Chapter 79: I'm In Study Mode

I'm In Study Mode is the seventy-ninth Chapter of Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu.

## Summary

After school, Ichikawa meets up with Maeda-sensei, who is talking with him about his struggling grades. He self-narrates how he is in a panic, and he shouldn't be worrying about Yamada's job or White Day with final exams looming over the horizon. He considers how important these exams are and how they follow you into your final year of Middle School, and resolves to go home and study immediately after school. As he enters the classroom, Yamada and her friends are all together, with their notebooks out on their desks, which they have pushed together. Chi says he has good timing, and grabs Yamada's notebook, showing him a picture of a "monster" that she drew in the corner of a page. Moe states that this is their last rush before the big test, and offers him a seat. Chi says it's fine for him to join, but Yamada says he's too busy. The girls banter about their grades, with Moe ultimately announcing that Yamada has to leave for work. She gets up and departs, and when Ichikawa sits down to study, Moe suddenly asks him what his plans are for White Day. He tries to dodge the question by saying he hasn't decided, and Moe turns it around on him, saying that means he must have gotten chocolate, acting with faux surprise. Chi asks in amazement if Ichikawa is popular, and then laments that it appears that only she and Yamada are staying kids, leaving the rest of the table in uneasy silence. Moe then brings up that everyone knows how Yamada loves food, and wonders what her favorites are, but Chi says she doesn't know, and reminds them that she has only known her since middle school.

Chi flashes back to the basketball club tryouts, nearly two years ago. She thinks about Yamada and how tall she is, and how she feels like she can't even understand what she's saying due to how far up she is. However, she believes that basketball isn't just about height, and resolves not to lose to her. She stays over late to practice, but realizes that Yamada is doing the same. When she watches her, however, she realizes she's only trying to do the "spin a basketball on your finger" trick, and begins crying when she can't get it right. Chi comforts her, saying that isn't important for the club.

Back in the present, Moe comments on how strangely their relationship started, but says that when she was asking about "favorites," she meant favorite things. Chi smugly offers that she is Yamada's favorite thing, and the others go back to writing in response. She continues her story, discussing all the praise Yamada gave her for her efforts in basketball, and making Ichikawa determined to become the thing that Yamada likes best.

The day of final exams, everyone hands in their tests and Moe asks everyone how they felt, with a variety of answers. As they leave, Chi talks with Yamada, telling her that she was surprised that Ichikawa claimed he was popular with the ladies, due to his earlier comment about getting chocolate. Yamada's eyes go wide and accusatory at this proclamation, staring at him, while he aggressively denies it. Chi skips blissfully away, asking who even cares about that, unaware of the problem she just caused.

* A bonus page is Chi asking if Ichikawa maybe changes his personality when he's in club or cram school. A panicking Yamada wonders if that might be it, but Ichikawa is listening in from the background, asking why things are like this.

* Another page is a new set of BokuYaba LINE stickers.

## Trivia

* In the panel showing Ichikawa and Maeda's talk, Maeda is indirectly offering relationship advice by saying he is a "married man," indicating he knows what is going on with him and Yamada.
* The "monster" that Chi shows Ichikawa in Yamada's notebook is actually a doodle of him.
* This chapter shows that Ichikawa is ranked 7th in their year, while Moe is ranked 5th.