I was so desperate, I lost sight of everything but that goal.
Regarding your mother's condition...
Um, does she have family besides you?
My parents are divorced. My father and brother live far away.
Then I should call your father or your older brother first.
I'm the only family staying with my mother.
Any extended family?
No. Only me.
Right now, I'm the only one who can stay with my mother!
Oh, Kou. What did the doctor say?
He says he won't know until he investigates a little more in detail.
He wants you to check in so he can do some tests.
I see.
How's the back pain?
It's eased up quite a lot.
They gave me some painkillers.
You think it's a hernia or something?
Hernias do hurt this much, don't they?
Dear, oh, dear!
Kou.
Don't worry about me. Go on home.
It seems I've caught a cold, too.
We can't have you catching it.
But just a little longer...
Sure. I've got to get things ready for your hospital stay.
I guess I'll go home for today.
Yeah.
I'll be back tomorrow, okay?
I'll see you tomorrow.
Your mother has cancer in her lungs.
The pain in her back shows that it's metastasized to her bones.
And...
I thought I was acting normal, like everything was fine.
Oh, Youichi? It's your mother.
I'm sorry, Youichi. I...
Things might not be looking good for me.
Kou's doing the best he can to hide it, but...
That's right.
Do it after you ask the doctor properly yourself.
Youichi. Please take care of Kou.
And... it's in the terminal stages.
To be honest, there's not much in the way of effective treatment...
Your mother has half a year to live, at best.
When? When could I have realized it and been in time?
In order to make things easier for my mother in the future...
To get into a good high school, a good college, a good company...
I've been spending almost all my time studying.
Kou! It's time for dinner.
I'd like to get to a good break-off point. Could you start without me?
What, again?
I feel so lonely all the time!
What are you saying?
Even if you're lonely now, you'll be grateful once I'm bringing in good money, right?
I'm not particularly interested in that, though...
The time I spend eating and watching TV with you is much more important.
Mom...
I was...
...wrong.
I'm sorry...
I was so desperate, I lost sight of everything but that goal.
I'm sorry...
But I was wrong.
There was something far more important.
But I wasn't in time.
We're not at home right now.
At the tone, please state your name and reason for calling.
Hey, it's your big brother.
Kou? Are you there?
I just got a call from Mom...
Kou. Take care of Mom, okay?
Sorry...
I'm sorry...
Sorry...
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!
I'm sorry!
Kou!
Oh? It's Yoshioka.
That's right. I was playing cops and robbers?
She came running at me with the most amazing expression...
My neck hurts...
Do your best, Kou! If you get this outta the way, you'll be fine! - Aya
Work hard so you don't have to take summer lessons! - Futaba
Hey, Kou.
Kou...
Huh?
What are you spacing out about? C'mon, let's go.
Huh?
You don't have your job today, right?
So we can do a whole lotta studying, right?
Library
Let's go! Let's go!
Mabuchi-kun, where do you want to start today?
Huh? Wherever...
So you can handle anything? That's a good attitude to take.
Huh?
That's right! I brought the next part of the math summaries.
And I got the next part for science!
I'm going to hit the bathroom before we start.
Sure! See ya.
Mabuchi-kun's sure taking a long time.
Yeah...
What's he doing in there?
Did he go home?
Huh?!
You don't think it's just an attack of #2?
But his bag's missing.
Really?!
He tricked us!
He is a brat, after all.
He won't get away!
Let's go! If we go after him now, we might just catch him!
Sorry!
S-Sor—
Self-Restraint
Screech
I'm sorry!
Wait, Futaba-chan!
H-H-How could this happen?!
What an unfortunate accident.
Too unfortunate an accident.
Looks like Kou got away from us, huh?
He did have kind of a different vibe going on today.
Yeah. He was acting strangely, wasn't he?
What a mystery. I got a feeling there was something weighing on his mind.
I thought we were getting a little closer,
but today he's back to being annoyed with us...
He's like a cat.
That's true!
He doesn't even know for himself what he wants, right? Because he's an idiot.
But I like him!
We gotta hang out during summer vacation!
I'd like it if we could go out somewhere together!
Movies... amusement parks...
Hey, we could also go to the mountains or something
like during the leadership workshop!
Sure, but I don't want to get lost again.
Well, that was just, um, how to put it, um...
Kou. Everyone's waiting for you.
If you'd just open the door, right beside you, there's a place in the light...
So why won't you come out?
Come out! Come out, Kou!
Everyone's waiting!
Tanaka-sensei...
If you're looking for Kou, he's not home yet.
Teacher! Kou-kun won't open the door of his heart to us!
I've opened up a bunch of dummy doors, but...
...the door I really want him to open is locked.
It's got a double lock, even.
I see. But that might be a little wrong.
Using that metaphor, this might be a situation where he forgot to make it
with a doorknob at all, let alone a keyhole.
Huh?! But then he's just stupid...
Teacher! Then what should I do?
I'm afraid I don't know, either!
Then I'll break my way in!
Tanaka
Mabuchi
That little brat!
Just like Kou opened the door to my heart, I'll do the same for his!
That girl's like a storm.
Kou... come out from behind that door already.
He's there!
He really is there!
And then they said—
No way! You liar!
It's true!
If you want someone to talk to, you could talk to me.
Y-You know, people like me, and Kominato-kun, and Yuuri!
Kou. Hey, Kou.
Are you listening? You seem kinda bored.
Oh, sorry.
Nah, no way. This is typical Kou.
He's always like this.
You serious?
You haven't been around much lately, though.
You found something else fun to do?
No, not really.
Kou!
Again... she's running toward me with that expression again...
I told you, a girl shouldn't go there alone.
Kou. How long are you going to keep doing this stuff?
What do you mean, "this stuff"?
I mean this stuff! Everything you're doing now!
Doesn't it get tiring doing that all the time?
What's the point of it?
There's no point.
No matter what I do, there's no point.
Someone capable of starting again might not understand that, though.
To hear that...
To hear you say that...
I know... it would make your mom sad, too.
I know. I've given that plenty of thought myself.
But I still have feelings that can't be resolved with that argument alone.
Even though I know I've done everything wrong, I can't start again.
Sitting beside my mother each day, watching her grow thinner and thinner,
seemingly preparing to leave this world behind...
The things I was thinking then...
You couldn't... possibly... understand.
But I think it's natural that not everything you try will go well, right?
So, I'm gonna start again from scratch.
I think that's for the best!
I'm glad.
Kou's still suffering the way he was back then.
Kou's the only one who can understand all the suffering he feels.
No matter how I imagine it, it won't be enough...
But...
I want to understand him from the bottom of my heart.
Is that feeling really so wrong?
I want to break it down, but a door like this...
I want to break it down, but...
Why?
Why are you trying so hard to get involved?
You, Kominato, the others...
That kind of thing scares me.
Kou!
Hey, look o—
That scared me.
So heavy.
It's too late!
The fact that you're scared shows that you already care about us!
You're scared because you're thinking about what'll happen if you lose us, right?
You're shameless in so many ways...
If what you lost was too big, and you can't replace it with something else...
you don't have to replace it with just one thing, right?
If you get ten small things, or a hundred small things all together...
...it will be enough of a reason for you to keep going!
No one's going to criticize you if you get excited for something,
or you laugh with all your heart!
And if someone does, I'll beat them up!
Yeah. You're right...
To let my heart be moved, to laugh from the bottom of my heart,
to find meaning in everyday life...
I wanted to be given permission.
Maybe all this time,
I've been waiting for something like this. Something like a storm...
Next Episode . . .
See you tomorrow!
Sure, at school.
Yep!
See ya!
Yoshioka...
Thank you.
Yeah!