Another long hiatus from classes and such means I can get up to date on my reviews. Suzuka has been keeping my interest, and it looks like we get to make some progress.

Summary:
Yamato is thinking about the comments that Nana made and his own revelations about how he has been acting towards Honoka. In the end, he intends to put the bit of information that Nana gave him to good use: he's going to get Honoka a present for her upcoming birthday.

On the way to school the next day, Honoka asks Yamato if they can go out on Saturday (tomorrow), but since he has to buy the present, he claims he already planned to go out with Yasu. Later on, he tries to get advice on a present from a variety of characters: Yasu recommends roses, Miho-chan says a teddy bear, Yuka suggests an expensive necklace, and Yamato's aunt suggests just getting what he thinks is right in his heart so long as he puts effort into it. Yamato can't decide, so he decides to read through a girl's fashion magazine to get ideas. Of course, Suzuka sees this and comments on his weird perversions. Yamato explains what he is doing and asks her for help picking a present. After a moment of silence from her, he goes to leave, when she agrees to meet him at Shinjuku to do so. Meanwhile, Honoka is upset, because she thinks Yamato will forget her birthday.

The next day, Honoka is out and runs into Yuka and Megumi, who accidently let the secret slip about Yamato looking for a gift for her. Trying to cover up, Yuka asks her to pretend to be surprised. Honoka is really happy and goes to buy food to make a nice meal for Yamato. Meanwhile, Suzuka and Yamato begin the arduous task of picking out something for Honoka, with Suzuka presenting many options and Yamato not knowing what to pick. As they continue, Suzuka is more and more uncomfortable with the situation, so she is about to go home as she reminds Yamato to think about who he is buying this for. Just then, Yamato notices the ticket lady (the Fantasy Land one) has a stand of necklaces for sale near them (actually, it's more that the ticket lady notices them). After a brief look, he finds something he likes and asks Suzuka to model it. He likes it and makes the purchase. As Suzuka and Yamato get ready to each head home, they don't see that Honoka is doing her shopping in the area - she notices the two smiling and having fun and is upset by this.

On the next day (the birthday), Yamato is going to give the necklace to Honoka. Suzuka mentions that he shouldn't mention them shopping for it together, and after Yamato expresses a lack of confidence, Suzuka urges him to keep in mind that he picked it out and thought it was good.

Yamato heads to Honoka's and goes to give her the present. Honoka is very happy that he has remembered her birthday, then reveals she knew about him looking for a present (via Yuka/Megumi), and says that she wants to be honest with him. Yamato remembers that he told her he'd be out with Yasu and is uneasy. He is about to confess when she says that she also knows he went shopping with Suzuka and that she doesn't mind. Yamato is so relieved, he starts talking about the trip and tells a happy story of the shopping. As he does so, Honoka grows upset at this, until she finally stops his banter and gifts him back the gift, saying she can't accept it = then she closes the door on him.

Dejected, Yamato eventually heads back to his home. When he arrives, Suzuka is waiting to hear how it went. Yamato tells her that Honoka rejected the gift, and when she asks why, he says it was because he talked about the trip. As she gets mad at him for doing so, he points out that Honoka already knew they were out shopping together. Suzuka still gets mad and stomps off to her room. Each of the three (Suzuka, Yamato, and Honoka) are shown wallowing in their own misery, contemplating their own thoughts alone.

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Well, this looks to be the beginning of the end of Honoka and Yamato. For once in a Suzuka episode, I can't even really blame Yamato. Sure, he could have been more honest on who he was out with, and sure, in his relief, he talked a bit too much. Honoka though has serious trust and self-confidence issues, and no matter how at fault Yamato is, its those issues of Honoka's that are the problem. The worst Yamato is guilty of is a divided heart - he wants to do the right thing for Honoka, but he didn't know how, and in the end, he turned to the one person that Honoka could not understand him needing help from.

Yet, for all that being said, I can't really blame Honoka either. She doesn't know what Yamato is thinking and feeling, and from her perspective, he could be in love with Suzuka.

In the end, Yamato would have been better off taking Yasu's advice and getting the roses. His attempt at goodwill in a gift has gone seriously awry, and I doubt that the relationship will ever recover. Still, one wonders how Honoka will ever learn to trust enough to have a serious relationship: far too many people in the world have a first love, or at least have had more than one "love" in their early life. Undoubtably, there's going to be some remnants of Yamato's feelings for Suzuka, but in the end, Honoka has to win this battle on her own merits, unless she is willing to settle for being second prize because Yamato couldn't win Suzuka's heart.

Next episode looks like the second half of the Honoka/Yamato fallout. Hopefully, if its not meant to be, they can each learn to understand why.