Ripe for the Picking (瓜を破る～一線を越えた、その先には)

Good morning!

Here are your medical check-up notices.

Thank you.

It's that time of year again.

I was flagged during last year's breast cancer screening.

You were?

They checked it again and it turned out to be nothing.

Let's hope there's no abnormalities this year.

Right.

My love life is abnormal enough.

He keeps his nose like…

It was so fun being together.

But because I made a move on him too quickly…

Kagiya?

I'm sorry.

Wait, Kagiya!

Because I was too aggressive,

he must have been put him off.

WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT'S GOING ON? CALL ME, PLEASE PICK UP, LET'S TALK

You know, to begin with,

the reason I work so hard is because I'm thinking about our future together.

If we were to get married, I'd have to work the hardest.

You only make half of what I do. If you don't even get--

Makoto?

I was being a bit too harsh, but still…

Miyuki.

What?

Here. It's the medical check-up notice.

Thanks.

You look pale. Are you okay?

If that's all, just go. Even if you aren't, some of us are busy.

What?

Why are you always so irritable?

I know we weren't on good terms when I quit before,

but that was 13 years ago.

Are you that obsessed with me?

Excuse me?

I don't actually care about you whatsoever.

I see.

Then don't make that face at me.

You look scary.

What do you mean, scary?

Like a monster.

Try thinking about it with the genders reversed, please.

If it had been a man inviting her home,

and he suddenly took her hand and tried to kiss her.

Anyone would pull back. It's creepy.

Guess I was creepy.

But if he wasn't interested at all,

wouldn't he have declined the invitation to come over?

That's true.

That doesn't mean he consented to it.

Some people don't want sexual intimacy.

Could it be Kagiya is also asexual?

He doesn't look like it.

Though neither does Hara.

I can't figure this out.

If you can't figure it out, you're simply going to have to ask them.

THE OTHER DAY

I can't.

Give me a break!

I forgot about that.

HEALTH CHECKUP QUESTIONNAIRE

"Have you engaged in sexual activities?"

That one again…

Every year, I have to publicly document that I've never had sex.

The embarrassment, emptiness and misery it brings …

HAVE YOU ENGAGED IN SEXUAL ACTIVITIES?

NO

If I had experience,

would things have gone better with Kagiya?

MARRIED - UNMARRIED

UNMARRIED

I was too focused on making sure I could support myself.

My family is poor

so I was studying and working when everyone else was having fun.

Even after getting a full-time job

I made sure to learn the job so I could make money quickly.

I can always get married anytime.

Or so I thought.

If I knew I'd feel this way, it would have been easier to stay alone forever.

I'm sorry.

It's not like you're new at this,

so how could you not double-check before adding the photo?

I'm terribly sorry.

Ms. Kosaka.

You're making a lot of mistakes lately.

I've been spending all my time fixing your messes.

Well now, everyone makes mistakes.

Ms. Kosaka might have had a lot going on in her personal life.

That's not an excuse.

Everyone has their issues, but we all work hard.

If your personal life is that important, then just get married and quit already.

Some of us are too busy to just lounge around.

Hurry up and fix it.

I'm sorry.

It wasn't anything to get that mad about.

I'm becoming a monster again.

Let's be careful.

STORE WIDE SALE EVENT

WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT'S GOING ON?

I'LL WAIT, TODAY IS YAKISOBA

I never replied.

I wonder when Makoto's kindness became something I took for granted.

Even though I was only able to work so hard

because he was there for me.

I don't know what to do. What if he never comes back?

That hurt.

Miyuki?

Are you okay?

Tsuji…

There you go.

Thanks.

I live close around here too.

What?

I've seen you going home a few times, but I couldn't approach you.

You always looked so scary.

Why were you crying?

I-I wasn't crying.

Huh?

Huh?

I'm certain you were crying.

Right. You probably had a stomach ache.

Of course that's not it.

My boyfriend left.

Huh? What?

What? Wait a minute, you have a boyfriend?