When last we left our conman and lawyer, the conman was coming on strong. He had the lawyer’s tie in his hand, faces getting closer, and then —
Just kidding
It’s only the third episode and this isn’t Wandee Goodday.
Shiba looks rattled. He was ready for a kiss. Haruto prepares a bath filled with rose petals for him. It’s relaxing, good for his skin, and will help him do his best in the courtroom.
Shiba misunderstands Haruto and imagines them in the bath together, but Haruto just gives him a face massage. He tells himself Haruto is only his partner as he sinks into the tub.
We’ve still gotta deal with this stupid case
The whole thing comes down to a dispute over a verbal agreement between an ad agency and an educational influencer. Shiba represents the ad agency, who in this case are the good guys.
The influencer is a creepy guy who performs in a propeller hat. There’s a small group of female fans supporting him in court. Shiba is determined to expose him, and he uses Haruto’s recording of the influencer scheming with his girlfriend. The influencer’s lawyer argues against the evidence and I think wins even though it was already played. But this isn’t a jury trial and I don’t know how the Japanese legal system works, so maybe they just won’t consider it?
Undaunted, Shiba brings another witness to the stand, a business partner. He uses her chat and some info from a calendar to prove when a verbal agreement most likely occurred. The influencer’s lawyer is doing so poorly he starts defending himself. But Shiba gets the woman to say she is also a romantic partner to the influencer.
We get a flashback of Haruto talking to her and showing her pictures that prove she’s being cheated on.
All the women connected to the influencer, including his lawyer, fight and chase him around. It’s not a good look. Not like how good Haruto looks in his brightly colored sweater, totally unimpressed by the romantic betrayals. He whispers a promise to Shiba that he won’t betray him.
He sends Shiba a thumbs up, and Shiba smiles back. It’s adorable. This is why I’m watching the show. Not for the legal stuff.
Haruto wants a reward from Shiba for his hard work, and gets his face in close
Shiba is gagging for it. But nope, not yet.
No, they’re going camping again. Haruto cooked paella over an open fire which seems as realistic as that court case. But I know as much about campfire cooking as the Japanese legal system. Anyway, Shiba’s “it’s edible” thrills Haruto.
Shiba pulls out a contract, to make Haruto his partner and legally protect himself since Haruto’s a fraud. Haruto reads it super fast and signs because he trusts “Ryo-kun”.
Next is marshmallows. Shiba sets his on fire so Haruto switches with him. I love how Haruto calmly takes care of Shiba, who is only competent in the courtroom.
Haruto brought him out here to confess because he couldn’t at home with the succulents listening. He likes Shiba’s serious court expressions, his awkward side, and his appreciation for Haruto’s cooking. (I love that Japanese BL understands how much those of us who cook like our food to be enjoyed.)
Shiba thinks his heart is like a marshmallow: hot, soft, and melting. I think of Shiba as crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Either works. But he doesn’t answer Haruto.
Haruto is glum but says he’ll wait. He wipes marshmallow off Shiba’s face and they go to bed. In the tent, he cuddles Shiba and tells him he’s glad they’re sleeping together. Shiba is now awake.
I question Kazama’s abilities as a lawyer
Not only does he see Haruto in court and not recognize him, but he’s seemingly fooled by Shiba asking for romance advice for “a friend”. Shiba says this “friend” can’t figure out his feelings but is flustered and aware of physical contact.
Kazama thinks the “friend” is already in love, but has a test to be certain that we don’t hear. After Shiba leaves, Kazama and the bartender are confused because Shiba has no friends. Guys.
At home, Haruto feeds Shiba’s vanity to get him into some seasonal decor. They re-enact the iconic pottery wheel scene from Ghost with pumpkin carving, which looks dangerous. Shiba feels watched by the succulents.
Time for another case!
A company is concerned their employee will expose misconduct and damage public opinion about Japanese energy policies.
Shoba shares the case with Haruto, who resolves to make contact with this attractive female employee. That’s all it takes for Shiba to imagine Haruto in the tent sleeping with him but turning over to cuddle this woman. Or doing pumpkin carving with her. Dude, you are In Love.
The employee is known as the cyborg, so Shiba thinks Haruto won’t succeed. But all it takes is a shared interest in kingfishers and Haruto gets a tennis date with her in three days. He also reports seeing her arguing with an older man who could be a colleague.
Shiba should be happy with this information, but he is not. Haruto shows him that he decorated the succulent area as promised. Shiba has a slow sweet smile. Later, he argues with the succulents over whether he is in love.
The smile is gone when Haruto is on his tennis date. When Haruto texts that he’s having dinner with her, Shiba spies on them. The drunken woman leans onto Haruto, stroking his hair, and coming onto him. He gets in the taxi with her.
Shiba is in pain. He remembers Kazama’s advice was to see if he got jealous. Well, he’s jealous. He collapses on the ground as he realizes he’s in love.
I’ve spent years learning Japanese so I can catch these nuances
Haruto’s confession is “俺リョーくんのこと大好き”/”ore ryou-kun no koto daisuki”. It’s pretty common in Japanese to use some variation of “no koto (ga) suki” which literally means something like “I like the things about you”. It’s a confession, but it softens it and makes it less direct, as the Japanese like to do
In this case, it’s interesting that Haruto says “daisuki” which is “really like”, so he’s saying something like “I really like the things about you”. Coming on a little strong because he’s Haruto. At least that’s how I understand it, years of taking Japanese do not make me an expert.
(Last time I noticed interesting confession nuances was with the oh-so-direct Issei in On a Starry Night. I highly recommend this show!)
But still, Haruto couldn’t in front of the succulents.
These legal cases are not thrilling and the women involved are not well written. So let’s just focus on Haruto and Shiba being cute.
Last episodes, Shiba obsessed over who Haruto really is. This episode, he’s done a 180 and is entirely focused on the meaning behind his own feelings. Maybe it’s part of his arrogance (he thinks he’s safe behind his contract) but he’s not worried about Haruto being a conman with ulterior motives. It’s arrogant but also cute how sincerely he’s confronting his feelings. There’s also no hint of snobbery in his self exploration, he’s confused by his feelings but not trying to deny them.
I get why Haruto likes him despite how ridiculous and full of himself he can be.
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