Hiro’s having a baby (sibling)!

Hiro: Would you stop talking like it’s my baby!? […] Sheesh, it’d be nice if you considered the feelings of her adolescent son…

He’s clearly concerned about both his mother and the baby, leading Kisa to infer that he’ll be a good big brother (I concur).

Momiji: Aw, but if it’s a little sister, I’d feel bad if he can’t hug her. But at least we know the baby won’t be born possessed by a spirit from the Zodiac! So the mama won’t be sad!

Haru: Since all twelve members of the Zodiac have been born, and as long as we’re alive, there won’t be any more…

Hiro’s mom is somewhat unique among the members of the Zodiac (aside from the fact that she’s actually given a name): She’s a pretty decent parent.  If Ayame is the only decently well-adjusted adult in the Zodiac, then Hiro is probably the only decently well-adjusted kid, and his mom’s acceptance of him probably has a lot to do with that.  Of course, “well-adjusted” doesn’t necessarily mean “mature”, just normal for his age.

Tohru: (internally) I wonder what Yuki-kun’s parents are like. And Kyo-kun’s, and everyone else’s…it’s a subject I have to approach carefully.

Although we, the audience, know about Kyo’s parents already, Tohru only heard Kazuma’s vague account back then.

So Momiji just decides on a watermelon-splitting tournament for everyone to celebrate Hiro’s Mama’s Baby (or, you know, had already planned on it and just used that as a lame excuse).  This is a fairly common summer pastime in Japan, except that it’s supposed to be done with a bat and a blindfold (like a piñata).

Haru: Become a big brother who can split watermelons with his bare hands.

Tohru: I’ll also try to split one in celebration! Actually, I’ve done this once before. That time was with a stick and blindfold, but I guess the rules can vary! […] It was so much fun then too! Especially when my mo…

Hiro: With you it’s always “My mom” this and “My mom” that…

Tohru: My mo…mo…mobster…was…(internally) Maybe I’ve been insensitive all this time, going on and on about Mom! That’s right…I don’t even know the situation with everybody else’s parents, but I kept blathering on…maybe I’ve been hurting them without realizing…why am I only picking up on something this important now?

So Tohru has the sort of disposition that’s very sensitive to criticism (like Hiro’s), tending to obsess over any perceived wrongdoing (merited or not).  It just goes to show that even people who are really perceptive about feelings can be led astray by false assumptions about those feelings.

Haru: When I was a kid, I thought if you swallowed a watermelon seed, a watermelon would grow in your stomach.

I’m starting to appreciate Haru’s non sequiturs more and more, because they’re usually relevant in some way, like his mind’s been working on a problem for a while and he just waits for a chance to say something he came up with long after the conversation has moved on (something I can definitely relate to).  Either way, him mentioning a childish idea of how the world works (I thought seeds could sprout in your belly when I was little, too!) brings us back around to the ideas Yuki has been working through – the seeds he swallowed as a child that took root inside of him.

Akito would come just about every day to bury me under more negativity. In a pitch-black room, the only words I heard were darkness. Mom and Dad didn’t come. Nii-san didn’t come. In that dark room, there was something I imagined, there was something I wanted…

He’s thinking about Tohru again, watching her from a distance…but then Kyo walks up to Tohru, and Yuki heads out on a solitary walk.

Kyo can tell that something (probably Hiro-related) is bothering Tohru, so he confronts her about it.

Kyo: Weren’t you about to say something else before?

Tohru: Um, I don’t…the thing is, I don’t want to hurt you…

Kyo: Whoa, what? Hurt me? What are you talking about? Out with it!

Tohru: Kyo-kun…do you mind if I ask about your parents?

Kyo: Huh? Oh, I see. I thought I’d already told you. I don’t really have anything to do with my father. I haven’t seen him in years. And my mom comm- she died in an accident, when I was around four or five…Ah, I see. I think I get it. That’s dumb. You’re worried about that now, after all this time? Your mom and our parents have nothing to do with each other. You being bothered by that crap pisses me off. […] So you split a watermelon with your mom before, huh?

It’s great to see Kyo helping Tohru to be more honest and forthcoming about her feelings!

Speaking of honesty, whatever has Shigure been up to?

Hatori: Do me a favor and stop being such a troublemaker.

Shigure: Wow, Haa-san! I didn’t think you would actually show up!

Hatori: Nonsense. You’re the one who put the idea in Akito’s head. That business with Shiraki is another example…if you don’t cut back on your meddling, I’ll open you up. My scalpel, your belly…

Shigure: Whatever are you talking about? I have no idea!

This is the first time we get to see Kureno interact with others in the Zodiac. Yuki seems to be more concerned about him because it heralds Akito’s appearance (although he looks pretty intimidating under these circumstances, too).

Shigure: Well, well, I didn’t think Kureno-kun would be dragged here as well.

Hatori: You should give a little more thought to Yuki, Kyo…and Honda-kun. Stop trying to stir things up. You’ll spoil everything.

Shigure: Spoil? I reckon it’s already rotten for us, no? So I might as well stir it up. It’s the only way I’ll get my desired results.

I get that life for the members of the Zodiac sucks, and maybe that is just how it is, but that doesn’t give you a right to drag in Tohru!  And anyway, the kids were having a good time!

Akito: Oh, Yuki. Are you alone, as always? What a sad, lonely boy you are.

This is gonna hurt…