Kaoru returns to the Hanabishi compound to confront his abusive grandfather. But powerful figure that has haunted Kaoru most of his life has changed -- his grandfather is a fragile old man severely weakened by medical problems.
Kaoru is freed by what he finds at the Hanabishi home, but wait ... is there another Hanabishi??? And what will he do to Kaoru?
The flash of this new character is one of the most dramatic turns this manga has taken in a while -- I hope it plays out well.
Meanwhile, Tina, who is now completely in love with Kaoru, is going crazy without him. She asks Aoi where he's gone -- quite correctly pointing out that Aoi is the only one Kaoru really opens up to.
Tina decides she can't stand to be without Kaoru any longer and goes to find him. Kaoru is surprised to see her, to say the least, but he shows her around.
Tina says she wants to take Kaoru to her hometown -- or even to America. She fesses up about going back to America after graduation, and gets all weepy while she asks Kaoru to make some memories with her.
Well, wouldn't you know it, her little outburst means they miss the train *again* and end up spending the night together *again.* Tina, making another memory, borderline molests Kaoru in his sleep. (You woulda thought that would wake you up, but I guess not?)
Aoi get the surprise of her life when she meets Kaoru at the train station the next day, only to find Tina hanging on his arm.
Really, Kaoru is lucky Aoi is as sweet and accepting as she is -- she can't believe anything bad about him. Otherwise someone would have been kicked to the curb a long time ago.
Kaoru tells Miyabi that he will never return to the Hanabishi. He says they're evil, and if he loves Aoi he can't expose her to them. Miyabi is understandably disappointed -- part of her duties for the Sakuraba was to get Kaoru back into the Hanabishi -- but she says she'll support his decision.
I think Kaoru is simplifying the issue with his family far too much -- something that could come back to haunt him.
Kaoru starts working harder in his classes so he can take care of Aoi, but he ends up neglecting her. Odd how he does the same dumb things over and over.
After the girls have celebrated Kaoru's return and life is basically back to normal, Aoi buys a new obi -- a big deal with the expense and time it takes to make the formal kimono she always wears. She's hoping for a compliment from Kaoru -- not much to ask, after all -- but the other girls are out shopping for clothes that will better emphasize their bustlines. Will Kaoru even notice her?
There's a bonus chapter at the end spoofing the Ai Yori Aoshi "love sim game." I've seen a few of these before (one involving a would-be nun and the altar of an abandoned church) but this chapter was something else -- I guess the artist decided it had just been too danged long since she got Aoi out of her clothes.
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