Shimamitsu

"Hey. Whether I fall in love with you or not, whether you're a boy or a girl, or even an elementary school kid or a grandpa, I bet I'd still find myself thinking, "I really like this person." That's why I want to be friends."

- Mitsumi to Shima, Chapter 46

Mitsumi x Sousuke is the het ship between Mitsumi Iwakura and Sōsuke Shima from the Skip to Loafer fandom.

Canon
Mitsumi and Shima are the main leads in Skip to Loafer, their relationship is one of the main focus of the series. At first, they started out as strangers, meeting due to both of them being late, but as the series moves on, they quickly become close friends and even started to date at one point. Their relationship is integral to the story and has aided both of their character developments and made them improve as a person, especially in Shima's case.

Prior to meeting Mitsumi, Shima wasn't able to really understand himself. He was unsure of his future and the direction he will follow due to him being a yes-man for all his life. Such as, dating a girl who asked him out even if he had no feelings towards her. Following their meeting, he became more open about his feelings and even called out a classmate for their behaviour, something a yes-man would've never done. After meeting Mitsumi he was also inspired by her determination and drive for improvement, which resulted in him retrying acting, something he's actually interested in.

It is also noted by others that Shima seems to let his walls down when he's with Mitsumi. For instance, his middle school friend, Mukai notes that when he talks with girls, Shima's good at keeping an appropriate distance in order to avoid false hope. However, this isn't the case for Mitsumi, as he even tried to buy her presents despite knowing the connotations of a boy his age giving presents to a girl.

Chapter 25

As Mitsumi's realisation of her feelings on Shima surfaces, she tries to discuss her feelings with a trusted friend Fumi, who has a boyfriend. Fumi asks her whether she'd confess to him as time flies fast and they might be separated soon, which led Mitsumi to reminisce on how she used to fantasize about being confessed to. In her imagination, she refuses the handsome boy's confession in order to focus on her dreams, which she thinks is the 'cool part'. However, when she tries to apply the handsome boy to Shima, she immediately accepts the offer. After that, she imagines what it would be like if Shima turns down her confession. She instantly looks depressed and claims that she'd never mentally recover.

The next day, she asks Koharu, another girl who is dating what it's like. Which was then interrupted as Shima came over randomly, scaring Mitsumi. Koharu proceeds to ask Shima if he'd ever dated girls before, which he replies with 'yes' frustratedly, causing Mitsumi to get hurt and leave mid-conversation. She later thinks about this and begins to wonder about what Shima's type would be.

A day later, Shima notices Mitsumi's nail polish after giving her a piece of candy. She says that she chose light pink, as it reminded her of seashells. Shima smiles says that it's nice, making Mitsumi blush.

Moments
Chapter 1
 * Shima invites Mitsumi to ride the train with him, as they're lost together. Mitsumi is touched and an image of a motherly-goose resembling Shima and a crying-goose resembling Mitsumi is shown.


 * Shima finds Mitsumi's actions interesting and smiles.


 * After forgetting to bring her notes on stage, Mitsumi reads out the entire script from memory, impressing Shima.


 * Feeling sick from the running and lack of sleep, Mitsumi throws up on the teacher, making Shima laugh.

Quotes
"As I thought. He's an amazingly good guy...! Even his face looks good now. Maybe that's because he helped me a lot today? Is Tokyo filled with guys that literally sparkle like this?"

- Mitsumi touched by Shima, Chapter 1, Sparkling High School Student

""A Christmas present? Just for me? Does it mean that I'm special?" Ah, I really am self-serving. I feel like I wouldn't have minded making her think that."

- Shima about giving Mitsumi presents, Chapter 28, A Jiggling Christmas

Fanon
Mitsumi and Sousuke is undoubtedly the most popular ship in the Skip to Loather fandom due to them being the main pairing of the series. Fans appreciate how well-written the relationship of the characters are. For instance, Mitsumi breaking up with Shima was applauded by fans as it showed that she valued herself and would rather be in a relationship in which her and her partner's feelings are the same.

Fans also appreciate the healthy dynamic the two have, which was quite uncommon before in romance manga. Mitsumi inspires Shima to become more confrontational and doesn't drag herself down to be on the same level as him.

Fans also like how unique their relationship is. For example, following her realisation of the crush she had on Shima, Mitsumi decides that she won't act on it much, which is unlike other romance protagonists, since they'll usually have winning the male lead's heart or get rejected be their main goal for the rest of the story.

Fandom
FAN FICTION