Wrong! That ain't even close!
What are you talking about?! I played it exactly right!
There wasn't any swing!
If you play it without feelin' it, it don't sound like no jazz to me!
Ri-chan, do you know the name of the tune he was playing on the piano?
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' "Moanin'".
My aunt's gone grocery shopping for dinner.
I've got one hour to make it or break it.
Dissonant chords... Syncopation and a unique accent...
I thought I understood the distinctive features of jazz in my head,
but reproducing them was proving to be extremely difficult.
This guy don't get jazz one bit! And he got no sense for it.
Dammit! No matter what it takes, I'm gonna show him up!
I wanna master this as soon as possible
and then perform it in front of him and Ri-chan!
Y-You win...
Kaoru-san, that was wonderful...
As if...
Well, well. Nishimi-kun...
You sure look like you're in a good mood. Where ya goin'?
Don't make a fuss.
That's not true!
Ri-chan? What's wrong?
Cut it out! Let me go!
What'd I ever do to you?
It's my neck, is all.
These days, I got a crick in my neck that just won't quit,
an' it's puttin' me in the worst mood.
So I thought havin' a little fun like this would brighten my day.
Other than that...
...you've kind of been gettin' on my nerves, recently.
W-What's that supposed to mean?
He's in the kendo team, so you'd best not resist.
Sentaro!
There's trouble! Come quick!
Let's see... How can we entertain ourselves?
How about splitting a watermelon?
D-Don't...
We can do better than that.
What do you say we pants 'im?!
Now there's a good idea.
D-Don't...
Don't move. Keep nice an' quiet.
Students from the girls' school come home this way too,
so this'll give them a good show.
Too much momentum...
Hey! You still alive?
Hey, when this jerk wakes up,
tell 'im that no real man gangs up on a weakling...
Wha...? It's you, Richie?!
W-Well, sorry about that!
A-Are you okay, Yamaoka-kun?
Y-Your front tooth is...
What are you just standing there for?
I don't care how you do it, I want him eatin' dirt!
Oh, what's this?
We gonna play a game, like "monkey in the middle"?
Oh, no... At this rate...
R-Ri-chan! What are you...?
Sentaro will take care of them,
so get away!
Huh? Clearly, you boys ain't used to scrappin'!
I look pathetic...
Ri-chan literally caught me with my pants down...
And on top of that, she rescued me...
Ri-chan, would you hold on to my glasses for me?
Take this!
I think I'll pay you back for knocking out my front tooth!
What the hell?
Is he dead?
Little twerp!
Get 'im!
Alright!
Now it's startin' to get interesting!
Ow!
Well? You up for some more?
I-I'm gonna see to it that everyone in class gives you the cold shoulder!
You an' me are in the same class?
Can't remember seein' this guy...
B-Be prepared!
Huh? My neck feels better...
Kaoru-san, your forehead is bleeding... Are you okay?
Don't worry 'bout his forehead.
Those fingers of yours doin' okay?
Huh. He's actually keeping an eye out for me...
I'm home.
Oh, you took another good pounding, huh?
Somebody's waiting for you.
Go on downstairs.
Could it be Brother Jun?!
Come on!
Why is the squirt beat up, too?
He was in a fight.
Brother Jun!
Hey!
Sen-boy, you been gettin' rowdy again?
Yeah, well, today wasn't much of a fight.
Well, it's good to see you're in fighting form.
So who's this cat?
He's my buddy.
Huh. Cool. An odd couple, yeah?
Yeah!
Actually, we're not friends...
Ah, well...
Say, is he your brother, Ri-chan?
Uh-uh. Brother Jun is from next door.
Now he's a university student in Tokyo...
Ritsuko...
Mind the store for just one tune.
Dad, you always say "just one tune", but then you don't come up for two hours!
It's not every day that Junichi comes back to town... right?
Ri-chan, I'm asking you, too.
Next time, I'll treat you to a cream soda at our shop.
How about throwing in a cream puff?
Natch.
Alright! We got us a deal!
Let's get started!
G-Get what started?
A live session...
Richie, get over there!
Me?
I can't!
Just make some noise, that's all!
What are you so jittery for?!
Don't sweat the details, just jump in!
Huh? So you've been playing jazz for just two weeks?
That's amazing. It was all over the place, but you got the mood.
You've played piano for a while?
Y-Yeah, kind of...
How about coming over here from now on to practice?
He'll come every day even without being told, right?
Well, I have to get to work.
Thank you, Ri-chan.
Oh, that's right, Brother Jun.
What's the name of that record you were gonna tell me?
Oh, the Elvin Jones one?
Yeah, that's it. "Tommy" something...
"Flanagan". Maybe it's upstairs...
The two of us are alone.
Um, say...
Ri-chan, what do you usually do on your days off?
Oh, you mean with summer vacation coming up?
Yeah, right. I was thinking maybe we could do our homework together?
Sure! I bet I could make real progress working on it with you, Kaoru-san.
How's next Sunday?
Would 11 work?
Sure, of course!
I know! Let's meet up there, behind the church.
Hold on, I'll draw you a map.
That's right... Summer vacation...
Up until now, all my summer vacations have been spent alone in my room,
with far too much time on my hands...
What should I do? I have so many things to look forward to
that I can't wrap my head around it...
Looks like I'm a little early...
Oh... Church on Sunday morning...
Ri-chan...
...is a Christian?
I don't believe it...
Him too?
Kaoru-san!
Sorry to make you wait!
That's okay. Well, should we...
Let's go!
Huh?
Wait a second!
This is how we're going to the library?
Or rather, why is he with us?
Kanoko-mae Wharf Bus Stop
Um... What about the library?
It's so hot today. Doesn't it feel much better at the ocean?
Sentaro agreed this was the way to go, too!
Ri-chan... I meant for this to be a date...
Hey! I rented a boat!
Hop in!
How did it come to this?
Why'd it end up the three of us?
Richie, give me a bite of that, wouldya?
What's with the face?
Doesn't the rower get any kind of reward for his services?
Sentaro, you can finish this.
N-No, he can't!
Why not?
Well, uh... Fine! Here, eat it!
One bite, right?
Ri-chan, do you always have a cross on, too?
Nope. I have a rosary,
but it's not something you're supposed to wear around your neck.
Our priest says Sentaro is special, though...
Ri'ko...
You don't have to tell him all that.
For just a second there, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Or was it just in my head?
Wahoo!
Kaoru-san, aren't you going to swim?
We came all this way, so let's take a dip!
The thing is, I didn't bring along a bathing suit.
Neither did Sentaro. He's just wearing his undies.
Let's swim, Kaoru-san!
Yeah. Okay!
Hey! Ri'ko, hurry up and dive in!
R-Right...
What are you bein' bashful about? You're flat as a washboard!
Last time we went swimmin', you had nothin' but your slip on!
Oh, for goodness sake! That's when we were in elementary school!
Don't say weird things like that in front of Kaoru-san!
Ri-chan...
Enough, Sentaro!
Do you...?
Ri'ko, pinch your nose!
Hey!
Alley-oop!
Ri-chan!
You too, Richie!
Oh, for...! You're an ogre, Sentaro!
It feels good, don't it?!
He really is a jerk, isn't he?
Say, Kaoru-san... Why do you keep swimming in circles?
This is the only way I know how to swim with my head out of the water.
Kaoru-san, you're a funny guy!
She laughed...
Why do I feel so happy when this girl smiles?
Oh... I feel like I could do anything for that smile...
Hey, you two look like you're havin' fun. Let me join in!
Forget it! Ri-chan, let's get away!
Kaoru-san, wait for me!
Hey, what gives?!
Why are you swimmin' away?!
Oh, I only wish that we could keep going...
That I could take you away from here...
Let's trade places.
I'll take over the rowing.
It's pretty hard, y'know. And on top of that...
Just let me do it!
Dammit...
Wanna switch, Richie?
No, it's not about strength, but how you do it!
And I think I'm getting the hang of it!
Not that I'm complainin'...
...but you've been takin' us in circles.
Cool. You took us to a completely different beach.
It's fine.
The sun is already setting anyway,
so if we tell the boat rental guy what happened, he'll come by and pick it up.
Come on, girl, have a little fun with us.
Don't be so stuck-up.
No! Leave me alone!
We ain't gonna hurt ya!
Let go of me!
We got a car, so let us take you for a ride!
Come on!
Hey. The lady ain't willin'.
So how about gettin' your mitts off her?
What's that?! Who the hell are you?
Actin' so tough... What, are you tryin' to be a hero?!
Hey, this dude is Kawabuchi from East High!
East High... You're...
Kawabuchi?!
Th-This time, I'll let you off the hook.
You saved me.
Thank you.
It happened in an instant.
I didn't realize what had just taken place...
...but when it comes to falling in love, you don't need a reason or time.