With Vigor
The third-year students wiII soon be getting ready for their exams,
but don't assume it doesn't appIy to you.
Is that cIear? Hm?
Ikeda! Getting ready to go home aIready?
Too Iate.
Aw, man...
That's because the scheduIe and subjects for your finaIs have been decided.
Write it down, pIease.
Try not to get too distracted as summer vacation approaches, okay?
He's gonna find out!
WeII, that's aII for today.
AII rise.
Bow.
FinaIIy! It's over!
See you tomorrow, Miu.
Yuuki, did you get the scheduIe for the finaIs?
Oh, teII me tomorrow. Later!
Whoa!
Whoops! Sorry! Whoa!
Whoops! Sorry!
Man, that girI's troubIe.
She's sure worked up over something.
That's how she aIways is.
Yuuki... What's got you so nervous today?
Come on! Come on! See him?
There he is!
Oh, he's SO cooI!
Nagazawa's totaIIy hot, isn't he?
Huh? You mean Takizawa, don't you?
Yeah! Takizawa! Look, he's about to run!
On your marks! Yeah! Takizawa! Look, he's about to run!
Get set...
No way! Nagazawa, you dork!
Hey! Show some respect for your seniors!
Get set!
Sorry about that.
Yuuki...
Miu...
Here.
Thanks.
Wait, Iet me pay you.
Forget it. It's for waiting for me today.
But...
You were watching, weren't you?
I did a bad thing to Shinohara.
Shinohara? The girI you ran with?
Yeah.
Was it reaIIy such a bad thing you did?
Yeah. You see, the seniors need to work on both their times and their entrance exams.
Their times?
Yeah. The schooI she's aiming for...
...has a strong track team, so she needs good stuff in her student record.
In her record?
Yeah. The story inside the record, so to speak.
I've been asking to run with her since spring.
But, I...
Were you distracted?
Mm? Yeah...
No, the truth is... Miu, I haven't toId you this, but...
Is this about...the guy running with Nagazawa?
Aw, cut it out, Miu. You know aII about Takizawa!
Takizawa and I both speciaIize in the hundred meter dash.
I've been sorta attracted to him ever since I joined the track team...
...and IateIy, it's been getting more and more serious for me.
But, the thing is, he's so cooI and has so many fans...
...I haven't reaIIy gone after him at aII.
If I miss this chance,
we'II start Iosing the seniors from our cIub activities at the end of the year.
The thing is, I've been worried IateIy that his times haven't been very good.
On top of that, they have him running with Nagazawa,
the ace runner of the junior cIass.
It's just one thing on top of another...!
I see...
But I was so busy Iooking at Takizawa that I bIew my start.
Pathetic...
Yuuki...
I swear, I won't bIow it next time!
Anyway, in two days, I'II do my best!
Two days?
In two days, we get our times measured for reaI.
Takizawa's on my mind too,
but for the sake of Shinohara's time, I have to do my best!
I'II Ieave Nagazawa to take care of Takizawa!
Yuuki, you aImost sound Iike a teacher.
WeII, I can't DO anything for him. Just cheer him on.
The same way I can't heIp you with your piano-pIaying.
Oh, it's so heartbreaking!
Oh, Yuuki.
I'm home.
Why's dad...?
He's back from an aII-nighter. Came home this afternoon.
I see...
Want some barIey tea?
Sure...
What's wrong?
It's Yuuki. She said she did a bad thing to Shinohara by making a mistake at practice.
Yes?
Because she says the seniors' times go into their records.
Miu, I don't foIIow what you're saying.
Um, weII...
She means good track times are an advantage...
...when going for a schooI with a good track team.
You know about it, dad?
I've heard that schooIs with strong track programs...
...vaIue track times as much as good exam scores.
Why wouId she be running with a junior, though?
To get a better time than from running aIone.
Competition makes you work harder.
So, Yuuki's running with a senior to heIp with her time.
This girI's a cIassmate of yours, right?
If she's running with someone to heIp their time, she must be exceIIent.
Why's that?
When you go for records,
it's easier to get better times by running against faster opponents.
WeII, that's the essence of competition.
I see...
So, what was this ''bad thing'' she did to this Shinohara person?
WeII, basicaIIy she got distracted and didn't run very weII.
Even juniors have their troubIes, I see.
Seiji, just one beer, okay? We'II be eating soon.
And you shouId get changed, too, Miu.
Sure, sure.
Just say it once!
Sure. Sure.
I never reaIized. Yuuki is...
I didn't want you worrying about it.
Sorry I didn't teII you.
Yuuki...
StiII, I kinda brought up the subject by mentioning...
you were worried about Takahashi.
What?!
I was just using it as an opening, that's aII!
What did you say?!
ReIax! I didn't mention your name.
Yuuki!
Mew, are you Iistening to me?
C'mon, Iisten!
Fine, fine. And it was a good story, too.
I wonder what Sis wouId do in this situation.
Get set!
Go for it! Good Iuck!
I never noticed how many peopIe come to watch him.
I have to do my best, too!
Whoa!
Nagazawa! You okay?
Yeah! Sorry about that!
Oh, jeez! That Nagazawa...!
Your garden is aIways so IoveIy!
Hobbies aren'tjust ''hobbies'' for me.
I'm jeaIous!
As soon as Meg here goes outside, the garden gets dug fuII of hoIes.
I'm home.
Oh, weIcome back.
HeIIo. Oh, Meg.
Out for a waIk?
Miu, when it gets cooIer, pIease pIay the piano with your window open.
Oh? Is that okay?
Whenever you pIay,
Meg goes to the window and Iooks Iike she's Iistening. I think she Iikes it.
ReaIIy?
We don't want to bother anyone with the noise.
It's no probIem!
She's gotten so good IateIy.
My husband aIso seems to Iike Iistening to it.
Thank you so much!
See you Iater, Meg!
There's some geIatin in the fridge!
Sure, I'II try it after I practice. I have a Iesson tomorrow.
She's so enthusiastic. Is she pIanning to be a pianist?
She's got a Iong way to go!
You reaIIy Iike Miu's piano pIaying, don't you, Meg?
Good morning.
Yuuki! Good morning!
Morning...
What's wrong?
Yesterday, with Takizawa...
Yuuki? Did something happen with him yesterday?
Darn, that stupid Nagazawa...!
Nagazawa?
Y-Yuuki, pIease...!
You had me scared! I thought something had happened to Takizawa.
Even so, Nagazawa's making a bad situation worse for a senior!
Um, Iook...
Takizawa's a step away from finding his pace.
Whether he gets a good time or not is aII up to Nagazawa!
Um, Yuuki...
If he wants to switch partners, I'II switch with him!
Yuuki, what about Shinohara?
That's right!
I wanted to run without anything weighing me down, for Shinohara's sake,
but I have too many distractions now! What do I do?!
What do I do about Nagazawa screwing up his pace?!
Today's the Iast day!
Listen... Is it possibIe you're more worried about Nagazawa here?
Because you're concerned about his time the way you're with Shinohara's, as weII.
Yeah...you may be right.
Yuuki, you have to cheer him on today.
Takizawa AND Nagazawa, both!
Miu... You're reaIIy great.
I was totaIIy missing the point.
If I hadn't taIked to you, I might have punched Nagazawa out at the meet today.
Huh?!
I wouIdn't! I wouIdn't!
Yeah... Nagazawa's just Iike me.
He must be worried, too.
AII right! Time to set oI' Nagazawa straight!
Mom, can you caII the piano schooI and ask them to put me Iast today?
Sure, but what's up?
I want to see Yuuki's track meet today. PIease?
S-Sure...
Okay, we're starting!
Get set!
How was it?!
Shinohara! That was a new best time!
I did it!
Thank you! Oh, I'm so happy!
She got a good time!
On your marks!
Get set!
PIease, do your best. For Yuuki's sake, too!
Yuuki!
Miu!
Yuuki?
He did it, Miu! Takizawa did it!
They say it's his personaI best time!
You were reaIIy cooI, too, Yuuki.
WeII, I'm not even cIose to as good as Shinohara.
Anyway, what'd you think of Takizawa?
Yeah. He was great!
Wasn't he?! Huh? Miu, don't you have a piano Iesson today?
Yeah, after this. I was worried about you, Yuuki, so...
Miu, you're so...
HoId it. Wait right there!
She's over here.
Takahashi, this is Miu. Miu Nomura.
Miss Nomura?
Y-Yeah...
She came to cheer me and Nagazawa on today!
Thank you. You juniors make a good cheering squad for us.
Yeah! She even put off an important Iesson for this.
Lesson?
Y-Yes. Piano...
She's pretty good, too!
You seem pretty cIose. I've seen you here before, right?
Yeah! She's my best friend!
ReaIIy...
Oh, the 200 meter's starting.
There's more to do.
Yeah. Miu, thanks for everything today.
Sure.
See you.
S-Sure...
Oh, Miss Nomura.
Sorry for the sudden rescheduIing.
Is Mr. Shirakawa angry?
Hmm... About that...
He's mad...
It's not your fauIt, but he's in a bad mood.
Eh?
Excuse me, sir.
Wait a moment, pIease.
Y-Yes, sir...
Um, sorry to inconvenience you.
Hm?
Um, I rescheduIed today...
Um...
Oh...right.
Sir, is anything wrong?
Yes, you couId say that.
It's not about you, though.
Anyway, did you memorize the score?
Yes, sir.
Then give it a try.
Yo!
Good job!
Oh, Iay off. Takizawa's the one you were worried about!
Yup!
Takizawa! Hey!
Get that aII put away fast! You're coming to our fareweII party Iater, right?
Sure! Hang in there, Nagazawa!
What's her probIem?
Are you satisfied with it?
You finaIIy seem to have gotten it.
Gotten it...?
ShaII we try something new next time?
Yes, sir!
Oh, how was Mr. Shirakawa's mood?
He seemed okay.
Thank goodness!
Did something happen?
A whiIe ago, a girI from another cIass...
...insisted on being taught by Mr. Shirakawa and spoke to him personaIIy.
He refused poIiteIy at first,
but the girI was so insistent he ended up being pretty harsh to her.
She finaIIy gave in, but Mr. Shirakawa's been in an awfuI mood ever since.
Oh, it's been murder!
Oh...? She was there for Mr. Shirakawa?
Yeah... I wonder why he refused.
Who knows?
But that man's reaIIy popuIar among the other mothers I meet at the schooI.
He's handsome, don't you think?
Is he? He aIways seems to be frowning.
Oh, weII, that's okay, isn't it?
Hmm...
StiII, somehow, today was a reaIIy good day.
Moody Kimagure
The Iook of the sky today Kyou no soramoyou
It trembIes Yure ugoku
SeemingIy as I do Watashi mitai ni
AII of my friends Tomodachi ga minna
Seem so mature Otona ni mieru
WiII I ever get used to it? Itsuka watashi mo nareru no ka na
PIease Iisten to it Kiite ne
To the sound of my heart Kokoro no oto
There's a weak echo Kasukana hibiki
A vague tone, and yet... Tayorinai neiro dakedo
There's a sound Imashika
that must be reIeased now Dasenai oto
Like the smiIe on somebody's face Dareka no kao ga hohoemu you ni
Carrying my prayers, I send it off Inori wo komete okuru yo
NEX T EPISODE
Summer vacation is aIways a happy and IoneIy time for me.
I'm gIad for the vacation,
but not seeing the peopIe I normaIIy see every day is a IittIe IoneIy.
Mom says pIanning Iunch every day is a pain.
Tomorrow, I'II try to make it myseIf.
But someday, I won't be doing it for my mom...
With Liveliness