Filthy Casual for Life

EPISODE 8: MY FIRST PET

Hotaru is having pancakes with her friends. They congratulate her on her new relationship. She thanks them for their sage advice. We learn that Hananoi got a job at the same book store so he could spend more time with her.

On the job, the manager reminds them to keep it professional at work. While doing his tasks, Hananoi makes sure to be cordial to Yao-kun, Hotaru’s childhood friend. However, the act drops the minute the shift is over. It is clear he does not like Yao-kun.

On their way home, Hotaru suggest they go to a cafe. There, she tells Hananoi since they are officially dating that they must discuss the terms of their relationship like things they don’t want each other to do. Hananoi wants Hotaru to never leave him behind.

Back at the bookstore, the manager is realizing what a hard worker Hananoi is. He asks Hananoi why he is trying so hard. Hananoi expresses that he knows the manager doesn’t like him much, but that he doesn’t care. The only thing he cares about is not making Hotaru look bad. The manager apologizes to Hananoi and mentions that he remembers that Hananoi was a frequent customer of the store. After their shift is over, Hananoi and Hotaru are waiting for her bus. Hotaru realizes that she is happy she works with Hananoi and that he is broadening his horizons. Her bus arrives and he reaches out his hand to grab hers. He wants to spend more time together. He places his head next to hers and says that if they keep doing that, they’ll get used to it. He wants her to be just as happy as him when they share their first kiss.

Kyo-chan calls Hotaru. She has been invited to her boyfriend’s house. The only problem is they have a huge golden retriever and she is afraid of dogs. To help her out, they consult Yao-kun who has a dog. He offers for them to come over to his house to get used to the dog. At Yao’s house, they begin to talk about when they met Hotaru. Hananoi interrupts them and reminds them they’re there to play with the dog so Kyo-chan can be prepared. After some time, Kyo-chan gets used to the dog, who is named Hotaru.

Hananoi is a bit jealous of the lengths Hotaru went for a friend. Hotaru explains that it was hard for her to make friends after the one friend cut her hair. Kyo-chan is the one that befriended her in the darkest point of her life. Hananoi realizes he can’t really compete with that. Hotaru tells Hananoi that the dog, Hotaru, was cute. Except, it was a bit embarrassing when everyone was praising Hotaru since they have the same name. It gave Hananoi the perfect reason to tease her.

THOUGHTS

This week was a bit of a slow episode. It mostly focused on Hananoi’s insecurities. He is obviously not a fan of Yao-kun. He is also jealous of how far Hotaru went for Kyo-chan. The good thing is after Hotaru explains things, he is able to see things from her perspective and gain a bit of confidence. While he is insecure, he is also very mature in some ways. He doesn’t rush Hotaru to kiss him. Instead, he gets her used to the closeness and then tells her to give him a sign when she’s ready. He’s a smooth talker, that one. Will continue to monitor.