Day 35: October 5
What did I read?: ハイ☆スピード!
How much did I read?: 5 pages
How long did it take me?: 1 hour 4 min
Rinrin returns 
He will never escape this nickname and I’m living for it
The saga of Rinrin continues
It’s the next day in class, and Aki starts talking to Haru about how happy she is that he decided to join the relay. Haru is sure Rin’s the one who told her he’d finally agreed to do it - Rin’s nearby, but he’s pretending like he’s not listening. Anyway, Aki’s like, oh, I’m sure your team will get number one, you guys are all so fast!
Haru, being deadpan savage as usual: “It’s not my team” raising his voice so literally everyone can hear “Rinrin’s the leader”
Cue laughter
Rin, embarrassed, comes over to them and starts spinning this story about how people at his old school used to call him “Rin-chan” to bully him so please don’t call me Rinrin or I’ll have to transfer again, which Aki takes seriously but Haru doesn’t buy for a second. (Honestly, I thought maybe he was serious for a sec too, but then he calls himself “shy” and I’m like…ok, I’m calling BS on this, you just don’t want your adorable new nickname catching on xD Poor baby)
Then, with epic comedic timing, Makoto comes into the classroom, blissfully unaware: “oh hey Haru, Aki, Rinrin” 
Aki, bless her heart, chides him for it and tells him what Rin just told her, which makes him laugh because it seems so unrealistic. But in the end, he kind of smooths things over and brings the conversation to an end without directly calling Rin out.
Cut to the four boys running to the swim club after school
Nagisa calls Rin Rinrin again, and Rin gets super annoyed
Turns out NAGISA REALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS HIS NAME He really thought that’s how the kanji read. Oh sweet baby angel
(Rin’s name in kanji is 凛 btw, which I really like. …Maybe partially because I associate it with him xD But it’s also a cool kanji imo)
Nagisa’s like, oh well, Rinrin’s fine. He turns and asks Haru, not Rin, if it’s ok.
Haru, without missing a beat - sure it’s fine
These two
(But Makoto steps in and manages to get Nagisa to shift to Rin-chan instead, I think he feels bad for Rin xD)
On a more serious note, we get a little window into the reasons Haru wasn’t super excited about the idea of joining the relay team - normally, he swims because it lets him feel free, but with the relay, all those social burdens and expectations he loathes are coming right into the water with him. No wonder he wasn’t/isn’t that into it. …Felt kind of bad for him, tbh, reading that - I totally get where he’s coming from.
Good words:
- 素知らぬ顔 (そしらぬかお) - pretending not to recognize (recognise); feigned ignorance
- お節介 (おせっかい) - meddling; meddlesomeness; nosiness; interference; officiousness
- しがらみ - bonds; fetters; ties of obligation (Did I put this one already, I can’t remember)
- 怒らせる (いからせる) - to square one’s shoulders (didn’t know this could read like that/mean that)
- 昂る (たかぶる) - to become aroused (of emotions, nerves, etc.); to become excited; to become stirred up; to become worked up
- ぶつける - to express; to vent (e.g. one’s anger)
- うさん臭い (うさんくさい) - suspicious-looking; shady; questionable; dubious; fishy