Rakko topic guide
Which Chapter Features Rakko's Car and the Road Trip? A Walkthrough of the Original Manga Posts
The story where Rakko invites Chiikawa and Hachiware into the car is "Road Trip" in volume 3 of the collected editions. This guide traces the original manga posts through the encounter, the rest area, and the memorial park, plus a separate scene where Rakko drives to a sweets event.
Rakko's Car and Road Trip Appear in Volume 3: "Road Trip" and "Dotto Hibi"
The story in which Rakko gives Chiikawa and Hachiware a ride is "Road Trip" in volume 3 of the collected editions. Rakko appears before the two in a small car decorated with flowers and, upon learning they have no set destination, invites them aboard. After a rest stop at a service area, they head to a statue at a memorial park where Rakko once vowed to become stronger. From the encounter with the car to the ride home, it all forms one continuous little trip.
Also in volume 3, "Dotto Hibi" contains a different sequence featuring Rakko and the car. In it, Rakko sees a flyer for what appears to be a sweets event and heads out, driving the small car to a parking spot where Yoroi-san (Armor Knight) is located. If you separate the two—"Road Trip" as a long outing with Chiikawa and the others, and "Dotto Hibi" as Rakko's own excursion—it becomes much easier to find the car scene you're looking for. The sight of an admired subjugator gripping the wheel themselves is a vivid entrance that pulls their coolness into everyday life.
A Chance Encounter on the Roadside Kicks Off the Three's Drive
A flower-decorated car approaches Chiikawa and Hachiware as they walk along the road. Behind the wheel is Rakko. Hachiware recalls that this is someone he once sang with, and the two light up with excitement. Rakko notices them, stops the car, and asks what they're up to. Hearing that they have no particular destination, Rakko invites them to hop in on the spot.
The two exchange glances at the sudden offer, but their hesitation doesn't last long. They happily approach the car right away, and it sets off with all three aboard. Previously, just being shown the mark of a higher-ranked subjugator engraved on Rakko's weapon had made them hesitate before even speaking. Now that admired figure stops a car by the roadside and offers them seats unprompted. It's a feel-good departure in which the distance between the nervous pair and Rakko suddenly shrinks within the cabin of a car.
From the Service Area to the Memorial Park
While the car is moving, Chiikawa squirms restlessly. Just as Hachiware asks whether he needs the bathroom, a sign for a service area comes into view, and the car pulls in for a break. Upon arrival, the two dash to the restrooms while Rakko buys a strawberry milk from a vending machine. When Hachiware returns, he cheerfully reports that the bathroom was spacious and clean, and Chiikawa nods along. The two in urgent need and Rakko calmly taking a break each spend the same rest stop in their own way.
After Chiikawa and Hachiware finish their soft-serve ice cream at the shop, Rakko tells them there's something to show them. The green space they arrive at features a statue with three protrusions on a base inscribed with "Kinen Koen-kun." Rakko gazes at the statue fondly and recounts having once vowed here to become stronger. But when they return to the car, the two are asleep, nestled together. Rather than wake them to continue the story, Rakko decides to head home and starts the car. A quiet, amusing final stop where a treasured memory and childlike sleeping faces fit together in the same car.
Another Car Scene: Driving to a Sweets Event
In "Dotto Hibi," Rakko picks up a flyer announcing a food event. The notice bears a title suggestive of sweets, and Rakko studies it intently. The flyer in hand, the car, and a parking sign are laid out side by side, showing the rest-loving Rakko's interest shifting toward going out. Just as with the strawberry milk and soft-serve enjoyed during "Road Trip," sweets become the trigger for the next action.
In the following scene, Rakko drives the small car toward a parking area where Yoroi-san (Armor Knight) is located. To maneuver between other cars and narrow spaces, Rakko slowly eases the car in while checking front and back. In contrast to fighting boldly with a sword, the focus is on carefully fitting the car into a limited width. The car window, the parking lines, and the rows of cars build the tension of the maneuver—a delightful parking scene where everyday life seeps into the coolness.
Rakko's Consideration and Sweet Tooth on Display Inside the Car
After noticing Chiikawa's restlessness, Rakko pulls into the service area. Rakko doesn't rush the two while they run to the bathroom, instead taking a break with strawberry milk. On the way back from showing them the memorial statue, Rakko lets the two sleep and drives them home as they are. Inviting, letting them rest, carrying them home—the sequence of actions shows Rakko looking after the two through logistics rather than words.
The sweet tooth is clearly portrayed outside the car as well. At a café, the simple order of "the usual" brings a towering parfait layered with strawberries and cream, topped with a heart. Rakko breaks through the layers with practiced ease and eats away in silence. And when Chiikawa softly sings near the flowers, Rakko stops to acknowledge the singing. The satisfaction of enjoying sweets alone coexists with the easygoing warmth of offering Chiikawa an unexpected compliment, showing a softness that goes beyond mere coolness behind the wheel.
The Deepening Bond with Hachiware After the Road Trip
In volume 6, after the road trip, Hachiware remembers a goal written on his "list of things I want to do" and tries to address Rakko with an honorific meaning mentor. When Hachiware falls silent right after calling out, Rakko asks what's on his mind. Rakko, too, looks up alternative forms of address at an internet corner, mulling over options like shihan, sensei, and master.
Eventually, Chiikawa and Hachiware together come to call Rakko "sensei." Rakko is deeply moved by the word, and in a scene set in what appears to be the memorial park, the feeling that becoming stronger was worth it comes flooding back. It's an arrangement in which the "place where I vowed to become stronger" described on that first road trip seems to connect to the name the two now use. The memory of the little trip becomes a warm runway that grows the relationship from an admired figure to a teacher.
Fan Theories: Why the Reaction Upon Finding the Car Leaves Such an Impression
Fan posts repeatedly bring up the scene where Rakko, having gone out to a sweets event or shopping, loses track of where the car is parked and lets out a short cry the moment it's found. Among the three responses we could confirm, some found the phrasing funny, some said they loved it enough to tear up, and others saw the sight of wandering among so many cars as bittersweet—an interpretation shared among Japanese fans on X.
What they have in common is attention to the gap: the strong, imposing Rakko gets hugely emotional over the everyday problem of a lost parking spot. Set alongside "Road Trip," where Rakko calmly drives after inviting Chiikawa and the others, the dependability behind the wheel and the fluster after parking coexist within one character. The reading that fits best is that this is beloved as a slice-of-life blunder that doesn't break the image of the cool teacher—rather, it adds approachability.
Rakko's Appearances and Related Pages
To keep following Rakko's character, the character page covers the mark of a higher-ranked subjugator engraved on the weapon, the giant parfait at the café, and the scenes leading up to being called sensei. The "Road Trip" page traces events in publication order, from the roadside encounter through the service area to the memorial park. Beyond just the car, it also connects into why Chiikawa and Hachiware admire Rakko in the first place.
In "Uprising and Training" in volume 7, Rakko invites the two to yakiniku and decides on their next training during the meal. The relationship that began with driving them to a place of memories continues into the role of a teacher who shares meals and training. What's interesting is that travel, sweets, meals, and training read not as scattered episodes but as a linked series illuminating Rakko's caring nature from different angles.
Frequently asked questions
In which chapter does Rakko give Chiikawa and Hachiware a ride?
It's "Road Trip" in volume 3 of the collected editions. Rakko invites the two from the roadside, passes through a service area, and heads to the memorial park where Rakko vowed to become stronger.
Is there a scene where Rakko drives alone?
In "Dotto Hibi" in volume 3, there's a scene where Rakko, after seeing a flyer for what appears to be a sweets event, heads to a parking spot in the small car.
Where does Rakko stop during the road trip?
First they stop at a service area, then head to a place with a statue inscribed "Kinen Koen-kun." On the ride home, Chiikawa and Hachiware are asleep, nestled together.