Childhood Friends

"Childhood Friends" is the second chapter of Gokinjo Monogatari by Ai Yazawa.

Plot
This chapter begins with Mikako's introduction to readers of her mother as a shoujo manga artist, who is considered number one in composing sad and painful love stories and really is popular. Also, Mikako confess  that she can't understand these painful types of feelings, and can't even understand her mother's manga at all.

In the morning Kuro wakes up Mikako around 5:30, though she can't immediately recall the fact that she has a cat. She feeds the cat and finds her mother, who fell asleep under the kotatsu again. Then she finds just finished color page of Ruriko's manga and is fascinated by it. Mikako chooses the name for her cat, while cooking breakfast. Tsutomu drops by, and he already calls the cat "Arisa" but Mikako argues that she already picked "Kuro". Tsutomu argues back that it's cruel give him such a bad name. Mikako asks why he came so early, she is not ready to go to school yet. Tsutomu says that he came to see Arisa. On what Mikako exclaims that if he would call the cat Arisa, she will name him Issei. Their quarrel disturbs Ruriko's sleep.

On their way to school, Mikako asks Tsutomu to go with her to get a litter box and food for Kuro (they finally agreed on this name) and he agreed. In subway, Mikako looks at Tsutomu's profile closely and silently admits that he's amazingly good-looking monkey. She lags behind him a bit, still considering his attractivness, and the next moment some girl from all-girl high school gives him a love letter.

In school Mikako talks about that with Risa. Non-chan comes and asks Mikako to get signed her issue of Ruriko's latest manga series "Fantasia for two" for her. She said it was so good that it made her cry. Mikako agreed, but she still doesn't get why do people like her mom's manga. Non-chan propose that she can't understand because it was Mikako's mom, who wrote that manga. But Mikako thinks it's because she is not understand a girl's feeling of love (because she never have fall in love yet).

On the backyard of school, Tsutomu reads the love letter and drinks strawberry milk. Yuusuke and Jiro find him there. Yuusuke asks him if he already did ask Mariko to introduce her friends from all-girls school on the gokuon (group dating). They become very excited when Tsutomu says she can do that, and suggest to go right after school. Tsutomu says that he can't go because he already promised to go with Mikako. But Yuusuke insists that Tsutomu should go to allure Mariko instead of waste his youthful years playing house with a childhood friend. That convince Tsutomu and he tells Mikako about change of his plans. Of course, she gets mad at him.

Risa comes to Mikako and reminds her it's sewing lab is next lesson. She also says she will go with Mikako after school, since it's her day off from part-time job. Mikako is about to cry. P-chan comes to go with them to next lesson, but Risa tells her that Mikako has a tummy-ache and asks her to go ahead and tell the teacher that they will go to the nurse's office (so nobody would see Mikako in tears). Instead they go outside and talk. Risa tells Mikako, that what she feels toward Tsutomu is, probably, what people call love. When Mikako calms down they go to sewing class.

Meanwhile, Tsutomu and company met Mariko and her friends. Girls startled about how much Tsutomu looks like Nakagawa Ken. They all go to karaoke, but all girl's attention concentrated only on Tsutomu. Yuusuke suggests Tsutomu to leave with Mariko, so they would get a chance. While he walks with Mariko to McDonalds, Tsutomu sees across the street Mikako cheerfully chats with Risa, and he hides from them. Mariko noticed that, and asks him later what is Mikako to him. He replies that they just childhood friends. Mariko asks him to go steady.

When Tsutomu tells Yuusuke about that Mariko wants to get serious, he says he jealous of him very much (and their group date didn't go well). On the stairs they  spot Mikako and Risa, and Tsutomu runs for her while shouting his apologies. She yells back with the similar phrases he told her yesterday - that he can do whatever he want, it has nothing to do with her. He tells her she would never have a boyfriend with such attitude. She replies she doesn't need one.

Later, Mariko finds Tsutomu skipping classes on the back of school. She asks him if he thought about becoming her boyfriend. He says he will be happy to accept.

Character appearances

 * Jiro Nishino
 * Ken Nakagawa
 * Kuro
 * Mai Oota
 * Mariko Nakasu
 * Mikako Kouda
 * Nami Nakumura
 * Nobuko Takada (Non-chan)
 * Noriji Sunami
 * Risa Kanzaki
 * Ruriko Kouda
 * Tsutomu Yamaguchi
 * Yuusuke Tashiro

Trivia

 * In the author's comments, Ai Yazawa reveals that Bandai released all of the Gokinjo Monogatari merchandise and that they also, released a "Sudou Saurus" plushie.
 * Tsutomu wanted to call Kuro, "Arisa" after, Arisa Mizuki a famous Japanese actress, singer and model.