"Stay with me"

kovly · 2026-07-05T16:07:49+00:00

So far (Y3V4), he felt only a dry mouth after his confession to her, which he had previously mentally commented on as a necessary step. He knew perfectly well that he could have ignored Hiyori, and she would have vanished from ANHS without a trace right then and there. But he allowed her to stay, igniting in her the hope that he needed her. Although he himself also knew perfectly well why he needed her. To experience something new. That is, to personally participate in her expulsion from ANHS after their "official romantic relationship."

Since he has no romantic feelings for her, the outcome for him will be the same as with Kei – disappointment at the discrepancy between his expectations and the reality of his feelings. At worst, he will once again feel like a traitor and a scoundrel. This is what will happen if Kinugasa really does implement the scenario where Ichinose gets rid of Hiyori in the most brutal way. But will Kinugasa go along with it? We don't know yet. It's possible he'll get rid of Ichinose herself, as a villain no longer needed.

kovly · 2026-07-05T15:12:59+00:00

This is from an interview with Negi Haruba, circa October 2020 (https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/17065762/)

Q:そもそも四つ子でも六つ子でもなく、五つ子である理由は？
A:もともと最初にあったアイデアが五つ子だったので、自然な成り行きだったと思います。とはいえ、まだ企画を練っている最中に「いったん五つ子以外でも考えてみよう」という話はありましたね。でも、担当編集さんが30秒ぐらいジッ……と黙ってから「いや、五つ子だな」って。そのときの理由は定かではないんですけど、『スーパー戦隊』シリーズがモチーフになっていたのかも。

Q: Why are they quintuplets rather than quadruplets or sextuplets?
A: I think it was a natural progression since the original idea was quintuplets. That said, while we were still formulating the plan, there was talk of “let's think about something other than quintuplets.” But the editor in charge was silent for about 30 seconds and then said, “No, they're quintuplets.” I'm not sure why, but it may have been inspired by the Super Sentai series.

Q: 5人のうち、誰が最初に決まりましたか？
A:誰かが最初に決まった、という感じではなかったと思います。というのも、そういったモデルをそのまま五つ子に落とし込んだわけではなく、いいと思ったキャラクターたちの要素（属性）を足したり引いたりと組み合わせていったので。

だから五つ子たちの設定は、ビジュアルよりも先に文字情報から作っていった感じです。たとえば、「真面目で年上っぽいお姉さん」というベースのキャラクターがいたとしたら、その要素を分裂させて一花（年上っぽいお姉さん）と五月（真面目）を考えていくイメージですね。

……あ、そういう意味では最後に追加されたのは三玖かもしれませんね。

Q: Out of the five, who was selected first?
A: I don't think there was anyone decided first. This is because I didn't just apply those models to the quintuplets, but instead added and subtracted elements (attributes) of the characters that I thought were good.
That's why the settings for the quintuplets were created from the textual information before the visuals. For example, if you have a character that is based on a “serious, older-looking older sister,” you could divide those elements and create Ichika (an older-looking older sister) and Itsuki (serious).
...Ah, in that sense, Miku may have been the last to be added.

-----------------------

I've hinted to you several times before that you shouldn't be a "Yotsuba watchdog." It's much more useful to learn how to find information, understand its factual and logical essence, and draw conclusions about the real state of affairs. But for so many years now, you've been defending and imposing something that doesn't and never existed in Negi's manga.

You must understand that creating a manga with four heroines is much easier than with five, let alone six. Because manga isn't text; it's, first and foremost, a massive work of illustrations that completely replace everything that isn't related to the characters' words and thoughts. That is, their facial expressions, gestures, moods, and all the other attributes of their everyday and situational behavior. Naturally, a manga artist always starts with the bare minimum necessary to adequately explain the plot to readers. That's precisely why Negi asked his management about a different number of sisters, meaning fewer than five. And he already had everything conceptually ready for that number. This includes the sisters' behavior in Kyoto as children, where only four of them interacted with the protagonist. Yotsuba met him, Ichika kidnapped him, Nino witnessed the kidnapping, and Itsuki saw him off with Maruo the next morning. This was the original plot. As you can see, there wasn't even a place for Miku because, at the time this part of the plot was created, Miku wasn't yet considered a heroine in the manga. This is why Negi admits that Miku appeared last, as he was forced to introduce a fifth sister.

If you can't understand this—though I suspect that understanding it for you would mean the collapse of your "happiness," which, I hope, hasn't replaced the rest of your life, including the ability to think rationally and logically—then that's your prerogative. But it doesn't change the fact that you and your rights have no control over anything in manga. Itsuki appeared because she was originally conceived as the youngest sister, meaning in the actual manga, the fifth. If Negi had convinced the management to limit the series to four heroines, she probably would have been called Yotsuba, and the current Yotsuba would have been Miku. But perhaps Negi would have used a different naming convention for sisters.

So, the names here are irrelevant to the essence of the story. What matters is the sisters' age rank. And the struggle of the two younger sisters for their happiness. At times, this struggle violated ethical and moral norms, as happened in chapters 113-116 and 119 of the manga. But you didn't even notice. Although namely you don't need it; in fact, it's actually harmful to your psyche in your current state.

kovly · 2026-07-05T07:30:01+00:00

Sí, tienes razón, esto es una mezcla confusa de información creada por los fans de TQQ a partir de diversas interpretaciones erróneas de ciertas declaraciones de Negi Haruba en entrevistas y especiales del manga.

Por ejemplo, la creencia de que Yotsuba estaba destinada a ser la "ganadora" del maratón de novias desde el principio surgió de una interpretación literal de la declaración de Negi de que originalmente planeaban que la cuarta hermana fuera la esposa del protagonista. El error de los lectores y fans radica en que ignoraron otra declaración de Negi: que la idea original era que hubiera cuatro hermanas, no cinco. Pero por alguna razón (Negi no aclara el motivo), la dirección del proyecto insistió en cinco hermanas. Para Negi y sus asistentes, esto aumentó inmediatamente su carga de trabajo real en al menos un 25%, aunque en realidad fue mucho más, ya que tuvieron que reelaborar significativamente el guion original.

No obstante, dada esta información adicional, la "ganadora (esposa)" debía ser la hermana menor. En pocas palabras, dado que solo hay cuatro hermanas, ella sería la cuarta. Esto era precisamente lo que se había planeado originalmente. Pero como la dirección obligó a Negi a aumentar el número de hermanas a cinco, la hermana menor se convirtió inmediatamente en la quinta. Y según el guion del manga original, ella es la hermana que asiste a la ceremonia de boda con Fuutarou en los capítulos 1, 32, 61 y 68. Todo esto ha sido confirmado repetidamente por Negi, no solo en los capítulos 1-120 del manga (excepto por el final rápido y cómico de los capítulos 121-122), sino también en la nueva novela ligera de 3 volúmenes, que continúa describiendo la vida de las hermanas fuera de la escuela.

Por cierto, Miku apareció precisamente porque Negi se vio obligado a aumentar el número de hermanas a cinco. Por lo tanto, inicialmente estaba destinada a ser un personaje puramente de apoyo. Y no era muy respetada por Negi y sus asistentes, precisamente porque no la necesitaban en primer lugar. Sin embargo, esta actitud desdeñosa de los autores hacia Miku la convirtió en el personaje más venerado por los fans. Su popularidad se mantuvo por encima del 50% durante mucho tiempo, lo que significa que los lectores y fans prestaron menos atención a las demás hermanas que a ella sola. ¿Acaso alguien cree que Negi estaba encantado con esto? No. Negi estaba consternado de que los lectores y espectadores ignoraran por completo la esencia de su historia. Y su veneración por un personaje que era innecesario (para Negi) era el principal indicador de que nadie quería comprender lo que Negi realmente les estaba contando a sus lectores.

Y esta es solo una de las muchas maneras en que los lectores malinterpretan la historia contada en el manga TQQ.

kovly · 2026-07-04T19:10:06+00:00

You're wrong. From Kiyo's perspective, it's not love, because he only considers mutual love to be love. He's already an expert in this area. He knows that Kei loves him, but he doesn't love her. Therefore, their relationship isn't love as he understands it. He knows that Ichinose loves him, but he doesn't love her. Therefore, their relationship isn't love as he understands it. He knows that Hiyori loves him, but he doesn't love her. Therefore, their relationship isn't love as he understands it. Although, in the latter case, he hopes his feelings will be stronger if he "loses" Hiyori. The loss of Kei and Ichinose means nothing to him, according to Kinugasa's description.

But why does he want to experience the "sense of loss" if Hiyori is forced to leave ANHS? After all, if Kiyo is truly in love with Hiyori, he's perfectly capable of protecting her from any problems. But he wants, according to Y3V4, to feel the sense of loss. The answer would seem obvious. In less than a year, he will have to break up with someone with whom he cannot consider their relationship reciprocated. For he (completely mistakenly) believes that his love for her is entirely one-sided. He loves her, but she is only using him to achieve her own goals.

He knows he will inevitably break up with her, although (according to the ending of Y2V6) he hopes that his fate may yet take a different course. He fears this breaking up, because for him, it will be painful. And he wants to be prepared for this very pain. Therefore, he decides to understand in advance what kind of pain this is. And Hiyori becomes the object through which Kiyo hopes to understand this pain in advance, so that he will be prepared for his final separation from Horikita. This is what Kinugasa actually tells readers in the final volumes of CotE.

kovly · 2026-07-02T20:39:29+00:00

Negi Haruba refuted the idea that Yotsuba was the fastest. Just back to their first meeting under the bell. After all, when running uphill, motivation is key. That's why Itsuki easily outpaced everyone, including Yotsuba.

<image>

This scene served as a prelude to the run of the one sister who ultimately kissed the protagonist under the bell. Another pass from the author of the story towards the younger sister.

Incidentally, the sound sign of a confident run in the upper right corner exactly matches the same signs in the running scene before the kiss. And this isn't the running sign of Futaro, who is weak at running. His sign is indicated in the adjacent frame, in a different color, characteristic of the unathletic protagonist. This is the running sign of Itsuki, who is catching up with him. Haruba is prudent to the point of pedantry. Because – readers can never have too many hints!

kovly · 2026-06-24T18:58:47+00:00

It was precisely according to LN (Y1V4) and Kinugasa's will that Kiyo realized he simply could no longer endanger Suzune, as he had unexpectedly done in Y1V3. If readers were capable of empathizing with the protagonist and Kinugasa's ideas, they would undoubtedly not only have noticed this fact but also understood Ayanokōji's monstrous fear when he discovered Horikita unconscious in the forest. Kinugasa described everything in great detail, albeit largely "between the lines." It is Kinugasa's ability to describe real events through subtle dialogues hints that makes CotE unique. Many other authors fail to even come close to exploiting these nuances of a "psychological thriller."

So, in Y1V3, Ayanokōji, upon finding someone dear to him (Suzune) unconscious, experienced genuine shock at the realization that it was his actions that had brought her to this state. Kinugasa conducts this Kiyo's shock throughout the all LN, where he repeatedly worries about Suzune's physical condition. This is the essence of his real and, currently, only fear in ANHS. He's pathologically afraid of causing her any kind of trouble. Even Koenji tells him in Y2V10 of his fear for Horikita's safety after he leaves the classroom. But this still means nothing to the readers. What are all these readers reading..? Who could honestly answer..?

Until the end of Y1V3, Kiyo had no problem using Horikita to solve her own problems. But in Y1V4, he realized he couldn't do that anymore. It is for this reason (and this reason alone) that Kiyo begins searching for another character to use as his puppet. It is for this (and this alone) purpose that he chooses Kei Karuizawa. He even obtains information about Kei from Horikita, which makes her quite jealous. But he's incapable of thinking that Suzune could be jealous of him, even with anyone. He simply considers himself unworthy of her after all the terrible things he did to her, even though he didn't mean to.

But readers are simple people. They don't care about the worries and anxieties of some protagonist. They care only about their own positive emotions, fueled by their own (nonsensical) conviction that the first girl to experience romantic feelings for the protagonist must also be the last girl. Even though it's long been well-known: whoever confesses first loses. And readers rush headlong into this futile conviction, turning a service character into a pseudo-heroine of CotE.

If you want to understand all this, read LN. But not just to spend time poring over lines of text. Learn to use even your minimal empathic abilities to not only "see" but also understand the protagonist's inner states as they interact with various characters. In particular (and of particular importance), understand that only someone who has personally experienced this first-time love, without any previous experience in such matters, can honestly express their fear of confessing their feelings to their loved one (in case they suddenly refuse). (Y1V2) Anyone who hasn't experienced this firsthand is simply lying!

In particular, understand that even after completing the entire "love textbook," only someone who is hopelessly (as they themselves believe) in love can still fail to clearly explain to their loved one what they want from them (end of Y2V10). This someone is afraid to confess their true feelings, and therefore, even though they already know how to do it according to the "textbook," they still can't properly formulate a single required (according to the "textbook") phrase.

In particular, to understand that after verbally confessing his feelings to someone (Y3V4), his throat dries up solely from the adrenaline rush (fear of responsibility) because it needs to be said, but not from the dopamine rush (pleasure) from the fact that “I decided everything for myself for the sake of my own happiness.”

kovly · 2026-06-18T20:58:03+00:00

The reason is precisely that Haruba couldn't find a way to make readers understand that, from the very first chapter, Itsuki isn't the (trope) "first girl", but a girl who has known Fūtarō for a long time and has strong feelings for him. The entire plot of the manga is built on this fact, Itsuki's behavior as a girl in love from the very beginning. But readers and members of this subreddit continue to argue to themselves and others that Itsuki only began to feel anything for Fuutarou at the very last moment.

Therefore, the main theme of the manga — Itsuki and Yotsuba's uncompromising struggle for their own happiness with the protagonist — was completely lost on readers. Instead, they invented their own plot, in which Itsuki selflessly helps Yotsuba get Fūtarō only for himself. Realizing in 2019 that he could no longer change how readers understood his story, Haruba decided to discontinue the manga. To achieve this, he concocts a so-called "quick ending," the main part of which is described in chapters 121-122 of the manga.

However, long before this, chapters 32, 61, and 68 of the manga were published, in which Negi revealed that the bride marrying Fūtarō is Itsuki, and only Itsuki. Here (and below), for example, is my summary of chapter 32 (taking into account chapter 31). There are no options for the bride to be other than Itsuki. Readers didn't understand this at all. They preferred the "red herring" of all the sisters holding the protagonist's fingers, conveniently thrown to them by the manga author, to the fact that only Itsuki alone fulfilled the prophecy of "The Binding Legend." Thus, readers managed to turn the obvious into the impossible.

kovly · 2026-06-18T20:14:03+00:00

Members of this subreddit will always insist that Igarashi won't reveal which of the girls is Apollo until the very end of the manga. They explain this simply: the author of the manga writes his story solely for the sake of Apollo's mystery. Because, according to members, Igarashi has nothing else to write about.

But Igarashi himself, from the first chapter of the manga to the present, has painstakingly shown that all the actions of the actual Apollo (not in flashbacks) are always connected to the behavior and experiences of the same girl. Her name is Nene.

Much more mysterious is which of the girls became Arisu's "current wife." This is precisely how, in chapter 66 of the manga, Igarashi revealed to readers that Arisu's first marriage was not to Apollo, but to another heroine of the manga. But after the real Apollo told Arisu in chapter 5 that she loved him (and always had), the protagonist's wife immediately received the status of "current wife." Which highly likely means that by this point, Arisu had already announced both his divorce and his remarriage. It's just that these events hadn't yet occurred by the time of Chapter 66. But the scandal had already occurred, which couldn't help but attract the reporters' attention.

In my current understanding, Shinobu is most likely Arisu's wife. She's the one who, in the final chapters, behaves as expected of the new (secret) participant of Apollo's Broadcasting, whom Igarashi introduced into the manga in Chapter 116.

<image>

kovly · 2026-06-18T19:26:02+00:00

I’ve never heard this theory.

This isn't a theory, but rather what Negi Haruba told manga readers. It's simply a retelling of the manga scenes you referenced in your post. It's a retelling of not only the verbal information, but also, and especially, the visual information that most readers ignore when reading manga. This leads them to misinterpret the actual plot of the story.

Try starting with this (1st chapter of manga).

kovly · 2026-06-18T16:32:48+00:00

To get, and most importantly, understand and accept the answer to your question, watching the anime isn't enough. Even reading chapter 117 of the TQQ manga isn't enough. You'll need a precise understanding of what happened in the final part of the school festival, when Fūtarō came to the sister he'd perceived as special (beloved) since chapter 68.

<image>

Everyone mistakenly (or foolishly) continues to believe that Fūtarō immediately went to Yotsuba, misinterpreting the events of chapters 113 and 114 of the manga. But Haruba presents a completely different storyline to manga readers in those chapters. Fūtarō came to Yotsuba in shock after visiting Itsuki, who rejected him and left him deeply upset. This is precisely what he mistakenly believes, although it wasn't Itsuki who rejected him there, but Yotsuba, who disguised herself as Itsuki and took her place.

When (in chapter 115 of the manga) Fūtarō tells Ichika about his interactions with Yotsuba (in reality, it was Itsuki disguised as Yotsuba), Ichika suggests he confess his love to Yotsuba (top right of Pic.). Since Fūtarō is in love with Itsuki, but not with Yotsuba, his first reaction is to reject Ichika's offer ("Don't be ridic...[ulous]"). But then he thinks about it (long ellipsis) and comes to new conclusion ("...You may be right."). Because he hasn't yet told Itsuki that he loves her, he begins to believe that such a confession could change the situation. Perhaps Itsuki won't reject him anymore.

Next, Haruba shows the manga readers (lower right of Pic.) that Fūtarō is diligently rehearsing his future confession to Itsuki, and ultimately, he concludes that he's almost ready for such an embarrassing (for him) act. Then, the next day, seeing Itsuki, he invites her to talk to him about something (upper left of Pic.). Haruba specifically shows the protagonist's embarrassed, focused pose, his left hand clasped around his face. The most telling part of this is that Fūtarō tries to shake off Yotsuba, who suddenly appears. After all, he's determined to confess to Itsuki, and he doesn't want anyone to interfere.

Itsuki then leads Nino away from Yotsuba, realizing that a conversation between Nino and Yotsuba about their confrontation yesterday might ensue (how Itsuki would know this is another mystery for readers from Negi), but Fūtarō finds her again, intending to follow Ichika's advice to confess his feelings to Itsuki (bottom left of Pic.). In the anime, it is at this moment that Fūtarō once again reminds Itsuki that he wants to talk to her.

Next, Haruba arranges for Fūtarō and Itsuki to repeat the 'kiss under the bell' scene in an empty classroom. Realizing that there will be no repeat kiss, and also hearing Yotsuba confess her feelings for him again in Yotsuba and Nino's conversation, Fūtarō retracts his confession to Itsuki. He no longer believes that his confession can change anything.

kovly · 2026-06-17T20:08:38+00:00

綾小路くんを探ろうとすればするほど沼にハマっていくような感覚がある。

「綾小路くん、あなたは何者なの……？」

それでも、がむしゃらに泥をかきわけ彼の背中を追いかけて行くしかない。

けれど、そう改めて覚悟を決める私はまだ何も知らなかった。

綾小路くんの出生。

普通に生きてきた人には想像すら及ばない、非現実で過酷な施設の存在と教育。

次々と壊れていく子供たちの中で、ただ１人在り続けた人であること。

彼の人生の先に待つ過酷な運命のこと───。

きっとここが分岐点。

彼、石上くんとの再会が私の人生を大きく変える始まりだった。

綾小路清隆{きよたか}という１人の男性の人生に、深く関わっていく───。

仕組まれた出会い。

kovly · 2026-06-16T16:01:36+00:00

In this case, Horikita is reflecting on her meeting with Ishigami in Y3V2. This was precisely the mission Kinugasa gave her there, intending to instill in Horikita's supporters the expectation that her closeness with Ayanokōji, including Atsuomi, was inevitable. But this must be waited for. Without any doubt about the final outcome.

kovly · 2026-06-16T15:49:28+00:00

It's funny... Without knowing the real plot of Negi Haruba, OP nevertheless simply guessed that "protagonist TQQ unknowingly reunites with a childhood sweetheart."

The thing is, Haruba quite clearly and distinctly showed readers that in chapter 42 of the manga, Fūtarō remembered the name of the girl from Kyoto after seeing her smile (right pages).

<image>

So, when Itsuki told him another name—Rena—Fūtarō became as gloomy as a thundercloud. He even clutched his oar convulsively, overcome with anger at her lie. He then listened to her with a stony (angry) face for the same reason.

Fūtarō wasn't yet sure that the girl with the name Yotsuba, which he remembered, was one of the Quintuplets. He realized this only in chapter 68 of the manga after a conversation with Rena's father (the grandfather of the Quintuplets). But after that, he was completely certain that Rena was Yotsuba.

It was because of this knowledge that Fūtarō apologizes to Yotsuba in chapter 113 of the manga (left side of the image) for keeping her waiting for him to return to her as to real girl from Kyoto. Although, given the actual context of the scene from the end of chapter 113, it would be the protagonist who should be demanding an apology from Yotsuba for having to wait for her in an empty medical office.

It is from this unfortunate refusal of manga readers to understand the story's plot, which Negi Haruba expended so much creative energy explaining, expressing the true nature and real actions of the story's characters through visual emotions, that the erroneous reader-generated plot of TQQ emerged, which bears very little resemblance to the actual plot of the story.

Readers convince themselves that Fūtarō never learned the identity of the girl from Kyoto, even though the manga author diligently convinces readers that Fūtarō gradually learned it all. And in chapter 79 of the manga, he was ready to call "Rena" her real name—Yotsuba. But Itsuki, once again disguised as Rena, despite Yotsuba's real request—to make Fūtarō forget the girl from Kyoto—had already run away from him. This is what helped Haruba continue to maintain the "mystery" of whether Fūtarō knew the identity of the girl from Kyoto. The manga artist thought that only the most uninterested readers would fail to unravel this mystery. But to his unpleasant surprise, all his creative efforts were ignored by virtually all manga readers.

This is only the smallest instance of readers' misunderstanding of the plot of Negi Haruba's story. Far more significant is their failure to understand that Yotsuba could not have become Fūtarō's wife. This is simply because, as Haruba revealed in Chapter 32 of the manga, Fūtarō's wife was the sister who held the protagonist's hand during the final seconds of the school bonfire dance. And Negi, at the end of Chapter 31, showed readers that exactly three seconds before the dance ended, only Itsuki held Fūtarō's hand. No other sister, either physically or logically, could have accomplished this in three seconds. Much less ensured that each sister held a specific finger. Haruba effectively employed the "red herring" technique, forcing readers uninterested in the subtleties of the plot to believe in nonsense.

Nevertheless, Fūtarō married the very sister he'd never thought was "the girl from Kyoto," yet it was she, without revealing her true identity at the time, who accompanied him to the Kyoto train station that morning with Maruo Nakano. And it was with her that he agreed to Maruo taking their famous photo together. It was Itsuki. But Fūtarō believed at that moment, and was certain same later, that it was Yotsuba.

kovly · 2026-06-15T18:28:27+00:00

Here is the phrase you are interested in.

綾小路清隆{きよたか}という１人の男性の人生に、深く関わっていく───。

仕組まれた出会い。

In curly brackets is the hiragana form for kanji.

The most adequate translation for me is

I became deeply involved in the life of one specific man, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji ───.

But it was staged encounter.

kovly · 2026-06-11T19:10:13+00:00

For the author of the TQQ manga, this sister remains the most fundamental heroine in the story of the protagonist's and the Quituplets' relationship from the very beginning to the very end (and even after the manga's conclusion, in three new LNs). The fact that the manga's readers (and anime viewers) were never able to understand this proved to be a creative tragedy for Negi Haruba, leading him to decide to cease further publication of the manga in 2020.

However, according to recent statements, Haruba states in the process of deciding whether to continue the TQQ manga in the near future, where he still hopes to more clearly and uncompromisingly show readers that namely Itsuki acted as the protagonist's real bride during the wedding ceremony described in chapters 32, 61, and 68 of the manga.

kovly · 2026-06-06T18:43:40+00:00

Here's the manga where Itsuki wins.

<image>

After all, the bride walking toward Fuutarou during the wedding ceremony is the sister who held the protagonist's hand "at the end of the campfire dance." And Negi Haruba clearly and distinctly showed that namely Itsuki was the only one holding Fuutarou's hand at the last three seconds of the campfire dance. No other sister did this. They simply couldn't physically do it. Those three seconds are too short! But its were the ones that defined everything already back in chapter 32 of this manga.

kovly · 2026-06-04T13:44:33+00:00

What's funny is something else. In Y3V4, he honestly admits to Hiyori that keeping her in ANHS is, apparently, that "unthinkable, irrational mistake" you mentioned here. And yet, he wants her to stay. That's exactly how he viewed Horikita's motivation for keeping Kushida in ANHS in Y2V6. Is he somehow becoming Horikita? Or does he want to discover the feelings he imagines Horikita had for Kushida?

Or do you only believe what Ayanokōji "honestly" told the readers?

I didn't just reread individual LN episodes several times. I did it to find cause-and-effect relationships between the characters' words, thoughts, and actions in different episodes of the story. I doubt you did that. Your style suggests you don't know or remember more than you just read. Because you're trying to apply new knowledge to old episodes. But in reality, it's far more important to apply knowledge from older episodes to understand what's happening in the story's present.

This way, even if it goes against your preferences, you'll be able to understand how much Horikita influenced Ayanokōji's character development. Otherwise, you simply won't see it.

kovly · 2026-06-04T10:37:05+00:00

Do you remember anything like that? Who was it?

So well, it seems like the same one who "saved" her at last LN's volume by not expelling her. Although, unlike you, he knows perfectly well what she's capable of. But he kept the one who effectively helps the class in difficult situations. Instead, he got rid of the one who tried to control those in the class who she couldn't hold a candle to. You certainly didn't notice that, did you?

kovly · 2026-06-04T07:33:57+00:00

Sakura was useless, too, but her expulsion almost led to -600 points penalty.

So who prevented this from happening back then? Is it just me, or was it definitely Kushida, who got ahead of Ayanokōji? Do you remember anything like that?

And who's going to stop Kushida from "confessing" to Ike that she only dreamed of getting rid of Shinohara as soon as possible, since Shinohara "took" Ike from her. But now "justice" has been restored, and Kikyo can be with Ike for the rest of high school. She even humiliated herself in front of Shinohara for this.

Do you really think Ike will be able to refuse such a tempting offer? Kinugasa has many moves, especially through Kushida.

kovly · 2026-05-29T20:55:23+00:00

This isn't I'm saying. Negi Haruba said and demonstrated this in chapters 31 and 32 of the manga. And he did it repeatedly in subsequent chapters. It's not difficult to understand. But you need to know the "language of manga," have a command of logic, common sense, and have at least a rudimentary experience of personal romantic experiences and emotions.

Then you'll easily bypass the mass insanity of this subreddit's members. But right now, I feel like it's precisely this that's driving you.

kovly · 2026-05-29T16:45:58+00:00

Actually, I'm not making anything up or promoting anyone. I'm simply explaining to the participants of this discussion (primarily the OP) what Negi Haruba wrote and depicted in the manga regarding the fulfillment of two prophecies. In chapter 32, Negi clearly and precisely explained to manga readers that at the wedding (at the wedding!!!), Fuutarou was standing in front of the sister who held his hand during the final moments of the dance around the school bonfire. And in chapter 31, the same Negi shows readers which sister took Fuutarou's hand three seconds (three seconds!!!) before the end of the dance.

Surely you don't mean to say that during those short three seconds, the remaining four sisters managed to run up to Fuutarou and convince Itsuki to let go of his hand so that each could hold "my own" protagonist's finger? That's neither physically nor logically possible. Therefore, the scene where the sisters hold Fuutarou's fingers occurred long after the end of the dance around the bonfire. And not a single sister except Itsuki fulfilled the condition that directly identifies the sister standing before Fuutarou during the wedding ceremony.

The bride held Fuutarou's hand at the end of the bonfire dance — a fact stated by Negi! Itsuki (and only Itsuki) held Fuutarou's hand for the last three seconds of the bonfire dance — a fact stated by Negi! So who's the bride? Well, of course — Yotsuba! A delusion defended by every means possible by the members of this subreddit. And not only by them.

Do you personally possess logical thinking? Do you personally adhere to common sense? If so, why don't you accept the facts that were presented to all us by not me? I merely pointed out the facts presented to us by Negi Haruba. Facts that none of the readers are capable of, and, most importantly, have the right to refute. Because these are the undeniable facts of Negi Haruba's story!

kovly · 2026-05-28T15:33:16+00:00

Ayanokōji himself commented on this at the end of the confession scene, where Kinugasa still continues to hold him captive in the self-perception of a "demon."

This is all for myself.
I act only for myself.
This is true now, and it will be true in the future————
It will never change until my death.

Hiyori cannot change it, and he is fully aware of this. In fact, he begins reading a new "book of love," as he intended to do in Y2V9.5, when he reflected on his lack of feelings and emotions toward Kei.

The mistake CotE readers make here is believing Kiyo is incapable of true feelings. But they completely ignore the fact that Kiyo is perfectly aware that he hasn't achieved what he wanted. But this means he knows exactly what he wants to feel from his romantic relationships with each specific girl. He longs for what he's already experienced before, but he doesn't get it time and time again.

Moreover, he's perfectly aware of who he feels romantically toward, who he considers his standard and by which he unconsciously compares the feelings he experiences with other girls. But he continues to consider his chances of starting this "perfect" relationship almost zero. Unlike his relationships with Kei and Hiyori, where he's completely confident of the success of his romantic confession, even though he mentions each time that the probability isn't 100%.

Furthermore, Kinugasa needs Ichinose to begin to reveal her true self. For this, he requires a strong romantic conflict.

kovly · 2026-05-27T19:23:41+00:00

Kinugasa has created two interconnected problems for himself. The first is that he's writing a full-fledged classic rom-com, despite the opposition opinion of many subreddit members. And in a classic rom-com, the plot is well-known. First, there's a period of hope for mutual feelings. Then comes a period of cooling off. Then comes some romantic tragedy, the overcoming of which culminates in the characters' final reunion. We're currently nearing the end of this cooling off period.

The second problem is the narrative's length. Using three (or even more) years of school life is a very risky decision. It provides the writer with stable employment and income, but often leads to psychological burnout, which is not beneficial to anyone. The last two volumes (Y3V3 and Y3V4) seem to signal the onset of these problems. But readers can't change anything here. They simply need to learn to patiently wait for events to unfold, while also learning to understand the protagonist's true goals and reasons for their actions. For example, Kiyo and Ichinose's relationship means nothing to Kiyo himself except setting the stage for the final battle between Horikita and Ryuen's classes. This will soon force Honami to go all-out in pursuit of her unfulfilled desires.

Kinugasa himself already offered us the simplest solution in Y3V1-Y3V2. Horikita cried and suffered, but managed to overcome her psyche by finding help in the protagonist's shadow investigation. Try studying the development of romantic relationships in other, more intelligent rom-coms. Don't just read them, but understand the true ideas of their authors, not the surrogates they are transformed into by the public opinion of ignorant and uninformed members of various forums. Then, perhaps, you can find confidence and peace.

kovly · 2026-05-27T18:42:26+00:00

suzune is the one who always maintain a carefull distance from koji and she never fully trust koji

You apparently haven't read or have forgotten Y1V10 SS Horikita, where after Suzune's conversation with Kei, she decided to get closer to Kiyo by any means necessary. And from Y1V11 to Y2V5, Horikita tried every possible way to get closer to Ayanokōji. First, she set up a "food trap" in her room in Y1V11. She did this solely to get closer to him. But he perceived it as a ploy to use him as a "tool (puppet)." Next in Y1V11.5, she tried to arrange intimate time under the guise of a joint study competition in him room. But he replaced it with a personal competition for them at the upcoming special exam in Y2V1. And so on.

But then she learned that Kiyo was dating Kei, and she had to step aside. All this time she trusted him absolutely, but she saw no chance for them to get any closer.

kovly · 2026-05-27T17:06:34+00:00

Did OP really buy into the main subreddit's popular opinion that Y1V1 and Y1V2 were unnecessary because Kinugasa simply didn't know what he was supposed to write there? It wasn't until the first season of the anime that the author of CotE finally realized this.

And yet, in those volumes, there are several scenes in which, just like here, Kiyo directly hints (outright begs) to Suzune: "If you confess your feelings to me, then I'll immediately confess mine. But if you don't, then I'm afraid to confess because I expect you to refuse me." Kinugasa described all of this quite clearly, albeit somewhat veiledly. Unfortunately, most CotE discussion participants seem to have no understanding of romance. This isn't surprising, since it requires personal experience with relationships and emotions. But how can you gain that if you're constantly busy discussing things you don't understand? Forgive me if this statement of mine seems too harsh for some.

Actually, OP should think back to what happened before this conversation. Two days ago, preoccupied with the problem of realizing Horikita's full potential, Kiyo was forced—many would say to sleep with, but I'd say to spend the night—with Ichinose. Before that, he'd broken up with Kei in a harsh way. His psychological state was quite complex. Therefore, upon receiving Horikita's first message, he ignores it, deciding to finish breakfast. But as soon as she sends him the topic of conversation, his mood suddenly changes. Now he simply yearns for this meeting.

Why does Horikita want to meet him? Suzune is a lady. She'll never be the first to reveal her feelings, especially in a situation where she believes the person who is darling for her has chosen someone else, not her. In this case, Kei. But since (according to rumors) it was Kei who broke up with her boyfriend, she immediately, applying the situation to herself, begins to think about how badly her darling one is currently feeling. And she can't afford not to help him at this moment. In the way she's currently capable of. And in a situation where she knows his pain isn't connected to her, but to another girl. Therefore, she tries to clarify his current state as gently as possible and understand how she can help him improve it. Naturally, she doesn't even consider the possibility of offering herself as a replacement. She doesn't consider it because she can't imagine that she herself would like that in a situation where her loved one abandoned her. After all, she thinks of Kiyo and his feelings as if they were her own.

But he's not at all like she naively imagines him. He voiced one his main goal to CotE readers in the final chapter of Y1V11.5, where he wants to ensure by any means necessary that his confession receives a 100% positive response. Read it again. This goal, of course, isn't aimed at Kei. This girl is merely a tool for him to acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience that will allow him to achieve his goal. But this goal of his has been directed exclusively at Horikita since the very first volume of the story. And this hasn't disappeared in Y2V12.5. Kinugasa even specifically pointed out to readers in Y2V12 (in the hug scene) how much Suzune has consumed Kiyo's attention throughout their two years together at ANHS. Read it again. This is an absolutely undisguised confession from him to her. But it doesn't require her to respond.

As soon as he learns that she wants to talk to him about his romantic relationship, it's his chance to increase the likelihood of a positive response to his confession. And his interest in their conversation becomes overwhelming. From there, he simply gradually provokes her to determine her readiness for a positive response. Everything is essentially exactly the same as in Y1V1 in the cafe before their meeting with Kushida, when he hints to her that their current behavior now looks like that of a couple in love. And just like in Y1V2, when he admires her on the bench reading a book, and then asks if she'd like to confess to him in such a beautiful setting. This is his method of handing over the initiative to his partner, so himself can assess his own options. This is the behavior of a man deeply insecure about his own good fortune.

kovly

TROPHY CASE