WataMote Chapter 124

Chapter 124
Information
Volume Number	Volume 13
Chapter Title	Because I'm Not Popular, I'll Watch My Friends Meet
Published	November 2, 2017
Previous Chapter	Chapter 123
Next Chapter	Chapter 125

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

After class ends, Mako watches Minami walk past her to talk with Asuka Katō and Akane Okada. Minami suggests that they go shopping in anticipation for their field trip. Hina watches them leave. When Yoshinori suggests that they go to karaoke, Hina demurs and states there is an anime she wishes to watch. Yuri suggests to Tomoko that they go home, but Tomoko starts to explain that she has something else to do. Kotomi approaches and interrupts her to remind her that they are meeting Yū. Mako offers to go home with Yuri who suggests they stop by someplace.

Tomoko and Kotomi meet Yū at the "Star Turrys" cafe. Yū thinks they must be excited to be in the same class together, and the two feign agreement. When she asks them if they have lunch together they both immediately respond that they do not. Yū wonders if something has happened between them, and the two try to pretend for her sake that they just spend time with other friends, though Tomoko picks up on Kotomi's suggestion that comic duos often spend time apart to claim that Kotomi tells dirty jokes during lunch!

Yū stares at her coffee and expresses surprise that the two have other friends and asks about them. Tomoko mentions to Kotomi that she met her friend Itō, and Kotomi starts to reply she met Tomoki only to be overcome with embarrassment as Tomoko demands to know more. Yū watches them with a smile.

Mako notices Tomoko with Yū and Kotomi

Mako walks with Yuri outside of the cafe. Mako mentions that Minami has become very friendly with Katō, but Yuri does not respond. Mako then she notices Tomoko in the cafe with Kotomi whom she does not really know. Meanwhile, Kotomi tries to change the subject by asking Tomoko about Yuri only to see Yuri with Mako at the entrance. Yū invites them to join them; Mako responds that that they merely stopped by, but Yuri, to Mako's surprise, points to a larger table at which they can all sit.

Everyone, other than Yū, sits nervously at the table. Yuri tells stories about their field trip which all seem to involve something embarrassing for Tomoko. When she claims that Tomoko groped Yoshida on a train, Mako suddenly stands, announces she needs to go to the bathroom, and commands Yuri to accompany her.

Inside, Mako tells Yuri she is acting like Minami. Yuri punches her in the arm then asks if Mako really meant that. Mako explains that Yuri "barged in" on Yū, Kotomi, and Tomoko and started talking about Tomoko. Yuri announces she will go home and tells Mako to retrieve her bag for her. Mako protests that Yuri should at least apologize to Tomoko; Yuri tells Mako that she can apologize if she wants.

As the two leave, Yū stops them and asks for their "LINE" accounts. Yuri apologizes to Yū for telling stories about Tomoko; Yū tells her that since Tomoko rarely talks about her school life, she was delighted to hear them. Mako deems her a good person, to which Yuri responds "unlike Kuroki-san and me."

"A Girl has a Name!"

Yū compliments Tomoko on her friends. Tomoko wonders about how easily Yū can interact with new people and even address them with "chan" so easily. She then realizes that she never called Yuri by her first name; she has always called her "Tamura-san." After today, Tomoko admits to herself it would seem weird to keep calling her by her last name, but she notes that Yuri always calls her by her last name: "Kuroki-san."

Yū then turns to Kotomi to learn about her friends.

Characters

In order of appearance:

• Ogino
• Mako Tanaka
• Yuri Tamura
• Koharu Minami
• Asuka Katō
• Akane Okada
• Tomoko Kuroki
• Hina Nemoto
• Yoshinori Kiyota
• Kotomi Komiyama
• Hikari Itō (mentioned)
• Masaki Yoshida (mentioned)
• Yū Naruse
• Tomoki Kuroki (mentioned)

Referbacks and Forwards

• This chapter takes place one day after the events of Chapter 123.
• "The Bitch is Back!": Kotomi starts to refer to Yuri as "that bitch" before stopping herself. This refers to the previous chapter when she saw Tomoki talking to her.
• Yuri brings up their experience during the Kyōto field trip (74-79), though Tomoko did not grope Yoshida on a train.
• "I'm a Bitch!": When Mako says to Yuri that she is acting like Minami, this makes reference to Chapter 120. Subsequent chapters and specials will reveal why Yuri knows so much about Minami – Arg! Spoiler that be!
• "I'm Not a 'Princess!' I'm a Queen!": Work with WataMote Wiki here. Yuri inwardly confesses that Yū is a good person unlike herself. Another and surprising WataGirl™ will arrive at that same conclusion – Arg! Yū's manner of dealing with various other WataGirls is a significant Arg!
• "Say My Name, Bitch!": Yuri will react angrily to Tomoko not using her name then challenge her to see if she knows it.

Trivia

• "A Girl has a Name!": Okada's first name is revealed to be Akane.
• "A Girl has a Nickname?": Yuri learns that Yū's nickname for Tomoko is "Mokocchi."
• Tomoko realizes that she has never called Yuri by either her first or last name.
• Tomoko, Yū, Yuri and Mako now know each other's LINE account.

Cultural References

• The cafe is based on Starbucks and Tully's.

Memorial Moments

• "Hit Me with Your Best Shot!": Yuri punches Mako when accused of acting like Minami.
• Yū finally meets Tomoko's friends Yuri and Mako.
• "Trust Me!": Yuri becomes uncomfortable seeing Tomoko with other friends. Her stories demean Tomoko even if Yū does not respond. This is an early suggestion that Yuri is uncomfortable with Tomoko having friends beyond their small group as well as sheds light on her fears of abandonment and betrayal which are pontificated upon on her character page.
• Yuri considers herself and Tomoko to not be "nice" persons. While Yuri comes off badly by attacking Tomoko in front of Yū, Kotomi, and Mako, Tomoko also teases Yoshida and Kotomi in a similar fashion.
• "Who are Yū?": Yes, WataMote Wiki is running out of references. While often portrayed as stupid, which will continue – Arg – in later chapters, Yū understands people. She is well aware of Tomoko's "sexual harassment" tactics and her conflicts with Kotomi. She chooses to pleasantly ignore or politely rebuff such. In this case, she ignores Yuri's behavior, then defuses Yuri's embarrassment by asking her to exchange information.

Quotes

• "Forget about all that . . . u-umm, you know that one friend of yours? That bi- I mean, twintails girl?" – Kotomi asking Tomoko about Yuri
• "You know that one restaurant you recommended, Kuroki-san? It was awful." – Yuri
• "It'd be nice if I could meet your friends too, Komi-chan. I'm sure they're very kind people." – Yū
  • "Huh? what makes you say that?" – Kotomi
  • "I mean if they're friends with you, they'd have to be kind, right?"
  • "The way she phrased that kind of hurts. . . ." – Kotomi to herself

Gallery

Mako admonishes Yuri over her behavior, and Yuri reacts by punching her arm.

Yuri and Mako react to Yū's friendliness.