I coudn't swim twenty-five-meter laps back in fourth grade.
So, I ran all the way to the next town in my trunks.
Thinking back, all I ever did in troubled times was run away.
It's almost like I was trying to escape.
I hate people like you the most!
S-
sorry...
I didn't notice that you hated me at all...
N-No... Just now, I didn't...
I'm really sorry.
And then I ran away again.
Saki-nee...
Chikura-san...
Kusuda-kun?
Why are you acting like us?
Let me join you guys
since I'm really worthless.
You're not worthless, Kusuda-kun.
In comparison, a guy like me can't get back on his feet.
I'm the same. Even though I know I have no good points, I can't change.
I'm more...
How should I say this? I want to...
I want to go somewhere far away.
I guess that's impossible.
That's it!
A journey, Kusuda!
We'll go on a journey to change- to be reborn!
We're going?
Yeah, let's go!
We?
We'll go to the edges of the Earth to be reborn!
Let's go now! Let's go, Sogabe!
Wait! We have to prepare first, right?
Let's set off tomorrow morning.
By "we..."
Before our parents wake up!
Yeah!
First, we have to prepare the bare necessities...
Hey, listen...
Let's start with food-
Hold on, you mean I'm part of this too?
Of course!
Zaitsu, if we don't take this journey now, we might never recover!
But what about train and hotel money?
Are you stupid?
We're going by bike, not train!
Obviously, we'll camp out at night!
Also, we'll need...
We need to get some toiletries.
Two pairs of underwear should be enough.
Why?
We can wash them in a river.
And what about our baths?
What?
Baths are necessary?
Of course!
The Boys' Escape
We shall gather tomorrow morning at 5:30!
The meeting place is the crossing at the Fourth Distict!
If you don't want to come, then don't, Zaitsu.
But we're going
in order to change!
Later!
If you decide to come, don't forget to lock your door.
I spent that night thinking.
"...so please don't come looking for me."
Even though I said I'd go to change myself,
just what do I want to do?
Sogabe wants to be reborn as a different person.
Zaitsu wants to recover from a broken heart.
But I...
I'm really sorry.
I just want to run away from that place.
And that's why I want confidence.
What time is it now, Kusuda?
It's 5:42.
I guess Zaitsu's not going to come.
Guess not, but we should...
Sorry I'm late!
I couldn't find my house keys.
You weren't really going to leave me behind, right?
No way!
Let's go then!
So, where are we going?
Sogabe-kun, you didn't think about that?
It's not like I was supposed to pick.
Hey!
I think we should go there.
East...
The direction of a day's birth?
Yeah.
Sounds good.
Yeah.
All right! It's decided then!
Let's race toward the rising sun!
It's dangerous to go that fast! Hold on!
Watanabe.
Here.
Watanuki.
Here.
Uwatari.
Here.
Kusuda, Zaitsu, and Sogabe are the only three absent today.
Let's take a break soon.
Juice is great!
We've biked a good amount.
Yeah.
Hey, aren't you guys hungry?
I left before I had breakfast.
Yeah, I'm a little hungry too.
You were in charge of the food, right?
Let's see...
Here.
For now, let's have two each.
These are snacks, not food!
But they're really good.
And they're man-size.
That's not all you brought, is it?
After all, you still have a second backpack.
Yeah, that's my pillow.
It's ten years old.
I'm delicate, so I can't fall asleep with another pillow.
So your pillow is more important than food to you...
I guess it can't be helped.
Meeting! We're having an emergency meeting!
What?
Hey! How much money did you guys bring?
I have 300 yen.
I wonder what happened to Zaitsu-kun.
Did he catch a cold?
He could be groaning in pain right now.
It's unusual for all three of them to be absent.
They might have just gone to have fun together.
Isn't that what they call "hookie?"
That can't be.
Zaitsu-kun has been feeling lost because of Yamamoto-san.
I don't think he's in the mood to skip class and have fun.
I hate people like you the most!
What do you think, Kei-chan?
Sorry, I wasn't listening.
We were saying that we should all go visit Zaitsu-kun.
Oh...
Okay...
In the end, we only have about 2000 yen altogether.
And there are only 24 sticks left!
If we don't return in three days...
Man, I can't believe this!
I said I'm sorry.
Don't be mad.
Whatever!
It's more fun this way.
Like hell it is!
You guys fail at planning.
Man, my head is starting to hurt.
A journey sort of reveals someone's true nature, doesn't it?
Whose bright idea was this anyway?
Quit whining. Let's go!
Hey! Wait, Kusuda!
You'll get hungry again if you go that fast!
This home visit is getting me excited.
I hope nothing's seriously wrong with Zaitsu-kun, though.
Kei-chan, I think we should go to Kusuda-kun's house too.
It's fine.
Visiting Zaitsu-kun is enough.
Even though you're really worried?
Even if I went, it woudn't help.
Did something happen?
Not really.
Hey, are we there yet?
Almost.
See, it's over-
Beast-kun?
Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Mamoru is... Mamoru is....
What's wrong with Zaitsu-kun?
T-T-T-T-This...
To everyone who is worried about me:
I'm a worthless guy who's always depressed.
Because of that, I've begun to hate myself more and more.
That's why I have to go on a journey.
Please don't look for me.
Zaitsu Mamoru.
This is...!
It looks like an "I ran away from home" letter, but could it be...
...a will?
No! Come back!
Ayumi-chan!
Hold on, there's still something written below.
Sogabe-kun and Kasuda-kun have nothing to do with this at all.
Don't blame them.
So that means they all went together?
The odds of that are 99.9%.
I'll try calling Kusuda.
I hate people like you the most!
What's wrong, Enomoto?
Enomoto?
Let me do it, Kei-chan!
Hey, do you think we took a wrong turn somewhere?
What other choice did we have?
If we kept going the other way, we'd be on the highway by now.
Where the hell are we?
Hold on. I'm checking the map.
By the way, which way is east?
Hello.
Hello, Kusuda-kun?
Yeah. Who are you?
Oh right, it's that way!
It's me! Where are you guys?
Hey, does anyone have a compass?
Hey, is Zaitsu-kun with you?
Shut it off!
What the hell is that?
This is a message from the Department of Tourism:
We will now be holding the wild boar race next to the Chamber of Tourism.
We will also be having boar stew,
so please bring your friends and family to have fun!
Hello? Kusuda-kun, you listening?
I know! You're Arihara, aren't you?
Dumbass! Why did you answer?
Aren't you a runaway now?
That's right.
Hurry and hang up, Kusuda-kun!
Zaitsu-kun! Zaitsu-kun!
They hung up.
Guys, we should turn off our phones.
Yeah, you're right.
No good. It won't connect anymore.
Seems like they turned off their phones.
What was that about?
Some kind of neighborhood broadcast.
What kind of backwater place are in?
Hey, maybe they're...
You know where they are, Chikura-chan?
Yeah, I think I heard that broadcast when I was on a trip with my parents.
I think it's a town near the Kuraku hot springs.
So that's where they are?
Why did Mamoru go all the way out there?
Kei-chan.
Let's chase after them.
Okay, Kei-chan? Let's go bring them back.
I...
...can't.
I can't go.
Why?
Aren't you worried about Kusuda-kun?
You're just going to leave him alone, Kei-chan?
It's because Kusuda hates me.
What are you saying? You guys get along great.
But he told me he hates me!
It's annoying to have a person you hate follow you around, isn't it?
That's why I can't go.
Even if he hates you...
Even if he hates you, you still have something to tell him, don't you?
Do you think it's okay to just ignore that and not tell him how you feel?
Even if you know the outcome, it's still better than not telling him.
Something I have to tell him, even if he hates me...
That's right.
I haven't told him anything yet.
First, we need to find the route to the Kuraku hot springs, and the trains that go by there.
The question is how they're traveling.
Speaking of which, Mamoru's bike was gone this morning.
I think they'll rest at night.
If we can predict their route tomorrow, we can get there before them.
That'll be enough to catch up to them.
We'll go home and prepare for now.
We'll meet at the train station in one hour.
We're going to find those idiots!
You're coming too. Right, Doba-chan?
Sorry, I'm...
Four-eyes?
I don't want to worry him.
I understand.
Enomoto.
Do your best.
Thanks, Beast-kun!
Beast-kun?
I should prepare for the search too.
Wild boar stew...
What's sold is sold, so give it up.
I asked around.
East is that way.
What's wrong? Why are you two so quiet?
Hey, what about the wild boar stew?
Sold out.
The wild boar stew was the reason we made this big of a detour in the first place...
Kei-chan!
Ayumi.
You're pretty early aren't you?
I just couldn't stand still.
Me either!
Ayumi-chan's cute, isn't she?
Let's take her somewhere next time and have some fun.
Sure, but...
What?
There's plenty of other guys that want to go with you, so take one of them.
I can't, since you're the only one that makes me feel this way.
Sorry.
What? Mamoru ran away?
From: Zaitsu Misao Subject: Runaway We found where he ran off to, so Ayumi-chan and the others went after them. I'm going to head out too.
Over here!
I found 10 yen!
I'll go home if it's important.
Don't worry, I don't need to go.
Arihara, I've been looking for you!
What is it?
Have you seen my little sister?
That girl... Koyoi left this note and ran off.
"Ayumi-chan is with me, so don't worry."
Ayumi went with her?
That idiot!
Of course we'd worry!
Damn! Where did they go?
Wait!
It looks like Arihara really isn't interested in me.
Why the hell is it all hills?
Shut up! We can't find a place to sleep, so we have no choice!
You're just wasting enegy screaming like that, Kusuda-kun.
Damn...
This way, we'll die of hunger before we're reborn!
Damn it!
I'm telling you, if you scream...
I wonder if the guys are at the hot springs yet.
By the way, why did you come, Koyoi-chan?
Because it looked like fun, of course!
I thought so.
But where exactly were they trying to go anyway?
What's with the wild boars?!
Kusuda!
Pedal! Pedal like your life depends on it!
Kusuda!
It's dangerous, Kei-chan! Stop!
Those are wild boars!
Kusuda!
Stop the train!
Stop pulling!
Kusuda!
My first love started when I fell in love with Zaitsu-kun.
But it's about time I gave a reply.
Between Zaitsu-kun and Beast-kun...
The answer I should give is...