Loving Yamada at Lv999 – 12 – Decent Item Drop

Akane still remembers the day she was wandering FOS looking defeated and bored when she was comforted by the warm light of Rurihime. It’s for this reason that now that she’s over her Covid (hat tip to kumashock) she wants Eita and Momo to be the first people to hear that she’s fallen for someone—and Eita can easily guess who.

Eita tells Akane that even though most people note Yamada’s looks, there’s no one kinder than him, so he wishes Akane the best in expressing her feelings to him. Once Akane is off, Momo wastes no time re-introducing herself and asking if Eita has a girlfriend. Hey, can’t hurt to try!

But when Akane stops by Yamada’s to say what she wants to say, the moment never seems right. There are loud neighbors ruining the mood. Yamada is in a rush to get to cram school. Without knowing what Akane wants to say, he suggests she walk with him, but she loses focus and almost gets hit by car-kun.

It’s at this point that Akane decides to call it; she’ll tell him another time. But Yamada can still sense it’s something important, so he says he’ll give her a call later tonight. This puts a big, adorable smile on Akane’s face, which in turn puts a smile on Yamada’s.

By not going for broke and getting those ever-important three words out when she had the chance, Akane unwittingly kept the door open for someone else: Tsubaki. After cram school it starts raining hard, and Tsubaki doesn’t have an umbrella so Yamada shares it with her.

When he decides to give the whole umbrella to her and run for it, Tsubaki chases after him, stumbling and dropping her glasses in the process. Yamada comes back to pick them up for her, and that’s when she says “I like you,” tearfully covering her mouth immediately after as if she’d done something terrible.

But kudos to Tsukabi—she said what needed to be said to clear the air between them, and her timing was perfectly imperfect. The only problem is, it’s unlikely Yamada can return her feelings. He may not totally understand his feelings for Akane, but he knows he doesn’t have those same feelings for Tsubaki.

My heart breaks for Tsubaki, as she’s a good kid who deserves happiness. But I also can’t overlook how well-matched Akane and Yamada are.  Yesterday, Akane felt selfish and self-centered by not thinking about Yamada’s schedule the day she visited him to confess.

Rather than press her agenda of trying to confess when he visits the konbini where she works unannounced, Akane can tell Yamada is down, and so decides to cheer him up, drawing her character and her new sword on his hand. When he tells her he’s quiet and reserved because he fears saying the wrong thing, and is “just a nobody”, Akane assures him he isn’t.

That said, I would feel like garbage too if I had to meet with Tsubaki that night to turn her down and possibly break her heart. Tsubaki’s sentiment is devastatingly apt: falling in love should be more fun than that.

As for Akane, she could have confessed to Yamada the previous day or here outside the konbini, but chose to subordinate her feelings to Yamada’s (previously due to his hectic schedule, now due to his mood). Eventually, if anything is going to happen with these two, Akane is going to have to put herself and her feelings, first.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury – 22 – The Kids Are Alright

As Quiet Zero destroys a third of the Assembly fleet and forces their retreat before going dormant to recharge, Guel is unable to convince his fiancée to come out of her room. Tortured by the devastating consequences of her choices, MioMio is in full-on hikikomori mode, while Suletta and Earth House are springing into action.

Suletta’s friends respect her decision to confront her mother and Eri, but they won’t let her go alone. They’re all in this together. Aided by Selecia and Rouji and with Felsi pitching in, their ranks have grown. And considering the risk she’s taking on behalf of peace, Suletta is allowed to speak to Miorine…but not before she defeats Guel in an old-fashioned duel with foils.

I honestly did not know Suletta was so good at fencing, but also not surprised considering how skilled she is in the cockpit. Both are a form of martial dance, and when she’s able to duck under Guel’s lunge and score the first hit square on his chest, he graciously accepts defeat and restores her white Holder’s uniform.

Through the bedroom door Suletta tells MioMio that she’s made the decision to move forward even if she gains nothing, but admits that she’s scared about what’s to come. Mio tells her she can’t give her a pep talk, and how all of her decisions were mistakes.

Suletta tells her she’s made mistakes too—including killing others—but she’s only where she is because she met Miorine, and that’s not a mistake. Mio emerges from her blankets and walks to the door to meet Suletta in her jammies and the ultimate bedhead. Suletta offers her hand and Miorine takes it, tenderly, even lovingly.

After apologizing to Earth House, Mio meets with her father, who is awake but not yet able to speak. She tells him she’s not going to run, either from the Benerit Group or the curse of the Gundams. Delling responds with what looks like an expression of approval and pride.

Suletta and Miorine participate in a meeting with Parche, Belmeria, Guel, Elan, Kenanji to determine how they’ll be able to get Suletta to engage Quiet Zero. A support ship with Miorine and the techs aboard, along with Guel in Selecia’s Demi Barding, and both will be off the Permet network so Eri can’t hack them. Suletta will be piloting Calibarn to distract Eri and the swarm Gundnodes.

As the Benerit Group Front is evacuated, Mio meets with Shaddiq, shows him her resolve, and proposes a deal with him. She then suits up with Suletta, who presents her with a tomato. Earth House research discovered a message to Mio’s mother in the genetic code of the fruit, and Mio takes a big juicy bite, and tells Suletta they’ll grow more, together.

But first thing’s first: Suletta has to stop her family from rewriting the world. To do so, and to interface properly with Calibarn, Suletta will have to clear Permet Score 5 without any filters or Eri beating the brunt anymore. It’s the first time Sulettat has to endure the same data storms as other Gundam pilots, and it’s very touch-and-go as the score jumps from 2 to 3 to 4.

But Suletta hangs in there, Miorine trusts her and keeps the sequence going, and Suletta is able to clear Score 5. With that, she immediately sorties, breaking through Quiet Zero and generally causing a big ol’ ruckus. Even when Prospera realizes it’s Suletta in the cockpit, she doesn’t stop the drones from attacking her. But she taught her daughter well; the drones can’t beat her.

As Miorine’s ship and Guel’s mobile suit prepare to commence their part of the operation, the Schwartzette appears on the battlefield and opens fire on Guel. It’s our wild card boy Lauda, who is angry that Guel is still letting himself be led by the nose by “that troublesome woman” presumably Suletta.

While the brothers look poised to duel, delaying Guel’s role in the operation, Suletta gets close enough to Quiet Zero to cause Aerial to launch out of the mothership. Her childish avatar appears and asks Suletta what she’s doing there. Suletta tells her sister straight up that she’s there to stop both her and mom.

It won’t be easy or painless, but I have faith that Suletta, with Miorine and all her friends supporting her, can do just that.