All done.
I love Saturdays because Sawako cooks for us.
It's delicious!
By the way, my after-school ramen initiation never happened.
I forgot.
I was so ready to have ramen.
Yoshida-san was really upset.
I don't approve of light ramen.
To hell with healthy!
But I had fun listening to Yoshida-san's ramen lecture over tea.
Yano-san, Yoshida-san.
Curry tonight, huh, Sawako?
Curry tonight, huh?
The phone's ringing.
Hello, Kuronuma residence.
Ignoring me tonight, huh?
Sawako, it's from your friend!
Hey, Sadako,
we're having ramen tonight.
We are?
Let's go, ramen revenge!
Can I go eat ramen with my friends?
Friends?!
Sure, sure, go, hurry.
But I haven't served the curry yet.
It's fine.
Bring them over sometime, Sawako.
Yeah.
Her friends, huh?
She did say that she's pretty happy these days.
Oh yeah, she came home a little later than usual the other day.
Is her friend a boy or a girl?!
I don't know.
Hey, Sadako.
Today's my big ramen initiation.
Oh yeah, we don't have your cell number yet.
What is it?
I don't have one.
You don't have one?
I never thought I needed one.
Oh, I guess.
Well, let me know if you do get one.
Welcome!
Hey, Chizu-chan, here with your friends tonight?
Hey Pops, can you cut us a deal?
All right, you win again, Chizu-chan.
Here you are—
I really wanted you to have the ramen here.
It's really good.
I'll have the usual.
Okay.
What's your order?
I recommend miso.
I'll have miso then.
I'll have shoyu.
I just said I recommend miso.
I've had it before.
Not enough water.
Here you go.
How can you let your customers notice before you do?
It's busy. Sorry.
I thought I just saw Sanada-kun.
Yeah, it's Ryu.
Oh yeah, this is Ryu's place.
Miso's ready.
It's really good.
Let's eat!
I'm stuffed.
Your ramen's the best, Pops.
It was twice as good since I was with you guys.
I'll be heading upstairs.
Yeah, make yourselves at home.
Upstairs?
Just come in.
Was this your place?
No, why?
Can I really come in?
It's fine, what are you talking about?
Yoshida-san and Sanada-kun are really close, aren't they?
Come on, make yourself comfortable.
One second.
Hello?
She's so popular.
R-Right now? Sorry, I'm with friends tonight. I can't go.
Girls.
Say something.
Miso ramen's the best ramen.
Houichi's ear was—
See?
Okay, fine.
I'll text you.
See you.
Boyfriend?
Yeah.
Boyfriend?
Your current boyfriend's in University, isn't he?
Don't say “current.”
Y-You're so grown up.
Don't worry.
You'll know what it means to be a grown-up soon enough.
Soon enough?
You too, Chizu.
Grown-up? You can't beat up 99 guys, can you?
That's such a half-assed record, 99 in a row.
It's not half-assed, it's awesome.
You should have gone for 100.
What was the 100th like?
Ryu.
Congratulations on your combo breaker, Ryu.
What a perfect time for you to come in.
It's my room.
Um, wait...
Are you two lovers?
I knew it!
No!
You could at least confirm or deny, Ryu.
Yeah.
No don't confirm.
We're not.
We're like brothers.
Wait, which is the older and younger brother?
I'm the older brother.
Not to mention, he called you a “brother.”
Your birthday's later than mine.
I see.
I wish I had siblings as well.
Come on, you too?
Laughter.
Liveliness.
My beloved friends.
I'm allowed to be together with them, aren't I?
Hey, we should invite Kazehaya too.
Kazehaya-kun?
We can't let Ryu have a harem to himself.
Yup.
Harem...?
Don't you feel weird being the only guy here, Ryu?
Pass me your phone.
Sadako, you call him.
Here.
M-Me?
M-Me? I-Is it okay for me?
Why not?
Just call him already.
He's going to flip out when he finds out that a girl's calling from Ryu's phone.
Hit that button to call him.
I-I'm getting nervous.
Stop being so tense.
He picks it up himself.
Himself?!
That makes me even more nervous.
Tell him to come now 'cause we're having a blast.
Tell him Ryu's getting lonely.
But...
I want him to come.
Phone!
Who is it, Shouta?
Who is it?
It's Ryu.
Let me talk to him!
I want to talk to Ryu!
Hold on.
Hello, Ryu?
Is this Kazehaya-kun?
It's Kuronuma.
Kuro—
Ryu's pho—
What are you doing?
I'm at Sanada-kun's place.
Ryu's place?
I had ramen with Yano-san and Yoshida-san.
We're all here right now.
W-We're having lots of fun.
I think it'll be even more fun if you came.
I'll bike down there really fast.
H-He's coming.
I never knew you were having so much fun.
That's me.
You three were in the same class in middle school too, huh?
For grades eight and nine, yeah.
Where's Ryu and Kazehaya?
H-He hasn't changed a bit.
He's been like this for as long as I remember.
I'm still growing though.
It's Kazehaya-kun in middle school.
So this is “The People's Kazehaya.”
He's sort of younger.
His hair.
Yeah, he was in the baseball club.
This is after his hair started growing back a bit.
But Ryu's bald, baseball club or not.
It's easy.
That's Ryu for you.
Shouta's good at baseball.
Pin was pissed that he didn't join the baseball team in high school.
It's the Kazehaya-kun I don't know.
I wonder what kind of student he was.
I wonder if he studied hard and practiced a lot.
I wish I could see him.
Oh, you can.
Sports day is coming up.
I think Kazehaya's going to be on the softball team.
Oh yeah.
I get to see Kazehaya-kun as he'll be from now on.
I get to be in photos with everyone, and much more.
A lot of things are coming up—sports day, school trips...
I can't wait.
I really can't wait.
It'll be fun.
We'll eat so much good food.
I'll get to talk about how much fun we're having with everyone.
Who's she?
You know Kurumi?
She picked up my papers once.
Why are you looking like that?
Nothing.
I bet she's popular with the guys.
She is.
What do you think of her, Ryu?
Not my type.
You have a type?
What about her then?
Not bad.
I like you too.
What about us?
I love you.
Oh, like that.
You freaked me out for a second.
What about Kazehaya then?
I love him.
What do you think?
Do you think it's the same “love” as for us?
Who knows?
Do you think she knows herself?
I don't think so.
Sadako, hey—
Oh come on, let her be.
One has to climb the ladder to adulthood themselves, one step at a time.
Why does it sound so wrong when you say it?
Pops, miso ramen, extra large!
Coming right up, Pin-chan!
That was close.
That was about to get complicated.
Coming in.
Isn't, like, Kazehaya's hair longer than everyone else in the baseball club?
That guy's hair grows really fast.
Korean/Japanese wisdom: A pervert's hair grows faster.
He's probably a pervert, I swear.
Total closet pervert.
I'm not a pervert, nor a closet pervert either!
You scared me.
That was a total open pervert comment.
I'm normal, dammit.
Normal!
That's so half-assed.
You should have said you're a mega pervert.
I'm normal.
He's a boy after all.
Sadako's laughing, Kazehaya.
No laughing, Kuronuma!
I wasn't making fun of your—
I'm kidding.
Just laugh.
My heart's racing more than usual.
Maybe it's because I'm closer to him than when we're in class.
Sadako, I mean Sawako,
Come sit here, next to Chizu.
What's going on?
Here, come on.
This is so fun.
You're so soft, Sawako.
You're, like, a girl.
I knew it!
Our prince is in trouble!
Oh man, this is too fun.
Playtime's over, kids!
Get lost, you angel of death!
Why don't you go home, take a dump, and go to bed?
W-Why is Arai-sensei here?
Were we too loud? Did we get reported?
No, Kuronuma.
I was in the little league that this kid's dad runs.
I've known him since he was a little brat.
And you have no manners since you're a regular at Ryu's place.
Oh really?
Oh right, you wouldn't know, Sadako.
Are you all okay?
I saw little old men run around after I looked into her eyes.
I have a little old man at my place too.
I knew it!
Pin, have you ever had sleep paralysis?
All the time when I was a kid, yeah.
Pretty often these days too.
Do you hear things in your room when it happens?
Yeah, my place is old. It creaks and cracks.
Maybe you've just got a psychic aura.
Oh yeah, I couldn't sleep last night.
I felt something heavy on me.
Um...
It might help if you bathe in salt water before you go to bed.
Purging salt!
It makes you feel warm and helps you sleep better.
She knows how to banish spirits!
I hope I'm helping.
Please!
That's enough, Pin, go home.
What? Why don't you go?
It's almost 9.
They're so stupid.
Oh, now you act like a teacher.
Oh my.
Shut up! It's closing time!
Should we split?
He has a face like this as well...
That was fun.
It was.
We'll have lots of fun from now on.
Saturday night with my friends.
Thanks for having us!
I couldn't believe I was there.
I'm heading to the corner store, so I'm going that way too.
My heart's racing, but I feel at ease.
Good luck, mister!
Have at it, mister!
I hate them!
Everyone was smiling.
It was so fun.
We're going to have lots of fun.
See you, Chizu.
Later, Yano-chin.
Wait, why are you going this way?
What do you want me to do?
You're annoying, move over.
Shut up!
You should be afraid going alone.
I guess I'll go home and take a bath or something.
Oh yeah,
what kind of girl do you like?
Type?
You said Kurumi's not your type, remember?
Someone blunt and simple.
That's some pretty obscure taste.
I guess.
Blunt and simple?
Like Sadako?
You didn't have to.
I already knew.
Knew what?
You came to tell me that you made up, right?
Heh.
My heart's still racing.
It was so fun.
I'm glad I'm in this school.
With everyone else.
With me too?
Of course!
My life wouldn't have been the same without you.
You make such a big deal out of it.
Sorry, I just wanted to try pouting.
Pouting?
I'm lying.
Truth is, I really just wanted peace of mind.
His face as it was in middle school,
his face as it was for the first time today.
I think I got to see a different side of Kazehaya today.
I'm sort of happy.
What are you buying at the store, Kazehaya-kun?
What should I buy?
Huh?
And many more new faces from now on...
The sunset sky,
a change in the wind...
Next episode: Self-Practice