Episode 39 :
魔の トライングル
("Devil's Triangle")
Shigeru has punched Doumyouji,
who has landed on the ground with a loud thud. Everyone stares, amazed.
Doumyouji gets up, and faces Shigeru, and they stare at each other. He holds his
reddening cheek. Shigeru mentions marriage, and Doumyouji, madder than ever, and
has to be restrained by Akira and Soujurou from going after Shigeru's throat.
Tired of it all, Tsukushi turns around and walks away, as Doumyouji shouts after
her for her to stop, wait, he wants to talk to her. Tsukushi walks away and
stands in front of a statue, which she punches with her fist. Suddenly Shigeru
pops up next to her, startling Tsukushi so that she grabs onto the statue.
Shigeru cheerfully walks next to Tsukushi and asks if she
wants to go get some tea. Tsukushi refuses, but Shigeru begs, dancing around
Tsukushi, saying 'ne, ne, ne! Finally Tsukushi relents, and accepts a concealing
handkerchief to tie around her head as they sneak away from school. At the
restaurant, Tsukushi is irritated by the rich atmosphere and by Shigeru who
talks about how good the expensive tea is. Tsukushi tries it, and agrees that it
is delicious. Shigeru begins to talk about Doumyouji and how interesting he is.
Tsukushi seems surprised that Shigeru is interested in Doumyouji. Shigeru asks
what Tsukushi's first name is, and Tsukushi tells her. Then Shigeru asks what
Tsukushi is to Doumyouji and Tsukushi says she is nothing in particular. Shigeru
then asks about doing H things, and Tsukushi freaks out, frantically denying
anything. Shigeru talks more abut the engagement and Doumyouji. They go get some
ice cream and are sitting on a bench outdoors. Tsukushi says all of this is none
of her concern. Shigeru asks Tsukushi to be her collaborator (in getting
Doumyouji?) and her friend. Before she realizes what she is agreeing to,
Tsukushi says yes. She regrets this right away and can't believe what she has
done. Shigeru is very happy though.
Shigeru and Tsukushi sit there, and Tsukushi thinks about the
triangle she has gotten herself in, with Shigeru after Doumyouji, Doumyouji
liking her, and herself collaborating with Shigeru. Shigeru finds Tsukushi's
green toy and says it is cool, where did you get it, she wants one too. Tsukushi
says without thought that she got it from Doumyouji in Canada. Shigeru thinks
that is cool. Saying that has triggered Tsukushi's memory, and she thinks about
the trip to Canada and Doumyouji warming her with his body after the snow storm.
Then Tsukushi says something about Doumyouji liking her, but reassures Shigeru
that she doesn't like him. This cheers up Shigeru. Tsukushi walks home and
thinks about Shigeru and love.
The next day, Tsukushi goes to the staircase at school and
thinks about Doumyouji and Shigeru. She lays down on the ground and looks up at
the sky, pondering events when suddenly Rui's face appears above her. Startled,
Tsukushi sits up and greets Rui. He asks her what she is thinking about, and she
says ‘Koi' (meaning love) Rui looks at her and says ‘Koi?' (Thinking of it as
the fish). Rui sits down next to Tsukushi and hangs his head down. He says that
for some reason he hasn't been able to sleep and complains of a headache.
Tsukushi stares at Rui and gets an idea, she will massage his head for him. Rui
is dubious of this idea at first, but relents when Tsukushi insists. Tsukushi
kneels behind Rui and places her fingers on his head, through his hair. Tsukushi
begins to massage his scalp slowly. Rui hangs his head forward and says it feels
good, and allows Tsukushi to continue to massage his head. Tsukushi loses
herself in thought as she works her fingers through Rui's hair. She thinks about
Rui, and the other times she met him on the staircase. She remembers how he
looks when she sees him sitting there.
Then Tsukushi realizes what she is doing and stops touching
Rui. Lifting her hands away from his head, she stares at him. Rui looks up to
Tsukushi wondering why she stopped. Tsukushi looks worried and upset. She sits
down next to him. Rui says her face doesn't look good, and he leans closer to
her and places his hand on her forehead. Tsukushi leans back and raises her leg,
placing her foot against Rui's chest pushing him back. Surprised, Rui looks at
Tsukushi, then at her foot. He tells her to move it. Tsukushi looks at her foot.
Looking down, Rui comments on Tsukushi's underwear (which she is giving him a
nice view of
)
and Tsukushi panics and recoils back, falling against the stone wall. But before
her head can hit the wall, Rui lunges forward and catches her head in his hand,
shielding it from the hard wall. He says danger, watch out! Catching her in her
fall has caused Rui to lean his body directly over Tsukushi's. Startled,
realizing the position of their bodies in relation to each other, they stare at
each other, as Rui seems to be feeling something towards her. Mesmerized, they
look into each other's eyes for a long time, staring at each other in an intense
moment. Finally, Rui snaps out of it, and lets Tsukushi go, allowing her head to
fall back and hit the stone wall anyway. He calls her an idiot and walks away.
Tsukushi just sits there and thinks about what happened. She agrees that she is
an idiot, what was she doing?
Toys used in the episode: Shigeru finds the green toy
Doumyouji gave Tsukushi in Canada and asks about it. Tsukushi's explaination
triggers her memories of the snowstorm and Doumyouji's rescue of her in episode
29.
