a tough rejection
Suddenly I'm all alone, pushed away for nothing wrong, don't you have the guts to say, how you feel about me? Out of the blue, you said we couldn't be together. I have to get over you, we've given no choice, have no voice, out of the blue. - "out of the blue" by aly & aj
Continuing from this section, Risa's hard work at thinking of how to confess to Otani didn't pay off.. at all. She gets very upset that Otani just.. doesn't seem to "get it", and he can't even see her in that sense, it seems. Either way, the pain she feels is very deep, so deep that it makes her cry more often than usual. During the autumn school festival, Risa is dressed as a ghost (a scary one, at that) for her class' booth, and Otani is some sort of.. joker.
Anyway, with Risa's upset mood, she's able to make her classes' booth, the haunted house, a success, and is successful in scaring even Suzuki and Chiharu! Otani makes a very bad assumption that.. Risa is upset because the guy that she likes found out she was with Otani during her birthday, and apologizes for that, and.. well.. that's not really the case, which triggers another argument between them (geez, they never stop, do they?). While everyone else seems to think Otani is "slow" at figuring these things out, Risa has already got Otani figured out - and knows why her feelings cannot be conveyed to him in such a simple manner:
"The possibility of the two of us being boyfriend and girlfriend. In other words, he hasn't completely considered it."Nobu, then, asks Risa to attend the country dance being held outside for the end of the festival. Risa refuses - reminding Nobu of last year's dance, where she had to dance with a girl because there were no boys left to dance with. With this, Risa is left alone in the classroom, thinking of Otani, despaired.
Otani enters the classroom, seeing Risa in tears, looking quite.. scary. He asks her what's wrong, but she just simply replies: "I confessed to the person I like, but he actually ignored it." (Okay, please excuse my LOL's but I have to) Otani replies, "Do you want me to help you confess?!" -- LOL. But Risa makes it plain and simple for him:"In truth, even if he thinks it's impossible, I can't blame him. Because even I myself originally thought it was impossible."
"Such a tall girl, dilberately falls in love with a short guy."
"Otani sees me as the All Hanjin-Kyojin. How could All Kyojin love All hanshin! Normally you couldn't imagine it. No, no it's too funny! It's true that it's funny, but.. I just like him! I tried.. so hard.. to say everything. That idiot!
"You don't need to. He's right here. I'm talking about you! Have you never thought, that the person could be... you?"Fed up with him, Risa ties a jacket around his head (she looks like she's suffocating him), and gets out of the classroom, still quite upset, but feeling a bit better she's gotten that off her chest, leaving a bewildered Otani, who's having a hard time registering what she had just admitted: "....It's me....?" Risa is sitting outside, crying, and thinking about his reaction:
"I also hope.. that he can look at me as a girl."From this point on, she doesn't want to face Otani alone anymore, or talk to him, even. Otani, on the other hand, is still having a hard time registering it in his head, and anyone can tell he's in deep thought about it. There's a school trip coming up - but Risa doesn't want to be alone with Otani, so she's trying to think up ways to get herself away from Otani, as much as possible.
Unfortunately, she wakes up a little too late for the school trip, and has to take the second plane to fly off. Thing is, she's not the only one who slept in: Otani did as well. Sooo, her plans kind of backfire on her, and they're left alone. As expected, she freaks out before Otani can ask anything, but he asks her straightforward after she calms down (and stops whining about how he's too dense to figure out anything):
"Am I.. really the one you like?"Risa says she's already explained it clear enough! He replies:
"Wait. Wait for a bit. I have to think about it. You told me to think, didn't you?"When the arrive, Nobu and Nakao instantly greet them with: "Were you together all night?" -- Otani says, "It's not like that!" And walks off. Risa begins to freak out yet again, saying she'd rather be home than alone with him! Both Otani and Risa get on the bus, quite sleep deprived, and end up dozing off. Unknown to them, they had snacks shoved in their mouths to try and get them awake, however, neither budged.
Needless to say, both of them were very surprised/shocked/freaking out when they figured out they were the last two remaining on the bus! They end up waiting a while in the town nearby the bus for the others. Risa begins to think more about her situation with Otani - doubting there is ever a chance for them:
"Have I.. made the wrong move?"
Her thoughts are quickly interrupted by.. a rickshaw speeding by them, catching their interest quickly - breaking off any thought of being romantically together. When Otani and Risa are found by Nobu and Nakao, they are shocked. Beyond words. Risa and Otani are getting along? Laughing, smiling? Enjoying themselves? Even after that confession the other day? Nobu breaks their happiness by asking, "So, you've solved your problem!?" -- That instantly sets off Risa and Otani, who return to their previous state before the rickshaw. Though this scene may sound like nothing, the rickshaw had actually been a kind of ... importance to Otani, and ultimately gives him his final decision on Risa. But Risa.. her doubt grows. She begins to realize it was a mistake to ever confess, and admits to herself, that before all this fiasco happened, she was much happier, and he wouldn't have to think so much about it. When Otani seperates from the group to "get a drink", Risa runs after him, wanting to tell him something: To forget about her feelings, and return to be the All Hanjin-Kyojin, just like old times.
When she finds him, he tells her his final verdict (as he is holding some bear curry):
Rejected. "Ah, I knew it." Risa tells herself, and wears a fake smile, slapping him on the back."If you're asking me whether I like you or not.. i'd say i like you. You're the only one i can make a big fuss and get excited about riding a rickshaw with. But we've been a comedy duo for such a long time... I don't think i can suddenly see you as my girlfriend. So.."
She tries to fake her happiness, but this leaves Otani quite speechless. Returning to Nobu and Nakao, they ask where Otani is, and all Risa can say is: "Otani... bear... curry.." (see his final verdict), tears begin to manifest in her eyes while she's smiling, but it's obvious. She's definitely hurt. Otani, nearby, grips onto his small bag of purchases, hearing her cries. As happy as she sounded around him, she couldn't the pain of her rejection, and thus, she begins to cry."You're such a loser! Don't give me that depressing face! I came out here to tell you to pretend nothing has happened between us! Say, why don't we join the comedy drama club as the All Hanjin-Kyojin?!"
"I knew from the start that it wouldn't go smoothly. Even my confession was just to get him to see me as girl for a bit, that's all. Still.. having it said to my face.. it still hurts."