Dear Strobe Edge fans,
I have the chapter with me since yesterday but could not post it up earlier due to some technical problems. My router died!!! You can imagine my frustration... Alright, without further ado, ...
This is the much-anticipated chapter. I'm so captivated by Ren...
Andou sits at the eatery feeling defeated. He wonders whether Ren and Ninako have gotten together. He really wants to win Ren. As he laments, a female friend approaches him. She expresses her surprise to see Andou and tells him that she has not talked to him outside and in school for a long time. She asks who he is going out with now. Andou confides in her that he likes this particular girl. He intends to confess to her but she likes his friend and his friend likes her too. His friend is likely to tell her about his feelings. Andou's female friend is thinking that she does not want to listen to this as she quite like Andou and is not happy that he is talking about another girl. The girl suggests to Andou to spend the night together...
Meanwhile, Ren is awaiting Ninako's reply after confessing his feelings to her. Ninako thinks to herself that Ren's confession is what she has always wanted but the timing is lousy... Even though her feelings of liking Ren is something that she treasures, she has decided. She thinks of Andou's sad face and her decision is made. She tells Ren: " I'm sorry..." Saying this takes too much effort from her and she begins to tear.
She thinks to herself: " If only I don't like him so much..." She tells Ren again: "I'm very sorry.."
When Ren tells Ninako that he will walk her home, Ninako tries to reject his offer. Ren tells Ninako that under such circumstances, it will be weird for her to reject him. He tells her that he is grateful for her companionship and walking her back is something he can give to her in return. As they walk to Ninako's home, they keep a distance from each other and walk at a fast pace in silence. Ren bids Ninako goodbye. As Ninako stares at Ren's departing figure, she scolds herself for what she has done.
... Ninako is reminded of Andou telling her to be his girl. She remembers Andou's expression when he asked her... She remembers being speechless as she did not know how to respond to his expression... Overwhelmed, Ninako tears again and blames herself for what has happened.
The next day (in school). Andou is absent from school. Ninako wonders how Andou is. Ren glances at her and Ninako quickly averts her eyes. A group of girls approach Ren's seat and ask whether he knows what happened to Andou. The girls are kind of flirting whilst talking to Ren. Ninako feels jealous and upset seeing them talking to Ren. She chides herself for doing so as she knows she has no right to feel so. Ren excuses himself from them, walks towards Ninako and asks whether she knows what happened to Andou as she was with him doing part time work. Ninako remembers that Andou told her not to tell Ren about him getting injured during the fight. She quickly denies any knowledge and excuses herself to go to the toilet. As she leaves, she thinks to herself that she must avoid Ren as she doesn't want him to see through her bad mood and know her true feelings.Ren notices Ninako's bahaviour and thinks to himself that she is avoiding him...
At his locker, while preparing to leave for home, Ren overhears two girls talking about Andou. One of them says that she has been spending the night with Andou and she is going to do so this evening. Her companion expresses interest and says that she will also try to seduce Andou into spending time with her. Ren is not happy to hear that and wonders why is Andou behaving in such a way...
Ren goes to Andou's flat. As he gets out from the lift, he sees a female leaves Andou's flat. He rings Andou's doorbell. Andou opens the door (in his underwear) thinking that his female friend left something behind. Andou is shocked to see Ren. Ren is shocked to see Andou in his underwear. Ren asks Andou to meet him outside.
At the park, Ren asks Andou why he is not in school. Andou tells Ren that it is no big deal. Trying to sound non-chalant, he tells Ren that the current him is the real him. He tells Ren that what he sees today is his real nature. ~~~ Sigh... Andou has gone back to his play boy ways. The last time he was hurt by Mao, he played the field too. He doesn't want Ren to know that he is very hurt that Ninako does not want to be his girlfriend. Although, I can understand that it is very painful being rejected, I can't help thinking that Ren too must be suffering. Ninako rejected him too...Ren disagrees. He doesn't think this Andou he sees is his true nature.
Ren asks how Andou gets his scars. Andou realises that Ren doesn't know about his fight. He knows that Ninako kept her promise and did not tell Ren. Andou's thoughts turn to Ninako again. Quickly, he tells himself to stop thinking about her.
Ren tells Andou that he has always looked at Andou from sitting behind him. (When they were young, Ren used to sit behind Andou and currently, he is siting behind him again). He has done that in the past and he wants to be able to do that always. 
Andou wonders why Ren is saying that to him. He finds it weird. He doesn't understand what Ren is trying to say. But he seemed to cheer up (perhaps a little bit) after hearing that...
~~~ sigh. I think Ren is trying to tell him that he treasures his friendship with Andou and is asking him to come back to school too.
The next day in school. Andou has not returned yet. The students are preparing to go home. Ninako's friends are commenting that Ninako has left without them again. Ren overhears the conversation...
Thinking everyone has left, Ninako walks into the empty classroom. She walks towards Ren's seat. As she touches his table, she thinks about her having to avoid Ren... Ninako sits at Ren's seat and thinks of him. ~~~ awww... poor thing. Not being able to tell him her true feelings, that is Ninako's way of being close to Ren Suddenly...
The classroom door opens. Ren is standing at the door. He tells her that he came back as he has left something behind. Without waiting for him to finish his sentence, Ninako makes a dash for the back door. Ren rushes towards her and blocks her from leaving.
Ren tells Ninako: "That's my seat..." Ninako: " That seat does not belong to you alone..."
Ren: "Look into my eyes and say that again..."
Ninako cannot do so. She is rendered speechless.
Ren asks Ninako to be frank with him. He leans forward, almost engulfing her: " Until you give me a reply, you cannot leave."
As many has predicted and as I have feared, Ninako did not give Ren a favourable reply. Sigh...
I am banking all my hopes on Ren. Gosh! The last scene is so stirring. Ren is really going all out. A determined Ren is so attractive... My heart is still beating fast. Please Ninako! Please answer him!
Sigh... I can't help but feel Andou's pain. And how he expresses his pain (in the last chapter when he left Ninako and now by playing the field) has somehow affected Ninako and Ren who care about him. Ninako is suffering cos she cannot tell Ren her true feelings and Ren is sad that Andou is behaving in such a way. It does seem like these two truly care for Andou.
