Vol 1 of Catastrophe at 16
Prologue: About the Spring of this World
“She was so close, that I could hear the sounds of her breathing. I liked that sound. I liked the sound of her voice. And the sound of her breath. I liked everything about her.”
“To me, who was lowly born, she was the sun……”
When Guren compares Mahiru with the sun, it not only shows how important she is to him, but also shows how impossible it is for him to reach her, because of the social divide.
“I looked at her and extended my hand.
Guren who once believed that all his dreams could come true, and he could be with the person he liked, is forced to realise that dreams meant nothing without power in a cruel, hierarchical world.
10 years has passed since the day Guren and Mahiru were forced apart.
Guren’s goal is to overthrow the Hiiragi House.
Since he’s attending First Shibuya High School, which is administered by Mikado no Oni, he has to pretend to be weak, unambitious and insignificant, because otherwise, he would be seen as a threat to the Hiiragis and it would not only put him, but the entire Ichinose clan in danger.
Guren & Shinya’s meeting:
Shinya subtly tests and provokes Guren into revealing his true intentions but Guren keeps his mask on.
The only thing that shakes Guren’s composure is when he hears about Mahiru’s engagement to Shinya.
[The difference between his expression before and after Mahiru is mentioned]
Shinya: “By the way, my partner is Mahiru. Hiiragi Mahiru.”
Narrator: “Guren reacted without meaning to, glancing sharply at Shinya”.
Narrator: “Shinya noticed immediately.”
Shinya: “Oh, I think I just got a peak at the real Guren.”
Shinya already knew about Guren’s past with Mahiru. This is why he casually mentioned the engagement, as a verbal bait and Guren fell for it.
However, Guren pulls himself together and continues his act. But Shinya doesn’t stop here.
Shinya: “By the way, did you know that Mahiru also came to this school? She’s really excellent and has thus been selected to give a speech as the freshman representative, it seems. Isn’t that amazing? Your ex-girlfriend is……”
Narrator: “On hearing those words, Guren, careful not to show any emotion, responded.”
Guren: “Mahiru-sama and I did not have that kind of relation……”
Shinya: “Not anymore I suppose.”
Narrator: “In a flash Guren’s words stopped. He clenched his jaw involuntarily and glared at Shinya.”
Shinya: “Haha. Your ambition’s clearly written on your face. Just saying this, but Mahiru and I aren’t really on close terms so don’t worry.”
First, Shinya brings up the engagement. Then, he calls Mahiru, Guren’s “ex-girlfriend”, twisting the knife further.
Guren is being careful not to show any emotion this time as he had already messed up once. While explaining that he never had romantic relationship with Mahiru, he even uses the honorific “sama”.
But after hearing Shinya’s sharp reply, “not anymore I suppose”, Guren’s mask slips again.
Guren clenches his jaw involuntarily and glares at Shinya. He’s definitely bothered by their engagement because it means that Mahiru has finally become fully unreachable.
Guren says another lie, easily disproven by his body language. And Shinya who has already seen through it says, “your ambition’s clearly written on your face.”
Shinya recognises Guren’s feelings for Mahiru which is why he says, “Mahiru and I aren’t really on close terms so don’t worry.”
Shinya tells Guren that Mahiru would be giving the speech as the freshman representative.
Ch 3: Freshman Representative
Mito started a conversation with Guren because she wanted to know what he was talking with Shinya.
In that conversation, Mito casually mentions Shinya’s engagement with Mahiru, which makes Guren realise that it was a well-known thing and makes him wonder why he didn’t know about it.
“If so, why did I not know of this? The question surfaced in Guren’s head.”
“Guren murmured with a slightly troubled face. His father probably withheld the information to prevent him from hearing about matters regarding Mahiru.”
Then Guren thinks that his retainers, Shigure and Sayuri, must have known about the engagement, and who would be giving the speech as the freshman representative (Mahiru), but they chose to hide it from him, their master.
Guren smiles wryly and thinks: “Hah, what the hell? It’s just a 5 year old brat’s meaningless crush you know? Did it seem like I still have any kind of lingering affection for her?”
Guren realises that his father and his retainers were keeping information about Mahiru from him, because they thought that he still had feelings for her.
But he dismisses his childhood bond with Mahiru as “a 5 year old brat’s meaningless crush”. Here, Guren is downplaying his own emotions and is in denial.
Mito continues her talk but Guren is barely invested. But this changes when he gets to know that Mito is acquainted with Mahiru.
Mito: “And also, I really love and respect Mahiru-sama, so can you also tell Shinya-sama that we should pretend that this conversation never took place……”
Guren: “Ah? You are acquainted with Mahiru?”
Just a moment ago, Guren mentioned that what he felt for Mahiru was nothing more than a meaningless crush, and that he no longer had any affection for her.
Yet, he couldn’t help but show interest when Mahiru’s name came up. His reaction was purely emotional and instinctive which is why he even forgot to mention the honorific “sama”.
This was yet another slip in Guren’s otherwise composed and calculating demeanour, all because of “a meaningless childhood crush”.
Also, in Japan, using someone’s first name is deeply personal, and Guren’s instinct was to call Mahiru by her first name, without any honorific, even after ten years of separation, despite her high status as a Hiiragi.
Of course, Mito scolded him for taking Mahiru’s name so casually.
So he asks again, “Ah ~, erm, are you acquainted with Mahiru-sama?”
Mito tells him how beautiful and kind Mahiru is, like a “goddess”. Then, she mentions how talented Mahiru is.
Mito: “On top of that, she excels in both the ‘sword and the pen’, and even in the entrance exam for this school, she was the top in all the subjects. To us who owe our allegiance to the 『Mikado no Oni』, to be able to serve under Mahiru-sama would be the ultimate blessed thing.”
“In other words, among the freshmen, the most capable person is Mahiru? — Glen pondered.”
“And those words surfaced in his head again.”
“If so, will I be able to defeat Mahiru? Do I possess the power to overwhelm the Hiiragi House?”
Guren’s goal is to overthrow the Hiiragi House, and in order to accomplish his goal, he seeks power and continues to grow stronger. Upon learning that Mahiru is the top student, who excels in sword and pen both, Guren thinks if has the ability to defeat her.
Here, Guren is comparing his ability with the top student among freshmen, Mahiru, to understand where he stands. It is to check how strong he has become and if he has gained enough power to overwhelm the Hiiragi House. So, Guren uses Mahiru as a benchmark of power.
Before this, Guren was assessing his power against Mito. He knew that she too possessed a considerable amount of ability since she belonged from the famous Jyuujou House. So, he wondered if he had the capability to kill her.
“now, do I have the capability to kill her?”
But, instead of using the word “kill” like he had done in Mito’s case, Guren chose the word “defeat” for Mahiru.
“But at the same time, another image surfaced in his head. No, it might be better to say that it inadvertently surfaced in his head perhaps.”
“The scenery of the time when he was still playing with Mahiru. Green lawn, under the cloudless, clear sky, always beside him, the Mahiru who was always smiling happily, joyfully, innocently.”
“It has been 10 years since then huh, thought Guren.”
Initially, Guren, as usual, was being calculative & strategic. Then, the memory of Mahiru “inadvertently” surfaces his mind. He didn’t choose to think about it, his heart did that on its own.
The fact that he hasn’t seen her in a decade, yet that memory comes to his mind unbidden. His subconscious reaches for the image of “Mahiru, always beside him, smiling happily, joyfully, innocently.”
Guren thinks, “It has been 10 years since then huh.” The line subtly conveys how far away that innocent, joyful time now feels.
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