Chapter 3

The third chapter of the *Oresuki* manga.

## Synopsis

Amatsuyu Kisaragi narrates, summarizing the recent events, including his plan to help both Sakura Akino and Aoi Hinata get closer to Taiyo Oga, and then have a relationship with the one Sun inevitably rejects.

Joro, in his Hyde persona, is walking to school when Himawari runs up behind him and greets him with a smack on the back. Joro switches to his Jekyll persona to greet her, and also informs her that Cosmos had asked the same favor of him regarding Sun. Himawari becomes furious and starts ranting about Cosmos so harshly that even Joro was taken aback. Joro tells her he plans to help both of them equally, which she starts to oppose since it means he would be helping Cosmos too, but reluctantly agrees after Joro threatens to not help her at all. Joro then tells Himawari about his plan to help her for that day. She thanks him with a hug.

Later, in the classroom, Sun greets Joro and asks if something happened between him and Himawari, and Joro replies that they are not dating. On cue, Himawari enters the room but freezes with nervousness when she sees Sun. Sun greets Himawari and they decide to talk. Himawari, prompted by Joro, starts to talk about going to the cinema, asking Sun if he has gone recently, and Sun replies that he hasn't because of club activities. The conversation fizzles out so Joro chimes in, mentioning that there is a movie that came out recently, asking Sun if he wants to see it with Himawari. Himawari agrees with him, saying that it is a good movie. Sun says that he would like to see the movie, but as a group of three. Joro tells him that he cannot join them because he has a date with another girl. Sun has a serious face for a moment before congratulating him on getting a date. Himawari pipes up saying that she wants to go with Sun, and Sun agrees to the arrangements. Joro imagines the future where Himawari successfully woos Sun, and Cosmos is left heartbroken confiding in Joro.

Joro goes to the Student Council room where he and Cosmos greet each other. Joro informs her that Himawari had asked him the same favor regarding Sun, and Cosmos gets furious. She starts ranting about Himawari so harshly that even Joro was taken aback. As with Himawari, Joro tells Cosmos that he would help both of them with their relationships, and Cosmos reluctantly agrees when Joro threatens to not help her. Joro then tells Cosmos about his plan to help her that day. She thanks him by holding his hand.

After school, Cosmos and Joro meet Sun at the school gate where Joro introduces Cosmos to him. Cosmos fumbles a greeting and the three of them go to a LacDonald's restaurant. Joro suggests to Sun that Cosmos's personality is too serious, and Sun agrees. Joro continues, telling Sun that to help her be more sociable, he should spend some more time with her. Sun wonders if he is a suitable person to help with that, but Joro assures him that he is. Sun has a serious face for a moment before agreeing, but wonders if Cosmos would want to spend time with him. Cosmos agrees to the arrangements while speaking like a cat-girl. Joro suggests that Cosmos start calling Sun by his nickname, but she panics and knocks over her drink, spilling it on Sun's arm and Joro's lap. Joro tries to instruct Cosmos to take Sun's arm to clean it, but Sun begins wiping off Joro's lap, leading to an awkward situation. Joro's plan is a success, and he imagines a future where Cosmos successfully woos Sun, and Himawari is left heartbroken confiding in Joro.

The next day at lunch, Joro is exhausted from helping Cosmos and Himawari plan last night and that morning respectively. He wants to be left alone at least during lunchtime, so he runs from Himawari's voice. He decides to take refuge in the library where it is quiet. As he enters, he sees a female student from the same year level behind the front desk. The student introduces herself as Sumireko. When Joro asks her for her family name, at first she refuses to tell him, saying she would prefer he call her by her given name, but then tells him her family name is Sanshokuin. As Joro sits down at a table, he realizes that Sumireko had called him by his nickname even though they had just met. Sumireko places a cup of tea on Joro's table and tells him her nickname is Pansy. Joro is surprised at Pansy's ability to make nicknames.

   As Joro is about to go to sleep, he notices the cup Pansy gave him has his name written on it with a heart shape around it. He starts to get a sense that something is wrong. Pansy tells him that she likes taking pictures, and how smartphones make it easy to do it silently. Joro starts to leave, Pansy hints that she knows that he is helping Himawari and Cosmos with their loe lives, which stops Joro from leaving. Pansy reveals that she knows this because she has been stalking Joro. Pansy tells Joro to sit next to her on a park bench that she had delivered. In the panel the cardboard packaging is visible and has the Amazon logo on it. Pansy tells Joro that there is someone that she likes. She tells him about her feelings, leading Joro to believe she is going to reveal that she loves Sun, but he is shocked when pansy confesses to Joro himself. Joro tries to back off, but Pansy interrupts him, saying she doesn't the way he is speaking. Joro is shocked that Pansy is aware that his good guy persona is fake. Pansy holds up a copy of *Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde* and tells Joro she wants to speak with Hyde. Joro gives in and drops the facade, which Pansy is delighted at. Pansy tells him that she likes honesty. Joro tells her that he does not intend to date her, which she agrees with, confusing him. Pansy tells Joro to come to the library every lunchtime to talk with her. Pansy stands up and returns to the front desk, leaving Joro slumped over, laughing softly to himself.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Amatsuyu Kisaragi (Hyde)
* Aoi Hinata (flashback)
* Sakura Akino (flashback)
* Aoi Hinata
* Amatsuyu Kisaragi (Jekyll)
* Taiyo Oga
* Sakura Akino (fantasy)
* Sakura Akino
* Sumireko Sanshokuin