May 05, 2024
This was a great chapter. There was so much tension and all the characters really felt like they had somewhere to be.
First, I think Ichika's dad isn't a bad guy, just a product of the corporate world. He really does care for Ichika and wants only the best, and he's not totally wrong for being suspicious of Haruhi ether. He has good senses, but needs some tuning.
And second, just imagining how fast and serious Haruhi was to reach Ichika really shows how important she is to him. He could have easily said "meh, I don't care if he finds out I'm not there." Then he could have come up with excuses to justify it later, but he didn't. He ran to her, forgoing the value of safty and money, just to see her. I really believe that subconsciously he wants to be around her.
(Admittedly, his reputation is in jeopardy, but as far as I recall he didn't even reference that at all this chapter, likely meaning he didn't think about it in that way)
And as icing on the cake, the time sensitive nature of the chapter gave it just enough pressure to feel real.
Also, I think the taxi part was fun. I have a theory on the old lady (although, we'll see if she appears again lol) and I think the driver is a good guy too.
This chapter just hit hard in a good way. It feels like it's the point where the story gives us a taste of how important Ichika is to him. Nothing shows importance more then when a character is willing to drop everything for someone they subconsciously care about. I really liked it! Now let's see if Haruhi can fix the situation he's in with Ichika's father.