Anyway, she's a brave girl.
You just can't help but cheer for her.
Wow, she must be gorgeous.
I guess you can say that.
She looks...
...like that.
Whoa, she looks pretty eerie from here.
In terms of appearance, yeah.
Sawako.
What? Sadako?
Her name, man! Her name!
Her name means "Lively Child".
For some reason, people are always afraid of me.
I hear she can sense ghosts and even summon them. For some reason, people are always afraid of me.
And her name is also Sadako, like from The Ring.
I just want to be friendly. And her name is also Sadako, like from The Ring.
You have to give it to her parents for giving her such an appropriate name.
Feel free to use this stall. It's open now.
Morning, Kuronuma.
Did you do your homework, Kazehaya?
Kazehaya-kun is the complete opposite of me. Did you do your homework, Kazehaya?
Of course not. Kazehaya-kun is the complete opposite of me.
Figures. Kazehaya-kun is the complete opposite of me.
We're in the same boat.
Everyone gathers around Kazehaya-kun, We're in the same boat.
Everyone gathers around Kazehaya-kun,
and it's almost as if people form a circle around him.
The day of our high school entrance ceremony...
U-Umm...
If you're looking for Kitahoro High, it's that way.
Thanks!
People are always apologizing to me, but he smiled and said "Thanks".
I hope that someday, I'll be able to act like him.
She'll be able to for sure!
Do it! Do it!
A popular person in the class, huh?
Kazehaya is, yeah.
Sawako just couldn't fit in with the class.
Oh... Sadako?
Yuka sat in Sadako's seat once and went down with a cold for a week.
Go for it!
Excuse me...
The seat's fine...
It's not dirty or anything, and... nothing will happen to you if you sit there...
And... I can't see ghosts, either...
I said it.
I just said it!
Seating change, huh...
I hope I'll be able to be friends with the person next to me this time..
Please! This is the only thing I'll ever ask of you!
Wow, so Kazehaya-kun is somewhere over there... Please! This is the only thing I'll ever ask of you!
Heck no! Wow, so Kazehaya-kun is somewhere over there...
Heck no!
I'm a little sad I don't get to share disappointment or happiness with people during times like these...
Whoever that picked 19, will you trade with me?
Kazehaya.
Awesome! I get to sit next to you!
You can have this back.
Yoshida, you're up next...
No.
No need.
Move, Ryu!
No.
I'm...
I'm so happy...
...to be in this seat.
From the bottom of my heart...
I'm happy.
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.
Gosh darn it!
I'm just so happy for her!
Geez, you're the same as always.
I'm starting to wish I could be more like Sawako-chan!
So it looks like she finally managed to fit in with her class.
Yeah.
But not too long after...
I'm asking who started the rumor!
Sa...
Sadako.
That's what everyone's been saying.
That Sadako is using Kazehaya and you two to become popular.
But it's great...
You were able to make friends.
It was Yano-san and Yoshida-san, right?
Th-They're not my friends!
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?
As long as I am around them, I'll end up hurting them again.
Hurting such kind people...
I may be able to clear up the misunderstanding, but I still don't know how I could possibly heal their wounded hearts.
So... I'm going to pretend like nothing ever happened and distance myself from everyone again.
I'm sure that's the best thing to do.
Despite her appearance,
Sawako is quite the optimist.
Rumors and misunderstandings, huh...
This makes me depressed!!!
Now, guess who got depressed the most?
If you don't hate me, then why are you avoiding me?
Please...
...don't talk to me.
No...
I just can't bring myself to say that!
Oh, I get it...
So the reason things are kind of rough between the three of you was because of rumors, too, huh?
How would you have felt if things were the other way around?
Huh?
What if Yano, Yoshida and I had started to distance ourselves from you, thinking that we'd only make you less popular?
I'd hate that!
I want to be with everyone!
Maybe they feel the same way, too.
In the end, it all comes down to how the other person feels.
And just with those words and his smile alone, he gives me the push I need to move forward.
You can do it, Kuronuma.
I know you'll be able to.
He's so handsome and cool!
Come on, quit interrupting my story!
Oh, I'm sorry.
It was a love story, so I just couldn't help myself.
How old do you think you are?
You're going to make your son cry.
Clean up! Clean up!
Kazehaya must really have been watching Sawako-chan.
Yeah.
She got courage from him.
Now it was her turn to use it.
That's not it at all!
I don't care whether you leave me alone or not.
So... please. Take back what you said earlier.
Huh?
What the hell are you-
Everything!
Everything you said is a lie!
All of you don't understand anything.
All of you...
...don't know anything.
You don't know... how nice they were to me.
You don't know how much I like...
...no, more than like...
...how much I love those two.
So...
Y-Yoshida!
You're going to stand up for her even after all those rumors she started?!
It wasn't her.
There's no way she'd do something like that.
That's what we think, so everything's fine.
Now run along.
I... I want to become...
I want to become friends with you two!
You're such an idiot.
Don't you know?
We care about you so much.
Don't you know?
You don't ask to become friends.
When you actually realize it, you're already friends.
We've been friends all along, Sadako!
Friends?
We were already friends?
My... very first friends...
I wonder if she's okay?
Yuka has been head over heels for Kazehaya ever since middle school...
Wait up!
Yuka!
Those girls are so stupid.
It should be obvious that Kazehaya wouldn't like girls who cause such a commotion.
Kurumi!
Recently, it feels like I'm hearing rumors about Sadako wherever I go.
We saw her with Kazehaya once, remember?
Oh yeah! We weren't sure whether they were dating or not.
But that's impossible.
You think so?
It wouldn't really surprise me... if Kazehaya fell in love with her.
Huh?
You're on the committee, too, Kazehaya?
Oh.
You were nominated, too, huh?
Glad I'm not the only one.
Some band did a cover of the fourth song on the album before the one I lent you, and it's really good...
You listening, Kazehaya?
Sorry, what were you saying?
The album that came before the one I lent you.
Gotcha. I'll bring it next time.
And now comes Kurumi-chan, huh?
She was glaring at Sawako-chan.
Doesn't seem too friendly.
Sawako-chan!
So if someone passes the ball in this direction...
...you need to-
Sawako-chan!
Bye-bye!
Bye...
I made a new friend.
To be honest, it doesn't feel very real since I didn't particularly work for it...
We're...
...friends now, right?
Maybe that's how people usually make friends.
Even though it feels unreal, it doesn't change the fact I'm really happy about it.
Kurumi-chan!
Geez!
Looks like old geezers like you can't understand her feelings.
What's this all of a sudden?
You know...
...Kurumi-chan's been watching someone for a really long time.
The thing is... there's someone I like.
I want you to help me out here.
The person I like... is Kazehaya.
Kazehaya-kun... will have someone special to him?
I'm... going to help make that happen?
Thanks, Sawako-chan!
I'm really glad you're willing to help!
On second thought, I don't think I'll be able to help.
Huh?
I don't think... I can do this...
I can't really support you with all my heart.
That's why I won't be able to help you.
It seems like Kazehaya-kun is special to me.
Then what makes him "special" to you?!
W-Well...
Is it because he was nice to you?!
Or is it because he paid attention to you?!
Or maybe because he was friendly to you?!
M-Maybe?
That's only because of his personality, isn't it?!
So as long as someone's kind to you, it doesn't have to be Kazehaya, right?!
K-Kurumi-chan!
So that's what she was after.
But don't you think Sawako-chan's gotten braver? She refused to help!
So she started to realize her feelings for Kazehaya thanks to Kurumi.
Like?
I... like...
Because love... is this feeling inside my heart right now, isn't it?
This feeling that wells up when I look at him sitting in front of me...
This is what you call "love", isn't it?
I have to tell Kurumi-chan.
So now, we can talk about love.
She's the one who started those rumors about us.
Sawako.
She's the one who put you through all that hardship.
I thought we were friends...
I've never thought of you as a friend.
Don't you have to tell Kazehaya about what I did?
And you can earn Kazehaya's sympathy again.
Sounds like the outcome of the match has been decided.
So Sawako-chan won in the end.
Hey...
...do you think Sawako felt better after all that?
Well, I'm sure...
She probably has some things to say.
I'm... in love with Kazehaya-kun.
I have feelings for him...
Romantic feelings.
I actually came looking for you earlier to tell you this.
I wanted to tell you.
I told you, you're just in the way!
You can be with Kazehaya without even trying, and I hate you for it!
I'm positive I could win if I were matched up with you.
Because...
I'm so much more...
...in love with him than you are!
I can swear by my life.
I... think you're much cuter now...
...than my first impression of you.
I know how pretty I am!
But... that doesn't matter at all.
I know Kazehaya doesn't have his eyes on me!
I can tell!
Because... I've always been watching him.
There's someone else I'm in love with.
I just can't bring myself to put anyone above her.
I'm sorry.
Are you even the least bit happy that I told you I like you?
Yeah.
Thanks.
They both developed the same feelings... for the same person...
Which means the two of them are now...
Even if worse comes to worst, and you and Kazehaya do work out,
I swear I won't give you a pat on the back.
It's only natural for me to hate all girls Kazehaya falls in love with!
We won't be able to become friends... right?
"Friends"?
You mean "rivals", right?
Tonight's gonna be rad!
Whoa! That can be...
...a purifying drink!
A time filled with happiness.
A place that will exist in my memories forever.
Next time: Day Off.