I hope this chapter is appreciated a bit more. Jokes and humor aside, I feel bad for Manabu. His studying is used as a gag most of the time, but it seems like his academic "failure" really does weigh on him and his sense of self worth, something I bet a lot of people can relate to.
My Japanese teacher once told me that ties are sometimes kind of a romantic gift in Japan. She said you should be worried if your kouhai at work got you a tie, because she'll try to "pull" you in with it and kiss you.
My teacher was probably joking, but I can't help but wonder after seeing...