Anyway, she's a shy girl.
She makes you want to cheer her on.
She must be hot.
Yeah.
She's something like that.
Geez, she's pretty creepy.
She looks creepy.
Looks, huh?
Sawako.
Sadako?
Her name.
Written “breezy child,” Sawako.
For some reason, everyone's afraid of me.
I want to fit in.
I mean, even her name is Sadako, like from Ringu.
I wish I could just fit in.
Her parents gave her a pretty blunt name, huh?
Go ahead, I'm done.
Morning, Kuronuma.
Kazehaya-kun is the exact opposite of me.
Everyone flocks around him and forms a clique.
At the opening ceremony when I came to high school...
H-Hey...
If you're heading to Kitahoro High School, it's that way.
Thanks.
People only ever apologize to me.
But he smiled and thanked me.
I want to become like him someday.
Do it!
Become like him!
The popular kid, huh?
Kazehaya is, yeah.
Unpopular Sawako, on the other hand...
Sadako?
Yuka sat in Sadako's seat and stayed home sick for a week.
Go for it.
Um...
It's fine.
It's not dirty.
Nothing will happen if you sit there.
I don't have any psychic aura or anything either.
I said it...
I said it!
Seating change, huh?
I hope I can become good friends with the person next to me this time.
There's Kazehaya-kun.
It sort of sucks that I have no one to share my joy and sadness with at times like this.
Number 19, switch with me, please?
Yay, I'm next to you.
You can have this back.
Yoshida, your draw—
No thanks, don't need one.
Ryuu, move!
Make me.
I'm...
...so glad I got this seat.
I'm so happy, from the bottom of my heart!
I'm filled with feelings that I never even knew of, until then.
I want to hold on to them,
like the first gifts of my life.
That's really—
—good for her.
Good evening.
You haven't changed.
I should learn from Sawako-chan.
She finally fits in with her class, huh?
Yeah, but it didn't last.
I'm asking you who told you that.
Sadako.
Everyone's saying so,
that she's using Kazehaya and you two to up her status.
But I'm glad you made some friends.
Yano-san and Yoshida-san, was it?
They aren't friends.
Those black rumors about Yano and Yoshida are really something though.
Black rumors?
Backing me up?
That's why they were down.
They were hurt.
It's Sadako's fault.
Yup.
It's because she's wandering around.
Kazehaya's going to become seriously worthless too, if he keeps getting followed around by Sadako.
My fault?
I'm going to hurt them again if I stay near them.
And they're such nice people.
I may be able to stop the rumors, but I don't know how to make them feel better.
So I'm going to go back to what it was like, before I got used to being around them.
That has to be the best thing to do.
You'd be surprised how positive-thinking she is.
Rumors and misunderstandings, huh?
That's frustrating.
Now who do you think is the most frustrated?
If you don't hate me, why are you avoiding me?
Don't talk to me.
I can't say it.
So you were being awkward because of the rumors about Yano and Yoshida.
What if it were the other way around?
If Yano or I avoided you, thinking we'd ruin your reputation.
No way.
I'd want to stay together.
That might be how they're feeling.
So it's all about how the other person feels.
His simple words, his smiles... they always nudge me forward.
Go for it, Kuronuma.
Go for it.
Good man. He's awesome.
Hey, come on, don't ruin the story.
Oh dear, I'm sorry.
After the love story though, what happens next?
Grow up.
Your son's going to be sad if he saw.
Clean up, clean up!
Kazehaya was watching her back.
He gave her confidence.
She has to make use of it.
No.
You don't need to get off my back.
Just take it back.
Huh? What the hell—
It's all wrong.
You people don't get it.
You don't know anything.
You don't know how kind they were to me.
How I more than just like them... I love them.
So...
Y-Yoshida.
You're still sticking up for her,
after all those rumors she spread?
It wasn't Sadako.
She wouldn't do that.
It's our problem, so piss off.
Get lost already.
I want to be friends with you two.
You're an idiot.
Don't you know? We adore you so much.
Don't you know?
Becoming friends happens before you know it.
We were already friends, Sadako.
Friends?
We were?
My first friends.
I'm sort of worried.
Yuka's really liked Kazehaya since middle school.
Wait, Yuka.
Silly girls.
Making such a racket.
Of course he's going to hate you for that.
Kurumi.
There've been lots of rumors about Sadako lately.
I remember seeing her with Kazehaya.
Oh yeah.
I wonder if they're going out? Just kidding!
No way!
I wonder.
I can imagine him liking her.
Huh, you're in the sports day committee too?
Hey, you're here too.
Cool.
That album I lent you before the last one—
Are you listening, Kazehaya?
My bad, what were you saying?
That CD before the one I lent you.
Okay, I'll bring it next time.
Kurumi-chan this time, huh?
She was after Sawako-chan.
That's pretty serious.
Sawako-chan.
So then, when the pass comes this way, you go straight—
Sawako-chan.
Bye bye.
I made a new friend again.
Honestly, it's not like I put in any effort, so I don't know what to think.
We're friends now, right?
I guess this is what it's like to make friends.
It hasn't really hit me, but I still feel happy.
Kurumi-chan.
Sheesh!
You old geezers don't know how she feels.
What's up with you?
She's been watching someone the whole time.
You know, there's someone I like.
I want you to help me.
Kazehaya is the one I like.
Is there going to be someone special for Kazehaya-kun?
I have to help make that happen?
Thanks, Sawako-chan.
I'm so happy.
I can't.
I don't think I can.
I can't cheer for you honestly, so I can't help you.
I think Kazehaya-kun is special to me.
What do you mean special?
Because he was nice to you?
Because he talked to you?
Because he was kind to you?
M-Maybe?
That's just volunteer work.
It doesn't even have to be Kazehaya, as long as they're nice to you, does it?
K-Kurumi-chan!
So that's what she was trying to do.
Sawako-chan grew up too.
She turned her down!
And now she's taking note of Kazehaya, because of Kurumi.
Like?
Like!
Isn't this what it means to like someone?
This feeling I have towards Kazehaya-kun.
It's all love, right?
I'll tell Kurumi-chan.
I just realized, we can talk about love together.
That rumor from in the washroom,
it was Kurumi.
Sawako, it was Kurumi that made you suffer so much.
Friends...
I've never thought of you as a friend.
You have to tell Kazehaya about me, don't you?
Get him to feel sorry for you again.
Checkmate.
Sawako wins in the end.
Hey,
do you think Sawako felt better after that?
Well, obviously...
Don't you think she wanted to say something?
I like Kazehaya-kun.
Actually. Romantically.
I love him.
That's what I came here to tell you earlier.
I wanted to tell you.
I said you're in my way.
You're always with Kazehaya, and you don't even have to try.
I hate you.
I thought I could win against you.
Because I'm a lot more in love with him.
I swear.
I think you're cuter now than when I first met you.
I know I am.
But that doesn't matter.
I know he doesn't like me.
I know.
I've always been watching him.
There's someone I like.
I can't make myself think of anyone else more than her.
Sorry.
Are you at least a little happy that I confessed to you?
Yeah.
Thanks.
They both have the same feelings towards the same person.
So those two...
If by any crazy fluke things work out between you two,
I'm never going to congratulate you.
I hate any woman that Kazehaya likes.
We can't be friends, can we?
Friends?
We're rivals.
Good evening, yo.
Nice, sake for the cleansing.
Good times.
Places that I'll remember.
Next episode: Weekend