WataMote Chapter 181

Chapter 181
Information
Volume Number	Volume 19
Chapter Title	Because I'm Not Popular I'll Drive.
Published	September 2, 2020
Previous Chapter	Chapter 180
Next Chapter	Chapter 182

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

Shown: "I'm abducted!"
Also Shown: メガネ茉咲ちゃん!!

Tomoko sits studying when her phone bleeps with a text. She notices it is from "Yoshida-san" and wonders, "that's strange. . . ." Masaki's text reads, "Come outside a bit." Still dressed casually, Tomoko complies wondering what Masaki's meaning is: "are you coming close by?"

She hears a horn beep and turns to see the car with Masaki wearing very stylish lightly tinted sunglasses in the driver's seat, with Anna in the passanger's. A shocked Tomoko inwardly exclaims, "I'm going to be abducted?!" The next panel shows her sitted between Futaki and Reina thinking, "I'm abducted!"

The cover page shows them standing outside a convenience store enjoying drinks and snacks. The narration reads, "'Take me somewhere' kind of feeling."

As the car drives, Tomoko marvels with a question, "E? Yoshida-san's already got her license?" Masaki explains that she had a part-time job, went to a training camp, just got it yesterday, and the car is her parents'. Tomoko inwardly marvels that the "delinquent" has the power to take action. Anna turns back to Tomoko and explains that just like her, Masaki suddenly swung by to pick her up, and they decided to bring "Kuroki" along as well. Tomoko stammers acknowledgement. Masaki remarks that she thought she would share the results of all of her work with them.

As they drive, Tomoko notices the dream catcher hanging from the rearview mirror and wonders why the "delinquent's" car is decorated with the symbol from The Blair Witch Project. She continues to silently wonder why the car has white fur on the dashboard. While it is "white and fluffy," she deems it intimidating.

Reina leans forward to ask Masaki about music. She replies that she just has a CD in the deck. Reina smiles and remarks that while the music is old, it is good since it is summer. Tomoko inwardly marvels that it is reggae with a hot-voiced and a rough-voice guy singing about how happy they are to have met their lovers.

Tomoko continues to wonder if "this delinquent" will be alright driving having just received her license. She muses that the car seems like the type to get into an accident over summer break.

Masaki comes to attention a bit. Cars have passed through a pedestrian walk-way where a Mum and young daughter hold hands waiting. Masaki comes to a stop to let them pass; the Mum give a polite bow in gratitude. Tomoko marvels at Masaki's skill and wonders if she has been driving since middle school.

And there is still no Santa Claus, Masaki

They pass an "alien" building the Noble Readership will recall from a past chapter. Chibi Reina asks Chibi Futaki if she knows what type of building it is. "Hotel," she immediately responds, and Reina remarks on her knowledge. Masaki stares ahead silently. Chibi Anna happily points out another that looks like a medieval castle. She teases that when she was a kid she believed it was a real castle. As Masaki remains silently staring ahead, Anna continues that her "old man (親父・oyaji)" got real nervous and upset when she said she wanted to visit it with the whole family! Reina and Futaki giggle while Tomoko merely thinks, "Pure-san. . . ." regarding Masaki. For her part, Masaki continues to stare ahead but does inwardly marvel "so it wasn't a real castle afterall. . . ?"

The Girls remark on Maro's particular breed . . . probably.

As they pass the coast, Anna happly remarks that they are already by the ocean, which means cars are awesome. She notices a car passing that has a certain dog staring out at them in the window. She immediately screams, "ISN'T THAT THE CUNNILINGUS DOG?!!" "'CUNNILINGUS MUTT?!!'" Tomoko shouts back, as Reina screams "IT IS THE CUNNILINGUS DOG!" Anna demands that they follow the car since they need to know who the owner of the dog is. Masaki finally growls that they are "morons!"

In her car, Megumi tells Maro to sit tight since it is just a little farther when she sees the girls, with Tomoko obscured, in her rearview mirror. She is shocked that they seem to be following her.

Shown: Stylish Futaki

They follow her closely, and Megumi panics wondering what she should do. They continue into a parking lot. Megumi watches in her rearview mirror Anna, Reina, and Masaki exit the van. Sweating as she observes that the girls actually followed her, she wonders if she should call the police only to be shocked to see "Tomoko-chan" emerge from the car.

Reina remarks that that is the car, and Anna replies that she cannot get a good view of the owner from the rear. Anna continues wondering what kind of guy he is, adding that rumors claim he is an alumni. Reina responds that the owner is probably a guy who is a lecher. Next to them and not wearing sunglasses, Tomoko inwardly thinks that she believes the owner is a woman.

As Megumi sits in fear, with Maro happily looking back at the girls, she hears to her shock one of the girls, possibly Anna, explain that training a dog to stick his head into women's crotches takes skill, and there can be no doubt that the owner is a lewd pervert. Possibly Reina agrees that Megumi seems to have a "pervy face (スケベそうな顔・sukebe sōna kao)" looking from a distance.

The girls gather at the front of Megumi's car, and Anna peers. Her chibi remarks over a view of a terrified Megumi covering her face with her hands, "WOW!! She looks even pervier than I imagined?!"

Chibi Masaki seems surprised and utters a "N?!"

Chibi Tomoko thinks that she feels like she has seen the girl before. . . .

Characters

In order of appearance:

• Tomoko Kuroki
• Masaki Yoshida
• Anna Haruna
• Reina
• Shiki Futaki
• Megumi Imae

Referbacks

• "You got a license already, Yoshida-san?": during their suspension period in Chapter 159, Tomoko suggested to Masaki that it would be useful for her to get a driver's license. Later, in Chapter 173, Yoshida informs Mako that she was taking a part-time job and after that coursing later in a driving training camp.
• UFOs and Castles: Masaki remarked to Tomoko and Yuri that she saw a building that looked like a UFO. Yuri prevents Tomoko from explaining what it is to her, and Tomoko inwardly wonders if Masaki still believes in Santa Claus. In another section of that chapter, Anna reveals that it is a Love Hotel to Masaki's silent embarrassment. Reina adds some gossip about that particular hotel.
• "A Girl and Her Dog": Megumi's dog licked Masaki's [CENSORED – Ed.] in Chapter 142. In the Volume 17 Omake, which also reveals Megumi to be the dog's owner, Anna notes to Reina that Tomoko pronounces his nickname differently.
• スケベ: In Chapter 142, Tomoko deems Masaki to be a "Lucky Sukebe." As noted in that chapter's discussion, スケベ (sukebe) can refer to a "pervert," and it is the term Reina uses.
• "Eh!? Tomoko-chan": Megumi has not seen Tomoko since that brief glimpse during the latter's visit to Aoyama with Asuka, Emiri and Co. in the Volume 14 Omake.

Cultural References

• Formality: WataMote Wiki has remarked on Tomoko's formality. Alone, she refers to Masaki as "Yoshida-san." Fine, she also inwardly refers to her as "delinquent."
• Blair Witch Project: reference to a famous American horror movie.
• Dreamcatcher: Whether or not Masaki's parents understand it remains to be seen.
• Love Hotel
• "Follow That Car!" a tried and true trope of movies and television. This is WataMote Wiki's favorite version:

  

  Follow that car!

• "It's the Way You Say it, Tomoko!" Anna and Reina pronounce the dog's nickname as "cunni inu (クンニ犬)" with a clear separation between the "i," pronounced as a long e or "ē" in Japanese, of "ni" and "inu." Thus, "kū-n-nē ē-nū." Tomoko says "cunnīnu," (クンニーヌ) with the "ī" representing the "i" vowel in Japanese held for two beats rather than separated. Thus, "kū-n-nēē-nū."

Trivia

• "The Left Hand of Darkness": Megumi drives a "western" style car with the steering wheel on the left. Thus far, WataMote Wiki has not found a proper citation for the reason for such cars in Japan, but this Quora discussion suggests that primarily imported cars had them, and despite the fact that Mercedes, BMW, and Yugo can make right-hand drive cars some Japanese prefer it since it "looks" more expensive. To which, WataMote Wiki reminds that your milage may vary. . . .
• "It's the only way to live/In cars": reddit user RedCarConspiracy suggests that the car Masaki borrows from her parents resembles the Nissan Roox Highway Star. In response, user ka-kt suggests that Megumi drives the Renault Twingo.

Memorable Moments

• This is Her Parent's Car: let the speculation flow. Thus far, all that is known about Masaki's family is her Mum dressed conservatively as expected of a professional woman when she met with the high school principle.
• "A Girl has a Nickname!": WataMote often has a character say or think something rendered in furigana – tiny hiragana or katakana pronounciation of kanji – while using different kanji to help the reader understand the reference. Thus, when Tomoko thinks "Pure-san (ピュアさん・pyuasan)," ピュア is the furigana over the kanji for Yoshida (吉田).

Quotes

• "Am I being kidnapped!? I am being kidnapped" – Tomoko Kuroki
• "Why do delinquent cars have these weird decorations like something out of Blair Witch?" – Tomoko
• "It's white and fluffy but intimidating." – Tomoko
• "It's one of those reggae songs where a hot voice and a gruff voice sing about how happy they are to have met their lovers!! Delinquents listen to those all the time" – Tomoko
• "Wait, isn't she way good at this!? Has she been driving since middle school or something!? Is this the driving ability of a delinquent!?" – Tomoko about Masaki Yoshida
• "So it wasn't a real castle afterall. . . ?" – Masaki Yoshida thinking
• "ISN'T THAT THE CUNNILINGUS DOG?!!" – Anna Haruna
• "Hey! Follow that car, Masaki!! We need to find who's cunny owner is" – Anna
• "Training a dog to stick their head into women's crotches takes skill." – Anna or Reina
• "WOW!! She looks even pervier than I imagined?!" – Reina

Gallery

Shown: Pervy Megumi
Also Shown: Invisible Dashboard!

Official Artwork:
Sketch posted by Nico Tanigawa on their Official Twitter