Why did Hermes leave?


I must say... this is one of the most refreshing romantic comedies in a long time... I ENJOYED it immensely! What I don't understand is why Hermes left Densha after she saw him in the "internet cafe" trying to research furnished room for them to eat. She had a glimpse into something and then excused herself to go home and pack for her trip. I didn't quite understand what triggered her to change her mind about the lunch date. Did she think his intentions were more than just eating? Did she feel that he was lying to her? Was she upset that he left her waiting while being minimally harrassed by the 3 men?

Can anyone provide some insight?

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My interpretation is that she was aware of the Otaku's public image.
Therefore she was confused about finding out that he obviously belonged to this social group.

I don't suppose she was actually hurt by his behavious - otherwise she would just have left him right away.
I think that the boy had just lost his blindingly romantic appeal, and she wanted to have time for herself to think it over.

But I guess a Japanese viewer might have a different interpretation...?

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My take was that she felt ignored, that he just ran off to play or be on the computer rather than be with her. So she felt dissappointed that she was sort of ditched.

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I agree with this interpretation. When Hermes was being harassed yet again, Densha wasn't there to help her but instead he was on the computer. So she took offense and decided to step back from the situation for a while.

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you are right. your conclusion is the closest to what an eastern asian woman would feel when she realizes she is not the most important on that date.

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Any woman. Why East Asian women in particular? Nobody anywhere likes being ignored, or feeling like they're being ignored.

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Simply being on the computer doesn't indicate that he was an otaku. He wasn't there looking up anime; he was trying to find a new restaurant. While we know he was an otaku, she had no way of knowing that, and his mere presence in the internet cafe wouldn't have revealed that to her. I think she was disappointed that he wasn't there for her when those guys started harassing her while he was in the internet cafe.

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