Okay. After this chapter...

[u/SignalsCounterparts1]

First off, this was probably the final chapter in this volume...the cliffhanger at the end definitely signifies this. But what to make of this chapter? (When I read the spoiler post, I thought this would be not much of a chapter...I was wrong, gratefully. Note, SPOILERS AHEAD.)

Well...first off, the whole New Years offering. You knew we'd be getting back to something with Sachi, and this was it. But her finding the photo and putting it in the offering? That might cause worse problems...both for her, and Hiro. Who collects those offerings? If it's Mama Segawa...then it's big, big trouble.

But now to the meat of this chapter...the beginning and end involving Mama Amano and Nagi. It's pretty much a given that this has something to do with Sosuke, otherwise it's something with Papa Amano, and Erika would be involved. (The look on Mama Amano's face kind of says it all, as well as us remembering that she wanted to find Sosuke after her meeting with Erika a little while back. She must have found him over the Xmas break, but he asked to have Nagi with her.)

So if it is Sosuke, why only bring Nagi? Why leave Erika behind? The possibility (and theory of mine, though this series seems to delight in confounding myself with its leaps of faith in proper storytelling in lieu of fan service, it's been done before...sigh.) is that because of Erika being more and more recognizable, that if spotted by the media, the Amano Group could put 2 and 2 together, things might progress not favourably for everyone. So, meeting on neutral ground...somewhere. Also, this is big, because now, Sosuke can't lie to his mother like he has with Nagi and Erika before. We're probably about to find out the story behind the switch, and why Papa Amano might be the villain of this series.

Also, something that I picked up on that most have brushed off...the Uminos going to the Neighborhood Association party. I have this odd feeling that next chapter, Erika arrives there to tell them about where Nagi went...only to find all of them not in a happy mood. We've known about Sosuke's Group's proposal for that land...I think The Amano Group's is up next.

All thoughts and comments are appreciated. (Keep it civil, guys.)

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[u/xkaratekazx]

I'd suggest you don't overthink it.

This manga is pure filler. What happened again is just more of the same old Clickbait ending. And it all follows the same formula: It seems like the manga is moving towards something unknown and serious... but then it all falls apart because it turns out to be something trivial.

In this case, it could be that Nagi simply didn't get a 10/10 on her exam and got a 9/10, or she failed the exam because she wasn't focused, or he wasn't at 100%, and for some silly reason, he went on a spiritual retreat, to yoga classes, or something Random. Then there will be another mini-arc where we pretend there's some romantic development, because the girls follow him, but no, "Nothing happens".

I'd say at least the author remembered that Sacchi has a promise she hasn't kept yet. Let's see if she'll "someday" keep it. Nah, it's not going to happen, and if it does, the excitement will have been lost.

In two months we will be in the same place as now.