Chapter 47 is the 47th chapter of Kodocha, the first chapter of the tenth book in the Tankōbon Release, and the fourth chapter of the seventh book in the Kanzenban and Bunkoban releases.
Summary[]
Naozumi and Akito agree they have the same goal at the moment (helping Sana), but can't help arguing nevertheless. Akito wants to learn how he can help Sana, which proves difficult.
Plot[]
The chapter starts exactly where the last ended, with Naozumi telling Akito that he believes Sana and he are fated to be together. Akito is angered by this and wants to fight, but Naozumi deflates the tension after saying that he couldn't beat Sana at arm wrestling when they were filming Mizu no Yakata. Naozumi tries to make Akito feel bad by saying that he's the one who caused this bout of doll syndrome, meanwhile last time Naozumi was the reason why Sana was cured.
They move to talk privately (Misako, Rei, and Sana were spying on them) where Naozumi says they should be allies since they're both working towards the same goal of Sana being happy, and healthy. He asks Akito if there really is no way that he can stay in the country, and proposes Akito start acting so he can make a living on his own like he does. Akito declines this, both on the basis that he wouldn't want to do such work, and also because he doesn't want to cut ties with his family. They decide to just work on things that can help Sana in the moment, and Naozumi gives some very fluffy sensitive advice (whispering, sweet nothings, or giving her his best smile) before leaving.
Inside, Sana is having a conversation with her mom where she muses on how she's surprised she met Naozumi earlier than she thought she did. Akito comes back in and is prompted to help Sana with her homework. He tries some of Naozumi's fluffy sensitive advice to no avail (granted, Akito doesn't do either in the way Naozumi intended). They start to have a somewhat normal conversation, until Sana laughs, to which Akito responds she should laugh normally.
Sana gets upset, saying that people keep implying somethings wrong with her, when suddenly she's so overwhelmed by being tired that she falls out of her chair. Akito had reached out to catch her, but did so with his now paralyzed hand - so he was unable to catch her and she falls. Rei comes in to check what happened, and Akito feels weird about how useless his hand is. He falls asleep at the table, while Sana sleeps in her bed.
When Sana wakes up, Akito tells her that when he was first told about the move, all he can think about was how he didn't want to leave Sana. After that, he was struck by how it was nice that his dad would want to keep the family together, but all in all: he doesn't want to go. Sana calls him a liar, since he's still leaving, which upsets Akito since he's telling her that he doesn't want to go, and only is because he's being forced to, but she doesn't seem to understand. Akito gets worked up, and Misako, and Rei separate the two since Sana is getting overly upset.
Rei tries to calm, Akito down. He brings up how even before this bout of doll syndrome, Sana blamed herself for Akito's hand being paralyzed, thinking that if she had stopped him at the train station, he would've never gotten the injury. Rei believes that all the stress piling up was what caused this, with Akito's move being the straw that broke the camels back. He tries to reassure him, saying last time only lasted 15 days, so they just need to be patient. Akito leaves in a better mindset.
The next day, Akito is unable to visit Sana because he has physical therapy. Instead, a doctor comes to see Sana (under the guise that he's a friend of the family, as opposed to being honest and telling her he's a doctor in the fear it would stress her out). The doctor comes to the conclusion that Sana is completely physically healthy, though she's not eating enough (given how much she's sleeping). Naozumi visits and gives Sana flowers, and tells her that he'll be leaving for a trip to Egypt for 10 days the day after the next. When he leaves, Sana thinks about how nice Naozumi has always been to her. Fuka calls, and Shimura tells a white lie that she's working too much to answer the phone. Misako worries about Sana, Which is exaggerated when she brings up Akito, and Sana momentarily doesn't know who she's talking about.
At physical therapy, he asks his therapist what he knows about treating emotional illnesses, and in response he speaks on how it's different case by case, that the advice of professionals should be listened to, and the importance of support from loved ones. At home later that night, Akito and Sana talk on the phone. Sana speaks in a very dour tone to Akito, saying that maybe their relationship was a mistake, and that things were so much easier before they got together. They both end the call feeling terrible.
Sana has trouble thinking clearly, and is upset at how no matter how hard she tries, something bad always happens. She doesn't feel like she knows how she feels about anything, and thinks about how she wants Naozumi to help her. The next day, Akito comes to visit, and Sana fully does not recognize him. Akito freaks out and grabs her by the wrist to talk to her in private
Characters[]
- Sana Kurata
- Akito Hayama
- Misako Kurata
- Maro
- Shimura
- Rei Sagami
- Naozumi Kamura
- Maeda
- Fuka Matsui (on phone)
- Fuyuki Hayama (mentioned)
Author's Notes[]
Obana's Incoherent Babbling:
"Thanks for waiting so long for me! What, you weren't? Ha ha! Anyway, here we are - it's book 10, the grand finale! I've been working on Kodocha for 4 years and 3 months in all. In some ways, it feels like forever...but in some ways it feels like no time at all! Although I guess more than 4 years is a long time... You know, in all 10 volumes, I've used these sidebars to write whatever popped into my head. I hope you haven't minded! I have to say though...maybe I shouldn't say this, and maybe I'm being too hard on myself (sorry) but... some of the stuff I wrote is pretty embarrassing. I can't stand to go back and look at anyof it. (And the same goes for a lot of my art and writing!) But, I felt like this was a space for me to just write my thoughts as they happened, like I was chatting to my friends. So for those of you who have actually read all these sidebars, thanks for putting up with my babbling! This time, I'm going to use these sidebars to thank all my readers. I hope it doesn't get boring. But...I can't think of anything clever to say anyway! Thank you"
"While I was working on the very last chapter, my pet squirrel, Mamenosuke (but I called him Mame-Chan), went to squirrel heaven. He had been getting weaker and weaker, so I was prepared for it. He had lived a good and long life, so I didn't have any reason to be sad. But the truth is, when he died I cried so much I even surprised myself. Every time I tried to get back to work, I'd think of Mame-Chan again and I'd start crying. Also, realizing I was writing my last Kodocha stories, it was a pretty emotional time for me. I shed a lot of tears over those last chapters. I didn't think I'd be so sad for Mame-chan, but when life fades away it's just too bittersweet. And I know that Sana didn't die, even in fiction. But I felt like a part of her was dying when she got so ill...so it was difficult for me. It's hard to watch someone or something who's so pure get hurt. Especially when that person doesn't even know, what's happening to them. Of course, when I see my sister going through something difficult, I don't worry too much because she sure isn't pure like Sana! Ha ha! To be continued..."
Continued...: "The truth is, I have a real weakness for anything that's really pure... (Good alcohol, for example. Ha ha! Just kidding! Ahem...) Anyway, you probably guessed that Maro-Chan from Kodocha was based on my Mame-Chan. I felt like he was trying to stay alive until I completed the story. Of course, it's probably just one of those stupid ideas that people get about their pets...but I'd like to believe that it's true. Mame-Chan! Thank you for everything! I drew a great squirrel, and all because of you!"
"By the way -- my dog, Sana, and my cat, Nao, are still doing great. A little too great, maybe... (ha ha)"
Trivia[]
- This chapter was never adapted in the anime.