6... 7... 8...
9... 10...
11...
I guess I'll hide here.
Sorry. I'll go somewhere else.
Not now. The cops team is here.
Uh oh!
He smelled like shampoo... and a little like sweat.
It set my heart racing.
You stay here, Yoshioka-san.
I knew it! There was a robber there!
Get him!
Don't let him get away!
He got caught...
It's my fault.
I've got to save him!
Um...
Thank you.
Sure.
We can't go back to those days.
You brought a lunch again today, Futaba?
It's still a little uncomfortable to go to the school store for it.
Oh, that old lady?
But it sure is lucky that guy saw what happened, right?
Really!
It's no laughing matter!
You guys doubted me at first, too!
What were we supposed to do?
We didn't see it, after all.
Ridiculous
Ha ha ha
Mental Picture Artist: Futaba
You're just playing at friendship.
What are you doing, Futaba?
Hey, Makita!
Not eating your lunch in the classroom again?
Where do you always eat it?
Outside... with my friends from another class.
It's like a picnic. It's fun!
Oh boy!
That picked me right up!
She pisses me off.
Why can't boys see through her cutesy girl act?
Hey, daily rep.
Yes?
I'm handing back your notes and print-outs,
so head to the teachers' office to get them.
Ah... yes, sir.
Wow, there must be a lot of notes and print-outs.
Then let's go together.
Go for it, Futaba!
Have fun!
So cold!
Makita-san?
On a day like this, you should eat inside.
But the sun is out. It's nice and warm.
Liar! It's really cold out here.
I guess she really is just naturally cute.
Ah! Just like mine.
Um, you can have this if you want. I have two.
Oh? But it doesn't fit with my character.
It has nothing to do with character!
Here.
Th-Thanks.
Wow, her hands are really cold.
Thanks for talking to me.
I know everyone finds me really annoying.
I know I put on a cutesy girl act, but...
When I'm in front of boys, I get so nervous, I just do it.
But everyone puts on nice clothes and
makeup to look good for other people, right?
So I wonder, what's the difference
between that and me wanting boys to think I'm cute?
Umm, I think there might be something weird about the
"wanting people to like me" vector only applying to boys...
Wait... My "wanting people to like me" vector only applies to girls... right?
I don't mean to say people are wrong for finding me annoying,
but in exchange, I want to act the way I like.
Here. Take this hand warmer.
Thanks for the bunny strap. This is cheap by comparison, but...
Thanks for the strap, okay?
I see. I guess you could call me a reverse-cutesy girl, then.
Hey, are you listening?
I told you I am.
You've got to bounce back before the term ends, okay?
What are you doing about your grades?
Tanaka-kun and Tanaka-sensei...
You can't stay on the advanced course like that.
Advanced course?! So Tanaka-kun is an elite taking advanced courses?!
What are you looking at?
I'm not looking!
Please enter the faculty room more quietly.
Sorry.
Ugh...
That looks hard to manage by yourself.
Your friends-in-name-only didn't help you, I guess?
If you think it looks hard, why don't you help me?
Huh... no.
Kou!
Annoying. Bye.
He really isn't gonna help me!
Awful boy!
Geez. Sorry about him.
I'll help you. Where's your class?
Are you Kou's friend?
We went to middle school together.
Though... that was a while back.
I see!
I see, I see.
Why does Tanaka-sensei look so happy?
He's got some real bed head, too...
I know how he can be, but please be friendly with him.
Don't be silly!
Stop searching for the old Tanaka-kun!
Class 2 is there, right?
Well, I've got some business to tend to above.
Right! Thanks for the help.
Hey, Murao!
Murao!
Did you say you're not coming to the after-test karaoke party?
Yeah.
You're skipping out on all class get-togethers.
You should at least come to one.
I don't feel like going.
I don't want to remember anything about my current class.
But...
It has nothing to do with you, Kominato-kun.
Welcome back, Futaba.
You were out a while.
Your friends-in-name-only...
This makeup's pretty great, huh?
Huh? Which one?
This one! I think it'd look great on you, Asumi.
Even if they are in name only...
No way!
Just try it on!
What are you looking at?
It's much better than being alone.
Do you have something in your pocket?
Oh, this? Makita-san gave it to me.
Oh, ew! What were you talking to her for?
She was eating alone at lunch.
What? All alone?
Well, I guess she's the type that gets along all right alone.
Thanks for talking to me.
She's got nerves of steel.
Do you really think that's true?
What? What's the matter?
What's the big deal?
If she doesn't want to be alone, she can go hang out with boys.
Yeah! Some boy will take notice of her!
She'll be fine.
Anyway, it's cheating,
the way she changes personality when there are boys around.
If you think it's cheating...
It means that deep down,
you want boys to think you're cute too, don't you?
If so, then instead of sniping at her, why don't you play cutesy, too?
Wha? We're not so desperate for boys' attention that we'll stoop to that level.
It's not about that. I just hate girls like her.
Then you could just leave her alone!
But you're so jealous, you can't.
Insulting someone else might make
you feel like you're better than them...
But you're absolutely wrong!
D-Damn it!
J—
Just kidding!
If you say you hate me...
That means you care about what I'm doing, right?
Take that!
How could she...?!
What was that?
I feel sick.
Futaba.
I see what you really think of us now.
It's over...
I just didn't want to be alone.
That's why I worked so hard to come this far.
And after all that...
I'm way too stupid.
Yoshioka-san!
U-Um... thank you... for sticking up for me.
You don't have to thank me.
You say I was sticking up for you...
But I was actually sticking up for myself.
I should really be sorry for dragging you into it.
But it made me happy!
Really. What am I doing?
Why did I say that?
I've thought it all this time, but I kept it hidden deep inside.
All you're doing is playing at friendship.
It's ridiculous.
Why are you all by yourself?
What happened to your friends?
I-It's because you said that thing to me!
You, Tanaka-kun! Because you said I was playing at friendship!
It's my fault?
No.
It's my fault.
I got so lost in pursuing my goal...
I didn't see what was really important.
Emotional connections. Trust.
It's my fault.
Sorry for taking it out on you earlier.
Right.
So...
I'm pathetic. I keep making mistakes.
Wanna hit the arcade after class?
People!
You're still there!
Well...
From that direction, too!
Jeez. School's no place to be flirting.
He hid it from them, but...!
Mixed with the smell of cologne... that familiar smell.
You got lost in pursuing your goal?
I guess you were working so hard, you lost sight of that goal.
T-Tanaka-kun... are you being nice to me? Or teasing me?
I don't know. I just did what I wanted to.
And... stop calling me Tanaka already.
I'm going.
It might be painful for him when I call him Tanaka-kun.
But I feel like if I ever call him "Mabuchi," then the Tanaka-kun I knew...
...really will disappear completely.
It's lonely.
Kou!
Calling me by my first name already?
Then should I use -kun? Would Kou-kun be better?
I don't care either way. Do as you like.
Scary...
But, he didn't tell me I was wrong for calling him by his first name.
He didn't... say no.
I haven't been able to bring myself to talk to Asumi and Chie since then.
Time passed...
Completion Ceremony
Rise!
Bow!
It's over!
Yeah!
Is it okay to leave it like this?
But... there was a good chance we'd be put into different classes anyway...
Asumi!
Chie-chan!
What?
L-Listen...
I-I'm sorry about before. I shouldn't have said it the way I did.
But...
That is how I feel.
I didn't tell you the truth because I didn't want you to hate me, but...
That is... how I really feel.
I know how you feel, Futaba.
And I thought... if that's how you feel,
I think I really don't want to deal with you.
No offense to you or anything...
I just don't think you fit in with us, so...
Bye-bye.
A-Asumi! Wait!
Yoshioka-san.
When I was little, my teacher said...
"You should get along with your friends."
At the time, I thought it was right to just pursue that at any cost.
But... sometimes it doesn't go well, does it?
My teacher didn't tell me...
Sometimes you compromise, and it still doesn't work out.
Yoshioka-sa—
There are some things you just can't help! That's right!
I...
I've wanted to talk to you about a lot of other things.
Me, too!
See you!
Yeah... Bye-bye!
In that moment, I learned something I had never been taught.
To come to a clear decision takes strength.
I learned that today.
I know I'm stronger than I was in those days.
Why do I suddenly... feel this... powerful desire to see Kou?
Not the Tanaka-kun I knew in middle school... but Kou, as he is now...
That feeling, in that moment, like I had something in common with Kou...
I want to feel it again!
Maybe he went home already?
Who are you looking for?
Kou!
Next Episode . . .
Nothing's started yet...
I haven't started anything, either.
I want to... start something!