Running terribly late today, so this is going to be a short one.  It’s the penultimate episode of Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta (for now – I still think there’s a real chance of a sequel or even a split cour).  The density of the story increases pretty exponentially in later chapters, but we’re reaching the point where progress is a real thing.  This first half of the story (or a little more) is really a chronicle of self-awareness and the lack of it (Kaede makes reference to that this week, in fact), where the second half is more about what one does with it once they acquire it.

The future plan questionnaire is always a pretty big crucible in middle school manga.  For Ai, she only shares the dream she had when she was in first grade  – “Dad’s bride” (another implied win for Kaede, though he’s too dense to realize it).  Kaede initially has nothing on there at all (he declines to tell Ai what he’s thinking), and on reflection realizes he’s never had much self-awareness.  Even going back to his own childhood days all he can come up with is “office worker”.  Eventually he does have a moment of honesty and write “Mie’s husband” but that was never going on the final draft.  He’s only able to erase the first work before she walks in (actually wearing her glasses that day).

Azuma continues to be the loyal wingman.  He helps Ai with her game token cookies in home ec class, and even lets slip a secret about himself – he’s in love with the older girl next door (if you know, you know).  Ai is very impressed with his maturity, but from a distance all Komura-kun gets is the “impressed” part.  She does work up the courage to deliver the cookies, but only after chasing down Kaede when he flees school to avoid hearing her talk about Azuma.

Photos are a big theme this week, starting with the one Ai shows Kaede from her “marry Dad” phase.  But of more import is the one she displays to show off her cooking skills, where she’s drawn a maple leaf (Kaede) in ketchup on the omurice.  She’s horrified when she realizes what she’s shown Kaede, but he doesn’t even make the connection until his mom points it out.  Then, Kaede brings an embarrassing photo of himself to school, from those same early childhood days, showing him with a nosebleed after falling off the bars at the playground.

Ai has forgotten her glasses, and is desperate to see that photo (largely because it shows Kaede with black hair).  So much so that she invites him on an after-school date just to get a look at it, though alas he’s forgotten it at school.  A couple turns on the bars follow.  Fortunately she’s worn shorts, but that’s still enough to inflict another type of nosebleed altogether on Kaede.  If that “for your eyes only” selfie doesn’t tip off where Ai’s mind at this point, nothing does (even if she doesn’t yet fully have the self-awareness to realize it herself).