Operation: Get Konno Erika Motivated goes off without a hitch, thanks to Tomozaki experly deploying three agents to fill up her motivation gauge. It starts with Yuzu asking her to help out with the tournament—Konno is always ready to help out her friends. Hinami then plants the seed in another friend that she doubts Konno’s athletic ability. Finally, Mizusawa tells Konno that Nakamura likes sporty girls.
Put it all together and it’s a home run. Tomozaki technically fails his part of the tournament by fouling out before he can score a lay-up to endear himself to the jocks, but the speed with which he fouls out endears him to them anyway. But the good times only last as long as Konno doesn’t know Izumi and Nakamura are an item.
When she finds out she’s pissed, but instead of taking it out on Izumi, she targets Hirabayashi, the most timid girl in class. Konno scoffs off her attacks as accidental—knocking into her desk, paper airplanes to the head, etc.—but pretty soon everyone notices the malicious intent.
Tomozaki wants to do something to help, but Hinami advises a wait-and-see approach, pointing out that Hirabayashi has yet to do anything to stop the abuse. When Konno escalates by sitting on her desk, Tomozaki stands up and is about to speak up, but someone beats him to it: Natsubayashi Hanabi, AKA Tama.
Tama says what everyone is thinking: that this shit is getting old, but Konno plays games, feigning ignorance. When Tama gets in her face, Konno puts her hand on her arm and says Tama is “shaking like a leaf”; when Tama brushes her off, Konno pretends to be injured, and uses that as ammo against her in subsequent interactions.
Tomozaki observes a change in Hinami when Konno’s target changes from Hirabayashi to Tama, one of her friends. Hinami speaks with all of the mid-level girls to get them sympathetic to Tama (and turn them against Konno), while Mimimi stays close to Tama in order to keep things from spiraling out of hand. It’s as if Hinami is exploiting Tama’s pushback as an opportunity to hurt Konno, while Mimimi is strictly looking out for her dear friend.
When the back-and-forth between the girls doesn’t stop and the class mood starts to sour on Tama, Hinami agrees something should be done, but they disagree on what. Tomozaki proposes that Tama takes a step back. Hinami strongly objects to this, since Tama is “in the right” and shouldn’t have to change. Her usual gamer’s pragmatism is being overridden by her apparent desire for revenge against Konno, no matter what happens to Tama. (h/t Vance!)
One day after school, Tomozaki hangs out with Mimimi and Tama. Mimimi is her usual cheerful, bubbly, clingy self with Tama, but once they see Hanabi off at the station, Mimimi’s demeanor changes drastically. On the verge of tears, Mimimi asks if she’s doing a good job keeping Tama in good spirits. It’s something she could only as “Brain.” I love their easy chemistry.
Tomozaki answers that she is, and I agree. Mimimi is doing what she can, and it is helping, but it’s hard for her to feel good about it when things are still so unpleasant in class. Still, seeing how putting up a brave front for Tama’s sake is taking its toll on Mimimi, Tomozaki decides he’s going to try proposing the retreat strategy to Tama.
Meeting one-on-one with Tama, Tomozaki is about to begin his proposal when she points out that the two of them are a lot alike, never afraid to say what’s on their mind whatever the consequences. When he asks if maybe it would be best to withdraw from the hostilities, she politely declines.
Tama admits it sucks, but she knows she’ll be fine because she knows she’s in the right. She doesn’t want to betray “the Hanabi who believes in things.” Tomozaki respects her choice, but is then caught off guard when she goes on complimenting him.
She’s observed that he’s been able to change and improve himself and his ability to read and influence a room and mood. And while Tama knows she’ll be fine, like him she’s far more worried about Mimimi. So she does want to change for her sake, while remaining true to herself. Since she’s watched Tomozaki change, she wants him to teach her how to “fight”.
Firstly, I want to underscore just how awesome Natsubayashi Hanabi is this week, and in general. She had her fill of Konno picking on someone weaker and didn’t hesitate to stand up to her again and again. In a battle of wills, I’ll take her over anyone, even Hinami. At the same time, Konno may be acting like a petty, petulant bitch right now, but that doesn’t make her a bad person.
Konno just isn’t dealing with her frustration over losing the guy she liked to another girl well, like, at all. So I’m looking forward to Tomozaki taking Tama on as his “apprentice”, and the two of them finding a way to cut through Konno’s bullshit, taking the pressure off Mimimi, and resolving the unpleasantness, if they can. If this ends up at odds with Hinami’s plans, but so be it.
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