31. ( )

Kyoko accepts that she loves Ren. She also accepts that her desire that he continue to be alone so that she doesn't have to see him fall in love with someone else is kind of ugly, because accepting and examining her feelings will make her a better actress in the long run. Lory splits up Kyoko and Ren for a while, but the two are reunited in Guam. Unfortunately, Ren wasn't expecting to see Kyoko quite so soon, sohe's still his natural blond-haired, green-eyed self. Kyoko sees him and immediately thinks he's Corn, all grown up. However, she gradually begins to realize that he's amazingly similar to Ren (whose physical stats she knows down to his bones).

This volume was incredibly cute for so many reasons. I loved Yashiro's horror at the thought that Ren didn’t get Kyoko a White Day gift – he continues to be a fabulous reader stand-in. I'd be perfectly happy reading a filler volume featuring nothing but Yashiro lurking in the background, reacting to Ren and Kyoko's interactions.

Then there's Kyoko, poor girl. Anyone with half a brain knows that Ren won't react nearly as badly to the knowledge that Kyoko loves him as she thinks he will. I imagine she's going to have a meltdown once she realizes that Corn and Ren are the same person. Although she technically did something similar, back when she acted as a sympathetic ear for Ren while dressed as a giant chicken. Ren still doesn't know the chicken was Kyoko.

Ren is adorable in this volume, getting his nose nibbled by fish and freaking out over Kyoko seeing him without dyed hair and contacts. I like seeing him when he's happy/relaxed and slightly off-balance, and there's a good bit of that here. He hasn't quite caught on to Kyoko's recent revelation yet – I'm looking forward to seeing what the next volume will bring.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )