Hot Gimmick (Vol. 9)

Valentine's day is on it's way, and that means time for romance and time to study, seeing as how everyone's entrance exams are right around the corner. Akane is stressed out, what with the high school placement tests along with trying to get Subaru to actually act as a boyfriend. After he hurts her feelings she eats the valentine's day chocolates she bought specially for him only to have him rush to her side to apologize by giving her many good luck bears for her tests. At the same time Hatsumi has decided to rely on Shinogu less by severing the co-dependent relationship they have with one another, much to Ryoki's delight. Shinogu asks Ryoki not to hurt Hatsumi, especially now that they are furthering the investigation into the affair between Mr. Narita and Mrs. Odagiri, and find some disturbing results that hit a little too close to the Tachibana's. Ryoki begins to collapse from exhaustion outside of the complex and Hatsumi has to help him inside... a sight not missed by the other tenants, who just think that she is being shameless and flaunting her relationship. This info does not take long to reach his mother's ears, who is still very unhappy about their relationship, but when Ryoki's "collapse" turns out to just be a method in which he lured her into his bedroom Hatsumi's mother gets directly involved in the whole mess that is their relationship. All this, plus a accidental break down of the elevator causes Shinogu to express his feelings in an intimate way to Hatsumi, which later results in his annunciation of severing his ties to the Narita family... to none less than the queen bee, Mrs. Tachibana herself... Oh the drama is so thick you can cut it with a hacksaw...Read this manga, you owe it to yourself to read something good.

With this volume, we are a mere 2 volumes behind Japan and that means the releases have slowed down a lot so this was a well-welcome dose of this series. Unfortunately, it's not enough to tide over until the next volume is released a while from now because in the end, you only want more. The story pace really quickens and gets exciting at this point as several plot points are clarified a little. But not before a little look in on Subaru and Akane's relationship in a cute and tear-jerking chapter. Possibly one of the best volumes of the series!