Page numbers are the ones printed on the bottom of the pages. These may differ from the numbering in digital versions.
Vocabulary
Please read the guidelines on the first page before adding any words.
Discussion Guidelines
Everybody should feel free to post and ask questions–it’s what makes book clubs fun! But please do not post until you are familiar with Spoiler Courtesy!
Spoiler Courtesy
Please follow these rules to avoid inadvertent ネタバレ. If you’re unsure whether something should have a spoiler tag, err on the side of using one.
Any potential spoiler for the current week’s reading need only be covered by a spoiler tag. Predictions and conjecture made by somebody who has not read ahead still falls into this category.
Any potential spoilers for external sources need to be covered by a spoiler tag and include a label (outside of the spoiler tag) of what might be spoiled. These include but are not limited to: other book club picks, other books, games, movies, anime, etc. I recommend also tagging the severity of the spoiler (for example, I may still look at minor spoilers for something that I don’t intend to read soon).
Any information from later in the book than the current week’s reading (including trigger warnings that haven’t yet manifested) needs to be hidden by spoiler tags and labeled as coming from later sections.
Instructions for Spoiler Tags
Click the cog above the text box and use either the “Hide Details” or “Blur Spoiler” options. The text which says “This text will be hidden” should be replaced with what you are wishing to write. In the case of “Hide Details”, the section in the brackets that is labelled “Summary” can be replaced with whatever you like also (i.e, [details=”Chapter 1, Pg. 1”]).
Hide Details results in the dropdown box like below:
Example
This is an example of the “Hide Details” option.
The “Blur Spoiler” option will simply blur the text it surrounds.
This is an example of the “Blur Spoiler” option.
Posting Advice
When asking for help, please mention the page number, and check before posting that your question hasn’t already been asked. As the threads get longer, it becomes more convenient to use the Search function, which is located in the upper right corner of the forum. It is the magnifying glass which is near your profile picture! The best way to search is usually to type part of the sentence you are confused about, and select “in this topic”. This will show you all posts within the current thread which has that string of text.
Be sure to join the conversation! It’s fun, and it’s what keeps these book clubs lively! There’s no such thing as a stupid question! We are all learning here, and if the question has crossed your mind, there’s a very good chance it has crossed somebody else’s also! Asking and answering questions is a great learning opportunity for everyone involved, so never hesitate to do so!
Participation
Will you be reading along with us this week?
I’m reading along
I’m planning to read but haven’t started yet
I’ve already read previously but I’m here for the discussion
@Micki If we’re not reading up to a noticeable break, you might want to include the final line or panel in the opening post so I don’t get too absorbed and read the whole chapter by mistake.
To be more precise, the formation is V-negず (i.e. the negative stem).
end of week spoilers (also for Horimiya and Behind the supermarket smoking with you)
This is like, the third book club we’ve done recently, where someone who’s generally meek and unassuming dons piercings and edgier clothing and the other main character suddenly doesn’t recognise them. I’m liking this trend
OMG how far did you read!! I’ve added the last panel to the opening post.
It’s subtle but the book is divided into subchapters of four pages. There’s a small sub chapter heading each time. For example the last sub chapter for this week is:
Thanks for pointing out the 4-page subchapter headings. I was really trying to figure out how that text related to the panel. Now it makes sense.
end of week spoilers
To be fair, she’s without glasses, with piercings, ánd wearing a hoodie and a facemask. That’s a lot more than Clark Kent ever did to create a secret identity.
p.16
早く誤解とかないとだよなぁ
How would I parse this? The first part seems to be “If I don’t clear up the misunderstanding quickly…”, but だよなぁ throws me for a loop. It seems like copula + sentences ending particles. What’s だ doing here?
p.17
気まずくてシフトも入れにくいしな
This seems like an easy phrase, but I’m having some trouble putting it together. 気まずくて is “[Something is] unpleasant, and.”. The combination of シフト and 入る came up earlier. Does it have the meaning of “working a shift”? So something like “With [this awkward situation], it’ll be difficult to get a shift in?”
誤解をとく means to solve a misunderstanding. The を is just omitted.
From there it’s just ～ないと as a shorthand for ～ないといけない
So “I have to quickly solve the misunderstanding”
I’m not entirely sure about the だよ from a purely grammatical standpoint, but I just took it as an emphatic sentence ender.
p. 17
入れる can refer to “signing up” for a shift - I’m just guessing off what I’ve seen in manga, but I think working part-time jobs works a bit differently in Japan, you’re not so much told when to come in by a manager as you sign up for available shifts. At least, that’s the impression I’m getting.
Also, note the も - the て form here is just the usual “sequence of descriptors” thing going on. The situation is awkward, and it’s been hard to get a shift in - which is unfortunate because she’s planning to clear up the misunderstanding during one of her shifts (seeing as she’s afraid of the reaction if she tries to do so in class).
My explanation here is off, see later discussion - the し makes this a reason for the previous statement (about having to quickly resolve this misunderstanding), because it’s awkward and it’s hard to schedule a shift (because of the awkwardness when meeting the other girl)
I mean, that’s what book clubs are for. If you didn’t understand something, somebody else might not either, so not like you are making extra work for others.
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