WataMote Chapter 201-2

Chapter 201-2
Information
Volume Number	TBA
Chapter Title	Because I'm Not Popular, I'll Think in My Sleep (Part 2)
Published	March 9, 2022
Previous Chapter	Chapter 201
Next Chapter	Chapter 202-1

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

This chapter is the second installment of a two-parter. The cover depicts a view of the school roof from outside, then the sign outside the school infirmary, then Yuri and Tomoko sleeping in adjacent cots as the sunbeams stream down upon them.

"You are welcome!" – WataMote Wiki

Yuri opens her eyes.

She turns towards the sleeping Tomoko and calls out her name. When Tomoko continues sleeping, Yuri shakes her awake. Over a view of a tray of various infirmary implements. Bleary-Eyed Chibi Tomoko asks her what it is and explains that her brain is lightly shaking. Chibi Yuri responds by asking her if she thought of anything.

Lying back in her cot, Tomoko sheepishly smiles and admits that during this time of skipping class she will come up with a movie idea. Yuri asks her if she deliberately intended to do it in the infirmary. Over a view of the sink from outside the window, Tomoko responds that class is too noisy and she cannot concentrate at home. "Here," she explains, it is quiet and she can concentrate while sleeping.

Smiling and looking up at the reader, Tomoko encourages Yuri "too" to tell her if she thinks of any ideas. Yu pleasantly utters an "un" in agreement.

Continuing to look at the ceiling, she turns more serious as she inwardly admits that it is a "crazy" since it is about three weeks until the school festival. She wonders how many days it will take to shoot a fifteen-minute film and how long it will take to edit it. She closes her eyes as she continues to think that if, after all, the entire class participates, it will have to be a musical, but she then inwardly confesses that she would not be interested in seeing it.

"WAKE UP!"

Tomoko's face reveals that she is starting to fall back to sleep. She continues her musing that she would like a movie that is shot with a small number of people "like a light novel." She confesses that if she is saying that she will have to start considering anything. She starts to snooze as she thinks, "Musical . . . song . . . so . . . ng," but Yuri shakes her awake again.

Sweating, Tomoko sits up and chides Yuri to wake her more gently. If she was a baby, she would be dead. With the noise of the cot springs, Tomoko stands looking up and remarks that it looks like the first hour is finished. Yuri asks her if it is fine to have a second hour. Opening the curtain in order to view the room Tomoko acknowledges Yuri's question and notes that since the health teacher is off somewhere and there are enough beds it might be okay as the door slides open.

Shown: GHOST Pirate Emiri-Chan!

To Chibi Yuri's surprise, Masaki enters. Seeing them, Masaki remarks that the two of them were not in class. As Masaki starts to climb in the cot next to her, Tomoko asks her why, and Masaki explains that she, also, just came to sleep. She rolls away from Tomoko to do just that. Tomoko lies back down and looks expectantly at Yuri. Yuri resigns and falls back into her cot and pulls up the covers.

Viewed from above them, Masaki snoozes, Tomoko stares up at the ceiling, and Yuri, with an imagined Emiri kneeling on her legs looking in Tomoko's direction, notes that this is the first time the three of them have slept together since the school trip.

Before Tomoko falls asleep, Masaki startles her with an "Oi!" Without turning towards her, Masaki asks if the Cultural Festival is okay. In response to Tomoko's surprised, "E?!" Masaki explains that she expects Tomoko thinks she will volunteer to do various things. With a view of the floor outside of the curtains, Tomoko admits that she was just thinking about that now. She then asks if there is nothing from "Yoshida-san," "from the Delinquent perspective?" Masaki asks her if she is looking down on her. With a view of the two of them, Masaki continues to ask what about what she said in home room. Tomoko admits that she discarded it since everyone's reaction to it was bad. She is thinking of something else, but she admits it is difficult to allow all of the class to participate.

Masaki looks up from her pillow and suggests that is why they have deemed it impossible. This elicits a collective "E?!" from Shocked Chibi Tomoko and Yuri. Turning a bit more towards the two, Masaki concedes that it may be better now, but they and she during their second years were embarrassments. She rhetorically asks if everyone can get along with others.

Shown: Delinquent Wisdom

She continues that because people think school functions are crap, they and she probably thought that way at one time or the other. "I don't know what it was like for you guys during the first year, but there's no way you were in the center of it, is there?" Over a view of a classroom with the evidence of student's having worked on a festival including the blackboard pointing to a box to announce their class t-shirts, Masaki explains that school festivals are all about inner circles getting excited, so why do they not do the same.

Turning to look at Tomoko, Masaki concludes that she at least needs something that the people in her circle can support. Tomoko stares back at her stunned and inwardly marvels that "the Delinquent" reached the heart of it. She then chides Masaki that she should have said, "I'm stupid, and I really don't understand," to reach Tomoko. Masaki snaps back that she is smarter than her.

Laying back, Tomoko stares back up at the ceiling and inwardly concedes that Masaki is right about the nature of school festivals. The cheery kids have fun and the gloomy kids sit in the corner and complain. "That's what a school festival is." She continues that there are good memories, and bad memories, and the light and dark sides of youth.

"That's what a school festival is."

The next panel focuses on her face as she admits that trying to unravel that twisted string to allow everyone to have fun did not bring her any ideas. The next panel depicts her and others as chibi in the style the Artist draws for some of the extras for volumes. In the back ground, Chibi Tomoko and Yuri sit watching a student film that depicts a bowl of rāmen. Chibi Yuri munches on one of her two cotton candies. In the foreground, Chibi Tomoko, Emiri, Yuri, and Hina watch Hina's phone.

Switching to a view behind her head, Tomoko concludes that she must first aim for something her inner circle can get into. Then, little by little, she can get others caught up in it.

Chibi Tomoko tells Masaki that she can finally make progress thanks to her, but Masaki seems to be asleep.

Yuri faces Tomoko under her covers and insists that her first-year festival was not that bad since she had Mako after all. Tomoko dismisses this competition and notes that it all came down to Mako. She looks back up at the ceiling and concludes that she should stick to four or five performers and stick with something amusing rather than something for everyone.

The windows of the school announce there are 22 days until the festival.

Akane looks with pleasant surprise; Hina with confused surprise. Yuri slowly takes her seat and, with concern, asks "just Tamura-san" and asks about "Kuro." The scene shits to Tomoko furiously typing at a computer. Chibi Yuri reveals that Tomoko has decided on a plot and is in the computer (PC) room typing it up. Excited Chibi Hina reacts to this.

Normal Yuri calmly informs Hina that Tomoko wants her to study for her role. Still excited, Hina asks if Tomoko has already decided on her role. Yuri curtly continues that, for now, Tomoko wants Hina to study by playing that eroge, "Ta●manin was it?" at least three times. Hina retorts by asking if, depending on the subject matter, can she decline.

Characters

In order of appearance:

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

Referbacks and Forwards

• "I Want Candy!": Yuri grabbed and ate two cotton candies with Tomoko as they watched the student video at Yū's school's Cultural Festival.
• "Is This Hentai?": Tomoko, Emiri, and Yuri watched a video on Hina's phone in Chapter 196.
• WataGirls Sleeping Together! Mass Hysteria!": the four did share a room during the Kyōto Trip, and though Emiri tended to spend most of her time in another room with her friends, she did sleep with the rest of them.
• "My first year school festival wasn't as disastrous as yours, Tomoko": In Chapter 186-2, Yuri described to Tomoko what she did during the 1st year school festival.
• Scientific Research: Hina did purchase an eroge game and later confessed that she did play it . . . for SCIENCE! of course.

Cultural References

• "What Do You Mean, 'You People?!!'": WataMote Wiki has previously pontificated upon the differences between "manga Japanese" and actual Japanese as well as the differences in formality when discussing how different characters behave. The term Masaki uses to address Tomoko and Yuri, from the very title of this series, is not one to use. There are many references to that, but this one notes, ". . . just recently a school superintendent of Shibata City schools in Niigata Prefecture was forced to resign because he used the informal ‘omae (お前)’ during a parent-teacher conference." WataMote Wiki would recommend not using any of these.

Trivia

• Taimanin Kurenai: with link to its Fandom page purely for SCIENCE!

Memorable Moments

• Sleeping WataGirls: And WataMote Wiki will leave it at that.
• "Let's Put on a Show!": First time Tomoko imagines involving the entire class. Will Koharu sing and dance? Stay tuned!
• "GHOST Pirate Emiri!": WataMote Wiki does not even . . . though most likely Yuri recalls that Emiri was in their group and now always seems to be around . . . looking at Tomoko. . . .
• "Poke the Bear!": Masaki seems to tolerate Tomoko's jibes a bit more, or she is too sleepy to hit her?
• "Pet the Kitty!": WataMote Wiki has no shame, but Tomoko actually compliments Masaki. Does she hear it?
• Method Acting: Is Yuri telling the truth to Hina or playing a bit of a joke? Stay tuned!

Quotes

• "My brain is a little shaken up."– Tomoko Kuroki to Yuri Tamura
  • "Weren't you supposed to be thinking of something?" – Yuri
• "I thought skipping class around this time would give me some ideas for the film" –  Tomoko
  • "We went to the nurse's office just for that?" – Yuri
• "This is pretty bad... There's only three weeks left until the school festival... How many days does it take to shoot a 15-minute film? How long will editing it take? Should I just go with a musical that everyone can take part in...? It'd be watchable, but I just have no interest in it. I would've preferred to film something more light novel-ish with a handful of people... But there's no time left to be saying that. I just need to pick something and start filming already... musical... songs... sing... ing..." – Tomoko
• "Wake up!" – Yuri
  • "Wake me up a little more gently. If you shook a baby like that, you'd kill it" – Tomoko
• "I was just thinking about that just now. You got any ideas, Yoshida-san? Like from a delinquent perspective" – Tomoko
  • "You making fun of me?" – Masaki Yoshida
• "I'm trying to think of something else. But thinking of something that the whole class can take part is hard" – Tomoko Kuroki
  • "Well, it'd be impossible for you guys" – Masaki to Tomoko and Yuri
• "I don't know if we're any better these days, but none of us were exactly popular during the second year, right? There's no way people like us could get along with everyone" – Masaki to Tomoko and Yuri
• "There's a lot of people who think school events are just stupid I'm pretty sure we have each thought that at one point or another" – Masaki to Tomoko and Yuri
• "I don't know what it was like for you guys during the first year, but there's no way you were in the center of it, is there?" – Masaki to Yuri and Tomoko
• "School festivals are just about inner circles getting all excited, so why don't you guys try doing something like that this time? at the very least, you need something that the people in your circle can get on board with" – Masaki to Tomoko and Yuri
• "The delinquent reached the heart of it?!!" – Tomoko about Masaki
• "Yoshida-san, say that again, but this time add, 'I'm an idiot so I don't really get it, but...' to the start. It'll resonate more with me that way" – Tomoko
  • "Huh? I'm way smarter than you" – Masaki
• "... She's right. I forgot about the nature of school festivals. The creepy kids have fun and the gloomers sit in the corner and complain. That's what a school festival is. There are good memories and bad memories. The light and dark sides of youth. That's what a school festival is." – Tomoko
• "Trying to unravel that twisted string so everyone can have fun... didn't bring forth any ideas at all. Thinking back on it, the school festival movies I've seen were all boring... Of course they were. That's because they were made for their inner circles!" – Tomoko
• "First, I should aim for something my inner circle can get into. And then, little by little, I'll get other people caught up in that circle too...! Something like that, I gues..." – Tomoko
• "My first year school festival wasn't as disastrous as yours, Tomoko. I had Mako, after all" – Yuri
  • "No, now's not the time for winning arguments. It all boils down to Mako-san anyway." – Tomoko
• "If I stick with just four or five performers, I'll be able to do more with them... and for the story, I can go with something we find amusing rather than something for everyone..." – Tomoko
• "She decided on a plot for the film, so she's in the PC room typing up the scenario" – Yuri about Tomoko
  • "NO WAY!! AT LONG LAST!?" – Hina
• "For now, she wants you to study by playing that "eroge"? Taimanin was it? At least three times" – Yuri about Tomoko
  • "Depending on the subject matter, is it all right if I decline?" – Hina

Gallery

Original Art from Nico Tanigawa Twitter