ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Chapter 386
Hayate the Combat Butler Manga Chapter 386

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Nagi and Ruka square off against each other in the onsen, thinking how they can’t lose to the other, until Sakuka tells them to sit. She leaves the water and the two rivals, so Ruka asks how Nagi is coming with her manga. Nagi lies and brags about how much she’s done and how she’s going to win. Ruka retorts that she quit being an idol for her manga, and the two vow not to lose to the other.

After Sakuya removes Isumi, who stated she’d be the winner of their competition, Ruka decides to up the odds with Nagi and gets her to agree to have a bet ridding on the contest. Ruka wants ¥150 million, specifically, she wants to take on Hayate’s debt. This surprises Nagi, who asks why Ruka would do this. Ruka says it is because she loves Hayate.

Meanwhile, Hayate asks for directions to Mikado’s castle, since it is near and Hayate wants to wish him well. Maria says that it is only accessible via aircraft, so Aika volunteers to take Hayate there. When he asks why she is at the Rainbow Village, Aika teases him, making Maria and Ayumu think that Aika’s and Hayate’s relationship is somewhat ecchi.

Aika then states that she’d been instructed by Mikado to take Hayate to him. Hayate is frustrated by her teasing, and his remarks on this cause Ayumu to ask him if something happened when he was alone with Ruka. Hayate panics and denies everything, causing Ayumu to know that something did happen. Aika returns to her teasing, calling Hayate “Darling,” as they leave.

Elsewhere, Saki and Wataru note that Ayumu hasn’t arrived for her first day of work.

Thoughts/Review:

Well, this is fun. ^_^ On one hand, we have the throw-down between Nagi and Ruka regarding their doujinshi bet. Ruka upping the stakes so that she could assume Hayate’s debt is the only way she could do it.  She doesn’t have the funds at present to pay off her own debt, much less assume Hayate’s, so I had wondered how she’d get the money when she told Hayate she’d take on his debt. Now I know.

For now, I’m going to assume that the events in the Can’t Take My Eye’s Off You story, where Nagi has successfully made a doujinshi manga, is what will happen, leading to Hayate remaining as Nagi’s butler and Ruka returning to her life as an idol. I suspect we’ll have one of those, “I still love you and I’m not giving up on you” moments from Ruka, since this is a harem manga.

On the other hand, we have Hayate about to visit Mikado, and continue to push the main plot forward some more.  I look forward to that meeting since it may finally provide some additional clues that have been lacking. Hopefully, Hata-sensei will continue to push the main plot and not get caught up in this obsession with doing long stretches of nothing but gag chapters that do nothing for any of the plotlines he has out there.

If there were a third hand, it would be Ayumu. *lol* I don’t know how one can forget their first day of work, but hey, she’s all caught up in trying to make sure Hayate doesn’t hook up with Ruka.

On the humor side, Aika’s teasing is amusing. I liked the apparent nod to Urusei Yatsura when Aika calls Hayate “Darling” (as Lum did to Ataru).  The best moment came from Isumi suddenly busting in and declaring that she’d win the doujinshi competition. *lol* Knowing Hata-sensei, he might just make that happen. ^_~