My reaction to the events of this episode is “it annoys the hell out of me but I get it”. That’s not the first time with that either where Kekkon suru tte, Hontou desu ka is concerned. It’s important that I acknowledge that there’s an element of “I feel seen” in my reactions to this (excellent) series and its characters. Some of these observations hit a little too close to home, which tells me there’s probably an element of that for the mangaka too. Not only are a lot of writers introverts, but a lot of them write because they are. It’s a way of expressing a part of yourself you can’t express the way extroverts would.

One thing that’s now absolutely clear is that Takuya is the higher-functioning one in terms of dealing with societal norms, despite initial impressions being just the opposite. Rika is quite possibly on the spectrum somewhere, I would guess – there are things which Takuya can brush off that clearly cause her existential discomfort. And she seeks comfort in the familiar, which in her case is being alone, maps, piles of rocks. Her routine, her way, her company. She’s self-aware to the point where she knows why she does it, but not to the point where she’s doing anything about it.

I admit, there’s a part of me that has “Run Like Hell” playing in his mind here, from Takuya’s perspective. It’s a pet peeve of mine but this whole “You must be defective if you like me” thing is incredibly disrespectful. In fact the whole way Rika handled this date was disrespectful and rude. To invite Takuya out in such a cold manner, with no explanations, then start pushing him away as soon as he shows up? He doesn’t deserve that. It can’t be stressed enough – Takuya has done nothing wrong here. It was even Rika who suggested the marriage scam in the first place, though he could have said no if he’d wanted.

But again – I get it. This shit it really hard for some of us. It makes us do strange and sometimes mean things. We shield ourselves, turn off our emotions. Fear of disappointment and rejection is powerful. Fear of having an outsider disrupt the bubble in which we’ve become comfortable is terrifying. The risk-reward equation is forever playing itself out in our heads. The simple fact is, while Takuya being introverted and awkward himself is the reason any of this is even on the table, he has to accept that this is harder for Rika than it is for him. He’s going to have to be the stable one, the rudder on the ship of state. And for someone who’s hardly a natural at this himself, that’s a big ask.

Is it worth it? Well – that’s the question, Jimmy. She’s certainly asking herself that but he probably should be more than he is. The Tamagawa “date” was fascinating to watch play out in an unnerving way. I don’t think either of them were faking it. Takuya genuinely found the Tamagawa experience interesting (I know I would). Rika genuinely expected him not to. Her coldness towards him was really cruel, but she’s broken that way – it is what it is. The fact that he persevered through all that and then took assertive action at the end proves that  his feelings for her are real.

At least Rika was honest with herself about why she told Takuya to take a hike (and not on the Tamagawa Aqueduct). He – or rather, her affection for him – is too threatening to her emotional guardrails. Clearly this is not the first rodeo for him in the breakup department, and his own pattern is to accept it rather than fight for it. He’s the one who breaks his patterns (again, he’s higher-functioning) and forces a decision on her. And for once she acts on instinct rather than calculation, and they smooch. And the abject panic that sets in after that (and lingers) is totally accurate to the circumstances (and splendidly depicted).

One way or another, what’s done is done. The whole minefield of workplace romance hasn’t even factored into the debate yet, but it’s nothing to sneeze at. The awkwardness between them now makes a return to the status quo impossible. Then there’s the matter of the blackmail thing, which I still think is a subplot 365 Days would be better off without. Some thought it was Kurokawa-san though that never seemed right to me, and that phone call seems to prove  it wasn’t her (but now she knows). What really matters though isn’t the caller, or Alaska, but whether these two can conquer their own neuroses and make a go of it. And most critically, whether they’d be happier doing so – and no, I don’t think that’s a given.