Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Suzuka Ep 10: Koigataki (Love Rival)

Yamato runs to Asahina's hometown in Yokohama so as to find out whether she is meeting Kazuki and what type of person he is. Even though he has no idea how to face Asahina or what to say when he meets her, all Yamato can think of is to get to Yokohama as soon as possible after seeing the photo in Asahina's room.

Yamato finally finds his way to Asahina's house and is surprised to see that she's from a rich family. Just as he's wondering whether to press the doorbell, Asahina's elder sister asks about Yamato's purpose. He explains that he's concerned about Asahina's meeting with Kazuki but decides to give up looking for them. However, Asahina's sister says that it's fine and will bring him to where Asahina is meeting Kazuki.

Asahina's sister does not reveal where she is bringing Yamato to and he has to follow her blindly. On the way, he reveals that he has been rejected by Asahina and she remarks that he can't do anything since Asahina doesn't like him.

Yamato is brought to the cemetery where he sees Asahina paying respects to Kazuki at his grave and is stunned about Asahina pining for a dead person. Asahina's sister explains that Kazuki died on the day he was supposed to take part in the National Athletics Meet when he was knocked down by a truck. Kazuki was a year older than Asahina and the ace short distance runner in the school team. He was said to be the No.1 runner in the prefecture and Asahina admired him a lot. Even though he was a star athlete, he was constantly making a fool of himself in daily life and Asahina's sister remarks that Yamato seems rather similar to Kazuki in terms of looks and character. Upon hearing this, Yamato decides to go home without telling Asahina even though her sister tries to stop him. He tells her sister not to tell Asahina about his visit and leaves with a sad expression.

Asahina is surprised to see her sister at the cemetery and the latter tells her to stop pining for Kazuki. She suggests that she can go to the amusement park with friends but this strikes a raw nerve in Asahina as she's reminded of Yamato who went with her previously.

Yamato remembers words from Miyamoto and Asahina's sister about him resembling Kazuki and is angry and upset about being regarded as a substitute by Asahina. He scolds himself for being silly to love her when she has never looked at him as an individual. When he returns home dejectedly, Miho asks about his meeting with Asahina but he just thanks her for finding Asahina's address and goes back to his room without a word.

Ever since that day, Yamato skips athletics training as he cannot bear the thought of facing Asahina after finding out the truth. Meanwhile, Asahina starts to think of the past where she used to be at loggerheads with Kazuki as she couldn't stand his relaxed attitude of doing things. As such, they kept quarrelling over minor things and she got irritated at him who always called her Suzukaze instead of Suzuka. However, things started to change after Kazuki helped Suzuka to overcome her pressure during the prefectural competition when she was in Year 2. On the eve of the National championships, Kazuki confessed his feelings for Suzuka and asked her to reply to his request of being her boyfriend when he wins the Nationals. However, he passed away on the next day due to the accident...

The captain of the athletics team ask Miyamoto why Yamato is skipping practice despite the competition being around the corner and Miki offers to look for Yamato later. After school, Hattori asks Yamato why he is not turning up for practice but the latter ignores him. Miki comes to tell Yamato to go for practice but he replies that he's no longer interested in running. She gets angry and tells him not to be a quitter as this will get him into Asahina's bad books. At the mention of Asahina, Yamato grab his bag and leaves even though Miki reminds him to turn up for the competition tomorrow.

That evening, Asahina comes to look for Yamato at his apartment and she starts to reprimand him for causing a lot of trouble with his lack of determination to stay in the athletics team. This makes Yamato angry and he tells her to stop poking her nose into his affairs since she should be the one who is happiest to see him leave the team. They start to get into an argument and Yamato cannot control himself and shouts at Asahina not to treat him as a substitute for Kazuki anymore. She gets mad at the mention of Kazuki and slaps Yamato before running back to her room.

On the day of the competition, Yamato refuses to turn up and is brooding over his relationship with Asahina at home...

I think it's high time Yamato gives up Asahina once and for all. When I saw her scolding Yamato and slapping him, it really made me wonder why she's exhibiting constrasting attitudes to him. On one hand, she keeps scolding him for being a nuisance to the athletics team by joining and quitting at whim but on the other hand, if she really dislikes him and can't stand the sight of him, why go to the extent of questioning his intentions and decision? If you do not care for someone, there's no reason for bothering what he wants to do. In this sense, Yamato does mean something to Asahina but she's been blinded by her feelings for Kazuki and fails to take a good look at her feelings about Yamato. I guess only when she feels that she's going to lose Yamato, the realisation may then come over her.

Seeing the fact that Yamato is in anguish over being taken as a substitute despite being truly in love with Asahina, it's no wonder that he's angry. And there's no reason for Asahina to slap him like that when she was the one who led him on at first and blew hot and cold at him. She doesn't realise how cruel she has been to Yamato.

Anyway, Yamato seems to have turned up for the competition in the next episode and I wonder how things between him and Asahina will change after that. Whether he will stay on in the athletics team is one question and how he will behave towards her is another. And when will Honoka finally make the move to grab Yamato away from Asahina?

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