Chapter 17

**Hakari's Mother** (羽香里のお母様 *Hakari no Okāsama*) is the seventeenth chapter of the *100 Kanojo* manga.

## Summary

Rentarou informs everyone that the infrared sensors in the hall are in tightly packed rows from the floor to the ceiling. After closer inspection though, he realises that the ceiling is supposed to be a lot higher than where the sensors reach too. Due to the chandeliers on the ceiling, the sensors can’t reach all the way to the top otherwise they’ll get in the way. Karane and Rentarou, however, question how they’re supposed to get through from up there, as the hallway is too wide to climb by pushing your arms and feet against the walls. Nano suggests that two people with strong builds working together should make it logically possible. Rentarou and Karane are volunteered to climb together as the two of them are the strongest. They are tied together, facing opposite directions so they can push their feet against the wall properly.

The two begin to climb over the lasers, but as they’re walking, Karane’s shirt rolls up, resulting in Rentarou’s cheek being pressed against her belly. This creates a strange sensation, nearly causing her to get distracted and cause the two of them to fall. She blames the fact that the house smells of Hakari for making her feel strange. The two manage to reach the other side and call to the others for them to start making escape preparations whilst the two of them go on ahead to find Hakari. They wander the halls and eventually find Hakari’s room. Karane opens the door and spots Hakari crying next to her bed, the photos they took earlier in the day in hand. Rentarou assumed that there would be no more security, but shortly after the door is opened, an alarm starts blaring with the words “Lady Hakari has escaped” being broadcasted over a speaker. Rentarou tries to grab Hakari and run but Karane tells him to forget the idea as they are already surrounded by guards. Hakari’s mother appears and confronts them as to why they are in the building. Hakari tries to talk with her, but a security guard cuts her off, telling her mother that Rentarou and Karane came to get Hakari. Hakari’s mother forcibly brings the two of them to her room so they can talk.

Hakari, still locked in her room, blames herself for the situation. She believes that as long as she lives, there is no way that Rentarou will ever give up on trying to bring her happiness. He’ll be stuck with the shackles of “herself” and “her mother” for the rest of his life, meaning he can never live a happiness filled life.

Hakari’s mother, Hanazono Hahari, introduces herself to Karane and Rentarou. She chooses not to tie the two of them up as they are Hakari’s “friends” but makes a point that any sudden movements will result in them being restrained. Rentarou tries to plead with Hahari to accept the love between Hakari and himself, but she says that sugar-coated words won’t impress her. She tells the two of them about Hakari’s birth. Hahari gave birth to Hakari when she was only 13-years-old because the person she loved had a disease. She loved him so much that she wanted to leave proof of his existence so made arrangements to carry out an artificial insemination.

She goes on to explain the reasoning as to why she’s intervened in the relationship. Hakari and herself are alike. When they fall in love, they go blind and fully commit to the belief that the person they fell in love with is their happiness in life. Once Hahari’s love passed away, she was left all alone and had to devote all her life to raising Hakari. Although she loves her daughter, she still has a void in her heart that has never been filled and she asks herself daily if this is the happy life she truly wanted. Hahari doesn’t want to let Hakari experience the same regret she did and thus separated Hakari from Rentarou so she can realize that she won’t get the happy life she believes in from a five-timing man. She affirms to Rentarou that she’s not separating them on sentimental judgement, but on her own experience.

Rentarou begins to cry after hearing Hahari’s story because of the pain Hakari and herself had to go through to get here. After clearing his tears up though, he firmly states that he is the same as her. He doesn’t want Hakari to go through the same regret that she went through, stating that he will even use his life to protect her from going through such pain. His tears begin to wash the eye drops out his eyes, allowing his vision to return to normal. Once he can see clearly, he makes eye contact with Hahari, and zings with her—his 6th soulmate.

## Characters

* Aijou Rentarou
* Inda Karane
* Eiai Nano
* Yoshimoto Shizuka
* Yakuzen Kusuri
* Hanazono Hakari
* Hanazono Hahari

## Quote

**Beginning:** Mission: Rescue Hakari! vs. The Wealthy Family's Infrared Sensors!!

**End:** Now You've Done It!! For Real, Rentarou!? For Real, Fate!?, You've Done It Now!!

**Next Chapter:** Have You Invoked Something? No, I'm Not Giving You The Evil Eye.