The chapter, titled "The Umbrella Gap," starts with Rika-san standing outside her apartment building, watching the rain pour down. She is holding a letter of acceptance for a position in Osaka—a position that would separate her from the male lead, Takeda, indefinitely. The visual metaphor is strong: she is physically dry under the awning, but her emotional state is a downpour. The central tension of Rika-san has always been the "three-year rule." Rika is 32, successful, but traumatized from a previous engagement that fell apart due to long-distance stress. Takeda, 29, is earnest to the point of social awkwardness. He proposed in Chapter 3; she agreed conditionally in Chapter 7, but with the stipulation that if work ever forced them apart, she would walk away.
Chapter 12 will answer that question.
The wedding bells are finally ringing in the distance. Will you be there to hear them? Are you caught up with Rika and Takeda? Let us know your theories for Chapter 12 in the comments below! And remember to bookmark this page for weekly updates on Rika-san, Kekkon Shite Kudasai. The chapter, titled "The Umbrella Gap," starts with