The matchmaker plot continues, and the series intimates that the unexpected is to be anticipated, using the reactions to a haunted house. Some things are normal - Yui and Yumiko are scared and Hachiman isn't - but others are not - Kawasaki and Tobe are scared, while Hina and Saika eat it up. Naturally this is also a place where the growing attraction of Yui for Hachiman gets ever more so slightly obvious.
From a quick conversation with Yukino, confirming her happy, perky attitude is continuing, we get an entirely unexpected development when Hachiman runs into Yumiko for a private conversation. Already suspicious because Hayama seems to be subtly undermining Tobe's quest, Yumiko confirms that Hina will definitively reject Tobe, because she delicately "rejects everybody.' Yumiko likes how things are with her clique (not least because she gets lots of time with Hayama) and so fiercely orders the hapless one to "not ruin it," which Hina quietly confirms in her own icky yaoi-loving way. Moral of the story? Don't play matchmaker.
This would be extremely boring if it were not the backdrop for the Service Club's increasing bond. Hachiman, Yui, and Yukino are functioning as close to a harmonic unit as can reasonably be imagined, even if Yumiko is right and Yui is withholding pertinent information. Scenes with the three of them walking together down the street, with the girls foisting food on the boy (who concludes, "I feel like livestock being fed. I could get used to this. Food tastes the best when you don't have to work for it.) are hilarious, and nothing says friendship like tranquil munching in silence together. Simple, contented companionship.
The group these three have formed is constantly being compared and contrasted to Hayama's clique, which Hachiman claims to look down upon and despise for its shallowness and artificiality. Like Yumiko, Hayama likes the way things are now and doesn't want them to change, to which Hachiman retorts, not entirely wrongly, that "if this is all it takes to shatter your bonds, they were never that deep." Perhaps, but the bonds he's formed with Yui and Yukino are probably as fragile, if not more so, than their's. "What's lost can never be returned," Hayama intones in resignation, and indeed that is the fear in friendships. Both he (and Hachiman, if he were aware of it) are being ruled by that fear, instead of confronting and overcoming it, and if they tried, they would find other opportunities open even as these might close - because even though it is a motivation from fear, it is still an insight - mucking around with a friendship is a good way to distance and alienate the other, and often, that distancing is irreversible. So Hayama wants nothing to change, Hina wants nothing to change, and Sayoko wants nothing to change. Thus, Hachiman concludes that "there is something I can do." That it will be something absolutely effective and self-destructive is a given.
The stage is set and the pieces are moving. The two girls agree that Hina will probably reject Tobe, and when Hachiman tells them there is "a way to resolve things semi-peacefully," they both spontaneously agree to trust him in handling it, with such bright, eager smiles it's guaranteed to make you uncomfortable. Proof that their real delight is working together, and not succeeding in accomplishing the goal asked of them. And so the plan is put into action. There, in the romantic spot Yui wanted someone (guess who!) to confess to her, Hachiman fake-confesses to Hina, who politely turns him down.
She is smart and knows he was faking, as does Hayama, Yui, and Yukino. Tobe and the others, however, are totally convinced, and so Hachiman will probably experience again all the negative aspects of being rejected he brought up at the beginning of the arc. He cares deeply for others, enough to self-efface, but can't move away from a socially self-destructive, alienating pattern.
In the school festival, Hachiman was truthfully cruel to Sagami, meaning her disaster could be blamed on him being mean to her on the rooftop, and when amplified and spread via the Way of Gossip, preserving her false reputation as a good committee chair, his self-destructive behavior reconciled him and Yukino, reestablishing their friendships. But this time, she tells him, "I very much hate the way you do things." She's so mad she doesn't even have the words to properly express herself and stalks away. Outwardly calm and composed (she didn't even raise her voice), but inwardly a raging volcano.
She lacks the words, but Yui sure doesn't. In a beautiful, pleading monologue, she begs Hachiman to never do that again; even while acknowledging that he probably succeeded, "Why can't you think of other people's feelings for a change? How can you be so smart but so stupid?" And in tears she also walks away. Hachiman is able to be brutally honest with those who mean nothing to him (kudos to Hina for this insight), but those who mean the most to him are precisely those who need the truth the most and who he's afraid the truth will alienate because he, like Hina, "is rotten." He notes to himself that "because we value things and don't want to lose them, we hide and dress up the truth. So everyone lies, but the biggest liar is me." He is smart enough to realize the simplest solution to the popular kids' dilemma, but refuses to turn that insight to the relationships he's been building with Yui and Yukino. By "other people" Yui meant herself and Yukino, so it is probably there where anything resembling an answer will be found.
Why are Yui and Yukino so upset? Granted, Yui is more heartbroken than angry, but neither one is happy with their friend. It could be because the way he helps other people is to make himself the gossiped-about villain, which ruins his chances of genuine relationships. As Sensei told him, "There are people whose hearts break every time you hurt yourself," and both of the girls were hurt by what he did. Because they care about him and his reputation, for him to ruin it all over again for people he claims to not care for at all must be infuriating. But then why were they not mad about the Sagami Solution? Hachiman is not in love with Hina and so the resulting gossip will actually be amusing, not embarrassing, whereas the Sagami Scenario made him look callously cruel. Yet Yukino admired him for it that time. That time, being a sheep in wolf's clothing was good. Now it is bad. There must be more to it than simply the girls being inconsistent.
Another possibility could be hinted at by the episode's title, "Unheard Confessions," of course referring to Tobe, but probably indicating Yui and Yukino as well. Both of them are developing feelings for Hachiman, and maybe it bothered them that he was able to lie about something as important as love so casually. Telling another girl he loved her probably hurt them because of that, even (especially?) when it was clear he didn't mean it. Yui of course has been in love with him since last season, when only her mom's phone call stopped her confession, and it's all but certain Hachiman knows about it. Yukino on the other hand, is just as friendless and solitary as Hachiman, and has no experience with friends, let alone love, so she may not even realize the truth herself, even though she's so strongly drawn to him and he to her. They were made for each other like Kurisu and Kyouma.
Yukino is probably the key here. She has changed since the last season; we've never seen her this warm and open before. Her feelings are beginning to change; to friendship certainly, and to love probably. Always before she has been calm and collected; always in control, ever articulate, never at a loss. But that night walking back to the hotel, she lost her sense of direction and had to rely on Hachiman; she felt vulnerable then, and flustered when out of courtesy she thanked him for walking her back. She has no experience with positive relationships, if Haruno is any indication here, so of course she would have no idea how to understand or integrate what she's feeling now, much less how to explain it to others, even if she wanted to. Hence: "It frustrates me that I can't articulate myself." What didn't bother her before bothers her now - not because it is different (Hachiman and his methods are the same), but because she is different, even though she barely knows it herself.
Put more cynically, with Sagami, Yukino realized Hachiman was doing it for her; now, she realizes he was doing it for someone else; or perhaps she's frustrated that his underhanded tactics work, while nothing she does has ever been really effective, which makes her feel expendable and inadequate, even as she knows he's not going about this in the right way. I doubt either of those motivations - jealousy and resentment - are the primary reasons for her anger, or if they're even there at all, but it's at least possible they're contributing factors.
Both of the girls are right to be upset but are being unreasonable at the same time. Anyone paying attention to Hachiman's stories of past attempted connection will realize instantly why he does what he does and how he does it. Constant rejection is enough to make anyone suspect that perhaps they're rotten, and unworthy or incapable of genuine connection, which is the one thing that truly makes life worth living. Hence the self-sabotage and the lies, and his recognition that "I am the biggest liar of them all." He claims he wants to be a solitary bear, but is longing for true friendship. Yui will probably forgive him almost instantly, but Yukino will not. She expects him to pull an about-face and totally change on a dime, while refusing to really understand him. Tragedy in the making.
From a quick conversation with Yukino, confirming her happy, perky attitude is continuing, we get an entirely unexpected development when Hachiman runs into Yumiko for a private conversation. Already suspicious because Hayama seems to be subtly undermining Tobe's quest, Yumiko confirms that Hina will definitively reject Tobe, because she delicately "rejects everybody.' Yumiko likes how things are with her clique (not least because she gets lots of time with Hayama) and so fiercely orders the hapless one to "not ruin it," which Hina quietly confirms in her own icky yaoi-loving way. Moral of the story? Don't play matchmaker.
This would be extremely boring if it were not the backdrop for the Service Club's increasing bond. Hachiman, Yui, and Yukino are functioning as close to a harmonic unit as can reasonably be imagined, even if Yumiko is right and Yui is withholding pertinent information. Scenes with the three of them walking together down the street, with the girls foisting food on the boy (who concludes, "I feel like livestock being fed. I could get used to this. Food tastes the best when you don't have to work for it.) are hilarious, and nothing says friendship like tranquil munching in silence together. Simple, contented companionship.
The group these three have formed is constantly being compared and contrasted to Hayama's clique, which Hachiman claims to look down upon and despise for its shallowness and artificiality. Like Yumiko, Hayama likes the way things are now and doesn't want them to change, to which Hachiman retorts, not entirely wrongly, that "if this is all it takes to shatter your bonds, they were never that deep." Perhaps, but the bonds he's formed with Yui and Yukino are probably as fragile, if not more so, than their's. "What's lost can never be returned," Hayama intones in resignation, and indeed that is the fear in friendships. Both he (and Hachiman, if he were aware of it) are being ruled by that fear, instead of confronting and overcoming it, and if they tried, they would find other opportunities open even as these might close - because even though it is a motivation from fear, it is still an insight - mucking around with a friendship is a good way to distance and alienate the other, and often, that distancing is irreversible. So Hayama wants nothing to change, Hina wants nothing to change, and Sayoko wants nothing to change. Thus, Hachiman concludes that "there is something I can do." That it will be something absolutely effective and self-destructive is a given.
The stage is set and the pieces are moving. The two girls agree that Hina will probably reject Tobe, and when Hachiman tells them there is "a way to resolve things semi-peacefully," they both spontaneously agree to trust him in handling it, with such bright, eager smiles it's guaranteed to make you uncomfortable. Proof that their real delight is working together, and not succeeding in accomplishing the goal asked of them. And so the plan is put into action. There, in the romantic spot Yui wanted someone (guess who!) to confess to her, Hachiman fake-confesses to Hina, who politely turns him down.
She is smart and knows he was faking, as does Hayama, Yui, and Yukino. Tobe and the others, however, are totally convinced, and so Hachiman will probably experience again all the negative aspects of being rejected he brought up at the beginning of the arc. He cares deeply for others, enough to self-efface, but can't move away from a socially self-destructive, alienating pattern.
In the school festival, Hachiman was truthfully cruel to Sagami, meaning her disaster could be blamed on him being mean to her on the rooftop, and when amplified and spread via the Way of Gossip, preserving her false reputation as a good committee chair, his self-destructive behavior reconciled him and Yukino, reestablishing their friendships. But this time, she tells him, "I very much hate the way you do things." She's so mad she doesn't even have the words to properly express herself and stalks away. Outwardly calm and composed (she didn't even raise her voice), but inwardly a raging volcano.
She lacks the words, but Yui sure doesn't. In a beautiful, pleading monologue, she begs Hachiman to never do that again; even while acknowledging that he probably succeeded, "Why can't you think of other people's feelings for a change? How can you be so smart but so stupid?" And in tears she also walks away. Hachiman is able to be brutally honest with those who mean nothing to him (kudos to Hina for this insight), but those who mean the most to him are precisely those who need the truth the most and who he's afraid the truth will alienate because he, like Hina, "is rotten." He notes to himself that "because we value things and don't want to lose them, we hide and dress up the truth. So everyone lies, but the biggest liar is me." He is smart enough to realize the simplest solution to the popular kids' dilemma, but refuses to turn that insight to the relationships he's been building with Yui and Yukino. By "other people" Yui meant herself and Yukino, so it is probably there where anything resembling an answer will be found.
Why are Yui and Yukino so upset? Granted, Yui is more heartbroken than angry, but neither one is happy with their friend. It could be because the way he helps other people is to make himself the gossiped-about villain, which ruins his chances of genuine relationships. As Sensei told him, "There are people whose hearts break every time you hurt yourself," and both of the girls were hurt by what he did. Because they care about him and his reputation, for him to ruin it all over again for people he claims to not care for at all must be infuriating. But then why were they not mad about the Sagami Solution? Hachiman is not in love with Hina and so the resulting gossip will actually be amusing, not embarrassing, whereas the Sagami Scenario made him look callously cruel. Yet Yukino admired him for it that time. That time, being a sheep in wolf's clothing was good. Now it is bad. There must be more to it than simply the girls being inconsistent.
Another possibility could be hinted at by the episode's title, "Unheard Confessions," of course referring to Tobe, but probably indicating Yui and Yukino as well. Both of them are developing feelings for Hachiman, and maybe it bothered them that he was able to lie about something as important as love so casually. Telling another girl he loved her probably hurt them because of that, even (especially?) when it was clear he didn't mean it. Yui of course has been in love with him since last season, when only her mom's phone call stopped her confession, and it's all but certain Hachiman knows about it. Yukino on the other hand, is just as friendless and solitary as Hachiman, and has no experience with friends, let alone love, so she may not even realize the truth herself, even though she's so strongly drawn to him and he to her. They were made for each other like Kurisu and Kyouma.
Yukino is probably the key here. She has changed since the last season; we've never seen her this warm and open before. Her feelings are beginning to change; to friendship certainly, and to love probably. Always before she has been calm and collected; always in control, ever articulate, never at a loss. But that night walking back to the hotel, she lost her sense of direction and had to rely on Hachiman; she felt vulnerable then, and flustered when out of courtesy she thanked him for walking her back. She has no experience with positive relationships, if Haruno is any indication here, so of course she would have no idea how to understand or integrate what she's feeling now, much less how to explain it to others, even if she wanted to. Hence: "It frustrates me that I can't articulate myself." What didn't bother her before bothers her now - not because it is different (Hachiman and his methods are the same), but because she is different, even though she barely knows it herself.
Put more cynically, with Sagami, Yukino realized Hachiman was doing it for her; now, she realizes he was doing it for someone else; or perhaps she's frustrated that his underhanded tactics work, while nothing she does has ever been really effective, which makes her feel expendable and inadequate, even as she knows he's not going about this in the right way. I doubt either of those motivations - jealousy and resentment - are the primary reasons for her anger, or if they're even there at all, but it's at least possible they're contributing factors.
Both of the girls are right to be upset but are being unreasonable at the same time. Anyone paying attention to Hachiman's stories of past attempted connection will realize instantly why he does what he does and how he does it. Constant rejection is enough to make anyone suspect that perhaps they're rotten, and unworthy or incapable of genuine connection, which is the one thing that truly makes life worth living. Hence the self-sabotage and the lies, and his recognition that "I am the biggest liar of them all." He claims he wants to be a solitary bear, but is longing for true friendship. Yui will probably forgive him almost instantly, but Yukino will not. She expects him to pull an about-face and totally change on a dime, while refusing to really understand him. Tragedy in the making.
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