Hot Gimmick manga synopsis.

These synopsis are done by Zahara Medina and can't be used anywhere else without her consent. As she is just a student of Japanese, there are bound to be mistakes. If you spot any mistake, please report it to me, thanks! :) (comments are also appreciated....)
Please remember to support your favorite authors by buying the Japanese tankoubon or official translations.

Note: B/w scans are from the magazine, where the print is in low quality paper and different ink colors so it sometimes scans pretty bad and leaves lots of noise in the picture. The tankoubon quality is, of course, much better (perfect, that is).

Note 2: Ryouki is the direct katakana reading used for the kanji in his name, but the romanization of it seems to be Lyoki. I'm using Ryouki because it's easier for the reader.

Part 20 (Jul'2002) [ vol.05 ]
A little Shinogu acts God to forgive him because he likes his own sister... Back to the present, Shinogu tells Hatsumi he likes her but Hatsumi tells him not to be silly and stop saying weird things. Meanwhile, Ryouki wonders what the heck was all that about... Hatsumi's mother gives her two movie tickets so she can invite Ryouki. Ryouki himself asks Subaru if he hugs his sister a lot and tells her that he likes her, and poor Subaru screams no way (^^;;; ). Ryouki, as usual, is attacking the problem with all his... logic. (^^;;; ) At school, Azusa overhears Hatsumi talking about the tickets with her friends and tells her to go with Ryouki. Hatsumi's friends want to know who is this Ryouki, so she drags Azusa out of the classroom before he can say anything else. She tells him not to say weird things like that, but Azusa replies with a description of how she attached to Ryouki when they visited him. Hatsumi is really confused. After school, Hatsumi is still very confused and bumps into Ryouki. He sees the tickets and they start fighting because she is confused and he is fed up with her talking about her brother. But Hatsumi decides to invite him (very... cutely ^^). Ryouki is really surprised but accepts. When he arrives home, he finds his mom has gotten a new pretty maid, but he ignores her and gets into his room... to laugh loudly (in happiness, hopefully ^^; ). In the middle of the night, Hatsumi wakes up to find Shinogu is leaving their home! The following day, as she leaves to meet Ryouki (who is already waiting for her), she crosses paths with Azusa, who has heard about Shinogu leaving and tells her that in reality Shinogu is... not a member of her family!
Part 21 (Aug'2002) [ vol.05 ]
Azusa finishes telling Hatsumi about his brother and she runs for her meeting with Ryouki. Meanwhile, Ryouki calls Hatsumi's house because she is late and ends up talking with Akane, who tells him about Shinogu leaving their home. Hatsumi arrives to meet Ryouki, but she can't stop thinking about Shinogu, making Ryouki mad, so he cuts their date short, to her utter shock. Once alone, he uses his mobile... In his appartment, Azusa seems to be feeling something akin to a conscience. Hatsumi arrives home and Akane eagerly asks about her date, which Hatsumi denies it was a date. She wonders if Akane knows the truth about Shinogu, but she doesn't seem to and keeps on talking about Ryouki, so Hatsumi shuts her out because she doesn't want to hear about him anymore. Near the phone, she notices a paper with Shinogu's new address. Before she leaves, Akane tells her that their father will be returning home the next day. Subaru catches up with her though, and lets it slip that Ryouki was actually pretty busy even though he told her he wasn't so he could go with her on their date. Hatsumi feels really happy about this... and to her surprise, she bumps into him at the station! Ryouki wonders about her not being able to stay a day without her brother and tells her he came to fix things up. Hatsumi tells him she knows he is investing precious time in this and says that he seems to be a good person... and that she can't understand herself because even though she is supposed to hate him and be scared of him, she can't help being excited when she is with him. Ryouki just looks at her in surprise. Hatsumi suddenly realizes what she just said and tries to cover it up, but Ryouki hugs her and asks again about she becoming his girlfriend but... Shinogu chooses that moment to return to his new place and catches them.
Part 22 (Oct'2002) [ vol.05 ]
Hatsumi is glad to see her brother because it saved her from replying to Ryouki (well, because, you know, of course she can't be his girlfriend! Like, No Way! Not Ever! Really, really reaaaaaally impossible!). At Shinogu's new place, Ryouki asks him if he left home because he is not from the family and Hatsumi says that no matter what he is still her brother. She then wonders if he left because he knows too much about Azusa and their father's past secret with Azusa's mother. Shinogu tells her that's not it and tells her that the they will talk about it when their father returns the next day. But Ryouki gets fed up and takes Hatsumi away. Hatsumi complains and Ryouki lets her go and tells her that if she wants it so much, to go back and talk again with him. Hatsumi is surprised since she expected him to go abusive on her, so instead of going back, she sticks with him because she thinks he doesn't look too well. Akane and Subaru have another highly uncomfortable meeting at the convenience store and Subaru's sister tries to get Shinogu's address out of clueless Akane. Akane decides to ask and demands Subaru to go help her study. (^^) Ryouki and Hatsumi part ways but she is very surprised at the last look he gave her. Later on, Hatsumi can't stop thinking about it and his words and how he no longer seems to be "scary Ryouki," and runs up to his appartment. Meanwhile, Shinogu visits Azusa and tells him that even though there is no blood relation, he is going to protect Hatsumi because she considers him her brother, so when the father comes back the next day they are having a conversation because he doesn't want Azusa to hurt Hatsumi anymore. Hatsumi meets with Ryouki and he is really surprised. Ryouki still talks about Hatsumi and Shinogu, but Hatsumi says that he is just her brother. Ryouki seems to give up on Hatsumi, but to both their utter surprise, she kisses him! Shinogu tells Azusa that Hatsumi doesn't know anything of the problem and that Azusa also knows it's not her fault. There is a flashback to Hatsumi's mother welcoming to he house a really beaten up little Shinogu. Azusa realizes Shinogu likes Hatsumi and asks him if he is ok with her ending up with Ryouki. Ryouki and Hatsumi start to kiss. Random Scenes: [ Ha+Ry+Sh ] [ Ha+Ry ]
Part 23 (Nov'2002) [ vol.05 ]
Ryouki and Hatsumi get into heavy kissing but are interrupted by Subaru, his sister and Akane, who using the opportunity that Ryouki's mother is not in, want to party at his place. Subaru's sis goes to tell others about it and overhears Azusa taunting Shinogu about how he has never felt "brotherly" about Hatsumi and is depressed about it (she likes Shinogu). At Ryouki's place, Akane tries to make advances on Subaru, but he runs away again and the poor girl wonders what's wrong with her. Ryouki drags Hatsumi to the convenience store, and Hatsumi is scared he plans on going all the way with her right now (he doesn't...). They are caught by some of the other matrons and later Hatsumi is saved from Ryouki asking her to tell him she likes him by her mother. Hatsumi returns home with her mom, who says she is relieved Hatsumi is not going out with Ryouki...

Next Chapter...

All images © Aihara Miki (except backgrounds)