I Turned Down a Date with My Childhood Friend, but Then I Ran into Her at a Hostess Club
Japanese Manga in English
Manga video to learn English
Japanese Manga in English
Manga video to learn English
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LearningTranscript
00:00My name is Kouki Yoshida, and I'm 25. I'm an unpopular nerd, but...
00:06Go out with me?
00:07Uh, what?
00:09You... don't want to go out with me?
00:12This is Ann Sasaki. We've known each other since the third grade of elementary school.
00:18Did I ever act like I had a crush on her? I mean, she's always had my back, but...
00:25Ann and I were neighbors, and our families were really tight.
00:28When I took the entrance exam for the university...
00:32Morning! Are you gonna be alright for the exam if you're this nervous?
00:36Did you come here all the way just to tease me this early in the morning?
00:40Oh, come on! I'm here to pump you up. Give me your hand.
00:45What do you need my hand for?
00:47Since you're such a nerd, it's probably better to rely on this charm for good luck rather than for academic success, don't you think?
00:56Is this charm from Koiwa Shrine?
00:59Yeah! This is my way of thanking you for helping me learn how to study.
01:03So go out there and ace that test with confidence! You've got this!
01:08Thanks. After that, I successfully got accepted into a college.
01:14After graduating from college, I started working. I stayed in touch with Ann, but...
01:21Why?
01:22What do you mean, why? I just love you, you know?
01:28She doesn't seem like she's kidding around.
01:31Don't leave me hanging. What's your answer?
01:34I appreciate you having feelings for me, but you know that I'm not interested in women.
01:40Why are you telling me this now?
01:43Do you remember when you told me that your folks suggested you check out that marriage counseling agency?
01:49My folks were just suggesting it, but I don't plan on getting hitched.
01:54Wait, are you serious? I had to work up the nerve to ask you out, you know!
02:00I think there are other guys out there who would be much better for you than me.
02:05Don't say that. I already told you I love you.
02:10I'm sorry.
02:12But you're absolutely right. Someone as gorgeous as me could definitely find a better guy.
02:19Alright, well, since you turned me down, I'm out of here. Bye!
02:24See ya! I hope this won't be the last time I talk to her.
02:29And a few days later.
02:31If there are no more texts from her ever again, what am I supposed to do?
02:36Hey, what's up, Koki? It's lunchtime.
02:40But why do you have such a serious look on your face?
02:43It's nothing.
02:45Come on, don't act like everything's okay.
02:47I'm your co-worker who's been here longer than you. You can talk to me.
02:52This is Light Sato. He's been looking out for me ever since I first joined this company.
02:58Please don't tell anyone, okay? Actually...
03:01So I filled him in that a certain woman had told me she had feelings for me.
03:06Are you crazy? You should just go out with her!
03:10But I'm not really into all that love stuff and relationships.
03:15You gotta show some interest in women!
03:18Okay, let's hit up the hostess club!
03:21Why?
03:22Dude, you can't just start dating random chicks. You need some practice first, don't you think?
03:27Since it's Light we're talking about, I know he's got my best interests at heart.
03:32So, what do you say?
03:34Please don't make it too expensive.
03:37Then that night, we went to a hostess club.
03:40After we entered the club and were shown to our seats...
03:44I've lived in Koiwa City my whole life. Fire away if you wanna know anything about it!
03:50Do you know any delicious ramen shops?
03:53He's getting the hang of the hostess club vibe.
03:56Could it be that he just wanted to come here? I'm totally lost on what to do in this situation.
04:02Hello there. You're so handsome.
04:07Wow, she doesn't hold back with the sweet talk, does she?
04:11What's your name, sir?
04:13Uh, hang on. You're sitting too close.
04:17Excuse me.
04:18Wait, what? Why are you here at this club?
04:22I go by Ren at this club. I'm just here to pitch in and help out at this club today.
04:27Why? And today of all days!
04:30So, sir...
04:33You're not into women, but you still go to a hostess club, huh?
04:38Well, uh, you see...
04:40What is it?
04:42No, never mind. Thank you for the drink.
04:45Her smile is kinda freaking me out.
04:48Yeah, I totally get it.
04:51You'd rather have fun with the hostess girls at a club than deal with the drama of having a girlfriend.
04:57Uh, if you say so.
04:59Which hostess girl do you like best? Want me to introduce you to her?
05:04You really don't have to do that.
05:06Huh? Hold up, what are you doing?
05:09Since we know each other, I'll hook you up with some extra special treatment.
05:14I was totally hoping for this kind of service when you came to this club, weren't you?
05:18No, I wasn't.
05:20Hey, do you guys know each other?
05:22She's a friend I've known since I was a kid.
05:25Say what? That beautiful girl is your childhood friend?
05:29Thanks for the sweet compliment.
05:32Ren, did you come from a different club to help out here? Where do you usually work?
05:37I'll give you my business card. Make sure to come to our club, okay?
05:42I'm definitely going to your club! And I'll bring this dude along too!
05:46But I...
05:48That's a promise!
05:50In the end, Anne and Light were the only ones enjoying themselves and keeping the vibe alive.
05:56The next day, I tried to explain why I was at that hostess club to Anne, but...
06:01Relax. I'm also a hostess girl.
06:05So no need to worry about being judged.
06:08It's great that you're into hostess clubs as well.
06:11Like I said, I'm not into hostess clubs.
06:14Anne kept being the same even after that.
06:17I wonder what she'll say to me the next time I go to her club.
06:20Two weeks after seeing Anne at the hostess club, Light and I headed over to the hostess club Anne was working at, but...
06:27I swear I'm telling the truth, alright?
06:30I'm only stepping back today because of you, Ren.
06:33I apologize for any discomfort you may have experienced, sir.
06:38I hope to see you back at our club soon!
06:41Did something happen?
06:43Ren! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!
06:47It's okay. Don't worry about it.
06:50If you weren't here, we would've been in serious trouble, Ren!
06:54Leave it to me, okay? But remember, we can't keep the other customers waiting!
07:00Everyone seems to really like Anne, huh?
07:03Oh hey, Light and Kouki! You guys came!
07:06Hey! Is everything alright? Seems like something went down.
07:10Oh, no need to worry. Nothing happened. Come on, get in already!
07:15She probably had to say that because she's at her job.
07:20The hostess ladies at this club are really next level!
07:24I'm happy to hear a cutie like you saying that!
07:27I'm gonna order champagne! Who's ready to drink?
07:30Ren, you're the best at getting us generous customers!
07:36It's cool that Anne is popular with her co-workers.
07:40But what if they find out I'm the one who turned her down?
07:43But I doubt Anne will mention it here.
07:46Oh, and guess what? He turned down a woman the other day!
07:49He told her he's not into women. Can you believe it?
07:52Wait a minute, you're the one bringing this up?
07:55Seriously? That's awful!
07:58Are you being serious?
08:01Wait, you're not into women? It's like you're rejecting us as real people!
08:06No, that's not my intention! Seems like everyone's against me now, huh?
08:11Why aren't you into women?
08:13I'm also wondering why.
08:16Yeah! Why aren't you into women? That's crazy!
08:20Don't you guys think so too, considering you're all hostess girls for work?
08:25Do you still want to date guys in your personal relationships?
08:29Work and personal stuff are like two separate worlds, though.
08:33Have you heard people saying that romance is becoming less popular nowadays?
08:38There's a bunch of free stuff online discussing it.
08:41This guy is a total nerd. We gotta teach him why real romance is the way to go.
08:46You gotta have some romance in relationships in your life!
08:51Not holding hands? Or hugging?
08:54No way!
08:57Aren't the best times in relationships when you overcome problems together?
09:02Well, uh, you think so?
09:05Nah, it's no use saying that to him! He needs a real life lesson!
09:10One of you should hang out with him after you finish work!
09:13What the heck are you talking about?
09:15Seriously? Who do you want to hang out with then, Koki? Just pick!
09:20Huh? My feelings will get hurt if you don't choose me!
09:25I can't pick one of you because you're all so gorgeous!
09:28Nope! You can't do that! You have to choose!
09:32Uh, then I'd like to hang out with Ren.
09:36Me? See, I knew it!
09:40So, you're a fan of Ren as well, huh?
09:43Well, it's because she's my friend.
09:46What's the story with you guys, anyway?
09:49We've been friends since we were kids, like childhood pals.
09:54Wait, what? Oh my god! I'm so invested in this! Ren, scooch over a bit!
09:59Hey!
10:00O-M-G! No way! She's blushing!
10:06So, you shouldn't just hang out together after she's done working.
10:10You should totally take her out on a date!
10:13What are you guys even going on about?
10:16Can someone help me out here, please?
10:19Why don't you ladies figure out the date for him? He's clueless, anyway.
10:23Light!
10:24Oh, really? How should we figure out their date plan?
10:29How about they have their date on Ren's birthday? Oh wait, it's a weekday.
10:34The hostess girls were really excited about planning our date.
10:38They were going all out. They've got me and Anne booked in for a date next Saturday.
10:43Two weeks passed since then, and the day of our date arrived.
10:47I never knew you could dress like that.
10:50You got a problem with how I dressed for our date?
10:53No, that's not what I meant. She usually goes for a flashy look.
10:58She's looking all elegant today.
11:00Come on, let's go.
11:02The hostess girls set up a music festival date for us in the city.
11:06They even want me to fill them in on how it goes later.
11:09Anyways, there's so many people.
11:13Koki, give me your hand.
11:15Huh?
11:16If we lose each other here, it's going to be a pain trying to find you.
11:20I guess if I don't say yes, it might seem like I'm overthinking this whole date thing.
11:24Huh?
11:25I mean, how much longer are we going to keep holding hands?
11:29Man, her hands are so small.
11:31Mommy, where are you?
11:35Oh, are you lost?
11:37What's wrong? You can't find your mommy?
11:40Yeah, I can't find her.
11:45There's nothing to worry about. I'll find her for you.
11:49Really?
11:50Yeah, just leave it to me.
11:53We decided that it would be a good idea to bring the lost girl with us to the music festival's office.
11:59Hey, do you know what this is?
12:01Is it a fox?
12:04Wow, good job.
12:07To me it just looks like an alpaca.
12:09Huh? Alpaca?
12:13How does that resemble an alpaca?
12:16But I'm impressed how easily she gets along with kids like her.
12:20When the music festival's office announced a girl was lost at the festival, her mom rushed over here.
12:26I'm really sorry for the hassle my daughter and I put you through.
12:30Thank you for looking out for her.
12:32Not at all. It was fun chatting with her. Right?
12:35Yeah! Look, Mommy, this is Alpaca.
12:41Are you talking about alpaca? Wait, does that even look like an alpaca?
12:46Oh, just don't worry about that.
12:49Are you two married? I wish my husband would be up for going to a music festival like your husband.
12:55Where?
12:57Oh, you two aren't married yet?
13:00Um, well...
13:02Ten minutes later.
13:04It's good. Her mom knows we're not married.
13:07Why did she even believe I was your husband?
13:10I'm not trying to talk myself down. I just believe you deserve a better guy than me.
13:15I didn't start liking you like that until middle school, you know.
13:19Remember back in high school, when you showed me how to study?
13:22I was in a tight spot, where I might have had to repeat a year.
13:27Oh, so is that why you started to like me?
13:30You probably didn't notice, but I was really struggling with my studies.
13:35I couldn't figure things out even when I tried to study on my own.
13:39Your teachers weren't much help either.
13:42I didn't even have any other friends to teach me how to study.
13:46I was on the verge of having a breakdown and crying.
13:49I remember, even your mom brought a thank you gift to my place.
13:53Mom wanted me to at least graduate from high school.
13:56We couldn't afford for me to stay an extra year.
13:59If you hadn't helped me, I would have dropped out.
14:03I'm not sure if I did a good job teaching you how to study, though.
14:07That's why I fell for you.
14:09I was terrible at studying, but you were always worried,
14:14thinking about how you could improve your teaching.
14:17I figured out you're a decent guy, and I started catching feelings for you.
14:22But then you had to focus on those college entrance exams.
14:26You didn't say anything to me when I was in college, though.
14:29You were actually loving college life.
14:31And besides, I was already working at the hostess club.
14:35That job is my true passion.
14:38But I didn't want you, a college student, dating a hostess girl like me.
14:43But that really just depends on the person.
14:46Kouki, I wanted to go to the same college as you,
14:50but I suck at studying and my family doesn't have enough money for me to go.
14:55And you've been busy with your new job lately, right?
14:58So I never got the chance to talk about my feelings for you.
15:02I know that she's been crushing on me all along.
15:05And now you're talking about signing up for marriage counseling.
15:09What am I supposed to do about the feelings I've had for you this whole time?
15:13I told you, I'm not getting married.
15:15Yeah, yeah.
15:17Well, I'm done talking about this topic.
15:19Which stage do you want to check out next?
15:22Where do you want to go?
15:24Then Anne and I hit up all the stages we could.
15:27When I got to the train station after dinner...
15:31Here you go.
15:32Wait, is this for my birthday?
15:35Thanks, you should have given it to me at the restaurant when we were having dinner.
15:40I thought you didn't have anything prepared for me.
15:43I felt awkward handing her the gift at the restaurant because it seemed like a boyfriend move.
15:48Did you have fun today?
15:50Yeah, believe it or not, I had a great time.
15:53I see, that's good.
15:56But you're not into making things official between us.
16:00Yeah, but just so you know, I don't hate you or anything like that.
16:03I know. Come here for a bit.
16:06What is it?
16:10This kiss is my way of saying thanks for going on a date with me today.
16:16It's okay if you don't want to date me.
16:18How about giving someone else a chance though?
16:21It might surprise you, you know?
16:24Well, see ya.
16:27Looking back, Anne always says the same thing to me.
16:30And I guess I owe her for helping me connect better with Light as well.
16:34Whenever I was on my own, she'd come over and chat with me.
16:38Back in middle school, when I felt like I didn't fit in at all.
16:41Why don't you hang out with our classmates during the break at least?
16:45I don't really get along with them.
16:48Scooch over.
16:50Hey, what are you doing?
16:52Well, if we both read this book, we'll totally connect.
16:56So? What's so interesting about this book?
16:59Well, the main character...
17:01Alright, I got it.
17:03So just move to a different chair next to me.
17:06Anne hasn't changed at all since then.
17:08No, even before that, she's still the same as she was back in elementary school.
17:14And a few days later...
17:16It's Anne's birthday today, huh?
17:18I guess I can just drop her a message to wish her a happy birthday, right?
17:22But what should I even say in the message?
17:25Cokie!
17:27Hey, Light, what's up?
17:29I talked to the girl from the hostess club Ren works at,
17:32and she said a customer went crazy!
17:34Wait, what do you mean?
17:36You know that customer causing a scene at the club when we were there?
17:39Well, today, Ren had to deal with that same customer,
17:42and apparently, things got out of hand.
17:45Say what?
17:47The waiter couldn't even stop that guy.
17:49Is she okay?
17:51I don't know for sure.
17:53She and her work at the club haven't told me anything else.
17:56Things are crazy over there right now.
17:58Are you serious?
18:00You're totally right. She usually responds to me right away.
18:04You should head over there right now.
18:06No worries, dude. I'll take care of your overtime.
18:09Thank you so much!
18:12She isn't injured or anything like that, right?
18:15She's been working for that club for ages.
18:18I'm sure she's fine.
18:20Um, excuse me!
18:22I heard from Light about Anne.
18:24I mean, where's Ren?
18:26She's in that room.
18:28Anne! I'm coming in!
18:31Kouki!
18:32Hey, hold on!
18:34Are you okay?
18:35If you're not hurt, that's all that really matters.
18:38I'm not okay!
18:39Don't come in when I'm doing my makeup!
18:42Honestly, you still look the same with makeup, so...
18:45Shut up!
18:46Anne kicked me out of the room like that.
18:49Wait, so it was all just pretending?
18:52You guys!
18:54I'm sorry, but Light also said yes to the idea.
18:58Where's your phone? Why didn't you reply back to me?
19:02The staff room doesn't get good reception because our club is in the basement.
19:06But anyways...
19:08We did that because of Ren.
19:10You've been so down lately. It's affecting our work.
19:13But what's the point in doing that?
19:16Kouki was so upset and concerned about you,
19:19so there was a point to all of this, right?
19:22Plus, it's your birthday today, Ren!
19:24You and him are more than just friends.
19:27From when you were kids, am I right?
19:31But...
19:32Sorry we played a prank on you,
19:35but our hostess club is opening now!
19:37Kouki, stick around and have a drink on us!
19:39So, I decided to grab a drink at the club,
19:42since the hostess girls insisted.
19:45Happy birthday! Here's your birthday gift, Ren!
19:48Aww, thank you very much!
19:51Jeez, she's really popular with the customers as well, huh?
19:55My bad for making you wait.
19:58You're really popular, huh?
20:00Yeah, I know.
20:02But the person I have a crush on said no to me.
20:05Uh...
20:06I'm sorry.
20:08I didn't mean to come off as mean.
20:10I get it that you're not into women, and that's totally fine.
20:13Yeah, I had that same thought.
20:16If I hadn't met you, Ann, I'd be stuck like that forever.
20:19Kouki?
20:21Do you remember when you gave me this?
20:23I still have it.
20:25Seriously? Wow!
20:27It's so worn out.
20:29I can't tell you how many times this has saved my life.
20:32I mean, you've really saved my life, Ann.
20:35Ugh...
20:36I know I said no before,
20:38but will you be my girlfriend?
20:41Huh?
20:42I know it's kinda bad luck to bring this up now,
20:45but if something happened to you,
20:47and we stay like this,
20:49I'll be kicking myself for not making better choices.
20:52But if you're not up for it, I'll back off.
20:55Everyone's...
20:57not looking at us right now, right?
21:00Huh?
21:01Wha...
21:02Wait, she's asking for a kiss at this very moment?
21:06Seriously?
21:07Ren!
21:09That customer over there wants to give you a birthday gift, too!
21:12Okay, I'm coming!
21:14In the end, I decided to leave that day.
21:17Ann and I made a promise to meet up again.
21:20The next day, I thanked Light.
21:23After congratulating me and Ann, Light said,
21:26I'm gonna find a hostess girl for myself, too!
21:29We should head up a different hostess club together.
21:31You better join me!
21:33But I...
21:34I can't let you have all the fun being happy.
21:37You gotta help me find my happiness, too, okay?
21:41I know he means well.
21:43And as for us...
21:45Hey, don't be shy!
21:47There's too many people here!
21:49Oh, come on.
21:50It's no big deal if we just link arms together.
21:53I knew it.
21:54You're embarrassed to have a girlfriend who works as a hostess, huh?
21:58What?
21:59I never said that!
22:01Then at least hold my hand.
22:03Okay, fine.
22:05Aww, hair blushing!
22:07You're so adorable.
22:09Shut up.
22:10Thank goodness you're so slow.
22:13Huh?