Sawako, hurry up and take a bath!
Okay!
Hey, Sawako.
How's school been lately?
It's been really fun.
She's always been saying that, but...
This time, I can actually tell how happy she is.
She... really is cheerful...
Could it be love?
Sawako...
My Sawako...
Look what you've done, Dear! What is wrong with you?! My Sawako...
Look what you've done, Dear! What is wrong with you?!
I'm really happy...
After experiencing all this happiness, I'm starting to forget the times when I didn't know how it felt...
Let me keep this moment for myself.
I don't exactly get what he meant by that, but it really made me happy...
I get the feeling I'm using up all the happiness allotted for my lifetime...
But... I don't mind at all.
What?! You're kidding!
Yoshida, the one with the small eyes?!
That's the one!
I heard that she was practically uncontrollable during middle school.
She made teachers cry and punched all the guys in her class!
I've done far worse than that, you know. She made teachers cry and punched all the guys in her class!
I've done far worse than that, you know.
Also, I don't think my eyes are that small.
Yano-san, right?
So she wasn't just sleeping around, huh?
I know! Dating a hundred guys in middle school is just crazy!
You really think there are a hundred guys who could satisfy me?
If you do, bring them to me.
I'll see for myself.
Geez, stories of my fighting days aren't anything like that!
Well, that's why they're called rumors.
And my eyes aren't as small as everyone thinks they are.
They're certainly smaller than what you make them out to be, though.
Geez...
They're all lies. All of them.
Same with the bit about it all coming from Sadako.
What do you think?
I'm asking who started the rumor!
Who was it?!
Sa...
Sadako.
That's what everyone's been saying.
That Sadako is using Kazehaya and you two to become popular.
That's just insane!
B-But, want to ask her anyway, just to be sure?
Right, so that ramen was like...
Yano-san! Yoshida-san!
M-Morning!
Morning, Sadako!
Hey, did you hear? I punched all of the guys in my class back in middle school!
And as for me, I really like guys. I dated a hundred of them during middle school.
Wow... Really?
You two are amazing.
Innocent!
Umm...
Yoshida-san, if you don't mind, would you like to use this?
Huh?
What's this?
Last night, I took notes on the main points that'll be covered on the midterm.
If you could put it to good use...
200% innocent!
I'll gladly use it!
Hey... Yano-san?
I thought about going out and renting a movie to get better at telling ghost stories...
Do you think you could recommend something for me?
200% innocent!
Hey, Yoshida.
Could you let me get a copy of those notes?
Me, too!
I'll take care of your cleaning duty.
Me, too!
Huh?
Is it okay with you?
Of course!
Awesome!
Nothing makes me happier than being able to help other people...
300% innocent!
Ryu.
G-Good morning, Sanada-kun.
Morning.
Kazehaya-kun's kind of late today...
You don't believe me, do you?
I swear, I saw them last night.
Tiny old men.
That's great, Pin... but I really want to get to my classroom.
I was drinking last night, and...
There were a bunch of them, running around my cup...
Round, and round, and round, and round...
And one by one, they started to climb into my cup!
Pin!
You're making me late.
And those guys are really smart, too.
I'm out of here!
So, how is she?
I'm talking about that Kuronuma girl, of course.
Why do you ask?
All these weird things have been happening to me ever since I looked her in the eye!
You must know a lot about her, considering you sit right next to her.
Does she have the ability to curse, or-
I only believe what I see with my own eyes.
The Kuronuma I see...
...is an optimistic, wonderful girl.
Did you...
...hook up with her or something?
W-What are you blushing for?
D-Don't tell me you actually...
Shut up!
That's enough!
Seriously, I have to get going.
For real?
What's with his taste?
And hear this!
Morning.
M-Morning...
What made you so late?
Pin wouldn't shut up about some tiny old men he saw.
What do you mean?
I don't even know. PLACEHOLDER
His forehead is showing... I don't even know.
His forehead is showing...
Is she... acting normal?
Is it because I said that thing about keeping her for myself?
His forehead...
I-I want to see it again!
Did you hook up with her?
Crap...
I can't even look her in the face anymore...
Oh, I missed it...
That's too bad...
I feel my heart beating faster as my days of happiness go on.
I wonder what everyone else thinks?
I wonder if they like being with me?
I really hope so.
I... really do.
Until now, I've never even thought of anything like that, since it's been natural for me to be alone.
Since that day, my heart has been full of feelings I've never experienced before.
I want to treasure them forever.
It feels like I've just received my first gift.
Hey, Yano-san, Yoshida-san.
Well...
Recently...
A lot of people have been talking about you two.
Yeah, we know.
And these rumors are getting worse by the day, too.
Someone was saying you knocked over an old man and made him bleed, Yoshida-san.
Huh?!
There was a time when I helped an old guy get up after he tripped, though...
And Yano-san, they were saying that you work as a prostitute...
Why the hell would I do that?!
Obviously we don't believe any of it, but...
We heard the one who's spreading these rumors...
...is Kuronuma-san.
That's impossible!
No doubt about it!
We got worried about why these rumors were just springing up out of nowhere...
Don't you think she's horrible?
I can't believe she'd start a rumor like that...
How could she?
I feel like people are even more frightened of me nowadays.
Sadako!
Shino-chan!
We need to talk.
Hey... I've been hearing a lot of rumors about you lately.
So even Shino-chan heard the rumors about me being able to sense ghosts and having the ability to curse people?
Yes... Misunderstandings are a little difficult to clear up.
Misunderstandings?
I see.
I should have known. There's no way Sadako would spread rumors about her own friends.
But... it doesn't really bother me as much as it used to.
People around me are being really kind.
I feel like you've softened up, Sadako.
Huh?!
Why does everyone keep blaming Sadako for all this?
I guess all three of us tend to stand out in a bad way.
It's understandable people may say bad things about us, but the stuff they're saying about Sadako is different from usual.
But it's great...
You were able to make friends.
It was Yano-san and Yoshida-san, right?
Th-They're not my friends!
O-Oh, really?
What...
Hang on, I want to hear the rest.
Good timing.
Come with me.
They're... not your friends?
Right.
Friendship... is the bond that exists between Yoshida-san and Yano-san, right?
When I look at them, I can really tell they care a lot about each other.
That's why... I feel I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself by calling them "friends".
But...
I really, really like them.
If a day comes when I'll become friends with them...
...that would be wonderful.
What?!
A secret training menu for the baseball team?!
Pass it on to Ryu for me.
Don't screw with me!
Ow.
This really pisses me off!
What an awful day!
Calm down, Chizu!
Th-They're not my friends!
We've yet to ask Sadako what she meant by that.
Let's face it.
If someone asked us what kind of relationship we had with Sadako, wouldn't it be difficult to answer?
You're right...
Eh?
I wonder what's wrong...
They're always smiling...
Sadako.
Could you come and take a seat?
S-Sure.
Is it just me, or do they look a little sad?
This is really important, so promise us you won't lie.
I like...
I mean, we like you, Sadako.
How do you feel about us?
Do you feel the same way?
R-Rather than "like"...
Rather than saying I "like" you...
I'd say...
We get it.
It's cool.
Huh?
Sorry to trouble you, Sadako.
D-Don't worry about it...
Was I... able to get through to them?
With just those words?
We like you.
I should be really happy, but...
I still think... they look sad.
And that makes me sad, too.
I wonder if there's something I can do to cheer them up.
And now she's getting full of herself and having Yano and Yoshida back her up.
"Back her up"?
And she's totally using Kazehaya, too.
Kazehaya-kun, too?!
Th-This person sounds pretty influential...
Are you serious?!
That Sadako?
Huh?!
What?!
A-All of a sudden, the subject of my rumors have changed completely!
But hey, the bad rumors about Yano and Yoshida are really something.
Bad rumors?
I'm... having them back me up?
So that's why they looked so sad...
They were hurt...
It's totally Sadako's fault, right?
Yeah.
It's because she's walking around like she owns the place.
Same with Kazehaya. He's going to lose his popularity if he keeps hanging around with Sadako like that.
It's... because of me?
Yano-san and Yoshida-san have always been kind to me.
They're willing to be with me out of pure kindness.
And yet...
It's because she's walking around like she owns the place.
I'm hurting the people I'm around?
If I talk to Kazehaya-kun, will I end up hurting him the same way I did Yano-san and Yoshida-san?
Did you hear Pin's story about the tiny old men?
Huh? I've actually seen them before.
Yeah, same here.
You're kidding, right?!
Nope.
They looked just like Zen.
No way!
Of course we're lying!
Would it... be better if I keep my distance from him?
Am I... not allowed to be close to him?
What's with those eyes?! You look like you were crying your eyes out!
Look who's talking! You look like you were up crying all night!
Hey, Yano-chin.
Yeah?
Do you think Sadako's the one who started those rumors about us?
To be honest, after hearing what she had to say yesterday...
I don't really know anymore.
Yeah...
Because at the very least, she doesn't "like" us.
Since that's exactly what you asked her, right?
If she said "yes", it'd follow that she's not the one spreading the rumors.
And that's why you asked her that question, right?
I didn't have a doubt in my mind that Sadako wasn't the one behind it.
But now...
I'm thinking, "What will I ever do if she is the one"?
I really want to believe she isn't someone who would do that.
And I hate myself for doubting her for even a second...
M-Morning....
Morning...
Their eyes are red...
I'm sorry.
I'm the one who made you two sad, right?
What... do you mean?
I'm going ahead!
W-Wait, Sadako!
She apologized to us...
What does she mean by "make us sad"?
Could it be... she really is the one who's spreading the rumors?
C-Cut it out! Cut it out!
I don't want to think about it either! C-Cut it out! Cut it out!
I don't want to think about it either!
Could it be that she was apologizing for yesterday... for not liking us?
Either way, those words really hurt.
Yeah, they did.
Maybe I was full of myself.
I'd always thought of myself as someone pretty important to her...
Same here. I thought she liked me.
They're hurt far more than I thought they were.
I want to find out who's spreading the rumors and put an end to them!
I need to let them know that Yano-san and Yoshida-san aren't backing me up or anything.
It's just that they're really nice people.
I know how to clear up a misunderstanding now.
But... I can't find them...
The people spreading the rumors...
Are you listening?
I want them to return to the way they normally are.
Their normal, cheerful, laughing selves.
No... No!
They're the ones who really want to cry, not me!
Kuronuma!
Wait up!
Did I do something to make you sad?
Sorry... I have something I need to do.
You were crying earlier.
And I get the feeling you're avoiding me, too.
Did I do something to make you sad... or to even make you hate me?
If I did, just tell me!
N-No, you didn't!
You didn't do anything!
But...
No matter...
No matter what happens in the future...
I could never bring myself to hate you.
It just isn't possible, no matter what may happen.
Kuronuma...
You've got a test coming up. How much can you slack off?
I'm sorry!
Kuronuma!
Kazehaya-kun... I'm sorry...
You've never avoided me no matter what I did, and yet...
But... if I stay by his side, I'll only cause trouble...
I'll only cause trouble...
But I don't want to avoid him...
It'll be better to keep my distance...
But I want to be by his side!
Is avoiding them the right thing to do?
Or isn't it?
I don't get it!
I just don't get it!
What am I...
...supposed to do?
People who are precious to me...
...and something I can do for them...
Next time: Determination.