Kikiskeeter

Yeah, there is definitely looking as if there will be some sort of accidental contact betwen Rin and Aoki.

Samuraisedge

Or not so accidental. Well...at least on Rin's part anyway .

Shinobu

EEEWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't the term, "Grabbing the bull by the horns"? Pardon me, while I poke out my mind's eye.

Actually, here's the happy place to replace that image: Houin getting a THO when Aoki was milking the cow with the same name as her (Kyoko) and imagining she was getting fondled.

Samuraisedge

lol> Sorry 'Shinobu'. Maybe my terminology was a bit too direct. But seriously, I'm surprised it took Aoki this long to take such a drastic approach to the issue. And I certainly didn't see it coming that he'd move in with them. On to the subject you mentioned, I remember this scene well. Houin certainly had an active imagination in that segment with the cow-milking. She certainly has been scarce in the story since the futon incident at Aoki's home. Wonder what's going on with that?

XellKhaar

I'm hoping this is setting it up to kill off Reiji, or otherwise remove him from the story. Before, if Reiji were to die or get sent to jail, Rin would have been sent to foster care or with her real father, obviously not an option. However; now that Aoki is living with her, he's in a position to start taking care of her if Reiji bites the dust. Hopefully he'll get killed off in a car accident or something, or otherwise snap, do something drastic, and get sent to jail.

Samuraisedge

Wow 'XellKhaar' you really go for the jugular. Of course your not the only one who has thought this. I, however, see it happening like this (possibly). With the new living arrangements, Reiji will probably resent Aoki at first, but start to realize that he's good for Rin, and that she likes him very much. With this, Reiji will start to understand that he was wrong for using Rin as replacement, and that he has serious issues to resolve. He decides to check himself into a clinic to get counsiling, and leaves Rin in Aoki's care. Whether Rin and Aoki end up a couple in the future is anyones guess, but at least Rin is out of harms way. Of course this is ultimately up to Watashiya-san what she want to happen. By the way, welcome aboard.

SusanoSasori

Yeah I don't think they're gonna kill Reiji. Think about it, there's a little less than two years until Rin graduates, if Reiji were to die now not only would that severely traumatize Rin (like with Aki), and then the only adult she's have left is Aoki, and I don't know how they could run with that for a whole year. Basically, I think it's too soon to kill Reiji (if they did at all), it would be more appropriate near Rin's graduation because if they were to continue the manga any further at that point *then* she could probably live with Aoki.

What I'm expecting is that the whole purpose of this "Aoki Move-In" arc (I'm assuming it'll be an arc) will be a way of getting Reiji to finally be on good terms with Aoki, settling Reiji's relationship with Rin as a parental one, and to possibly excel Rin's feelings for Aoki. I mean come on, you just know that something intimate's gonna happen to them, look what Rin tried to pull back when they went to Aoki's hometown. Of course, I can imagine that the chance to do such a thing would be really tight since Reiji lives there too, but you know Rin always does stuff anyways.

Kikiskeeter

Well, I do see Reiji just walking off into the setting sun at one point freed of his emotional burdens and going off to an advancement in his career for the sixth grade year and then there will be some tension as the year ends as Reiji seem to want to bring her to live with him yet we will find out he has found his true love and he want to be a true family with Rin.

Shinobu

Well, Reiji is like Wesley Crusher (Star Trek Next Generation). Annoying, but still part of the story. They can't "kill" him off by giving him a red shirt, but maybe he'll end up going away anyway (like Wesley Crusher)

The Star Trek reference refers to the guest appearance of Wil Wheaton on "The Big Bang Theory" the other night. Man, we all lit up the old rec.arts.startrek newsgroup with "Kill Wesley Crusher" rants.

Samuraisedge

I agree with what 'SusanoSasori' said. Rin would be devastated if Reiji died or was killed. Yeah she's pissed with him now, but I don't think she'd want to him dead. Personally, I don't see it going down this way (now or ever).