawing because I managed to draw five really cute babies... But not very many people noticed the hand I drew on the upper right (although people did ask me why I left that corner so light). I think I drew it too faintly, and then it didn't print very well. Plus, the other side of the page had a lot of colors on it. But whatever the reason, it's my fault for drawing it so faintly. It annoys me a little that you can only see it when it's printed in black and white. Can you see it? The hand is supposed to be the symbolic hand of a mother bringing her children into the world. But I guess it could also kinda look like the hand of death...Creepy! Oh well. Anyway, there's a hand in that drawing. That's all I wanted to say, okay?"
"About the scene where Akito's dad and sister are giving blood to save him.... well, I did actually do research on that. I went to a fire station and talked to an emergency worker there, and he told me that unless you were on a deserted island or something, you'd never really give blood to a relative this way. But I wanted the scene to work out the way it did, so I decided to put it in the book anyway. Also, when Kazuyuki is being questioned by the police detective... normally a cop wouldn't be so hard on a kid as far as I know. But that's how I wanted to do that scene too. So I did. Just think of the detective as the kind of guy who would really do that to a little kid. You probably wouldn't even notice these details if I wasn't pointing them out. would you? In fact, I wonder if you readers get annoyed with author nitpicks like this...but I just had to say for the record that I did things that way on purpose, even though it's not realistic. To be continued..."
Continuation...: "Sometimes, when you try to make things totally realistic in a comic, it just doesn't work for your story. And it's not as much fun, so I just try not to worry too much about accuracy. Sure, it's important for things to seem realistic, but truthfully, the only things I really care about are if the characters' feelings and dialogue seem realistic. The situations, well, I can't worry about them so much. On the other hand, if I put something totally wrong in the book, I don't want some reader to believe it and end up embarrassed someday because they believed me... Like when Sana lied to Tsuyoshi's sister. But I don't think people are going to believe they can give blood like that... What does this mean? So, you see, I do think about these things. It's just that I end up drawing whatever I wanted to do in the first place!"
Trivia[]
- This chapter was never adapted in the anime, however Fuka and Akito do break up in a hosptial in the episode Everything Is Clearer Now That I Can’t See (although Fuka is the one in the hospital, so the situation is entirely different). Some elements of the Kazuyuki Arc were also reused in the Karate Club Arc.