[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by physics223

This is exactly my point. At bottom, Ryuuji's quite the realist.

Ironic, considering the idealistic facade he has a tendency to put up, which is completely destroyed at the end of Vol. 7, triggering his collapse.


Also, the books do make his motivations for going to see Taiga a bit clearer...

Spoiler for space...:

I don't know.

Ryuuji stood motionless in the growing mob and scratched his head. He couldn't move a muscle. He didn't get it. Why did it have to be like this?

It was for Ryuuji's sake that Taiga prepared that suit.

It was for the sake of everyone, it was for the sake of building up the mood of the party that she dressed up, sung, and danced.

And again, it was for Ryuuji's sake, that Taiga left. She left, to call Minori, to not get in the way?

"....But then, if you go back home, by yourself.....who is going to make you smile? Is this being a part of the happy scenery?"

Mumbling this, he saw, with the corner of his eyes, the Christmas tree shine. Taiga's shattered star did twinkle. But, no matter how beautiful it is, no matter how bright, if she isn't here, there's no point. If she wasn't laughing with him under that bright tree, she couldn't be rewarded. For whose sake is tonight so beautiful? For whose sake will Christmas come? Isn't it for everybody? An "everybody" that includes Taiga? Everybody has to be happy. Did you forget that you even said that, you klutzy tiger?

Or, do you really, think that Santa is watching? "I know it's hypocrisy, self-righteousness.". This is what you've been saying the whole time, but you really believe that Santa is going to see you again if you stay a good girl?

But there is no Santa in the real world. There's no one that knows how much of a good girl Taiga's been. There's nobody watching. There's no God in the world. The town's glittering, the illuminations are shining, everybody's smiling, and a happy Christmas will be coming to the world, but, Taiga, won't be rewarded.

Isn't Taiga going to be alone again this year? ....Didn't she go back home alone? Aren't there any adults that'd help her? Yeah, there are, but those adults aren't next to Taiga now.

Thus, in the end, this year as well, Taiga's going to be alone?

He patted his face.

He was thinking, still unmoving.

How do I save tonight's relay?

He looked again at Kitamura's face. He was about to wrench a voice out from his throat but No, that's not it..., and swallowed down what he was going to say. He finally realized it.

There is one person that has been watching.

And, there's someone that knows Taiga's loneliness.

Only one person in the world. There is only one person who has always been watching Taiga from nearby. The baton to be handed to Taiga is right here in this hand.

There's only one person that knows that Taiga has been a good girl.

And his name, is Takasu Ryuuji.

In other words – me.

Man I wish the show had time for these internal monologues...

Originally Posted by typhonsentra

Don't they kinda hint she liked him (Or at least was interested in him) even when they first met?

Ami'd be the type to find something interesting, then throw it away when she got bored of it...