Ana narrates that her parents are having a night out, so she's staying at the Itou place. Nobue asks if she brought everything. Ana thinks so. It's Ana's first sleepover, as her parents are kind of strict; plus, she'd never been invited. It's quite exciting. Miu is frowning at seeing them holding hands. She separates them, then tries to reach Nobue's hand, but Nobue puts it out of reach.
episode. 22: The Green-Eyed Monster
(The episode page features a misnumbered episode, which I've corrected here and in my copy. Anyway, Nobue is lying on her side on the floor with her elbow on an animal-head-shaped pillow, and lightly holding and looking at a carton of cigarettes suspended from a fishing pole held by Miu. It's the image for the preview of volume 3, as well.)
Nobue is out shopping with the bunch. She lists off the things she needs: chives, nappa cabbage, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and pork. She remembers the rice cakes at home, and figures that'll do it... until Chika and Miu tell her, "Junk food." Nobue tells them they can pick out what they want, since her mother gave her money. Miu hands her cheesecake, but she puts it back. Ana asks for some kind of snack food, and Nobue offers to buy two. Miu demands justice. Nobue wants her job back, and asks Miu if she'd get it for her; in the meantime, justice denies her the cheesecake.
Miu tells Ana to stop hanging on Nobue, lest people think they're lovers. Nobue counters that this store is big, and as she's never been to it before, it's scary, as she could get lost. Miu growls to herself.
She asks where they're all sleeping. They'll be in Chika's room, as Nobue's is too small. Miu tries again to get cheesecake, but Nobue puts it back again. Miu asks to be bought just one. Nobue points out that she could buy one herself if she got a waitressing job, but she's too flat to get hired. (Maybe at Magnetron Burger, then?) Miu starts to accuse her of being cheap... then realizes that other thing she said. She loudly demands to know of whom Nobue was speaking. Nobue explains it, and says to keep her voice down. Miu looks over at Matsuri and Chika, and points out, again loudly, that it's also true of them. She just about includes Ana in that, until she notices, and possibly remembers, that it's not entirely true of her. Nobue hears the sound of something being put in her cart. She's about to tell Miu no cheesecake, but then sees 2L of milk. Nobue is fine with that, if she thinks it will help.
At the Itou home, a stew is prepared. Chika, thinking it's ready, brings it over. Ana is impressed by how good it looks, though Nobue remarks that stew is hard to mess up. Traditional Japanese before-meal things are said... then Ana starts losing height. That is, Miu is pulls her by the ankles, then takes her place. Nobue wonders what is with her. She apologizes to Ana for Miu's preference that Ana sit over there. She asks Miu if she's that fond of her; Miu says she's fonder than anyone else. Nobue asks if she'd say she loves her. She says she does. Nobue... sees, taking the color from Miu's irises and removing her pupils completely.
Chika is concerned that she oversalted the food, so she asks Matsuri about it, but she says she can eat it. (I assume she doesn't ask Nobue because of Nobue's smoking, which I'm led to understand dulls the taste buds.) Miu gets Matsuri's attention and informs her that she's eating dead pig parts. Nobue tells Miu not to put a negative spin on dinner. (Heh. It's practically a positive spin over here.) Nobue asks Matsuri's favorite ingredient in the stew; she says she likes the shiitake mushrooms. Miu gets Matsuri's attention again, and asks if she wants a boiled leaf. (Hey, I'll take it instead of dead pig parts.) Nobue says it's nutritious cabbage.
Nobue is out looking at the pretty stars, and smoking. A beeping informs them that the bath is ready. Nobue asks who wants first. Chika doesn't care, so Nobue asks Ana if she'd like to join her. Ana nervously agrees. Miu "Aaah..."s, leading Nobue to ask Miu what she wants. Miu decides she's joining them. Nobue doesn't think all three of them will fit, but Miu doesn't want excuses. (It's a fairly poor excuse, unless they grew a lot since episode 3; Nobue, Miu, and Matsuri were all in the bath room, though only two of them occupied the tub at any one time.) Miu tries to direct Ana into the toilet (the room, not the fixture), but Nobue is there to steer her right.
Inside, Miu and Nobue have presumably washed up and are in the tub, while Ana has apparently washed what she could while remaining towel-covered. She notices, however, that she's being watched. She asks the two not to look at her like that. Nobue apologizes, but Miu figures it shouldn't be a big deal, as she's covered by a towel. She wants to wash up, though, she asks them ( ?) to turn away. Nobue seems fine with this, and tries to make Miu turn around. She asks for herself, however, if it's okay if she watches, but Ana would emphatically rather she not. Miu asks if it would be okay as long as they confine their gaze to her breasts (as mentioned elsewhere, they're of a barely noticeable size, but this is still larger than Miu's), but Ana gives an emphatic no. Nobue still looks through half-closed eyes, while Miu doesn't bother to disguise her stare; Ana "begs their pardon". The bath is free, and judging from the stutter, I assume Matsuri answers. (I'll go ahead and spoil the fact that Chika doesn't appear for the rest of the episode, though she's in the Strawberry Sports thing; it's unknown as to whether she and Matsuri share a bath or whether they have theirs separately.)
Nobue notices that Ana's hair is straightened. Ana says it'll get wavy upon drying. Nobue remarks that it's cute that way. Miu points out her own straight hair, but Nobue says it's always been that way, and says it looks better tied up.
Nobue notices Ana putting her hair into a ponytail, and Ana notices her noticing her. Nobue asks if she always does that after a bath; she does, as just using a hair dryer takes too long. Nobue remarks how cute she looks that way, too. (Oh, just face it: Ana's pretty much always cute.) Miu points out her own tails, but Nobue says that's how she looks every day.
Miu tells her she sucks, and tells her to choose, once and for all, who's more important to her: her or Ana. Nobue asks Miu if she thinks she's competing with Ana, but Miu says she won't let her leave until she makes a decision on whos better. Nobue wonders why she would leave since it's her own room. She finally says the winner is Ana, score of 8 to 2. This prompts Miu to burst out crying. Nobue asks if she really is, and Miu calls her a jerk. Nobue figures she's serious, and has Ana go to Chika's room so she can fix it. Ana agrees to, but seems confused about the whole thing.
Nobue apologizes, and asks Miu to stop crying. Miu asks why she's nicer to Ana and Matsuri. Nobue says she doesn't know, tells Miu to stop it, and points out that they're younger, and that she's not trying to play favorites. Miu says it doesn't matter, as Nobue likes Ana better than her. Nobue claims it was a poorly thought-out joke, while wonder how she got sucked into it. Miu is upset enough to tell Nobue to leave her alone, but Nobue grabs her wrist and tells her that she likes her the best. After a stunned silence, Miu asks, "Really?" Nobue says she wants Miu to share her bed. Miu agrees.
The light goes off, and they say their "good night"s. The two face each other. Nobue is relieved that it seemed to calm her down; it was quick, if not necessarily the best way. She thinks or says an "Aw" as Miu holds her hand. Nobue reasons out in her head that Miu is an only child, and with Ana and Mats(uri) coming over all the time, the attention Nobue has for Miu is reduced. Then Nobue finds herself unable to sleep. She's never in bed by 8:35 (20:35). Awwwwwwww! This next panel of Miu is soooo cuuuuute!
The next morning...
Exterior shot of the underside of the corner of the roof.
Nobue awakens to find that it's 7:20, which is early for her. She also notices that the pillow's gone. Miu says her "Good morning." Nobue starts to say hers, but notices Miu's middle is bulging. Nobue asks if she's nine months "preggers" already, but then says it's all wrong. (As in, Nobue doesn't have the biological equipment to get anyone pregnant, and nine months of pregnancy doesn't normally happen in one night... not to mention that Nobue was trying to literally sleep.)
Strawberry Sports
Chika
- Ski
Chika appears to have fallen in such a way that her knees are bent toward each other, and she has snow on different parts of her. She pushes her ski glasses off her eyes.
- Basketball
Chika is kneeling and holding the ball. A hoop and backboard can be seen.
Next time: Episode 23!
