WataMote Chapter 126

Chapter 126
Information
Volume Number	Volume 13
Chapter Title	Because I'm Not Popular, I'll Get A Nickname
Published	December 7, 2017
Previous Chapter	Chapter 125
Next Chapter	Chapter 127

私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!

Watashi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!

No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys' Fault I’m Not Popular!

Synopsis

Tomoko and her group look at various hats and ears in the souvenir shop. Hina calls Tomoko over to tell her that she offered to buy Yuri a hat, but Yuri refused, and Hina wants to know if Yuri hates her. Tomoko replies that Yuri is "just always like that." Hina tries again to convince Yuri to buy rabbit ears, then observes a group of girls agreeing to buy them and forms a plan based on girls acting together. She looks at Tomoko thinking that "Ā-chan" hates group mentality as well. For her part, Tomoko admits the mouse ears she holds are "cute" but she would be embarrassed to wear them.

As Yuri slowly tries on her rabbit ears, Hina playfully calls Tomoko out on that point, and she tells Tomoko that they should get them not just because they are "cute" but because they make them a group and this may be the last time they will all hang out together. She is interrupted by Yoshida loudly telling Yuri she looks "awesome" in her rabbit ears. Hina again asks Tomoko if Yuri hates her as Tomoko wonders why she cares so much about Yuri's opinion.

All donning various "ears," the girls approach a ride clearly based on Space Mountain. Mako reminds Yuri that Yuri is afraid of roller coasters, but Yuri replies that "that was two years ago," and she is fine, "probably." To Tomoko's surprise, Uchi turns to her and asks if she is scared. Yoshida suddenly asks Hina why she is with them. Hina finds the question rude, then gives a long explanation that Yoshida clearly does not care about.

Uchi reacts to Tomoko clutching her hand.

Uchi sits next to Tomoko. During the ride, Tomoko screams and clutches Uchi's hand on the railing which shocks Uchi. Tomoko's hair blows into her face. At the end, the girls assess their reactions with Mako asking Yuri if she is okay. Yuri remains silent. Suddenly, Uchi demands to ride it again and throws a tantrum when questioned. Hina suggests to Tomoko they agree to appease Uchi but also suggests they switch up the partners based on "rock-paper-scissors" to Uchi's shock. Uchi rides with Yuri and shows no reaction while Yuri appears sickened. At the end, Uchi considers the experience "boring" to Yuri's irritation.

As the girls walk to the next ride, Uchi inwardly laments being next to Yuri "again." Hina quietly thanks Tomoko for letting her "cheat." They cheat again in the next rock-paper-scissors so that Tomoko ends up with Hina again to Uchi's visible irritation. Hina thanks Tomoko for letting her sit next to her while Tomoko inwardly wonders what they can talk about. Tomoko remembers that Hina admitted to being an otaku which should at least allows them to discuss anime.

Shown: Creepy Hina

Tomoko accidentally calls her "Nemo" before correcting herself with "Nemoto-san." Hina picks up on this, and Tomoko tries to cover up assuming Hina is angry with her. Instead, Hina likes that Tomoko has a nickname for her. As they enter the next ride, Hina decides to call her "Kuro," then suggests that Tomoko may find it "too cute," to which Tomoko snaps, "shut up!" Hina teases that that is what she is really like while Tomoko grouses she really was not trying to hide it.

Behind them and next to a sick Yuri, Uchi seethes in jealousy: "How dare they flirt like that in public! Disgusting!" Without saying a word, Yuri pinches Uchi's arm as their ride descends. Yoshida, Mako, and Hina laugh, Tomoko screams, Uchi cries in pain, while Yuri stares. Noticing Yuri's expression on the photographs taken for the ride, Hina still wonders if Yuri, sitting behind her, hates her.

Shown: Creepy Yuri

A very quiet Yuri starts to wander off. Tomoko asks her where she is going to which Yuri only replies "bathroom." Tomoko says she will go with her, but Yuri keeps walking away. Tomoko cries out, "hey (おい・oi)!" a few times. Yuri finally stops, turns, glares at her, and informs her that her name is not "hey."

Characters

In order of appearance:

• Tomoko Kuroki
• Yuri Tamura
• Hina Nemoto
• Akane Okada (mentioned)
• Emiri Uchi
• Masaki Yoshida
• Mako Tanaka

Referbacks and Forwards

• Invasion of the Bee Girls: Hina's description of the female "hivemind" trying to read and react to the mood proves ironic since she, Tomoko, Yuri, Emiri, and pretty much all of the WataGirls™ consistently fail to read the mood.
• "I've Got . . . Two Tickets to Kimoi!": Uchi's dissatisfaction when she got paired up with Yuri also occurred back in Chapter 117.
• Hina suggests swapping pairs with rock-paper-scissors which was something she also did back in Chapter 86.
• Hina coming out as an otaku is a reference to Chapter 122.
• "You are far too familiar!": Other than Yū and Kotomi, Tomoko tends to be very formal and refer to everyone by their last names with the honorific san. This remains social practice; the Japanese do not tend to use first names especially in public. In "Manga World" where teenage characters use first names and even forms of "you," Tomoko's use of proper address may seem overly formal, but in reality such forms of address would be highly offensive. Inwardly, she has personal derogatory nicknames for some which she almost never reveals to anyone. In this chapter, she accidentally blurts out one for Hina. She will do this again for another character in a later chapter that WataMote Wiki will not spoil since, Arg, major spoiler that be! Arg! Much later, Tomoko will feel offended when certain characters – Arg! Spoilers that be! – address her with a nickname in front of others. Similarly, some – Arg! – will feel offended when she does not use their nicknames in front of others. This is one of the subtle quirks about Tomoko that may not come through clearly in the English. Thus, when Tomoko refers to Kotomi as "Komi-something" or addresses Akari and Kotomi as the "Dick Sisters," she intends to offend them.

Trivia

• Yuri is afraid of roller coasters.
• Uchi has not directly addressed Tomoko since they shared a room on the last night of their field trip.
• "A Girl has a Nickname!": It is later revealed that "Ā-chan" is Hina's nickname for Akane Okada with the "a" held extra long as with the "i" in Uchi's nickname "Ucchī."

Cultural References

• Space Mountain: For trademark and copyright purposes, WataMote Wiki insists that this is just a coincidence! In the Japanese Original such names are censored.
• Oi! (おい!): this staple of British English is is actually used by a number of cultures including the Japanese. Given WataMote Wiki’s pontifications above on Tomoko's formality, her use of it is curious.

Memorial Moments

• "Girls have Nicknames": Hina and Tomoko call each other by nicknames.
• Riding the River DeNile: Uchi makes an effort to be with Tomoko, and after Tomoko reflexively grabs her hand, she appears upset she cannot relive the experience despite her usual internal denunciations.
• Yuri Takes Part?: Yuri clearly does not like roller coasters, but she joins in twice rather than make the others feel guilty.

Quotes

• "Normally girls always act like a hivemind in groups. Always reading the mood and trying to match wavelengths." – Hina Nemoto
• “What's up? Are you embarrassed because they're cute? I know you're a loner, but really, you're being too self-conscious!” – Hina

Gallery

Uchi talks to Tomoko.

Yuri seems to glare at Hina as she pinches Uchi.