Kare Kano vol 7

 In volume 6 we learned more about how Miyazawa's parents grew up and fell in love.  The time away from Arima causes her to grow more lonely.  When he returns her love for him overwhelms her and she struggles with expressing herself.  Arima becomes bolder and confesses his desire to make love to her.  Arima struggles with his self worth after a family gathering in which his relatives remind him of his worthlessness.  Before the end of summer Miyazawa and Arima become more intimate, moving their relationship to a place they cannot return from.

    The second semester begins with everyone having to focus on the cultural festival.  The class that does the best can win one of a few desirable rewards.  Miyazawa is fired up for a chance to get notes taken by a past student who graduated to attend Tokyo U.  But Asaba's class has a foil proof plan to win, the Asaba Dinner Theater.  Meanwhile Aya, who is a professional writer outside of school, puts together a sci-fi play that she wants to wrangle everyone into for the cultural festival.

    The second semester also brings a transfer student who had moved to Okinawa three years earlier and is now back to make his own high school debut.  The transfer, Tonami Takefumi could present a problem for Miyazawa's new friend Sakura Tsubaki.  In elementary school Tsubaki was tasked with protecting the sickly and hated Tonami from bullies. Unfortunately for him Tsubaki was no better than the bullies.  When he left, knowing he would return in a few years, he vowed to drastically change himself.  He went away a sickly, short and fat cry-baby and came back a tall, healthy star athlete.  Now he just needs to exact his revenge on the girl who tormented him the most.

    Due to he and Arima getting along previously, Takefumi is welcomed into the friend group.  Miyazawa sees a kindred spirit in Takefumi because of how much work they have both put into improving themselves.  Arima on the other hand starts to feel a distance growing between he and Miyazawa.  He struggles with her sharing something with someone other than him.  As the jealousy grows inside of him what will it mean for the way he reacts to the people around him?

    After much plotting and planning Aya convinces Miyazawa to go along with the play, which then works to convince the other targets for the production to join.  They then work to get approval from the student council and secure an advisor for the temporary club.  Excited by it happening the hard work of producing the play begins.  Arima hangs on the outskirts, looking in, feeling helpless and disconnected from Miyazawa.  Everyone is pitching in for the performance and connecting with her in ways he is unable to.  He begins to doubt if he is worthy of Miyazawa's love, fearing that their connection is tenuous.  As he sits on the sidelines, helpless, he begins to dwell on his utter reliance of Miyazawa.  In contrast, she keeps growing, even when he is not around.  He begins to believe that he is the lesser one in their relationship, instead of equals.  Even though she said she wants to rely on him, she really doesn't need to rely on anyone.  But he desperately needs her to keep the darkness in his heart at bay.

 

Continue on to volume 8.