Smart「スマート, Sumāto?」 is the seventy-third chapter of the Oshi no Ko manga series. It is written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari. It was released in Weekly Young Jump on March 3, 2022.[1]
Summary[]
It is her date with Aqua but Kana cannot make up her mind on what to wear for the occasion. She tries out different outfits but despite having 2 hours to prepare, she is running late. With no choice left, she has to scramble at the last minute. And as she makes her way to Shinjuku, she can only imagine the snarky remarks he would say to her but she suddenly gets a message from Aqua, informing her that he is waiting at a cafe nearby.
As she enters the cafe, she apologizes for being late but Aqua was not bothered and offers her a hot drink. Kana tries to pay the bill to make up for being late, only for Aqua to step in and pay with his suica before she can react. A they set off for the department store, Kana tries to process what just happened but gets flustered the linger she dwell on the matter. They then get to the department store to pick out a trolley case where Aqua picks a white one. Back on the streets, Kana gets flustered again when his choice of white matches the color of her glowstick. She considers asking him about his choice but her thoughts are interrupted by Aqua offering to carry her bag on his newly acquired suitcase. Kana arguing it's part of fashion but Aqua simply brushes off her complaint.
Soon it gets late, Aqua asks if they should split but Kana states she is hungry and Aqua takes her to a meat restaurant after asking her preferences. Kana notes that the restaurant is always fully booked and there is no chance for a table without reservations. However Aqua heads in anyway as he has made a reservation. In her mind, Kana is left wondering everything that has happened so far. Aqua planned the route to perfection, he even picked out a restaurant where she can eat as much as she wants.
In the end, she cannot resist her curiosity and asks Aqua how he is so good as an escort and giving girls a good time. In response, Aqua says he was brought up by the president of an entertainment industry. Besides big age gaps are pretty common in the industry, so dates such as this is pretty common, especially if one aims to make their partners happy. Kana interprets his statement as him trying to make her happy but she changes the subject and asks about his relationship with Akane. Aqua explains that they were interrupted but they should know for sure the next time they meet. He then shares that he thought he should never fall in love but he is reconsidering. Kana think it is fine since freedom of love is a basic human right.
After dinner, Aqua calls a taxi but Kana gets the wrong idea, believing that Aqua is about to take her to Kabukicho but she is simply sent home.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- The editor's notes and several of Kana's lines in Japanese are referencing the lyrics of the song Ne~e?, specifically the first two verse.