Neighborhood Story

A Fitting Direction For Defeat! (1x4)

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Even if she had kept it to herself, it is evident that Mikako is quite livid that Tsutomu has rejected her protective admonition about Mariko. Mikako's frustration is exponentially amplified with Hiroaki's perspective in Tsutomu's defense; unable to acknowledge her emotional fallibility, Mikako prosecutes an adversarial divergent concourse with Tsutomu prior to the school commute the next morning. Tsutomu's perspective of Mariko as a misguided person rather than a copulation milestone confounds both Yuusuke and Jiro when the boys set course for class; Mariko approaching Tsutomu with an entreaty for his lunchtime company inspires iconoclastic analytical concourse over the entire school. It seems that Mikako has interpreted Hiroaki's counsel as simply not allowing Tsutomu's activities with Mariko to affect her; this quickly becomes the elephant in the room but not by a large enough margin for Sensei Hamada to not detain Mikako after school. About the only silver lining is Tsutomu admiring Yuusuke's motorcycle before offering to escort Mikako home...or, he would have if not for Mariko's pre-emptive exhortation. Yuusuke volunteering himself becomes the preamble for him ironically falling for Mikako when she treats him to a »Thanks for the ride!!!« home-cooked meal; still, one has to ultimately wonder about the aftermath when everything is finally resolved.