xxxホリック ◆ 戻 chapter 02
xxxHOLiC Rei chapter 02

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

A female customer enters the story and after being seated at the table with Yuuko-san, starts to apologize. Yuuko-san says it is hitsuyou (necessity), then asks what the woman has in her purse. The woman opens to show Yuuko-san, who then asks about the woman’s phone strap, with a small cat and bunny trinkets attached to the strap, the cat trinket being dirty. Yuuko-san asks who gave it to her, and the woman says a friend. When Yuuko-san starts to ask how good a friend, the woman cuts her off, enthusiastically saying a very good friend.  When she leaves, Watanuki notes that the woman didn’t touch her drink. Yuuko-san says she’ll be back because of hitsuyou.

At school, Watanuki talks about the case with Himawari-chan at lunch. Doumeki arrives, stealing some of Watanuki’s food and interrupting their conversation.  Doumeki is about to request Watanuki make some food when Watanuki cuts him off to say it won’t happen. Himawari is impressed since Watanuki had just been talking about the woman doing that to Yuuko-san.

Back at the shop, Watanuki complains bitterly about Doumeki, even cutting off Yuuko-san’s remark at one point, causing her to tease him more. They are interrupted by another female customer who arrives. To Watanuki’s surprise, this woman has an identical phone strap with figures that the previous woman had.

Thoughts/Review:

OK, so the first case of the new series has started. ^_^

As to the actual customers, I don’t have enough information to venture must of a guess. The cutesie figures on the phone straps would seem to represent the two women. Why one figure was dirty on the first woman’s phone is still a mystery.

Also of interest is that Yuuko-san isn’t saying “hitsuzen” (inevitability) any more, but “hitsuyou” instead.  As was said by the unofficial translator, one never knows what CLAMP might mean by this shift in phraseology.

I loved seeing Himawari-chan again. I really missed her in xxxHOLiC Rou.

And of course, I love seeing the old Yuuko-san.  She really was the life of xxxHOLiC.  I wonder if CLAMP regrets having linked it with Tsubasa, thus a new manga series with no linkage.

Chapter 3 is already out, so I’ll take a gander at that now. As to chapter 2, a good, table setting chapter.