Dear Brother Chapter 8 Summary

We're chugging along, slowly but steadily I suppose.  This chapter is a little more interesting, but it still hasn't made me run out to the bookstore with a shopaholic's purchase impulse (for the first volume, or the second volume that should come out soon).  Anyways, on to the summary!  If you want to follow along (or just look at the pictures), click here for the scans.

The chapter opens with Aoba and Gin commenting how red Momo's eyes are, and suggests that she go see a doctor.  Flustered, Momo blurts out that she stayed up reading a book.  Sougo comments that it must have been a really good book, since her eyes have been red for quite a few days in a row.  The truth is that she hasn't been able to sleep because Sougo sleeps just right next door.  Even sitting across from him at the breakfast table makes her heart beat like crazy.

She spills her soup even when he pats her on the head as he leaves for work.  Noticing that he forgets to take his glasses, Momo rushes out to hand them to him, accidentally brushing against his hand, which makes her blush further.  She reflects that their love has changed so much since they were kids, when she had felt absolutely nothing as she handed an umbrella to him when she was younger.

Momo makes Aoba switch rooms with her, and as they move their belongings around, she finds a photo album of when they were younger.

As they flip through the album, they find a picture of an unknown woman holding a baby Sougo, but neither Momo nor Aoba can recognize her as a relative.  They hand the picture to Gin, who says he doesn't know who the person is either (but looks suspiciously like he does).

Momo: I thought you said you'll never forget a beautiful woman.  Judging from this photo, you were about three.  But even if Gin-niichan doesn't know...

Gin: What if she's Sougo's true birth mother?

Momo: Eh?

Gin: Or maybe she's a sister that's quite a bit older than us.

Momo: Huh?!

Gin: Then we'll have another sister...and she's a beauty too.

Momo: I don't understand you...are you really a novelist? (laughs) Please, that's not funny at all.  We were all together from a young age.  Plus, that kind of joke is rude to mom.

Gin (calmly): But what if...we're not related by blood at all?  How would you feel?

Momo (shocked): What...what are you talking about...

Inside, Momo thinks, "I've never thought about this, there's not even a reason to do so.  But if...just if that were true, even though the possibility is tiny, then my feelings towards Sougo-niichan can..."

Gin: Momo?

Momo: What do you mean how I would feel.  That's not possible at all, I've never thought about something like that, you're talking about weird things.  Anyways, I need to get back to moving.

As Momo leaves the room, Gin looks at the photo pensively.  As Momo continues organizing her things, she finds a business card, which is when she remembers that she still needs to thank Sougo's coworker.  She asks Sougo what Arisue (the coworker) is like, and Sougo asks back why she wants to know.

Momo: He asked me to go on a date with him.

Sougo (spits out the water he was drinking): That bastard, again?  What on earth does he want?

Momo: What's wrong?  Isn't he a good person?

Sougo: He's not bad, and quite intelligent...but he doesn't turn down anyone as long as its the opposite sex.  I guess you can say he has a wide target of prey.

Momo: But I already agreed!

The two do end up going on a date, apparently seeing a sad movie (Arisue yawns when he comes out, but Momo ends up crying).  Inside, she wishes that she were going on a date with Sougo instead, and that it would be Sougo's hand she would be taking as he invites her to dinner.  Arisue checks his phone, only to find out that he missed a bunch of calls from Sougo, and he questions Momo whether she told Sougo that she was going on a date with him.  As he calls Sougo back, a woman approaches them, who blames Arisue for causing her divorce with her husband.  Anyways, the short story is that the woman sees him as a cold-blooded lawyer who ignored her feelings and ultimately caused her divorce, even though she was the one who seeked his counsel in the first place because her husband cheated on her.  She insults Arisue, but Momo stands up for him, asking her to take back her words.  When the woman finds out that Momo isn't a lawyer but just a normal person, she goes crazy, telling Momo to butt out and stop talking like she knows what it's like, and grabs her bag ready to hit Momo.

Arisue moves to cover her, but ultimately it's Sougo who stops the woman.  Anyways, Sougo manages to calm the woman down, and tells her that if she misses her husband so much, her actions will speak louder than anything if she wants to reconcile.  She backs off eventually.

Momo: Sougo-niichan!  Why are you here?  You're not hurt, are you?  You shouldn't move about in your condition.

Sougo: That aside, why are you with Arisue... (notices tear stains on her face)  Arisue, what did you do you bastard?!

Arisue: Eh?

Sougo: What did you do to Momo to make her cry?!

Momo (flustered): No, those were from the movie.

Sougo: Movie?!

Arisue: Stop accusing innocent people so easily!  And you call yourself a lawyer?

Sougo: Nonsense, it's because you're always inappropriate.  (to Momo) Momo...I didn't want to tell you this, but Arisue moves quickly through women.  That's why as your brother, I don't quite agree on your relationship.

Inside, Momo thinks, "But only not so long ago, niichan told me that it doesn't matter as long as it's a guy, and he even gave me a bunch of omiai photos.  So I guess he doesn't think just anyone is ok, and that he's making a choice for me as my brother."

Momo: No worries, I'll think it through this time and prevent the past from repeating.  But you've just recovered not long ago, so you shouldn't take any chances.

Airsue: She's right, you're too nice.  You didn't have to say that to the client.  Even though you had helped me, I could have dealt with it myself just fine.

Momo (turns around angrily): You may be right, but the way you said things was too harsh.  Anyone would be angry after hearing that.  And is that the way to talk to a person who just helped you?  My brother had...

Arisue: Niichan this niichan that...

Sougo: What are you doing!!  A-A-ARISUE!!!

Sougo: What type of guy puts moves on a woman in front of her brother?

Arisue: I'm the type to move quick.  Sheez, and I thought that she had a super brother-complex, but Honda-san too seems like you have a super sister-complex.

Sougo is a bit shocked at that and he sulks quietly away.

Momo: I'll take my leave then.  And Arisue-san!  Even though I was unable to thank you today, I don't think we'll go out like this again...I already have someone I like.  I took today's date too casually.

Both men turn to look around at her, with Sougo especially.  As the two men walk back together, Sougo asks Arisue why he's dating his sister.  Arisue in turn asks Sougo to properly introduce his sister to him, and that he doesn't mind that Sougo doesn't think too highly of him.

Sougo: She has someone she likes...

Arisue: That's not a problem, it may be one-sided.

Sougo: What do you like about her?

Arisue: She's very passionate!  Also very straightforward, although she has a brother complex.  I wonder what it would feel like if the recipient of those feelings were me.  I'm serious about her, so...

Sougo: Got it...

Phew!!  Chapter end, I hope that was detailed enough~  I didn't bother translating line for line about the enraged client because I don't think that part was really that important (and to be honest, it was kinda boring and I could have cared less about the client who'll probably never resurface in the story again).