What should I do?
I forget what I was like before I met you
The wind caresses my cheek
♪Lullaby of Birdland♪
Kick my heels going down the slope
As my worthless shadow grows
It's like an endless summer vacation
Feels like sneakin' into the swimming pool
Hey, let's swim with our clothes on, jump in!!
A shocking seductive spiral
This beat that pierces my heart is strange
(It flares up, then vanishes)
Every miserable day is swell,
dress it up
A high-speed swing surrounds us
(What's this dance called? I can't stop)
Don't you go, it's twined around my ears
and won't leave me ever again
This melody...
...is like love
It's cold out...
I'm sleepy...
Can I really keep these?
It's probably some mistake...
Good morning, Mukae-san!
Morning!
Good morning, Kaoru-san.
Cold today, isn't it?
Good morning.
Morning, Ri-chan!
Morning!
That's right. Can't let myself get my hopes up.
I've already been rejected once.
Do you have the usual, Ma'am?
There you are, the usual.
Thank you! You're looking beautiful as always, Ma'am!
Oh, it's you. What's with the long face?
I'll take a guess. You're in shock over the news that Yurika-senpai eloped?
It's all over the school!
D-Did you tell him about it?!
Oh, Kawabuchi-kun? Yeah, I told him this morning...
I don't think he's in the classroom!
I didn't expect to hear anything like this...
How must he feel about it?
Ah, that's the one that won the Prefectural Governor's Award.
We'd better take it down now.
You take that side.
Um, what are you doing?
There's no way the school will display a painting
by a student who's involved in a scandal.
We were told to remove it.
And what's going to happen to it after you take it down?
You got me.
W-Wait! This painting is important!
Please!
What's she to you, anyway?
Had eyes for her, did ya?
Wha...
Let it go, Richie.
Sorry. You can take it away.
Sen...
Hey, Sen! Why...?!
You don't care what happens to that painting?!
Hey!
W-What are you doing?! Let go of me!
What are you laughing at?!
Your stupidity must be contagious.
W-What...?!
Seriously, how stupid are you gonna be for somebody else's sake?
It's ridiculous.
Wait. What about the painting?!
Oh, I already said my goodbye to it back there.
I feel much better now.
Sen...
Have you gotten a present from someone recently?
Like something that was knitted...?
Yeah, I did.
I knitted Sentaro a sweater and used the leftover yarn to make the mittens!
That's cruel... But it figures...
This! It's called Lily-yarn or something. I got it from Sachiko yesterday.
Anything else?
Nope. This is it.
But what am I supposed to do with this string?
Huh?
Strike!
What the heck are you...?! You...!
Now you're gonna get it!
Richie, wait!
Richie!
U-Um, these are really warm... Thank you.
Ow! Dammit! What are you doing?!
Hey, I'm over here!
Nope, over here!
Come to think of it, we'll be changing classes again soon.
I guess third-years are split up according to their grades,
so you probably won't be in the same class as Kaoru-san.
Goin' for college entrance exams, right Richie?
Y-Yeah...
I intend to go to college, too.
I'm thinking about becoming an elementary school teacher.
So you're gonna be a teacher, huh?
What about it?
Long time ago, you said you wanted to have a bakery or cake shop.
What? When was this?
Come on, don't you remember? You were a glutton.
That's why you wanted a shop!
I never said that!
Kaoru-san, where do you want to go to college?
Oh, I... haven't decided yet.
As for me, never mind about college. I might not even make it to third-year.
I see...
Wait, what did you just say?!
Alright, it all comes down to the next make-up exam.
Start with these basic problems.
I'll make you some flash cards in the meanwhile.
You handle that.
Hey!
I'm just not cut out for studying.
What are you going to do if you fail this?!
Oh, I'll just quit school an' get a job.
You must be joking...
It ain't a joke.
When I think about my family, I can't afford to repeat a year.
No way!
I won't let that happen!
I'm not gonna let you flunk this test!
I'm tired. I need a break!
Wait! You're in the middle of these questions!
I can't take anymore...
If you're going to rest, it'll have to wait 'til you're done with these problems!
I can't! My head's gonna explode!
B-Bro...
Hey, Sen...
You look really happy when you're surrounded by children.
W-Where'd that come from?
I bet you're going to have a big family of your own,
with lots of kids around you.
It'll be a warm...
Chi'ko wet herself!
Wet herself?!
Yay, Chi'ko!
The bath's over there. My ma will dry your pants, so relax in the meantime.
This is an unusual setup for a bath...
Sa-chan?
You're out of soap, right? Here...
S-Sorry...
I-I don't understand. Isn't this Sen's family's bath?
We share the bath with Sentaro's family...
Um... I wish I had given the mittens to you earlier...
It's almost spring, so you won't need to use them anymore...
Oh, that doesn't matter...
Since you knitted the mittens, Ri-chan, I'd like to wear them all year 'round.
Cold!
Condensation?
Drops often fall in there. Sentaro lets out a yelp once in a while himself.
Say, Ri-chan, why did you give me those mittens?
W-Why?
Why me and not him?
I mean... if you've liked him all this time...
Richie! How about havin' dinner here?!
Your pants aren't dry yet anyway...
I'm going home now.
Thank you for the hospitality.
Wait, your hair's soakin' wet! You'll catch cold!
That's enough!
Sorry.
Well, see you tomorrow...
I didn't mean to say that to Ri-chan.
But I couldn't get it out of my mind...
That she probably still has feelings for him...
Sen, how did the make-up exam go?
Oh, you passed?
Yeah.
Good for you.
It's thanks to Richie. I gotta thank 'im proper.
Come to think of it, I haven't seen Richie-rich lately.
The day before yesterday, he passed out in class with a fever,
so he's restin' up at home.
You didn't hear?
Nope, Ritsuko didn't say a thing.
"Someday My Prince Will Come"...?
N-No! That was just...
Ri'ko. Would you come with me?
Look at it. Huge, ain't it? That's Richie's house.
Alright, go on.
Thank Richie for me, for helpin' me study.
But...
Sentaro, wait!
Go on by yourself.
Why?! Let's go together!
Kaoru-san, one of your classmates has come to wish you well.
E-Excuse me...
Hi, Ri-chan.
Um, is your fever down?
Yeah. Sorry to make you worry...
I see. Good.
Oh, that's right. These are for you.
Eat them if you're up to it.
Oh, thank you. Did you go out of the way to buy them?
Um... No. I didn't buy these. Uh...
Sentaro did...
Ri-chan. He came here with you, didn't he?
I saw you two out the window.
He should've come in with you...
Kaoru-san?
Never mind. I understand.
What are you talking about?
It makes sense. You two have been together since you were little.
There's no way I could be a match for him...
Unlike me, he's strong... and built...
And so handsome, he even takes my breath away once in a while...
Ri-chan, you're better off with him...
Stop it already!
I know what you're saying, so don't say any more.
I'm going home now.
Kaoru-san, don't you like me anymore?
Or is it...
...you just don't have any confidence, so you're trying to keep your distance?
Kaoru-san, you told me to have confidence in myself.
Those words have saved me a number of times.
But if it looks like you don't have confidence,
I have a feeling I'll lose mine, too.
Huh? What the heck am I doing?
What I've wished for all this time...
Oh, you're leaving already?
Excuse me!
Oh, boy! I bet something happened between those two!
Ri-chan!
Kaoru-san!
Don't come here... I'll go over to you!
Ri-chan... Let me tell you how I feel about you one more time...
I love you!
I love you, Ri-chan!
I love you! I love you!
K-Kaoru-san!
I love you!
P-Please! Your relatives can hear!
Let them!
I'm not muscular and maybe I'm not as manly as I should be...
...but when it comes to my feelings for you, Ri-chan, I'm second to no one!
You might catch my cold...
I won't mind.
Kaoru-san!
Hey! You're burning up! And you're heavy!
Excuse me! Somebody!
That was really something...
Kaoru-san! Excuse me!
Here it is summer already and I haven't made any more progress with Ri-chan...
Even though I was that bold when I had a fever...
What's wrong with me when my temperature is normal?!
I want to touch...
Touch what?
How long have you been in here?!
I just got here.
Did you hear anything?!
Like what?
Nothing!
Both of you! Take a look at this!
East High Newspaper
"The Olympus Has Thrown Down the Gauntlet"?
What is this?
"The Olympus is going to win at this year's festival.
It seems there are still some old-fashioned jazz musicians around,
but this is the era of rock n' roll."
They were handing this out all over the school.
What are you gonna do? I mean, you can't take this sitting down, right?!
You two are gonna perform in the festival, aren't you?!
Huh?
I've been thinking...
Me too.
We start with "Moanin'" to fire up the people that saw us last year
an' fake 'em out thinking we're gonna do the same routine.
But then we move into some other songs that we want to play.
I was thinkin' the same thing!
Alright, let's choose our next song!
Starting today, we'd better practice every day!
'Course!
How about this one?
I'm home...
Welcome back, Bro!
Hey.
Welcome home!
Look, I got surprising news!
Dad says he's comin' home!
This way, the whole family can live together!
Sa-chan...
What are you doing here all by yourself?
I can't say that I'm actually scared...
Scared?
See, our Dad, who was working far away, is coming home tomorrow morning.
Richie, I'm one of those that ain't got a place in the house, too.
Richie...?
I'm home...
Hey, you're back late, Sachiko.
What's Richie doin' here with you?
I see. Unlike with Kota and the other little ones,
you remember how scary Dad was when he was drunk.
But don't worry, Sachiko!
Ma told me that Dad worked really hard an' quit drinkin' over there.
Really?
Yeah. You got nothin' to worry about, Sachiko.
Now how about comin' inside an' we can prepare together?
Yeah!
Sen...
Oh, thanks for lookin' after her.
You're the one I'm worried about, Sen.
Dope! What are you lookin' so serious for?!
What?! I am serious!
Richie. Don't worry so much.
I'm fine.
Bro, look!
Comin'!
Sen!
Are you coming to practice tomorrow?
Yeah. After all, playin' with you is the most fun I have.
Bro, what are you writin'?
Hmm... Nah, that's no good.
It's not comin' out right.
Ah, well. Let's get to sleep.
Richie. I'm sorry for lying to you.
I was looking forward to the festival, too. I wanted to perform.
Be good to Ri'ko.
Take care.
I waited for you on that slope
For our after school promise
There was a 'goodbye' blurred far away
I was so weak, so awkward, and so fragile back then
But you gave me a small pair of wings
In the twilight hour of the sky,
I'm searching for a gleam of light
If only I could have said that I love you…
The note that I wrote in the corner of my textbook
has never been delivered to this day