After taking a look at the first volume of Milk Morinaga’s Hana & Hina After School, it’s only natural that I will be following that up with my thoughts on the second volume.
In this volume, Hana goes over to Hina’s place, and also learns about an old friend of hers.
There are a total of six chapter in this second volume, starting with chapter seven and finishing up with chapter twelve.
Best Friends Forever?
The girls are all kinds of nervous as Hana heads over to visit Hina’s house for the first time. Things get off to a good start – Hina even opens up about her mysterious friend – but the day takes an unexpected turn when they accidentally take a nap… together! Yet when Hana starts investigating Hina’s past friendship, their own bond turns sour. Is the damage beyond repair – or is there still hope for their relationship?
After a busy morning, Hana is able to make her way over to Hina’s house in chapter 7. After meeting Hina’s sister, Hana and Hina talk about the latter’s middle school years. She was subject to nasty rumours, but also had a close friend as well.
Hana and Hina end up falling asleep together, neither of them waking up until evening. Once they are awake, Hana rushes home. She was happy with her day, though there was a sense of sadness as well.
Hana casually approaches Hina at school in chapter 8, despite what she said before. After that, she starts trying to find out the name of Hina’s best friend from middle school – she eventually discovers the girl is called Maiko Oono.
Hana tries to ask Hina about her, but can’t bring herself to do it. As the two continue working, Hana’s friend Nakano enters the shop and invites Hana out on Sunday – which Hina was trying to do mere moments before she arrived.
Hana works up the courage to ask about Maiko once more, but Hina tells her not to stick her nose in someone else’s business.
This chapter ends with Hana and Hina’s shifts changing so they wouldn’t be together the same as usual.
Both Hana and Hina struggle with being apart from each other in chapter 9. Hina is convinced that her feelings for Hana will fade if she stops seeing her.
Hina lets slip that she has a job to her classmates, and then starts talking about Hana when asked if she has someone she likes.
Hina’s feelings for Hana don’t fade at all – her presence can still be felt at the shop, even though they don’t work the same shifts. With that, Hina decides to quit working there.
As Hina goes to the shop in chapter 10, she just happens to bump into Hana. Hana wants to talk to Hina, so she invites her to her place. Hana asks Hina if she wants to work together with her again. Hina’s plan to quit goes out the door.
After, Hina returns home, admitting to herself that she is in love with Hana.
Hana and Nakano overhear some girls talking about the fireworks at the Sumida River in chapter 11. Nakano suggests that Hana invites Hina to go and see them.
Later on, when Hana is working, none other than Maiko Oono enters the shop. She tells Hana to let Hina know that her ex came to see her, though she quickly decides against that idea.
When Hina visits the shop later on, Hana puts all thoughts of Maiko behind her and asks her to go out and see the fireworks. Hina agrees.
Hana and Hina worry about what they should wear to the fireworks in chapter 12. They both eventually settle on yukata. They go over to Hana’s place to get some help putting them, and the two girls can’t help but be enthralled with each other when they strip down to their underwear.
Once they have their yukata on, Hana and Hina go to the river where quite a crowd has gathered. They hold hands before finding a place to sit down. As the fireworks light up the night sky, Hana feels that a flower had bloomed right in her chest.
This second volume of Hana & Hina After School is just as enjoyable as the first, if not even better. Seeing the two girls grow closer over the course of this volume is heart-warming. They both share similar feelings for each other, yet their scared of what will happen should they let those feelings out.
Hana and Hina falling asleep together is downright adorable, and their fireworks date might just the catalyst for both girls outright admitting their feelings for each other. However, we’ll have to wait until the next volume to see how the rest of the fireworks date unfolds.
No matter what happens, I imagine Hana & Hina After School is going to get a fluffy, warm ending. Some series just make you feel really good after reading them, and I like to think that this series is one of them.
