Wrong! That ain't even close!
What are you talking about? I played it exactly right!
I couldn't feel any swing!
If you play it without feelin' it, it don't sound like no jazz to me!
Ri, do you know the name of the piano piece he played?
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' Moanin'.
You changed me so much I don't remember what I was like before we met.
The breeze caresses our cheeks.
Lullaby of Birdland...
As we run down the slope,
our flimsy shadows extend.
It's like a neverending summer vacation.
It feels like when we snuck into the pool.
Yeah, let's swim with our clothes on. Jump in!
It's an intense spiral of temptation.
A beat pierces my heart. A strange one.
It vanishes after a quick spark.
Even on bad days, I dress up
and dance to some swing. The music quickly surrounds me.
What is this dance exactly? I can't stop it.
Don't leave me. It's stuck in my head, and I can't get it out.
The melody...
is like love.
Aunt's gone to pick up some food 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,
but reproducing them is proving to be extremely difficult.
This guy don't get jazz one bit! And he's got no sense for it.
Damn it!
I'm gonna show him up, no matter what it takes!
I want to master this as soon as possible
and perform it in front of him and Ri.
Y-You win.
Kaoru, that was wonderful!
As if...
Well, well, Nishimi.
You sure look like you're in a good mood.
Where ya goin'?
Don't make a fuss.
That's not true!
Ri? What's wrong?
Cut it out! Let me go!
What'd I ever do to you?
It's my neck, is all.
I got a crick in my neck that just won't quit,
and 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 kinda been gettin' on my nerves lately.
Wh-What's that supposed to mean?
He's on 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 and quiet.
Students from the girls' school go 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?
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?
So we're playin' "monkey in the middle"?
Oh, no. This won't end well.
R-Ri! What are you...?
Sentaro will take care of them,
so get out of here.
Huh?
Clearly, you boys ain't used to scrappin'!
I look pathetic.
Ri literally caught me with my pants down,
and on top of that, she rescued me.
Ri, would you hold on to my glasses for me?
Take this!
I'm gonna make you pay for the tooth you knocked out!
What the hell?
Is he dead?
Little twerp!
Get 'im!
All right!
Now it's startin' to get interesting!
Ow!
Well? Up for some more?
I-I'm gonna see to it that everyone in class gives you guys the cold shoulder!
Are we in the same class?
Can't remember seein' you.
B-Be prepared!
Huh? My neck feels better.
Kaoru, your forehead is bleeding.
Are you okay?
Don't worry 'bout his forehead.
How are your fingers?
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.
Is it Jun?
Come on!
Why's the squirt lookin' beat up too?
He was in a fight.
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? That's cool. An odd couple though, ain't it?
Yeah!
We're not actually friends.
Oh, well.
Hey Ri, is he your brother?
Nope. Jun used to live next door.
Now he's a student at Tokyo University.
Ritsuko...
Mind the store for just one tune.
Dad, you always say "just one tune," but then you stay down here for two hours!
It's not every day that Junichi comes into town, right?
Ri, 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?
Of course.
All right! 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 only been playing jazz for two weeks?
That's amazing. It was all over the place, but you got the mood down.
Been playing piano a long time?
Y-Yeah, kind of.
How about coming here to practice from now on?
He'll come every day, even without being told, right?
Well, I have to get to work.
Thank you, Ri.
Oh, that's right, Jun.
What's the name of that record you were gonna show me?
Oh, the Elvin Jones one?
That's it. "Tommy" something.
Flanagan. Maybe it's upstairs.
We're alone.
Hey, I was wondering...
What do you usually do on your days off?
Oh, you mean with summer vacation coming up?
Y-Yeah. I was thinking maybe we could do our homework together.
Sure! I bet I could make some real progress working on it with you, Kaoru.
How's next Sunday?
Would eleven work?
Sure, of course!
I know! Let's meet up behind the church.
Hold on. I'll draw you a map.
That's right. Summer vacation...
Until now, I've spent every summer alone in my room
with way 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 yeah, church is still in session.
Ri...
is Christian?
I don't believe it.
Him too?
Kaoru!
Sorry to make you wait!
That's okay. Well, should we...
Let's go!
Huh?
Wait a second!
Is this how you get 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 cooling off in the ocean sound good?
Sentaro agreed this was the way to go too.
Ri... I meant for this to be a date.
Hey! I rented a boat!
Hop in!
How did it come to this?
How'd it end up the three of us?
Richie, give me a bite of that, would ya?
What's with the face?
Doesn't the rower get any kind of reward for his services?
Sentaro, you can finish mine.
N-No, he can't!
Why not?
Well, uh... Fine!
Here, eat it!
One bite, right?
Ri, do you always have a cross on too?
Nope. I have a rosary.
It's not something you're supposed to wear around your neck, though.
But our pastor says Sentaro is special, so—
Ri'ko.
You don't have to tell him all that.
For just a second, I felt like I could have cut the tension with a knife.
Or was it just my imagination?
Kaoru, aren't you going to swim?
We came all this way, so let's take a dip!
The thing is, I didn't bring a bathing suit.
Neither did Sentaro. He's just wearing his boxers.
Let's swim, Kaoru!
Yeah. All right.
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!
Come on! We were still in elementary school back then!
Don't say weird things like that in front of Kaoru!
Enough, Sentaro!
Ri...
Do you...?
Ri'ko, hold your nose!
Hey!
Alley-oop!
Ri!
You too, Richie!
My God! You're such an ogre!
It feels good, don't it?!
He really is a jerk, isn't he?
Kaoru, why are you swimming in circles?
This is the only way I know how to swim with my head out of the water.
Kaoru, you're so funny!
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, let's get away!
Wait for me, Kaoru!
Hey, what gives?
Why are you swimmin' away?
I only wish that I could keep going and take you away from here.
Let's switch.
I'll take over the rowing.
It's pretty hard, y'know. And on top of that—
Just let me do it!
Damn it.
Wanna switch back, 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 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... Tryin' to be a hero or somethin'?
Hey, that's Kawabuchi from East High!
East High... You're...
Kawabuchi?!
I-I'm lettin' you off the hook this time.
You saved me.
Thank you.
It happened in an instant.
At the time, I didn't realize what had taken place.
But they say that nobody ever just walks into love. You always fall right in.
I was waiting for you on that slope.
We made a promise to meet after school.
The goodbye blurred into the distance.
So weak, so twisted, so fragile
had I been back then,
but you gave me a small pair of wings.
I'm searching the sky beyond the twilight
for the faint flicker of light
because I want to tell you I love you.
I wrote a letter to you in my textbook margins,
but I could never give it to you.
It's still just there.